Zombie-saurus Rex by Mark Souza

Zombie-saurus Rex Reviews

• 
  Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)

  I have a confession to make, zombie books just usually aren't my thing. I rarely read them, although I have a nasty habit of buying them because I always think they look good but when it comes to actually picking them up and trying them? Nope, it just doesn't happen.
  
  But I wanted something different, something fun and this looked like just the read for that and plus, hello, zombies! Something I always tell myself I will try and read but rarely do, so win win right?
  
  This was a fun read, it was fast, it had action, it had romance, and it was completely different. Everything I pretty much asked for. Rex was lovable in all his sluggish zombie ways and his best friend, Howie added an extra comic relief that made this truly different.
  
  This wasn't a totally perfect read however, with being such a short novel, the explanation to the Z-virus was sparse and the insta love was at times, almost sickly sweet and bothersome but the fast paced plot kept me interested and turning the pages.
  
  Overall this was a delightful and fun read that I think anyone wanting some different and who loves zombies, will enjoy.
• 
  Claudette Melanson

  I am a big fan of zombie books, and the title of this one really caught my eye, because I really love dinosaurs too. Just so happens, the T-Rex is my favorite. But I digress... This book pulled me right in from the beginning. Some books I can't really get into because the writing is subpar or the characters fail to catch my interest, but the writing is solid and very effective at weaving together a story I couldn't wait to get back to when forced to put it down.
  
  I love the way the author used an extreme case, zombie-ism, to point out how badly we humans fail at acceptance a large part of the time. The author was spot-on with the behavior of the bullies in this story, whether they were fellow classmates of Rex's or military men. It's that whole dynamic of the human tendency to turn on and destroy anything we find to be different from ourselves. But I liked how some of the characters could change their minds and see things differently. Sometimes there is a scarcity of books where one gets to see the bully become more enlightened.
  
  The characters I found to be very well-developed. Howie was funny, Rex endearing, Ariella brave, and Rex's mother, Celia, was all that a mother should be, caring for her son in a situation many might find too difficult to handle. All stayed true to form too and were believable. One thing I did wonder about was the state of Rex's body. He didn't seem to be deteriorating or rotting much and could be easily fixed. I wondered if the zombies remained frozen and just undead without decomposing further. It was fresh to see zombies who were just like other people as long as they were well-fed. It was an interesting twist.
  
  As I said before, the book is very well-written and does a great job with exploring the reaction of humanity when faced with the unknown. It isn't meant to be a high action book (not all of them are) but does a great job, I think, of including just enough of that element without ruining the emotional impact of the book.
  
  Highly entertaining and would love to see a sequel. There is a lot that could be done to continue the story. I give it 4.8 stars!
• 
  Brigitte

  This is the first book I have read from this author and to be honest, I didn't know quite what to expect since it is about Zombies, not usually my genre.
  
  Rex, a bright young teenager was infected by a virus and is now a Zombie. His mother Cecilia is very protective of him and since his change they have moved to various places due to the prejudice he encounters at every school he attends. Cecilia takes great care in making sure that Rex gets what is required to keep his humanity.
  
  They are now in Plain View, a very small community where Rex attends the High School. On his first day, the Principal tries to persuade his mother that he should find somewhere else as he is a threat to the other students. He is not very subtle about Rex's difference but his mother will not be dissuaded. By now Rex knows what to expect from his peers but he keeps his calm and concentrates on his studies despite the nasty comments made about him.
  
  Ariella aka Stacey doesn't wish to be like the other girls at the school, therefore dresses and behaves differently. he too is subject to some horrible remarks but unlike Rex, she gives as good as she gets. She is the first and only one who introduces herself to Rex and makes him feel welcome, which surprises him as he is not used to having any friends.
  
  Howie is a bundle of laugh despite the fact that he is victimised at the school. He too befriends Rex and the three of them start spending time together. Rex has more compassion for all living beings and is more considerate than the "normal" students.
  
  The Zombie virus is spreading and facilities are being built to isolate those who have been infected. Jackson, a high ranked army personnel is responsible for this project. He thinks that the Zombies should be treated like animals and he is a very ambitious individual who will stop at nothing to get to the top of the ladder.
  
  In the meantime Rex and Ariella develop strong feelings for each other even though they can't have a proper relationship.
  
  As the virus affects more and more people, precautions are put in place and Rex is now in danger of being captured. Whilst trying to help him, something drastic happens to Ariella and Rex is captured and put in confinement.
  
  I was completely drawn to this story, which shows how people fear the unknown and the prejudice it brings with it. It gives a good perspective on how love and compassion can change this mindset. Some can't be changed though! I was completely taken by all the characters and the sad fact is that some of these things happen in real life. I like the way everything falls into place and how the story ends. I would recommend this book to those who like reading the paranormal with lots of action, suspense and forbidden love.
  
  I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review and would like to thank him for introducing me to this beautiful story, which I might have otherwise overlooked. To me this novel more than deserves a five star rating.
• 
  Rachelle

  I love starting the new year off with a great book, and 2015 was not a let-down. Zombie-saurus Rex is an exciting YA book that consists of all the elements for a top-notch read: romance, humor, and tragedy, to begin with. Rex Morgan is just your average junior in high school who loves playing football and aspires to be an engineer, minus being "average." Rex is a zombie who is sensitive, kind, and caring, hardly the monster that the people in his new high school fear he is. He longs for acceptance and inclusion, hoping that each move will be his last. When Rex meets Ariella, the loner Goth chick at Plain View High School, he finds his reason to stay put. The federal government, however, has other plans, which include ridding the US of those infected with the Z-virus. Risking detainment in a zombie internment camp, Rex refuses to run.
  Author Mark Souza does an exceptional job turning what could've been "just another zombie book" into an original young adult novel. As someone who has been bullied for being "different," I found myself relating to Rex, and I am confident that others will as well. Readers who enjoyed Patrick Frievald's Twice Shy will want to get their hands on this book ASAP. It is the first book I've read by Souza but it will definitely not be the last.
  
  I received a copy of this book via a LibraryThing Member Giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Kimme

  Cute zombie story.
  
  Rex is awesome! His mom is just your typical mom of a zombie. Unconditional love is putting it lightly. Great story and cool characters. Sure it's a zombie story but it has a happy zombie ending.
• 
  Jennifer Ricketts (Donnie Darko Girl)

  I received a review copy for my stop on the blog tour at
  Donnie Darko Girl.
  
  Zombie-saurus Rex was a really cool zombie story. Full of originality and fun, I cared about Rex. A lot. And I really wanted him to get a happy ending. I know, I know. He's a zombie. But he isn't like any other zombie I know, except maybe R from Warm Bodies. But Zombie-saurus Rex is completely different from Warm Bodies - in this novel, zombies can still do things like speak and go to school, but humans are leery of them, to the point where some in the military want to put them in internment camps or just go ahead and kill them all.
  
  In a sense, I could understand people's trepidation, after all, what are zombies infamous for craving? But if Rex gets to eat his calf brain for lunch and has snacks here and there (snacks he's brought with him!) then there's no reason to panic about him coming after you. He just wants to graduate high school and maybe go to college. The problem is, Rex and his mother have had to move so many times he finds himself behind in school academically sometimes, plus it's difficult to learn when you have to deal with other kids harassing you.
  
  I love Ariella! And I love that Rex does end up making a male friend, Howie. Ariella wants to be different, so much so that she goes out of her way to try to stand out from everyone else. I had forgotten she's the daughter of the Chief of Police, and so I cracked up when he knocks on Rex's door looking for her. Poor Rex had no idea! The two of them were what I thought of as the dynamic duo. I don't think there was anything Rex could have done that would've phased Ariella or made her stop liking him. Nothing. And that's the kind of friend you need at any age.
  
  Zombie-saurus Rex does an excellent job of giving you an escape from the real world while at the same time giving you food for thought (pun intended) about dealing with the presence of discrimination and adversity. I highly, highly recommend this book no matter if you're a fan of zombies or not. If you aren't a fan of them, then you will be after meeting Rex. Promise.
• 
  zaheerah

  Zombies are my favourite genres so when I found this I was pretty excited. (Not gonna lie the cover sort of creeped me out, title is sort of misleading - I'm not joking I was fully expecting rex to be half zombie half dinosaur -  and the plot vaguely reminded me of Warm Bodies)
  
  Rex was infected by a unknown virus and is now a zombie, moving from town to town with his over protective mother, Cecilia, due to the prejudice he faces in each town. But this town he's determined to stay put after meeting Ariella and Howie and begins to create, what appears to be, a normal life.
  
  To be honest, Howie is the reason this hasn't hit two stars, he's that sarcastic character in every novel like this, and they're just always my favourite.
  
  The story was okay, not something I would rave on about, but there was something there, and the plot could've been more developed.
  
  There's no proper explanation of this zombie virus and how it appeared, and it would have been interesting to see what it was like for Rex when it all started out.
  
  And the relationship between Rex and Arielle literally came from nowhere. It goes from her hating him and then holding hands in their biology class???¿¿¿ Their instant love almost put me off the entire book, there was no development or real dialogue for the characters to fall in love but they do.
  
  Plus Arielle had that whole I'm better than everyone else bc I'm different attitude which I dislike in any person, real or fictional.
  
  I was sort of sympathetic towards Rex, he just wants to go to school where a teacher won't scream in terror from him.
  
  Overall, this story had potential it was just too slow paced and didn't come together.
  
  
  
  
  
         
• 
  Naturalbri (Bri Wignall)

  My Thoughts:
  
  I found this book to be a new take on YA reading, with a look more toward overcoming adversity, rather than toward the emotions felt by the characters.
  
  Throughout the book, we are met with several different points of view, giving the story several different perspectives. From the start, we are given the back story of our boy (well, zombie) Rex. He has been unlucky enough to become one of the new masses, who have the zombie virus. Due to this, and a frantic mother, he is always being moved from school to school, when all he really wants to do is finish out his secondary schooling and get into engineering.
  
  Soon, we find him in his latest school, where he has decided that, as things start to get tricky with both the town and the government, he just isn’t ready to leave. He’s decided to take a stand, as he has found himself a girlfriend and isn’t ready to leave her. We read along as the two of them try to overcome all odds and stay right where they are.
  
  I like the unique perspectives that we were given in this book, as well as it being a new and fun take on zombies, unlike any others I have read before. I also liked that the characters had both entertaining and serious parts to them, making the story as a whole, very rounded.
  
  I also liked that Rex overcame some of the issues in his life with his zombie tricks of the trade, which gave us a new way to look at the ‘issues’ of being a zombie.
  
  Overall, this was a new type of zombie read. I found it fun, enjoyable and entertaining.
• 
  Karyn

  This was a fun twist on a zombie story. For me, this seemed to be two books in one, which was pretty cool.
  
  The first part of the book introduced us to Rex and his struggles of trying to fit in (or go unnoticed) in high school while being a zombie. During this part of the book, the author did a great job of making the reader really like Rex. The second part of the book is action packed and kept my heart pounding as the government came up with a new plan on how to deal with the zombie population. Because I had already taken a liking to Rex, this second part of the book kept me on the edge of my seat and reading as fast as I could to find out how everything was going to turn out.
  
  This was a really fun read and I liked the author’s take on zombies. Rex is a sweet character that is misunderstood due to preconceived prejudices people have about zombies. Rex’s character matured throughout the story and as this happened we could see the changes in the people around him as well.
  
  I really liked this book!
  
• 
  Jenna

  Rex is a 17 year old boy his life is not easy he’s been a zombie for some time now and he has been been on the run for 3 years. People all think he wants to eat them instead he only wants to finish school, have his first girlfriend and stop moving.
  
  His mother is like a mama bear ready to take on the whole to defend her son. Things are not looking up for Rex with the school and town ready to get rid of him.
  
  I gave up at 43% having reach almost half of the book I still don’t know what caused the zombies virus, how fast is it spreading, is everyone like Rex able to think?
  
  The thing that really made decide me to give up was the instant love, there’s no special moment not even a real dialog for the characters to fall in love yet Ariella loves Rex.
  
  Rex is a nice boy, he didn't choose for this and is a victim and people are treating him so mean. I liked him but the story is slow paced and doesn't come together( yet).