Queen of the Dead

Gr 5–10—Creatures from another dimension are trying to take over the world, and only kids like Will Ritter can see them. These beings inhabit human corpses, projecting a cover image that fools most people, but Will and the rest of the Undertakers see the rotting bodies beneath the glamor. In Rise of the Corpses (Sourcebooks, 2011), the young people foiled the plans of one of the Corpses and discovered a key weakness, but now a woman known to them as the Queen of the Dead has taken on the persona of Lilith Cavanaugh, a city planner, and has two goals: to increase her political power and to eradicate the Undertakers. Will and his friends face greater challenges than ever as they fight this new evil. As in the previous book, this one is full of fast-paced action and gripping suspense, along with a dose of humor. Drago does a good job of including key details from the first book as they are relevant to the plot, making it possible to enjoy this novel on its own. However, readers will get the most out of this book if they are familiar with the first one. Hand this series to readers who are looking for zombie stories and books with a lot of action.—Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH