cover image Undead Much

Undead Much

Stacey Jay, . . Penguin/Razorbill, $8.99 (306pp) ISBN 978-1-59514-273-3

In this sequel to You Are So Dead to Me , Jay keeps the action moving at a brisk clip. Sixteen-year-old Megan Berry, a powerful zombie Settler, is used to having her spells return the Undead to their graves without a fuss. Something's different this time, though—a new crop of zombies are not following the rules, and worse, Megan's Settler bosses think she's responsible for raising the zombies. With the help of her boyfriend, Ethan, and pom squad captain Monica, Megan works to clear her name and find the culprit. Along the way, she has to deal with her attraction to an Undead psychic, do her part to fend off cheerleaders trying to take the halftime shows away from the pom squad, and keep Arkansas from becoming the center of a zombie apocalypse. Jay's writing is light and engaging, and the characters are lively and likable (though some readers may want to shake Megan for her poor communication at times). While the plot hinges on events from the first book, the background is covered well enough that readers can start here without confusion. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)