Wil is desperate for his older brother to come back from the dead. But the thing about zombies is . . they don’t exactly make the best siblings. Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/
capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant. In her first novel for younger readers, Moskowitz offers a funny and heartfelt look at how one boy deals with change, loss, and the complicated relationship between brothers.
Zombie Tag is by Hannah Moskowitz, need I say more? Hannah has quickly become one of my favorite writers. When I heard she was writing a middle grade book, I was hesitant to read it. I’m now a big fan of middle grade books, and was afraid that because of that I wasn’t going to life Zombie Tag. Thankfully, I loved it. Zombie Tag reads just like Moskowitz’s other work, except with less swear words. Hannah Moskowitz is an amazing writer who is able to capture the dynamic between siblings (in this case, brothers) perfectly.
Zombie Tag is a really innovative and original idea, and I love how much one single game is incorporated throughout the novel. Wil cares so much about his brother, its adorable. All of his friends were equally great. Their arguments and attitudes towards each other was so incredibly real.
This book made me so many different kinds of emotions. I laughed, I cried, you name it- I felt it. The story is beautiful, the characters are beautiful. Zombie Tag is deep, while remaining a book that younger children will enjoy. I wish it were around when I was little because it would have made me a reader from a very young age*. Deepness aside, this book has zombies. Zombies are awesome.
But, Zombie Tag wasn’t just about Zombies (it was also about tag!). Only Moskowitz can make a book about zombies also about friends, family, and the struggles of being a teenager (a young one, at that). Her characters go above and beyond the norm. of the characters in fiction meant for children. Wil and his friends are extremely bright and complex characters. Zombie Tag is a home-run novel. I can’t wait to see what middle grade Hannah has coming out next!
FTC- Bought.
mmm… brains
*For those of you who don’t know, when I was younger I was a reluctant reader.
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