Zombies vs. Unicorns!!!

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads): It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier ( ...more It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan.

And here's what I thought:  I had received this ARC through a tour from Dark Faerie Tales (which is so cool).   I was intrigued by this book, not just because of the subjects, but also because of the list of authors who contributed stories.  I mean --- did you see the list?!?   I knew I would find some real gems inside this book, and I wasn't wrong.

I have to admit, some of the stories didn't resonate with me as much as others did.   But, this is such a great compilation of stories.  I mean, where else would you find this kind of face-off?   And what makes it especially fun is that Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier have little comments before each story.   I'm not sure which I enjoy reading about more, zombies or unicorns, but there were a few stories in here that I really liked.  Garth Nix' story had a quote that I loved (see the bottom of this post), the writing was beautifully descriptive, and I really liked the main character.  Carrie Ryan's story made me think of Forest of Hands and Teeth (which I really liked), and I enjoyed the slightly shocking ending.  Naomi Novik's story made me laugh out loud when I was reading --- the unicorn in that story is pretty cool.  Maureen Johnson's zombie story was one that was that wry kind of funny that strikes me sometimes, and I thought Scott Westerfeld's story was pretty interesting, as well.  Cassandra Clare's story was sad, but it really made me think -- and this one has stuck with me for a bit, as well.

These were the ones I really liked, but seriously, all of the stories are good.   And unpredictable.   You might expect zombie stories to be all scary, and unicorn stories to be full of rainbows and light ---- but that's not always what happens here.   Alaya Dawn Johnson's story was kind of funny, and while it wasn't my favorite out of the book, made me smile (it's a Joy Division kind of thing, I suppose).   I don't really think a reader can go wrong with this book, because the stories are so varied.   Definitely a recommended reading!!!

And, oh yeah --- here's that quote I mentioned:  "Looked at sideways, she was a fiercer thing, of less familiar shape, made of storm clouds and darkness...."   p. 4  (first story in the book, by Garth Nix)