Passing Strange by Daniel Waters: Review

Passing Strange (Generation Dead #3)

By Daniel Waters
Published June 1st 2010 by Hyperion
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Karen DeSonne is used to pretending to be something she’s not. All her life, she’s passed as a normal all-American teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing this time, as alive.
Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of anti-zombie regulations that have forced nearly all of Oakvale’s undead into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: betraying her love by becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is because the consequences would be even worse than death.

Darkfallen's zombie squee again:

So when I first started this book I was under the impression that it was the last book in the series. After reading it I was left searching to find out if there was another one. Need less to say I was able to find out that there might, and should be, a fouth and even a fifth book. That being said I give this book 4 stars. However if this book turns out to be the last and final book then it is more like a 3.

I only say this because for every question this book answers it leaves you asking 2 new ones, making it a good "bridger" book. Not so much a good final book.

You with me?
In the book we learn A LOT about our little Miss Karen DeSonne. Most of this book is from her perspective. While I was left missing Phoebe and Adam a lot during this book I really grew to love Karen even more. We already learned that Karen committed suicide, but we never knew why until now...

As we grow to learn more about Karen we also learn more about about our villian Pete.
With Tommy off to Washington Karen and Tak are left to take care of the others. Since Tak is forced to hide underground Karen really steps up. She has spent her whole life pretending to be something that she is not. So why not spend her undead "life" pretending to be alive? Pretending to be a "trad" girl Karen uses Pete to clear Tak and the other zombies names from a murder case they didn't commit. But it takes alot more than pretending to be "trad" to be with Pete.

What else is Karen pretending to be?

Well if you wanna know that then you are going to have to pick up the book. You didn't really think that I would spoil it did you?

 I will say this....in most books there is some hidden message. Like: Don't have sex or Don't do drugs or Stay in school, and so on. The issue that Daniel Waters presents us with in this book is one that I haven't seen anyone touch. My hat goes off to him. It is about time that someone addresses this issue and the consecqusenses that it threatens when people don't think it is all right to accept it. I know that I sound criptic but I really don't waant to give anything away. Trust me once you read this you will understand.

All I can leave you with it that I REALLLLLY want to give our girl Karen a hug and tell her that everything is going to be ok.

Until my next breath...