Zombie, Or Not to Be

by Kyle Sullivan, Derek Sullivan (Illustrator)

Overview

“Highly recommended…A pandemic, environmental issues, and characters who do not believe in science are themes all too suitable for students seeking contemporary fiction…Middle graders hungry for the next zombie book will devour this one.” —School Library Journal

Something is rotten in the state of Deadmark, but of course there is: it's filled with zombies.This brainy middle-grade adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet follows a young science-minded zombie named Edda as she deals with a series of death-altering problems including a climate crisis caused by the anti-science humans in Ignorway, the disappearance of her mom, and the greedy scheming of her villainous Aunt Agonista.

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"A standing ovation for undead environmentalist theater."— Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948931380
Publisher:	Hazy Dell Press
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Series:	Hazy Fables , #2
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kyle Sullivan is a writer based in Portland, Oregon. His titles for children include Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia, The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie-Jeebies, Monster ABC, Hush Now, Banshee! and Goodnight Krampus.

Derek Sullivan is a Seattle-based illustrator. He has illustrated many books for children including Party Croc!: A Folktale from Zimbabwe for Albert Whitman & Company; and Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia, The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie-Jeebies, Monster ABC, Goodnight Krampus, and Get Dressed, Sasquatch! for Hazy Dell Press.

Editorial Reviews

Select praise for Hazy Fables #1:Hobgoblin and the Seven Stinkers of Rancidia:

★ A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2019

★ A Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Winner

★ "Readers will giggle through every page of this smart political satire.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Engages hard-to-please tween readers with imaginative adventure, fun illustrations and silly fart references…Read it together at bedtime to share laughter and a positive message of empathy and inclusivity.” —The Seattle Times

“A hilarious second coming of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs…This story is like nothing you’ve ever read before…You’ll instantly fart with glee.” —Literary Features Syndicate

★ 2022 Independent Publisher Book Award Winner

★ 2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist

"A standing ovation for undead environmentalist theater."— Kirkus Reviews

”Highly recommended...A pandemic, environmental issues, and characters who do not believe in science are themes all too suitable for students seeking contemporary fiction to write about for class...Middle graders hungry for the next zombie book will devour this one.”— School Library Journal

"Readers will chortle at the gross details, the Beetlejuice-style illustrations, and the parodic twists."— Booklist

From the Publisher

2020-07-14
There’s something rotting in Deadmark, and it’s not the zombies—it’s a science-denial conspiracy!

The humans of Ignorway destroyed the environment so badly that viruses ran rampant. One was a zombie virus, and eventually, the zombies abandoned the ruined land to create Deadmark, their rational, science-positive democracy. In this Hamlet-meets-zombies story, when Edda’s mother, the elected Lead Scientist, mysteriously goes missing, Agonista, Edda’s environmental lawbreaking businesswoman aunt, is selected to replace her. Greed-driven Agonista immediately starts dismantling sustainable energy sources in favor of oil. With the help of allies—vampire bat Bram, the enchanted floating skull Rick (of the Glob Theater)—Edda discovers her mother’s dark, humanized fate. The heroes quickly stage a production of the scheme and watch for Agonista’s guilty reactions. Adventurous twists and turns—exile, a naval battle, Zombies for the Ethical Treatment of Humans and their development of cruelty-free, lab-grown FeignBrain (“Make your next meal a no-brainer!”)—go alongside puns and Shakespearian winks. The horror elements are so campy and over-the-top that, despite the brain-eating monsters, it’s funny instead of scary. The resulting cartoonishness allows the story to get away with blunt moralizing without breaking the comedic tone, with the heavy-handedness played as part of the joke without undermining genuine messages. The zombies and Bram are shades of green; humans are racially ambiguous.

A standing ovation for undead environmentalist theater. (Humor/Horror. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews