You hold in your hands a very dangerous record.
I have collected every side of the story and every piece of evidence on case number 13. Now, in this file, you will find all you need to follow the dark adventures of Nick, Carter, and Angelo, three boys who possess an unhealthy obsession with monsters, in a town so grisly, so horrific—
Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re telling it all wrong, dude. You make it sound like it’s a scary story.
Ahem. Well, Nick, it is a scary story. In this volume alone, there are voodoo queens, graveyards—even the dreaded Zombie King himself.
Yeah, but there’s also the part where Angie gets mashed potatoes all in her face, and the part where I use my cool zombie powers to—
All right, point taken. Now, if you don’t mind . . .
You hold in your hands a very dangerous, very funny record, detailing the hilarious adventures of three boys who have an awesome obsession with monsters. This is the first volume. Read on if you dare. . . . – Goodreads
Zombie Kid Review
Zombie Kid, by J. Scott Savage, is an engrossing middle-grade book. It channels the adventure, wonder, and bonds of childhood with a breath-taking ease. It’ll make you laugh, groan, and surprisingly even make you feel on edge once or twice! And that’s just for adults. I can see kids being totally wrapped up in the story that the author tells here.
The thing that impressed me most about Zombie Kid was that the boys’ reactions. They were on point the whole time. Even though this is obviously fiction, you could just see a group of boys doing this stuff. Especially thinking that being a zombie was cool, and not wanting to stop until it actually became an inconvenience.
The boys in this book are great. They’re at that age where they think girls have cooties. They’re all different, but they’re all essentially good kids. They’ve got a strong bond that means they’ll do anything to help each other out. Basically, they’re brothers by choice, and I found myself hoping the trio’s friendship stayed strong long past this magical time in boyhood.
My favorite lines from the book came just before the inevitable battle against evil. It’s a section that emphasizes their bond.
“You think I’d let you go without me?” Angelo said. “This is the chance of a lifetime. If you’re going, I’m going.”
“I’m not gonna lie,” Carter said, rubbing his hands across his mud-stained pants. “I’m so scared I think I might hurl. But I’m not letting you do this alone. We’re the Three Monsterteers.” – Zombie Kid, Case File 13 #1, J.Scott Savage
Zombie Kid, the first book in the Case File 13 series, is very well written. It’s a book that’s enjoyable for both kids and adults. It gives a good mystery to solve that strikes that perfect balance of being neither too hard or blatantly obvious. Zombie Kid is filled with action, believable dialogue, and a plot that’s just on the edge of spooky. Every section propels the story further forward, and the climactic battle will have you cheering.
Zombie Kid is an excellent start to the Case File 13 series, and I hope to read more about Nick, Carter, and Angelo in the future.
Title: Zombie Kid | Series: Case File 13 #1 | Author: J. Scott Savage (site) | Publisher: HarperCollins | Pub. Date: 2012-12-26 | Pages: 288 | ISBN13: 9780062133250 | Genre: Kids Mystery | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 4 out of 5 | Source: Library | Purchase on Amazon
