Rise of ZomBert (The Zombert Chronicles)

by Kara LaReau

Ryan Andrews (Illustrator)

Could Bert really be a zombie cat? Two friends put their brains together to find out in a wry new mystery series.

While helping her best friend, Danny, film his latest horror flick, Mellie discovers a scraggly cat behind a dumpster outside the YummCo Foods factory. Mellie names the stray Bert and hides him in her room, knowing her parents won’t let her keep him. But soon Bert has decapitated all her stuffed animals, and before long he is leaving the headless corpses of birds and mice as gifts for her. Danny is convinced the cat is a zombie, living on the brains of his victims. But is that what is really going on? Award-winning author Kara LaReau lets loose a fresh and sharply funny new mystery series, with an irresistible touch of the macabre. Fans of creepy stories and animal lovers alike will devour this fast-moving first episode in one gulp.

• ISBN10: 1536201065
• ISBN13: 9781536201062
• Publish Date: 14 July 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Candlewick Press,U.S.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 144
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781536201062

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Rise of ZomBert is a middle grade reader level series setup and backstory for the titular character (an escaped lab cat who may or may not have special powers) and the young girl (Mellie) and her friend (Danny) who encounter and sort-of-adopt the scruffy half dead feline. Due out 14th July 2020 from Candlewick Press, it's 144 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The narrative is at turns slightly creepy, but doesn't actually edge over into horror or supernatural goings-on. The characters are well rendered and the whole is quite readable and fun. It will be interesting to see how the story develops because, fair warning, it ends *very* abruptly. The art is wornderfully atmospheric and slightly gritty and suits the story very well.

I'll be looking forward to the following books. This would suit readers who have enjoyed Spiderwick, Lemony Snicket's books, or even E. Nesbitt. It's not derivative of any of those in any way, but it has a similar vibe.

Well written, perfect (non-intrusive) art. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.