Janis Flint-Ferguson (Children's Literature)
Mia Everett only wants to go to the prom with hunky Rob Ziggerman and for the first time in her life, it looks as though Mia will get her man--except that Samantha is doing her darnedest to snag Rob for herself. So Mia does what any self respecting teen will do--she goes straight for a love potion. Of course she does not really believe in such things, but her best friend Candice is a bit of hypochondriac and frequents a suspiciously occult shop in an old plaza. It has the right ambiance and the proprietor promises the right results. But the spell begins a series of events that has Mia avoiding friends and hiding out in storage closets with strange newcomer Chase Miller--an undercover agent for the Department of Paranormal Containment. It seems that the spell was one which will turn the entire senior class into zombies, zombies wanting only Mia, for dinner. Even Candice finds Mia an irresistible morsel before Chase can propose an option to reverse the spell. While the novel adds to a growing interest in the zombie phenomenon, there is also something sweet (no pun intended) about the story line. Much like romance novels of old, this is really a story about the highs and lows of high school relationships; the paranormal is just a new twist on a familiar story line. Young adolescent girls will enjoy both the romance and the adventure of the story much as their mothers enjoyed the twists and turns at “Sweet Valley High.” 2009, Speak/Penguin Group, $7.99. Ages 10 to 14.

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, April 2009 (Vol. 62, No. 8))
When Mia inadvertently turns her entire senior class into zombies while attempting a love spell, her hardcore TV habit comes to her aid, since her knowledge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel comes in handy by keeping her calm and even hopeful in the face of almost certain death. With the help of a classmate who happens to be part of a secret agency that deals with paranormal eruptions, she manages to escape being the zombies’ first meal—just barely—and to snag a boyfriend in the process. This is fast-paced, light-hearted fun with a healthy dose of self-awareness, but the characters are wafer-thin even for the kitsch horror genre of teen fiction, and there’s no reasonable (or unreasonable) explanation as to why the secret agent guy has come to this particular high school other than for the convenience of moving the plot and saving the girl. If there’s any sort of lasting impact or lesson to take away here, it’s to be careful whom you get your love spells from, but really, it’s best just to take it for what it is—a one-off derivative (if enjoyable) episode of Buffy-style fanfic, with apologies to Joss Whedon Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2009, Speak/Penguin, 208p.; Reviewed from galleys, $7.99. Grades 6-9.

Jennifer Miskec (VOYA, February 2009 (Vol. 31, No. 6))
When Mia’s dream-come-true plans for the prom begin to look questionable, her best friend, Candice, steps in to help. The problem is that Candice’s help involves bad magic, a love spell that is not really a love spell. The spell actually is a Viral Zombaticus that begins to turn everyone at the senior class awards ceremony - students and teachers alike - into flesh-eating zombies, including Mia’s dreamy prom date, Rob, and Candice. Fortunately the transformation comes in stages, which gives Mia and Chase - the new guy in school who just happens to be a zombie hunter for the Department of Paranormal Containment - a chance to reverse the spell and save the senior class from extermination. Pulling from many of the most clichČd of teen topics - popularity wars, obsessing over a prom date, battling with a sibling - this book might not be the most original of the trendy horror genre, but it still has its charm. Readers are told, for example, that protagonist Mia is an avid Buffy, Angel, and Supernatural fan, which despite being a rather undeveloped trait, works to build a character who probably looks a lot like the ideal reader of this book/genre. This title will probably be well circulated, but it might not be well remembered. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2009, Speak/Penguin, 208p., $7.99 Trade pb. Ages 11 to 18.