Book Review Praise the Dead by Gina Ranalli

Anyone who has followed my blog knows I love Gina Ranalli and her wide range of horror and bizarro books. House of Falling Trees to me is her at her horror best and Suicide girls in the Afterlife is her bizarro best. Gina returns with a unique spin on the zombie tale, see I’m not the only vegan with a zombie novel out.

Gina plays it serious with a mini-epic written in minimalist style. She tells a story in 170 pages that would take Stephen King a bible thick 1,000 pages or more to tell. At times it does feel like we are reading the final chapter of a bigger story but Gina has said we have not seen the last of some of the interesting characters in this novel.

Praise the Dead is the tale of two gifted kids born in other parts of the country each with strange talents. Lindy talks to birds and they tell her important things from a young age. Andrew has the power of resurrection, he starts with small animals and before long he is killing and returning humans.The forces of good and evil are taking sides behind Andrew and Lindy, with a great battle coming Andrew builds his army.

Ranalli has done a good job of finding a interesting hook to update the zombie story, in a re-telling of the Joan of Arc myth. This one doesn’t focus on siege or survival and in that sense it is different. It has more in common with the second half of the stand than it does Night of the Living Dead. I don’t think it’s as good of introduction to her work as House of Fallen trees, but it is hint of the trilogy it is meant to kick off. Can’t wait to read the next two.