Review: My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

Title: My Life as a White Trash Zombie
Author: Diana Rowland
Series: White Trash Zombie #1
Pages: 310
Publisher: DAW
Publishing Date: July 5, 2011
Format: Paperback
Genre: Post-Apocalypse/Zombies
Source: Won from The Bookish Brunette!!!

Synopsis:
Angel Crawford is a loser. Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse. Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest! Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

My Review:
I absolutely loved this book. Just look at the title...the cover...there really isn't much that you can't love about this book at a glance, but that's nothing to the actual story. It's a zombie story so of course I'm probably going to love it...but this was so much more. It's a crazy hilarious romp in the trashy life of one Angel Crawford. When she wakes up in the hospital, apparently of a drug overdose, she decides that she's going to turn her life around. Unfortunately...that life may not be what she was expecting...for one thing if she goes a few days without her new favorite snacky-bits...brains...she ends up smelling like the wrong end of a dead possum. For another Angel has no idea how she got this way or why...she's just told to work at her job and keep out of trouble by a mysterious note. So, Angel goes about her new job as a Coroner's assistant with the naive, blundering, yet smart sass that she's known for.

What did the zombie say to the whore? Keep the tip...

Angel was an absolutely wonderful main character. She's delightfully trashy and she's not going to take crap from anyone about who she is. I loved her strength and kindness! Even when things were crappy and it seemed like she just couldn't catch a break she protected the people she loved at her own expense. Also...this chick is straight up hilarious. As in laugh out loud, possibly pee your pants funny :) She said things that had me coming back just to reread the witty, snarky, sarcastic comments that she spouted off seemingly of the top of her head. But what I loved most about Angel was that she was absolutely, positively unashamed of who she was. Sure, she realized that her family is kind of trashy and that she needs to change to get ahead in the world, but she takes NO crap from anyone about her life.Whether it was from her trashy boyfriend who thought she was getting too "goody-two-shoes" to the people who looked down on her abusive alcoholic father, she gets up in their face and tells them to mind their own business. She takes control of her life and her situation and I just loved her for it.

The zombie "mythology" was definitely one of a kind. Instead of mindless rotting corpses that just shamble around terrorizing people, Rowland's zombies are basically your run of the mill humans...only with some interesting dietary needs. Sure these zombies could get smelly and start falling apart...but pop the top off a tasty Sheriff Smoothie or Banker Bean Dip and Rowland's zombies are back into fighting fit. This makes them pretty unique in the genre. Usually once a shambler's arm has dislocated and rotted to pieces on the ground...that's it...the poor zombie has to learn how to drive one-handed and good luck trying to juggle...To be honest, I think zombies are the least enviable paranormal creature. Who wants to date someone who's going to drip rotting body fluids on you when you give him a smack on the lips?...and what happens when the hand you're holding suddenly rips off and you're left carrying it around like some macabre clutch purse while your zombie boyfriend moans and groans about his loss? However,  these zombies get all the cool paranormal features like super strength, rapid healing, and immortality...without any other price than eating braaaiiinnnssss every once in a while. Sounds like a sweet deal to me!

I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It was sweet and understated...definitely not a main plot line at all, but that was what I liked about it. You got time to warm up to Angel herself first, then gradually were introduced to the smexy-cop boy-toy Richard, who may or may not have been into Angel since she was 16. He's kind, helpful, and may know more about Angel's situation than he lets on.  But most of all, he helps Angel out without being condescending or hurtful. He's just there when she needs someone to talk to or if she needs advice and I love him for that. There are one or two times when he goes all Alpha male to protect Angel, and even though she didn't like it too much, I thought it was unbelievably sexy and sweet that he wanted to take care of her. I can't wait to get some more of Rangel in the next book :)

I give My Life as a White Trash Zombie 5 Keys! My advice? Immediately get this book in your desired format, then devour it with the fire and enthusiasm as a zombie with a human in an enclosed space...I had so much fun reading it! It's a definitely original and totally cool take on a genre that I love. I cannot WAIT to see where Diana takes this series. Book one was so funny, snarky, and straight up creative that I have no clue how she will top it, but knowing how amazing Ms. Rowland is, I'm sure Book Two will rock my face off.