Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion (Audio)

I am told that zombies are the new rage, replacing vampires and werewolves on the list of hot monsters.  According to the video games my son owns, this would make sense.  It is all about slaying the zombies.  All the fuss on TV and at the movies would support this as well.  (Did you see Zombieland?  Holy cow, was that movie FUN!)  I wasn't too sure, though, about a zombie love story.  Which is what this is.  All the other paranormal goons are in love, though, so why not zombies?  They need love too.

I started this audio with my cynical hat on, and not exactly an open mind.  But I was in the hands of Kevin Kenerly (the amazing narrator behind "Crooked Letter Crooked Letter") so I figured I could handle anything with him in my ears.

Synopsis:  R is one of thousands of zombies that walk the earth at some point in the future when everything has gone to hell in a handbasket...climate meltdown, financial meltdown, and a strange virus that has turned much of the world's population into blood-thirsty eaters of flesh and brains. 

R is cool though.  He loves music.  He longs for companionship.  Even though he can only utter simple grunts and a few words, and remembers nothing about his human life, he longs for more.  And he gets it when he eats the brains of a young male victim.  Suddenly, he is filled with the victim's memories, including those of his beautiful girlfriend Julie.  R finds Julie, whisks her off to his hideout, and befriends her. 

Is it possible for the undead and a human to have a relationship?  Humans are trained to kill zombies, and zombies instinctively eat humans.  In a twisted tale of an apocalyptic Romeo & Juliet, R and Julie are about to find out.

My thoughts:  This was one bizarre adventure, let me tell you.  It was graphic (brains and dead people smells?), it was creative, it was endearing.  Even a little bit funny.  It is hard to even describe my emotions really.  I liked R...he was kinda sweet and earnest and cool, for a member of the walking dead anyway.  But then the visual of he and Julie, like, being a couple?  Completely disgusted me.

I laughed out loud.  Zombies making derogatory comments about the drudgery of marriage?  Or Julie putting makeup on R to smuggle him into a human-occupied area?  What the hell!  I can't say that the story completely blew my mind, but I was very much entertained. 

A few words about the audio production:  My biggest thrill with this whole experience was the narration performed by Kevin Kenerly.  I believe the man performs in Shakespearean theater, but then turns around and narrates, to perfection, a Southern gothic literary thriller?  Then gurgles and grunts zombie-talk?  Really?  That is one versatile and talented guy.  If you like audio books, you need to make a point to track him down. 

3.5 out of 5 stars