Book Review: Zombies vs Unicorns Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn? (From Goodreads)

Part of Around the World Tours

I had quite a bit of fun reading Zombies vs. Unicorns. I snickered, I l laughed, and I regretted reading a few of the creepier stories late at night (I scare easily). In the end, I decided which team to pledge my allegiance to, but I'll discuss that later.

Zombies VS Unicorns is an anthology of short stories featuring, you guessed it, unicorns and zombies. Sadly, however, they only interact in one story. Team Zombie includes stories by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan, and Scott Westerfeld. Team Unicorn includes Meg Cabot, Kathleen Duey, Margo Lanagan, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik, and Diana Peterfreund. Honestly, the authors alone made me eager to read this book. There are quite a few of my favorite authors, like Meg Cabot. The anthology includes stories that are comedic, and dramatic. I'll admit that some stories are stronger than others, but I still couldn't set it down. My personal favorites were written by Meg Cabot (two words: Princess Prettypants), Carrie Ryan, Diana Peterfreund, and Garth Nix.

I really enjoyed the banter between Black and Larbalestier as they introduced the book, and each story. They left me laughing, and attempting to get other people to read certain passages. I also loved that Ryan and Peterfreund wrote stories that actually tied into their other stories. Of course, I love both The Killer Unicorn series, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth . So, it was nice to read different perspectives from those two universes.

Overall, it was great read. I really enjoyed all the zombie/unicorn lore that was included, and that author list is a huge plus in and of itself. There's something in here for every zombie/unicorn fan. So, if you're looking for a dramatic story, you'll find one. If comedy is your thing, there's quite a few stories in here that you'll enjoy.

My favorite quote: ""Probably he's trying to make himself immortal, which never works, except wizards never listen when you tell them that, and we would really prefer if he got stopped before he cuts off the babies' horns trying."

"Let me guess," Alison said. "Is his name Voldemort?"

"No, what freakish kind of name is Voldemort?"

-pg 53 (ARC edition, page number is subject to change)

Zombies Vs. Unicorns
Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
Published by Simon & Schuster
432 Pages
Release Date: September 21, 2010
Rating: A

Why I'm Team Unicorn:
1. Unicorns are majestic creatures, not all gooey and drippy
2. If you get gored by a unicorn, you die. Zombies either eat your brains, or turn you into a zombie. Neither of those options is pleasant.
3. Unicorns have magical healing powers. So, if you accidentally get gored, or hurt in battle, the unicorn could heal you.