Book 3 in the Russel Middlebrook Series, Winner of the Lambda Book Award!
It's a horror-movie extravaganza in this, the second sequel to Brent Hartinger's Geography Club. Two complete books in one recount the stories of best friends Russel and Min who sign up to be extras on the set of a zombie film and learn that there's nothing scarier than high school romance.
In the first book, Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies , Russel must choose between his long-distance boyfriend and a close-to-home ex named Kevin who wants to get back together. In the second book, Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies , Min struggles to accept her cheerleader girlfriend's decision to stay in the closet.
But beware! Russel and Min's separate stories affect each other in surprising ways, and you'll have to read both books together to find out the whole story.
(This book was previously published under the title Split Screen)
From School Library Journal
Grade 9 UpβIn this sequel to Geography Club (2003) and Order of the Poison Oak (2005, both HarperCollins), told in flip-book format, Russel and Min answer a casting call for extras for an upcoming horror film. Russel's parents have just discovered that he is gay, and he is devastated by their reaction. Also, an old boyfriend who dumped him turns up at rehearsals and wants to get back together; while the attraction is still there, Russel loves his current boyfriend. On the flip side, Min is lonely and wants a new relationship, but she can't decide if she's willing to have one with Leah, who has chosen not to come out for fear of losing her friends. All of this is played out against the backdrop of movie rehearsals. What is intriguing about the book is how very differently these two characters interpret the same events, and how oblivious each one can be to what is happening to the other. Hartinger handles a number of fairly serious issues here with a lighter touch than in The Order of the Poison Oak , and there is a lot of humor in this book. The characters' narrative voices sound authentically teen, and the section in which Russel tells about his coming out to his parents, their reaction, and his subsequent talk with the family priest particularly rings true. Min Wei's story is equally well told. Libraries owning the first two books will definitely want this one.β Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
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Review
"I really think this guy could be the next Judy Blume." - Pop Candy
"Hartinger has a knack for teen dialogue, and his characters spring to life -- even in costume as the undead. At the heart of Zombies is the teen friends' respect and caring for each other, which, these days, is downright refreshing." - USA Today
"Both stories stand alone, yet each compliments the other. To be expected, the action is fast and funny ... [Hartinger] puts his best humor skills to use, and no doubt the same teen fans who formed their own geography clubs will be dubbing their dissenters soul-sucking zombies." - Kirkus Reviews
"Imaginatively delightful ... Hartinger makes clever use of the fact that no two people live through -- or recall -- shared events the same way." - Richard Labonte's Book Marks
"The best writing of the season ... a great read for any dreary afternoon." - OutSmart Magazine
"Hartinger uses a clever idea to show that perspective is everything ... Hartinger's handling of Russel's parents is spot-on as well ... Hartinger handles his characters with the right amount of angst and humor, making this a valuable read." - VOYA
"The vast appeal of a Brent Hartinger novel lies in the way the author captures young men at their most vibrant and comical. Since the debut of his Geography Club in 2003, there has been no stopping his literary success." - Bay Area Reporter