I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

Zombies, zombies, and more zombies! Joule, Regina, and Oliver live in the city of Redwood. And like every other city, then are preparing for the upcoming zombie season. However, this year, the local zombies are more active, and Redwood residents are doing everything to avoid the horde.

These zombies are not like the ones you see on television or in the movies. These zombies eat more than just brains. The eat everything. Tress, houses, cars. Whatever is in their way, they will devour.

Joule, lost her father when zombies rose unexpectedly and ate everything in sight. This type of activity can fade quickly if the zombies have nothing to eat and can become a wave which is extremely dangerous. Joule refuses to believe her father is gone, and has ran away from home to looks for him before her mother puts her on a plane and away from Redwood for good.

Regina, the daughter of a local scientist, finds it difficult to make and keep friends, because she's more into science and the zombie problem. Regina has worked with her mother on a new project to make the zombies useful instead of destruction. She is excited about the launch, until something goes awry.

Oliver is frustrated with the zombie prevention training at his school. He knows Redwood like the back of his hand, and even had mapped every trail, short-cut, and path. He attempts to get his Coach to change the training and make it more useful, but he won't listen.

All three kids, and their families are caught in not one, but multiple waves of zombies coming towards their city. Nothing the Zombie Fighting Brigade does seems to keep them back.

I love zombies, and this was my first middle grade zombie book. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't this. It's a fun and interesting take on the zombie trope with a more original twist. I'm sure it's a good read for the age group, but for me, personally, it felt lacking. And some of the dialogue felt clunky.

I rated it 3, because that's kind of in the middle. I didn't love the book but I didn't hate it either. I've read plenty of middle grade books before that I enjoyed, but this wasn't one of them. That's not to say it wasn't a good read. There was just the right amount of angst and drama for the target audience. Joule, Regina, and Oliver were written as "real" kids, so it makes them more relatable

This middle grade novel was something I really enjoyed and something I didn’t expect. I wondered how this world would would function, how these children would function in a world like this.

Let me tell you it was fantastic and I’ll say right now it was a 5 star read and I absolutely recommend it.

In Zombie Season, zombies erupt from the ground in random clusters and devour everything in their path. They give off heat, stench and are pure destruction. They are a fantastic, and I mean fantastic allegory for wildfires caused by climate change and pollution. I really loved it.

And the characters. We get multiple points of view. Each of them felt fully fleshed out and the voices were different. And they were really going through it. One worried her mother would never be proud of her, another was scared she’d never see her father again as himself. She was literally living in the forest trying to find him. All of them come together to try to solve their problems and it was great.

I loved how this story went and the ending was very satisfying. I really enjoyed it. And even though I’m an adult, the idea of zombies erupting from the ground and just demolishing anything in sight was genuinely scary to me. And the thought of it happening to family and friends.

This was such a good book and a very fun read. Again, 5 stars. Go ahead and pick up a copy.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publishers.

Zombie Season by Justin Weinberg was a fun novel. I had seen a few reviews of older audience rating it low, so I wanted to give it a look. I thought it was the perfect type of zombie story for the younger audience. To the point when I finished the novel, I bought a copy and gave it to my little sister to read. (She loved it.)

To be fair not everything worked for me. But I am not the target audience. So, I talked to her about it, and she disagreed with me about every point except for the last one. Some of the side character development I thought could be stronger. And some of the world building could've been more flushed out. But overall, I will continue to recommend this book to people.

4 1/2 stars.

Zombie Season was a fun middle grade horror with a different type of zombie that was interesting. I liked the three different POVs and how each had a reason for dealing with the zombies. I also think it's cool that there is a game which I did try and play though I wasn't very good at it...lol.

ZOMBIE SEASON – by Justin Weinberger

‘It’s a day for impossible things here in Redwood, and this is only the beginning.’

‘During zombie season, your whole mind has to be ready for a sudden unnatural disaster to strike at any time. You always have to know the closest zomb shelter, the quickest path to a sizable body of water . . . because, during an unnatural disaster, there can be no hesitation. No questions. When the sirens go off? You grab your go bag and move, full stop.’

That was a heartbreaking and intense read! I am a huge Zombie fan, so I knew going in this would be a fun ride.

Weinberger creates a version of Zombie that is unique (Which I Love!) and adds to the suspense in the story throughout; however, some scenes feel a bit off in regards to the anticipated tension based on the visual expectation of the reader toward what transpires at various points of the narrative, pulling me out of the story at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and look forward to reading and sharing what Weinberger comes up with next.

Reading Age: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

Thank you, NetGalley and Scholastic Press, for providing me with an eBook of ZOMBIE SEASON at the request of an honest review.

The MOST FUN BOOK your kids will read this year!! Zombies Zombies Zombies!! This book is a fun and interesting take on the zombie trope with an original twist. Regina, Joule and Oliver do the endless drills so they are prepared for zombie season. But, are you ever really ready when the zombies swarm?

This book was a good read that middle graders are going to love-well written with a plot full of secrets and twists. There is angst/drama that is perfect for the target audience. The characters of Regina, Joule, and Oliver are written as 'real' kids so readers will relate to at least one of them. The science parts were believable and the zombies were awesome; why are there zombies? what happens if a zombie 'gets' you? The secrets and sneaky stuff will blow your reader away! The best part is the QR CODE included in the book that invites readers online to join ZOMBIE HUNTING MISSIONS!

Very well done and 4 stars. I was given a copy to read before it was released (thank you, Scholastic! #ZombieSeason #NetGalley) and I highly recommend you get this book for your middle grader. FIGHT THE UNDEAD!!

I loved Nix so much as a character. His character arc and growth were perfect. I loved the mystery aspect as well of the book. I'm excited for my son to read this book. He's my child who loves scary things and monster adventures.

This is a great zombie adventure book for children ages 10 and up who are obsessed with all things monsters, zombies, and dystopias. I would recommend this book for libraries, classrooms, and reluctant readers who love zombies.

Thank you to Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.