Generation Dead

by Daniel Waters

Book Overview

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead. When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 142310921X
• ISBN13: 9781423109211
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.7" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

One of my absolute favorites

I read this book in middle school and was obsessed. I had no idea it had become a series so that was an exciting discovery when I remembered about the book as an adult and looked it up. It’s amazing to me how a book about zomb-excuse me, the differently biotic can be so relatable to the real world and real societal issues. 10/10 read. I encourage anyone and everyone to read this series, not just this book. Generation Dead deserves the same hype as Twilight.

Zombies In Love

The popularity of zombies is on the rise. In fact, the fans of the walking dead may be soon encroaching on the number one spot held by vampires. I don't know why this is happening, it's as mysterious as the reasons for the zombies climbing from their graves to start searching for a brain buffet in all the movies (and yeah, yeah, I get that some kind of gas was released in the Living Dead movies and in Raccoon City, but come on. Really?). Zombies moved back into horror fiction with a much more sure step than they've had in a long time. But now they're launching into teen romance fiction. In a way. GENERATION DEAD by Daniel Waters is a mixed bag, and I'm going to be all over the place while describing my reading experience for you. It just refuses to lie down and die to be reborn into a familiar zombie novel of movie tradition. The cover of the dead cheerleader with blackened eyes seized me at once. I mean, once you get that image in your head, it's not going to easily go away. Neither will the romantic triangle between Phoebe, Adam, and Tommy, the "differently biotic" boy Phoebe falls for. Phoebe was one of the Goth girls at school. She enjoyed being different, and the dressed-in-black thing really worked for her. Looking like the living dead really worked for her. It even earned her the name Scarypants from Pete, the novel's villain of sorts. Of course, the look really lost its appeal when dead kids started showing up and coming back to school. The author does an excellent job of catching a teen girl's feelings and confusion throughout the novel. Phoebe comes to life on the pages almost at once. Adam is the football jock and Phoebe's next door friend. As it happens, he's just discovering that the friendship he's always had with Phoebe runs much deeper. That realization is stymied by his own shyness, the fact that he is a member of the Pain Crew on the football team and he shouldn't go for Goth girls, and Phoebe's sudden crush on Tommy Williams. Tommy is a pioneering wonder among the zombies. He's articulate and he writes, blogs even. He also goes out for the football team and causes all kinds of tension in the school and the city. The story revolves around these three characters and how they sort out their lives. However, the author throws in great support characters like Margi, Phoebe's best friend, and others. Teens these days seem to be almost shockproof to so many changes in their lives. If the living dead did claw their way from their graves and decide to go to school instead of the brain buffet, I would be very surprised if teens didn't act exactly as Waters portrays them in this novel. They split almost immediately into groups that supported the zombies and those that stood against. But mostly they were curious. I could make a lot of comparisons to cultural differences being played out in the pages, of Waters building his zombies up to comment on race, religion, and economics - the usual dividers among popula

Best Book

I'm 12 3/4. I really LOVED this book. I found it very funny, a bit scary, and very suspenseful. It was a love story and a scary story too. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because I was addicted to this book. The cover was intriguing as well as the title. I though it was really cool when Tommy Williams, a differently biotic or zombie, said he had a website. I went to go see if the website was real and I was astonished to find it was really his web page! I think this book would more interest girls than guys, but then again I don't know. I though this was a sad book too at some parts. There is a lot of death involved. I think this book has opened up my mind more. Generation Dead really makes you think about what would happen after death and how would it feel if you came back. The book also says "Cool your different form other high school students. Be different, stand up, tough it out, and be there for the ones you want to protect." I think Generation Dead was such and amazing book that it should be a whole school reading book. I loved it that much. I wish there was a sequel. So Generation Dead is about this goth high school girl named Phoebe. Phoebe is attracted to a differently biotic (zombie) boy named Tommy Williams who lives with his normally biotic (not a zombie) mother Faith Williams who helps him all the time. Phoebe thinks Tommy is really brave for trying out for football. Phoebe learns to trust Tommy. When Faith learns that Phoebe's parents don't know and Tommy asks her to prom... What will Phoebe's parents think when they learn... Also what about her best guy friend Adam. Adam likes Phoebe more than a friend, but still hasn't told her. Or what about Margi Phoebe's other best friend. Will she feel sad when Phoebe starts to hang out with Tommy more than her, and what about how Margi feels about zombies? Margi and Phoebe had a friend who died a summer or two ago, and now she's come back is Margi alright with this and what about Phoebe? Will Margi loose it and drop out of the 'club' that talks with differently biotic kids? Ever since the differently biotic teens have been coming back there are a mysterious white vans about killing differently biotic kids again, every where from Springfield Massachusetts to the coasts of California. Will one of Phoebe's friends be a target to some cruel people or will Phoebe be the one hurt in the end???... Read the AMAZING, OUT OF THIS WORLD, FANTASTIC BOOK Generation Dead by Daniel Waters to find out.

A great young adult read!

To summarize Generation Dead, by Daniel Waters in one word- Clever! Daniel Waters resides in Connecticut with his family. Generation Dead is his first young adult novel. All over the country an unusual phenomenon is happening. Some teenagers who die are not staying dead. Isolated strictly to the United States and to teenagers, these young adults are labeled differently bionic or living impaired. All they are trying to do is fit into a society that doesn't want them and doesn't understand. The kids at Oakvale High School are no different. They don't want to eat with them, talk to them, or sit in class with them. They just want them to disappear. Phoebe has never been part of the popular crowd, not with her goth looks and attitude. So when she falls for Tommy, leader of the dead kids, no one can quite believe it. Margi, her best friend, has a fear of the living impaired which is rooted to an incident from their past she'd rather ignore than face. And Adam, her next door neighbor and star of the football team, has recently realized his feelings for Phoebe go much deeper than the girl next door he always thought she was. But what if all Adam can do is protect Tommy to make her happy? I only have two criticisms for the book. One, there were a few errors, but I had the advanced reading copy which is not the final publication draft. And two, I was sad when it ended, as I wanted more. Generation Dead, by Daniel Waters is clever, witty, and downright genius. How on earth he came up with this idea I'll never know. But I am so very glad he did. He was able to get into the minds of teenagers and know what they are thinking, feeling, and their reactions to the world around them. Targeted for young adults ages twelve and up, I think parents and adults would benefit from this read, as they just might finally get into their teenagers psyche. From the star of the football team, to the cheerleader who seemingly has it all, to the lost soul who hides in the corner... every character is believable and convincing. The plot flowed well and was exceedingly difficult to put down. In my opinion, the greatest part of this story was the way Daniel Waters was able to throw out any and every notion we have about zombies. You won't find flesh eating monsters and gore beyond nightmares, but rather a brilliantly funny adaptation of what a world might be like should this phenomenon every occur. Impressive, very impressive! Kelly Moran, Author and Reviewer

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

You've heard of Generation "X" and Generation "Y." Get ready for Generation Dead -- Generation Dead being known for its, well, undead. Science can't explain it, and no one really knows why it happens, but American teenagers are coming back to life. Known to the living as differently biotic or the living impaired, these zombie teenagers try to "live" their undead lives, but as with any group of people that vary from the norm, there are always prejudices. Phoebe, a Goth girl, finds herself unexpectedly drawn to one of these so-called living impaired students, Tommy Williams. Her best friend, Margi, thinks she is crazy, but Margi's feeling for the undead are more complicated than a general dislike. Then there is Phoebe's neighbor and childhood friend, Adam. Adam has finally realized his true feelings for Phoebe, but he still can't find the courage to tell her. Of course, it doesn't make the situation any easier when he discovers Phoebe is crushing on the dead kid. Phoebe talks Margi and Adam into joining a work study at the Hunter Foundation, which is centered around the undead phenomenon. Unfortunately, not everyone tries to be as open-minded. There aren't any laws protecting these teens, and they are being singled out and sometimes killed again. When a student makes a personal vendetta to take out the living impaired and anyone associated with them, the situation can only end in tragedy. GENERATION DEAD went above and beyond what I was expecting. Sure, it is about the dead, but there are so many underlying messages in this book. Prejudice is something that is very apparent, and is something that we deal with in reality on a daily basis. There is a part in the book where they have a guest speaker in their undead studies program. Basically, they are discussing how they can acclimate the undead into society. I have to say that the dialogue of the speaker totally blew me away. I think I read it maybe three or four times, and I just kept thinking, if only acceptance and change were and could be that easy, the world would be a better place. As for the rest of the story, the characters were beyond three-dimensional. I felt like I knew these kids, and they continued to develop throughout the entire story, I mean literally up until the last page. I loved it! The plot was totally original and kept me turning pages until the late hours of the night. I love Mr. Waters' writing style, as it's engrossing yet simple. The story was full of wit and humor, and I was totally captured! Obviously, I really liked/loved this book! Reviewed by: The Story Siren

The Compulsive Reader's Reviews

Phoebe and her friend Margi are used to being stared at and made fun of because of their unconventional Gothic style. But the tables are quickly turned and they are considered normal when certain teenagers throughout the country come back to lif e they don't breathe, eat, or function quite like normal teenagers, but they're alive nonetheless. And Phoebe's small town of Oakvale is becoming a haven for them, and a brewing pot for animosity, discrimination, and violence. Things only get more and more tense when Phoebe bravely decides to befriend the "ringleader" of these living dead, Tommy Williams, dragging her friend Margi, whose reluctance to associate with any of the "differently biotic" kids has to do with the guilt and fear surrounding their friend Colette's death...and reappearance, and Adam, the football player who is head over heels in love with Phoebe. Their decision to do this isn't a light one, that's for sure, and they'll have to face far more than just petty discrimination: together with their differently biotic friends, they'll have to try to change the way their society thinks in a world where the differently biotic have absolutely no rights. Generation Dead is one tremendous read. Phoebe is one brave, intelligent, and extremely admirable character. Waters's writing and imagination is gripping and engaging. Each reader will find themselves wrapped up completely in this unique and original story that is controversial and will challenge your thinking, and question what it means to be alive. Faced with adversity on nearly every side, this lively group of teens (no pun intended) will courageously face the new world in which they live, with an engrossing ending that will leave readers indignantly demanding more. Generation Dead is a profound, descriptive, and sensitive read that is sure to make waves in the young adult genre. [...]