Release: July 12, 2011
Pages: 201 [Goodreads]
Bad Taste in Boys was everything I wanted and needed. It was a cute, quick, fun read that held my interest but didn’t force me to think too much. This book runs mainly on a high concentrate of humor mixed with some light romance, action, and science. Although I’d place it in the paranormal category, the idea in Bad Taste in Boys is that this “zombie” epidemic is purely scientific, having been of viral origins. This turns out to be a good thing because our heroine, Kate Grable, besides being known as the geeky “braid girl” is super smart, brave, and pre-pre-med. Definitely made up that last part. But I’m sure you get the gist. When this mysterious “flu” affects a significant quantity of the student body, Kate is fierce and fearless using her medical knowledge and wit to determine the symptoms, cause, and ultimately, cure.
I instantly liked Kate, most likely because I can relate to her on that whole geek-status level. Proud Member FYI. Although she struggles in most social aspects, when it comes to her pre-pre-med learning and practicing, she’s got it together. She knows what she’s doing, and she’s confident in her ability. As the student trainer for her school’s bad – nay, horrible – football team, she does a lot of medical practice. Although she’s not really friends with the players, she still refers to them as “hers,” which riles her up even more when they are the first to get hit with this zombie-rific wave of sickness. Kate is extremely compassionate. Although there might be some players whom she has every right to dislike *cough, cough, Mike* she still plunges forward and tries her best to help/cure everyone.
Kate’s little brother Jonah is a sweet yet extremely funny character. As the little brother (by a year) you expect him to be super annoying, which at times he definitely is. However, he’s also extremely caring and protective of his sister. When one of the first players starts getting sick and decides to mess with Kate, Jonah jumps right in the middle. He’s willing to beat up a guy two times his size in order to protect his sister. Besides his sweet nature, he’s also got a bit of geek to him, including his mad computer hacking skills, zed head status, and proud ownership of wearable elvish ears.
On many levels this book is kind of cheesy, but it’s a yummy kind of cheese. It’s not meant to be a deeply, philosophical book that leaves you enlightened. It’s supposed to be a funny, quirky, and entertaining ride, which it definitely was. Although along the way Kate does have various friends and her brother helping her, when the really difficult times came she handled them on her own, splendidly. Well, except for the various parts of flesh she lost along the way…
If you’re looking for a quick, fun, and funny read, Bad Taste in Boys is definitely for you. However, just to be clear, this is a book about zombies, and although the tone is light-hearted, there’s still a slight darker edge, which includes dislocated body parts and death.
