My Best Friend Is a Viral Dancing Zombie

Fans of Frostbite Hotel, rejoice! Karin Adams has created another winning story. This one is also set in school, but deals mainly with friendship and all its ups and downs. Riley and Finn are best friends and have fun making stop action videos at Riley's house. But when a class film competition is announced, Riley sees the chance to become an award-winning filmmaker. Some accidental fame for Finn seems to have distracted his friend from helping to win the competition and Riley is not happy. How can he complete his film on time, save his friendship with Finn, and survive his sister's wrath for mutilating her Magic Rainbow Riders (pony figures)?

Anyone who has ever tried to complete a group project knows how hard it can be to get everyone working together and giving their best effort. Add the pressure of competition for a class award, jealousy over attention from a cute girl, and other frustrations - and you have a situation ready to careen out of control. Finn's zombie dance craze and Riley's obsession with the video become a clash of the titans, much like their video plot's clash between the zombies and the giant lizard. There is plenty of humor and very realistic scenes of school life, with classmates trying to ingratiate themselves with the viral dance star, issues over files on shared computers, body spray, and teasing about boyfriends and girlfriends.

Doodles along the pages make the story seem like something in an actual class notebook, while the pages of script and to-do lists break up the text and add variety. Perfect for fans of Wimpy Kid or Big Nate.