Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Thanks to Jessie of armchairinterviews.com for sending me this book to review!

Terror breaks out amid a small town funeral when poor Martin, tucked neatly into his casket, awakens and sits up. Mr. Bennet and his family are there to witness the event and save the entire town from the unmentionable, also known as zombie. Thus, it begins. Mr. Bennet begins training the girls to fight the zombies, even though everyone is in an uproar over their unladylike behavior.


Amid the hacking, slashing, and chewing, elder sisters Jane and Elizabeth have come of age to find husbands. Each has choices to make, but which will it be?

This book is the prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I have not read for one good reason. There’s too much hype about how wonderful it is. I’ve found that when a book is praised over the top, it normally can’t live up to the expectations my mind has given it. I was a little nervous about reading this one as well, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book is easily as wonderful as the reviewers feel that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is!

You’ll find yourself tucked into a world of aristocratic ladies coming out while zombies make breakfast out of them. Honestly, this book has the best of everything. The characters are strong and forceful. You love them or hate them and either way is fun. The story holds you tightly and you never want to exit. This was one of those books that didn’t leave my hands until I’d drank every single drop. Though some of the situations are absolutely preposterous, it only adds to the reading enjoyment of this book.

For once, I cannot find one single negative thing to say about the book or it’s author’s writing style. Hockensmith is a genius. The entire time I was reading I had visions in my head of Hockensmith having brunch with Gregory Maguire, both of them munching ham and rolling ideas back and forth to improve classics.

One last note:  If you haven't read Pride and Prejudice, it won't make any difference!!!  You can easily read this book without it!