
Generation Dead is a young adult supernatural romance novel that reimagines the zombie genre with a focus on social commentary and prejudice. The story centers on Phoebe Kendall, a goth high schooler, who lives in a world where some deceased teenagers mysteriously reanimate. These 'living impaired' individuals are widely feared and discriminated against, lacking basic rights and often becoming targets of violence. Phoebe develops feelings for Tommy Williams, a zombie student, leading her to confront her own biases and challenge the societal norms. The book explores themes of identity, acceptance, love, and the fight against injustice, featuring elements of mystery and suspense as Phoebe and her friends uncover the systematic 'retermination' of zombies. Parents should be aware that despite the listed age range of 4-11 in some metadata, this is unequivocally a young adult novel (ages 14-18) due to its mature themes including death, murder, suicide, intense prejudice, and complex romantic relationships.
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Sign in to write a reviewZombies are brutally 'reterminated' (murdered); a character is shot and killed.
Zombies face widespread prejudice, discrimination, and physical attacks from living students and society.
Descriptions of zombies, 'reterminations', and a 'Haunted House' where abandoned zombies live.
Characters are frequently in danger due to anti-zombie sentiment and targeted attacks.
One character committed suicide; another character experiences hallucinations and deep-seated grief leading to violent prejudice.
The core conflict revolves around widespread prejudice and lack of rights for 'living impaired' individuals.