August of the Zombies by K.G. Campbell

What worked:

The first thing readers realize is August is like a zombie magnet. He’s not sure why, but he always has a group of zombies, and butterflies, following him wherever he goes. His one hope of getting rid of them is to locate the Zombie Stone, but it’s been stolen by Professor Leech, who is on his way into the Lost Souls’ Swamp. The story becomes an adventure, a treasure hunt of sorts, as the professor searches for hidden gold and August hunts for the Zombie Stone that will open a Go-Between with the dead.

The book has a couple of interesting subplots. August’s Aunt Hydrangea may lose her home, since the crop of rare peppers is lost in a storm, meaning they can’t create her family’s famous hot sauce. Also, she hasn’t left her home in decades because of The Incident which August doesn’t discover until late in the book. August’s strong motivation to find the Zombie Stone is a wish to have a normal life with normal friends. It’s hard for him to have positive relationships when he’s constantly accompanied by the undead, and Aunt Hydrangea has kept him inside her house as protection against cruelty in the world. Finding the stone will allow him to send the zombie souls to their eternal, peaceful resting places. He wishes to have the life he sees on Stella Starz's television show where all of the characters are best friends.

August is accompanied throughout the story by a young, zombie girl named Claudette. She doesn’t have any speaking lines since she can’t talk, but she’s loyal and protective of August. The author compares her to a loving puppy, as she does whatever August asks and leaps into action if he encounters any danger. A humorous angle to her character is that everyone else believes she’s dressed in a zombie costume, and they’re impressed with the quality of her make-up. The people working on Stella Starz's television show are so impressed with her image that they want to use her in an important scene of an upcoming episode.

What didn’t work as well:

You need to read the prior two books in the trilogy before reading this one. I was unaware August of the Zombies was part of a series until I started reading it. Comments are made early on about past events, but it feels like readers are dropped into the middle of a story, which they are. It takes a while to figure out what’s going on. The easy solution to any concerns I have is to read the series from the beginning!

The Final Verdict:

Listen with your heart, not your ears. Reading the trilogy from the beginning will allow readers to fully enjoy this entertaining book. August is a very kind character caught in a challenging situation, and the author rewards him with a pleasing resolution to his problems. I recommend you give this book a shot!