This review is spoiler-free!
The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter
Series: White Rabbit Chronicles #3
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Release Date: September 30th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Find it here: Goodreads || Book Depository
Yet again, I’m blown away by Showalter’s storytelling ability. While this series as a whole isn’t quite my cup of (unbirthday) tea, it absolutely would have been had I read this when it was first being published. I would have been crazy for this story, especially because romance is still not the focal point and badass zombie slaying takes the stage instead. Have I mentioned how cool the twist is on the classic tale? Well, I’m doing it again.
I still… don’t quite connect with Ali, though, which I guess is my biggest issue with the series and is completely a me problem, but as a whole I seem to be enjoying the books slightly less with each continuing iteration. This one in particular I would say is my least favorite down the line, because, while the plot is still totally cool and all, Ali and Cole kind of ruined it for me. Like, I know they’re teenagers and teenagers don’t have the greatest attention spans (which, why are they being allowed to fight zombies, anyway?!), but, y’all. Can we leave room for Jesus, just while we have bigger things going on? Like, you know, people dying? Kind of important!
(Okay, well, I can tell you the BIGGEST reason why I’m getting salty with this series, and it’s because my favorite character got totally axed, but that’s a spoiler, so I can’t keep talking about it here.)
I still feel like this could be wrapped up pretty neatly in the final book, even if this third books kind of seems like a conglomeration in confusion and a scramble to get to a point where a conclusion can even start to happen. I have no idea when this review is going up, but it’ll likely be after I’ve already read the fourth book (edit for future me: yeah like more than a year after, oops, thanks COVID), so, hopefully it wrapped up well? I’m not sure I care as much as a should now that my saving grace in the story is gone.
(Okay, I still care. Just less.)
(That’s just a lot of Ali and Cole to have to put up with without a desperately-needed buffer, okay?)
I guess we’ll see what happens…
Thanks for reading!
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