Generation Dead By: Daniel Waters

Generation Dead

By: Daniel Waters

*****

Phoebe, a goth to the bone girl, is the main character of this interesting story. Adam is her best friend, football star, next door neighbor. Margi is her best friend. Together they experience life with the “differently biotic” – each are affected a different way.


Phoebe becomes fascinated and starts to fall for Tommy, the leader of the “differently biotic” kids. Since all of the zombies, as they like to call themselves, don’t come back the same – meaning some move and communicate better than others – Tommy makes sure some of the lower functioning ones aren’t left alone walking through the halls or in the cafeteria. Phoebe’s feelings for Tommy cause a lot of talk. People can’t believe she would want to have anything to do with a dead person.

Adam has to deal with Tommy in his own way. Tommy decides he wants to join the football team. The coach doesn’t want him to, of course, but the principal tells him he has no choice. Adam is the only player that gives Tommy a chance and sees what a great player he really is. The problem is, Adam starts to realize he has feelings that go beyond friendship for Phoebe and a love triangle is formed.

Margi can’t understand why Phoebe is warming up to the zombies. One of their best friends is one and Margi can’t seem to get past that Colette was once alive and hung out with them all the time. She struggles to see what Phoebe likes about the zombies.

Once Margi and Colette become friends again, the homecoming dance is nearing. Margi, Phoebe, Adam, Thorny, and Margi's homecoming date, Norm are all invited to an afterparty at the Haunted House after homecoming. Phoebe sees Adam at the dance and they apologize to one another for their argument. They all head to the Haunted House party. A while into the party, Tommy takes Phoebe outside to talk to her in the Oxoboxo woods. They sit and talk, and Phoebe asks why Tommy thinks him and his living like Colette, Sylvia, and Tayshawn's families never accepted them being undead. Tommy tells Phoebe that he thinks if he found a living girl to kiss him, that he'd feel even more alive. Right when Phoebe was about to kiss him, she is snatched away.

Pete, hallucinating that Phoebe is Julie and she was about to cheat on him with Tommy, tells his buddy and sidekick Timothy Cole (TC) Stavis to hold Phoebe still so he can get a good shot at her. Meanwhile, back at the party, Karen tells Adam that he must tell Phoebe that he loves her, unless he wants to die without her knowing. Adam quickly thanks her, and heads out the back door to find Phoebe and tell her how he feels. He hears her scream, and heads in that direction calling her name. Once he sees Pete about to shoot, he jumps in front and takes the bullet for Phoebe in the chest. Scared to death that they shot the wrong person, Stavis runs away, and Pete follows, only to be stopped by Takayuki and scared out of his mind.

The zombies had gathered around Adam's body with Phoebe screaming and telling them to do something. Karen pronounces Adam dead, and within minutes, he rises again, unable to speak. He tells Phoebe he loves her, but it just comes out as an incoherent gargle. Phoebe then makes a promise to herself and Adam that she will try and bring him back as much as she possibly can.

My favorite part in the book is when Phoebe is at homecoming and is dancing with Tommy making him feel alive. This is my favorite part because it shows how much Phoebe cares for Tommy and all she wants to do is to make him feel alive.