With societies focused on body image, the generalization of society, and a government who is bent on nefarious plots, a zombie apocalypse is inevitable.
Kelly deVos's latest work, has a delightfully original narrative where characters from the action girl to the outcast are thrust into a satirical plot that mashes the components of surviving a zombie apocalypse, overcoming the social branding of body image, and performing beyond the heroic subgroups that personal characters can fall under. Eat Your Heart Out was a phenomenal literary blend of social commentary meets classic slasher films that made the pages practically turn themselves. I enjoyed seeing how deVos expanded on the character archetypes such as action girl, the basket case, the courageous captain, the jock, the jerk, the nerd, and the outcast and instead of generalizing their characters, gave each of them their own voice through the alternating point of view chapters.
The characters that were particularly outstanding to me were Vivian, our amazing action girl who absolutely overcame any situation, and Steve, the courageous captain who did his best to make sure his group members survived not only Camp Featherlite, but the zombie apocalypse that wasn't in the fine print of his job description.
If you are a fan of genre blends like Cabin in the Woods and Warm Bodies and are looking for characters to champion, get ready to Eat Your Heart Out.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Book Title: Eat Your Heart Out
Author: Kelly deVos
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 29, 2021
Genres: YA Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Zombies
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48589167-eat-your-heart-out
Book Description:
Shaun of the Dead meets Dumplin’ in this bitingly funny YA thriller about a kickass group of teens battling a ravenous group of zombies.
In the next few hours, one of three things will happen.
1–We’ll be rescued (unlikely)
2–We’ll freeze to death (maybe)
3–We’ll be eaten by thin and athletic zombies (odds: excellent)
Vivian Ellenshaw is fat, but she knows she doesn’t need to lose weight, so she’s none too happy to find herself forced into a weight-loss camp’s van with her ex-best friend, Allie, a meathead jock who can barely drive, and the camp owner’s snobby son. And when they arrive at Camp Featherlite at the start of the worst blizzard in the history of Flagstaff, Arizona, it’s clear that something isn’t right.
Vee barely has a chance to meet the other members of her pod, all who seem as unhappy to be at Featherlite as she does, when a camper goes missing down by the lake. Then she spots something horrifying outside in the snow. Something…that isn’t human. Plus, the camp’s supposed “miracle cure” for obesity just seems fishy, and Vee and her fellow campers know they don’t need to be cured. Of anything.
Even worse, it’s not long before Camp Featherlite’s luxurious bungalows are totally overrun with zombies. What starts out as a mission to unravel the camp’s secrets turns into a desperate fight for survival–and not all of the Featherlite campers will make it out alive.
A satirical blend of horror, body positivity, and humor, Kelly deVos’s witty, biting novel proves that everyone deserves to feel validated, and taking down the evil enterprise determined to dehumanize you is a good place to start.
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Author Bio:
Kelly deVos is from Gilbert, Arizona, where she lives with her high school sweetheart, amazing teen daughter, and superhero dog, Cocoa. She holds a BA in creative writing from Arizona State University. When not reading or writing, Kelly can typically be found with a mocha in hand, bingeing the latest TV shows and adding to her ever-growing sticker collection. She is the author of FatGirl on a Plane, Day Zero, Day One and Eat Your Heart Out. Visit Kelly online at kellydevos.com.
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