Prometheus, 2009
Available: New, used & digital (multi-format)
ISBN: 1591027268

Prepare for a journey though the dark side with today’s most widely recognized forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Stone. After years (and hundreds of killers studied) Stone created the Graduations of Evil Scale, and this book is his explanation of the process. The Anatomy of Evil is intense, featuring many profiles of killers, and none of the ones you’d expect. There are no Bundy, Gacy or Dahmer profiles here. And the focus doesn’t stay on serial or mass killers at all.

Stone doesn’t give a text book regurgitation of facts, but also adds theories on how religion, media and social influences what our ideas of evil are, and how these notorious (often unrepentant) killers fit into that. The Anatomy of Evil is THE definitive work on killer psychology and likely will remain so for a while to come. It also tackles the difficulty of defining evil itself, the causes, effects and way society can deal with it. Stone’s style, while academic, is not beyond the understanding of the casual reader. The book is an incredible read, infinitely fascinating and should be a mandatory part of every public collection. Its research value, be it to writers or budding psychiatrists and law enforcement, or just people trying to understand the motives of those around them, is immense. While Stone handles the horrible details without allowing the book to become profane or gory it is a difficult read just because of the depths of the depravity it explores. But Stone handles the rough subject matter with delicacy and skill, and most of all composure, that most would struggle with.

Contains: descriptions of true, horrifying criminal acts including torture, rape and murder

Holt, 2010
Available: New, trade paperback & most eBook formats
ISBN: 9780805092431

The Reapers are the Angels is an unexpected treasure, and might easily be overlooked by otherwise avid horror readers. A gothic southern tale of a girl who lives alone after the zombie uprising it does for zombies what Interview with a Vampire did for vampires.

Temple is barely a teenager, left to survive in a failing world. She’s illiterate, and has never know family or a world without zombies, yet she’s searching the world for something she can’t put a name to. Despite her very different way of thinking, she’s easily an Everyman for a wide swath of the readers who find this book.

Intensely strange, deeply emotional, this is a zombie tale not to be missed, or underestimated in the sea of knockoff bio-horror/apocalyptic books. I cannot recommend this book highly enough/ Readers should be aware that Bell’s intoxicating tale will pull you in and make it very hard to let go. An absolute must-have for modern horror collections. Highly recommended.

Contains: language, violence, attempted rape, sex

Reviewed for MonsterLibrarian.com

Random House Children’s, 2010
ISBN: 9780385735032
Available: New, used and digital

Ali Rhodes is the quintessential teenage curmudgeon. Music reviewer for her school paper and notorious snark queen she’s the last person to fall for trends and scams–or in love. But at a local show she meets a guy who is tall, Goth and handsome, and who knows how to sing with soul. It’s just too bad Doug is a zombie.

While it starts off as a snarky, humorous, paranormal tale, in the end, I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It makes a statement on the social pressures teens (and everyone really) face. (It manages to make fun of a lot of the trends in YA fiction as well.) Ali thinks she’s highly resistant to the fall-in-love-with-a-vampire deals, but finds herself reconsidering the rest of her life when her guidance counselor pushes “converting” on her and Doug’s personal limitations are revealed.

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It is witty, funny, and meaningful- the only problem is that it ends too soon. Highly recommended, especially for school or public collections with a lot of paranormal YA readers.

Contains: mild language, hinted adult situations