Generation Dead: Kiss of Life (Generation Dead Novels) [Hardcover]

Daniel Waters (Author)

Book Description

Series: Generation Dead Novels | Publication Date: May 12, 2009

The phenomenon that’s been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay.  Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time.  While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they’re calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends.  Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her.  Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave.  Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8–10—As this sequel to Generation Dead (Hyperion, 2008) opens, Adam is just beginning to "regenerate" after diving in front of Phoebe, the girl he always loved, when she was going to take a bullet aimed at her currently undead boyfriend. He is having a difficult time gaining control of his speech and movements, while Phoebe is under the impression that a kiss from a "beating heart" who truly loves him can help speed the process. The story then reveals a whole zombie activist movement, as well as an anti-zombie conspiracy. Taken on a superficial level, the story is an action-packed romp through the zombie subculture, including such products as "Z, the body spray for the active undead male." Taken at a more cerebral level, the novel comments on societal attitudes toward race, disability, and sexual orientation. It could also spark conversation about the afterlife as it raises a disturbing question: If there really is a God, has he turned the zombie kids away? The book is supported by an amazingly well-maintained Web site, but its downfall is that it bites off more than readers can chew. There are too many characters, too many subplots, and too many switches in perspective. Kiss of Life clearly screams for a sequel—if not two or three. With so much going on, it is easy to lose track of which character is which, never mind who is dead or undead. That being said, it's a must-buy if the first title is popular.—Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL END

Review

trThe New York Times

>?

?“Stephenie Meyer meets John Green in debut author Waters’ wry, original

supernatural romance....”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Waters’s strong first novel introduces a cast of memorable characters—both dead

and alive.” —

Publishers Weekly

• An Oprah’s Book Club Reading List Pick

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 1St Edition edition (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423109236
• ISBN-13: 978-1423109235
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Waters, the author of the Generation Dead series, loves you all. He lives in New England with his spectacular family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of life, a kiss of death, May 30, 2009

By 

Jessie Potts "Book Taster" (Terre d'Ange) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Generation Dead: Kiss of Life (Generation Dead Novels) (Hardcover)

Kiss of Life is the follow up to Generation Dead. Daniel Waters again goes the distance with this book. He rips social issues apart such as racism, sexism and the anti gay movement. We see humanity at its most basal form, showing us that people can be cruel when anything goes against their beliefs.

In this round Phoebe is trying to reanimate Adam who seems to be 'waking up' slower than other bionically different. She's still trying to reconcile feelings between Adam and Tommy when Tommy decides to go on a mission to help bridge the gap between zombies and the bleeders. Pete, who you remember killed Adam in the first place, is working at the Hunter's Center to undergo community service and therapy, is being recruited for the Anti Zombie movement. Meanwhile the Hunter Center gets exposed for what it really is doing to the zombies, and more and more zombies are being killed, massacred, burned, crucified, with the law not behind them, but certainly not stopping them.

This book was brilliant Daniel Waters is an amazing break out author and his light 'teenage' tone masks the deeper uglier issues that are seen in today's society still. I recommend this with two thumbs up and 5 stars all the way!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Followup, May 19, 2009

By 

Jacob A. Mcdougale "sMonKey" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Generation Dead: Kiss of Life (Generation Dead Novels) (Hardcover)

A friend picked up Generation Dead for me on a whim. The cover had caught his eye and he knew that I enjoyed a good book, be it Steinbeck, King, Rowling, etc...anything GOOD. Well Generation Dead was awesome! Purely and simply fantastic. The allegory and characters all spoke to me and of course the ending kicked my a**. I had no idea this was the beginning of a series when I finished it and well, that was last August. I was stranded on a beach in Florida, staring at the ocean oblivious to any natural beauty because I was devastated :) That for me folks = GREAT READ.

I just finished Kiss of Life last night and I LOVED every minute of it...it was a great continuation of the story. I was a bit worried in the beginning as it was slower than I had anticipated and pretty sad (atleast for me); but given the ending of the first book, I am glad that Mr. Waters took the time to explore the ramifications and effects of those events. It helped me remember why I loved the first book and furthermore, the characters.

Phoebe breathes on the pages, blissfully unaware of her own beauty and confused like all of us are/were in our teens; Adam is struggling to find himself given the events of the last book (his sensei visiting really got me...well everything with Adam pretty much did); and Pete is lost and as vile as ever. I enjoyed getting to know Karen so much more as well Tak. The world that Mr. Water's has created really expands with this book and I am grateful to have read it. It's such a strangely relevant story with the way the world is nowadays - polarizing politics, the fight for rights, and just the sheer craziness of finding one's self in a world that doesn't seem to make any sense - maybe that's what affects me so much...who knows?

I won't give anything away plot or detail, it's just not my thing. All I can say is I can't wait to read the next installment of Phoebe, Adam, Margi and all the other characters I now love even more. I haven't wanted for a sequel so much since Harry Potter...and that is saying something.

The board is set for a crazy third book...they'd better get to publishing it soon! Read Generation Dead and Kiss of Life...and tell EVERYONE you know to do the same. I'm 27 and think this book would appeal to anyone...I only wish I'd had a series like this to relate to when I was in my teens. Regardless, I love it just the same at my age.

READ IT is all I can say.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happily ever after...As much as you can be, June 15, 2009

By 

Sunny - See all my reviews

This review is from: Generation Dead: Kiss of Life (Generation Dead Novels) (Hardcover)

I liked the 2nd book to Generation Dead. It was a bit slow but I found myself reading the first one again to compare pre Adam and post Adam. I didn't like the way Adam was so hard on himself "FrankenAdam". I just wanted to hold him and tell him it would all work out. I did like the end. I wish there where more scenes with Phoebe and Adam courting (dating). I wanted to see the love (or the love that was already there) grow deeper with interaction. Also curious - Can zombies have sex or at least can the boys have sex? And they don't age - this could be a problem with a long commitment - the author never brought up either one of these topics which I think might be important down the road. I know it is a YA book - but if Pete can talk about how he likes to "get tail" I think it would have been okay to discuss. Hopefully the author will shed some light on the topic on the next book. But again - Loved the ending.