Praise the Dead: A Zombie Novel

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Coscom Entertainment (July 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1926712250
• ISBN-13: 978-1926712253

Young Andrew Perry has what he calls “The Power of Resurrection,” and he wields it like a toy wand, reanimating animals and people as he sees fit, primarily for his own amusement. But when this strange power begins to amplify, he decides he must be destined for more than merely roadside parlor tricks. In another part of the country, a girl named Lindy possesses a power of her own, a power that threatens both her health and her sanity. The ability to hear and speak to birds, at first terrifying, soon gives birth to insight that suggests there is more going on than she perceives. Day by day and year by year, each child becomes more aware of the other and the inevitable confrontation that is fast approaching. Each must build their own army and prepare for the final showdown between Good and Evil. Caught in the middle, the rest of humanity must choose a side, especially when the dead begin to walk. Who will honor the living . . . and who will Praise the Dead?

This ain’t the first Ranalli book I’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last.
A pre-apocalyptic tale, this is a very unusual zombie novel, but really, the whole shambling corpse thing is getting a bit over-run with Brian Keene wanna-be’s anyway.
This is not one of those…
I do think it could have been longer, as there was room for more development of plot and characters. Still a very enjoyable and satisfying read.
The two central characters are both children, and each bears an unusual power. The antagonist wields the power to raise the dead, while the female protagonist has the ability to communicate with birds.
For a zombie novel, there are plenty of undead, but the zombies are not as central to the tale as you would expect. There is an over-riding theme of good vs. evil, of the manipulation of mankind towards its own self-destruction.
The characters are well-written, if a bit under-worked, the pace is steady, and Ranalli once again exhibits her unique voice and narrative style.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in an unusual but very good read.

4.5/5