ZOMBIE TAG by Hannah Moskowitz

12/20
Zombie Tag | Hannah Moskowitz
Roaring Brook Press
Hardcover/240pp.

Wil is desperate for his older brother to come back from the dead. But the thing about zombies is . . they don’t exactly make the best siblings.
Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/
capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant.
In her first novel for younger readers, Moskowitz offers a funny and heartfelt look at how one boy deals with change, loss, and the complicated relationship between brothers.

You thought Hannah Moskowitz’s YA was good? Wait until you get your hands on her MG debut, ZOMBIE TAG.

I started ZOMBIE TAG expecting a real good story about brothers. The typical Moskowitz book.

But what I got was even better than a typical Moskowitz book (and believe me, typical Moskowitz books are THE F%^$IN S&*%). It was the best Moskowitz book I’d ever read.

First of all, the writing is tight. It’s to-the-point and short and harsh and blow-by-blow and it paints a wildly beautiful picture. Second, the characters are a blast to read. They make you laugh and laugh, but they also tug at your heart. I really did sympathize with Wil—the loss he suffers is written so real. That’s Moskowitz for you. Real.

Also: Moskowitz is THE ONLY WRITER ON THE PLANET that can write a porn magazine into a novel for middle grade readers and make it work. She should be applauded.