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Zom-B #4

Zom-B Angels

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After spending the last few months wandering around London--a city filled with the dead--B Smith has given up hope for any sign of normal human existence. But then B finds strange signs all over the city--a "Z" plus red arrows. Following them, B finds The Angels-- a group gathered in the hopes of combating the evil dead and the forces that introduced them. But all is not as it seems and it's up to B to find out: what battle are they truly waging?

182 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

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About the author

Darren Shan

254 books8,000 followers
Librarian's note: Also writes books for adults under the name Darren Dash. And in the past he has released books for adults under the names D.B. Shan and Darren O'Shaughnessy.

Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..

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5 stars
893 (32%)
4 stars
966 (35%)
3 stars
711 (25%)
2 stars
134 (4%)
1 star
36 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
Profile Image for Miranda Reads.
1,589 reviews163k followers
December 10, 2020
Giant red arrows lure B in...To Superhero Recruitment Day?

Becky "B" Smith follows a series of unusual clues only to discover an entire complex of people like her. Dr. Oystein and his merry group of "Angels" work tirelessly to keep the remaining humans alive and well.

Aside, surely he could've found some other name besides Angel for these kids. It's creepy to hear the Doc (who's centuries older) call all these teens/preteens "his Angels."

B. Smith has to decide - should she stay here and take up the mission for good or strike out on her own? Living with the group means safety and a purpose but then she might start caring for them, and she's already lost so many.

As usual, her latent racist tendencies are tested and she tries to overcome her basic instinct. So much personal growth for this punk - I love it. As always, Shan delivers with plenty of blood, gore and guts. We meet up with a couple of old friends that help B overcome her misgivings and become a better person.

While I did enjoy this very post-apacolyptic X-men or Avengers feel, once again we have a pretty major shift from the previous novels. Each book seems like such a paradigm change that I'm reeling - we have regular zombie apocalypse (Book 1), secret government facility (Book 2), running around on the streets of London (Book 3) and now early-years Marvel? I really wish Shan would pick a theme and stick with it for more than one book.

Audiobook Comments
As always, Emma Gavin just brings it to the table. Stunning narration.

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Profile Image for Ariyan Abidi.
52 reviews12 followers
April 30, 2022
نميدونم چرا همش موقع خوندن اين مدل كتابا به خودم بد و بيراه ميگم كه ديگه بزرگ شدى و وقتتو سر اينا تلف نكن ولى با حس گناه به خوندن ادامه ميدم😂

خسته كننده نبود تو اتوبوس تهران به گيلان كلشو خوندم پايانشم جوري بود كه بلاخره بعد ٤ جلد يه نتيجه گيري به نسبت قابل قبولى داشت
ولى فعلا قصد ندارم ادامه مجموعه رو بخونم.

كتاب هر چند صفحه يه سرى تصوير سازى داره كه
خيلى بى خود و رندمن
نه تنها كمك نميكنن به نظرم بيشتر گند ميزنن به تخيلات ادم

فكر ميكنم براي يه كتاب صرفا سرگرم كننده نوجوون پسند ٢.٥ از ٥ نمره مناسبى باشه
Profile Image for Paul.
563 reviews183 followers
January 8, 2018
More twists well drawn to keep the series interesting. The setup is building a well drawn out history
Profile Image for Faseeh Ilahi a.k.a Sunny.
66 reviews27 followers
March 16, 2019
So I just finished Zom-B angels by Darren Shah.

Rating: 3/5🌟

It is the 4 book in the Zom-B series. So If you guys haven't read the first 3 books then stop reading this coz It might spoil those book for you.

The story starts where the 3rd book ended, when Brian rejected the offer of the joker i-e Mr. Dowling. And was now in an abandoned old building. There she mets Dr. Oystein, who ask her to join the other zom head or as Dr Oystein use to call them, Angels whose main function was to defeat the evil dead and the forces that introduced them. .
Profile Image for Jamie.
1,540 reviews1,242 followers
November 7, 2017
3.5 stars
I am so happy to finally have some backround information to this series! This new group I have mixed feelings of. They don't seem to have the greatest sense on who to let in... But time will tell. I cannot tell what to make of the doctor. And I don't care for the religious aspect in this. Strangest bit ever for an answer to what is happening. And boy was B given some wrong info by the facility she was previously at!
While still some action, this book seemed more focused on new characters and world-building. A much needed filler. Still I am quite curious as to where this series will go and look forward to continuing. Although it seems like it is taking a darker, more mature turn.
Profile Image for •°Zahra°•.
40 reviews6 followers
November 6, 2022
همچنان داره خوب پیش میره دوسش دارم
ولیی
عاشققققق ترجمه این مجموعه ام ❤️
Profile Image for Ada.
385 reviews36 followers
September 14, 2013
I loved finding out how the Zombies came to be in this book. I am starting to wonder what Mr. Dowling's plans are for B... Nothing beats a great story unfolding around a battle of good and evil.
Profile Image for Ashley W.
845 reviews20 followers
March 2, 2021
This addition was much more coherent than the previous book and I love that we learned the origins of the zombie epidemic. Nazis and vaccines. Go figure.
B continues her education in anti-racism. She throws out some heinous ideas about Arabs and Muslims, and I am so glad she was educated about that - thus the reader is educated. Discussing 9/11 really makes the reality of this racism toward Muslims come forward and gives the reader-especially younger ones- something to think about.
Surprised that the zombies can live 3,000 years! Really eager to see what B does with that.
Profile Image for Sarah.
211 reviews122 followers
January 22, 2019
Felt kinda .... Meh? No big action event happened... We are just shown the "Angels" and their London headquarters and how they survive/train..... We are told how the 1st zombies came to be and why some are able to regain conscience after turning.
Spoiler*

It's Nazis.
Profile Image for Lainy.
1,865 reviews71 followers
March 12, 2017
Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 233

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads


After spending the last few months wandering around London--a city filled with the dead--B Smith has given up hope for any sign of normal human existence. But then B finds strange signs all over the city--a "Z" plus red arrows. Following them, B finds The Angels-- a group gathered in the hopes of combating the evil dead and the forces that introduced them. But all is not as it seems and it's up to B to find out: what battle are they truly waging?



My Review


This is book 4, if you haven't read the previous books I would recommend you do so as I think you get much more out of the story knowing the previous parts. B is out and about, going around London and not finding anything much apart from zomheads. She has followed the Z & red arrows and come across a group, a safe haven, a place she can be herself. As B starts to understand what the place is about and their mission, she has to decide if this is right for her.

So, we certainly get a few more answers in this book and a focus as to where the story is headed as well as a bit more insight into the dreaded clowns ans his minions. Again some scenes are gross and there is one particularly harrowing scene with a child so be warned. I felt there was a wee bit of preachiness in this book, religion and again racism which has featured in the previous books especially if you know B's background.

Overall, if you have enjoyed the series so far you will like this one. B is further developing who she is and whilst she won't physically age she is certainly maturing and growing as a "person". 3/5 for me this time, I have the next installment and I will be reading it soon, I am quite keen to see where Shan takes it.
Profile Image for Robin.
518 reviews6 followers
July 2, 2017
I like the concept of these books, but I feel like it's missing some of the excitement I'm used to seeing in Darren Shan's stories. Each book doesn't really have a completed plot of it's own, which is disappointing. Instead, each book is designed to end with a reveal of some sorts that fills the audience, and B, in on what is happening. It's okay, but it doesn't get me as engaged as I want to be

I am enjoying the world, and finding out more, but if you're looking for a plot you can really get involved in I'm not sure these books individually are it. If you count them as a whole then there's definitely an interesting premise and conflict going on, but it ultimately feels like I'm reading a single book broken into 12 segments, which gets disappointing when you have to wait for the plot to pick up. This book was mostly about B learning about the new place she was at and had no conflict or problem to solve. It was purely informational.

Basically, if you're willing to stick it out for the overall story, then reading these are probably going to be worth it, but if you're looking for an action-filled zombie story, this is not your book.
Profile Image for Sean McBride.
Author 10 books5 followers
November 1, 2017
This one had less of a cohesive story than I would have wanted, but we find so much out about the overall arc of the story, that I loved it. Plus it sets up the potential for some really amazing sequels. What makes Shan so good with these, is that they aren't your normal faire; it's nearly impossible to figure out what is really going to happen, or even guess at it, because he's so creative in his process. This series is also unique because he's focused so much attention to social consciousness. The main character is a racist and we get to see her evolve over the story arc. I think that is the most evolution I've seen out of a series for quite some time.
Profile Image for Kaiki Gray.
23 reviews
August 22, 2024
‘𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓊𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝒶𝓂𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 ����𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓃 𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓅𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝐻𝑒𝓁𝓁.’

Darren Shan can go from borderline cringe to undeniably badass with surprising agility
Profile Image for Sharon Mariampillai.
2,227 reviews92 followers
May 20, 2017
This was an interesting read. This is the best book so far in the series for me. The story was different than the first three as we actually discovered how the zombies were brought into the world. Also, the action was great. I would like to know more about the Angels, in particular Cian and Awnya. I got to say I really liked B in this installment because she was a badass and she never gave up. She knew how to take a beating. I think the series just turned around. I can't wait to see what happens in book 5 and the rest of the series. Overall, a great read.
Profile Image for Naqib.
111 reviews48 followers
June 1, 2014
so i like it...kinda... but things are getting boring here. this is the fourth book and nothing happens except old faces. its like B hadn't left the zom heads squad. there is a weird doctor, a nice soldier whom kind to everyone and badass group of zombies teenager who will save the world. i am going to be quite honest. i am putting the series down.

B. i dont like her in the first book and i don't like her in the fourth. this have nothing to do with the author whatsoever. i just don't like B's character and cant wait for her to die for real though i predicted that at the end of the series, B is going to be the hero of the day. whatever.

why does B piss me off? i don't like the fact that B is rude. seriously, why does she have to pick fights where ever she goes. she is a hard person. besides, she is the kind of a person whom talk first and think after. throughout the series, she did nothing but snap, snarl and challenge everyone within her radius. to some it might made her sound cool, but this thing is getting old. and she might be brooding about the fact that she had abusive dad. but isn't she always abuses everyone around her? and the story didn't even make her any better. B herself is a zombieful of irony. she mindlessly name-called Jakob, then suddenly she wanted to rip Rage off for being an insensitive pig. that is a total definition of hypocrite to me.

i could rant more on how i dislike B. but here i would conclude that this will be the end of the Zom-B series for me. the story has great style and idea. but it is really not my cup of tea.
Profile Image for Brooke ♥booklife4life♥.
1,089 reviews93 followers
January 12, 2016
At A Glance

Genre:
Young Adult; Zombie
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: no
Cliff Hanger: eh
Rating: 4 stars

Score Sheet
All out of ten


Cover: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 8
Flow: 9
Series Congruity: 9
Writing: 8
Ending: 8

Total: 8

In Dept

Best Part:
New look on the zombie nation.
Worst Part: Still too short!
Thoughts Had: oh hi there!; RAGE!

Conclusion

Continuing the Series:
yes
Recommending: yes

Short Review: Probably one of my favorites so far. You get to see how other people in this zombie world are dealing with this. The Angels are very interesting people indeed. I don't know if i agree with their thinking, but people will accept any logic that gets throw at them in a moment of chaos, it grounds them. B is a solid zombie thou, takes a beating and still comes out winning!

Review in GIF Form:

Profile Image for Fatoni M.
361 reviews80 followers
February 17, 2024
Sudah buku keempat, dan tidak ada kemajuan yang cukup berarti. Akhir buku ketiga meninggalkan B bertemu dengan seseorang yang mengenalinya, yang sudah menunggu-nunggu kedatangannya. Orang itu adalah Dr. Oystein, pendiri kelompok bernama Angels.

Hati sudah berharap tinggi dan penasaran akan Angels ini, eh ternyata mereka hanya sekumpulan revitalised zombie (zombie yang mempunyai akal sehat). Pada dasarnya mereka tak jauh berbeda dengan zomheads di buku kedua. B pun akhirnya beradaptasi kembali dan plot cerita buku keempat hanya menemani "B" kenalan-kenalan dan sedikit mendapat latihan dari Master Zhang, karena Angels ini bakal punya misi yang berbahaya.

Tapi zonk banget, karena misi berbahayanya bukan di buku ini. Seperti yang gue bilang, tidak ada kemajuan cukup berarti di buku ini, cuma mengisahkan B beradaptasi di Angels.

Oiya, paling yang lumayan menarik adalah isu rasisme diangkat kembali di sini. Plus isu tentang Tuhan dan kejahatan yang menyertainya.
Profile Image for Book Mitch.
747 reviews17 followers
September 12, 2013
I enjoyed this book a little more so than the others. Although differently. This book had some explanations and answers, even though you never know who is telling the truth. I found myself suspicious of everything in this book! It also didn't end on a cliff-hanger, but still felt like it was a jumping off point for more to come. It didn't have the same exciting action as the others had, but I'm ready to read what happens next!
Profile Image for Abigail Walker.
209 reviews2 followers
October 18, 2020
I preferred this book to ‘City’ but something about it felt a bit... incomplete. In a way it’s nice that each book of the series flows nicely together, however I’m used to reading a book that feels like it has a start and end, in this book there wasn’t really an ending.

What I liked about the book was how it was the first book to introduce new characters that didn’t just die by the end of it. It’s nice to see that there may be some characters who actually get a bit more developed, not just exist purely as people/zombies along B’s path.

Although there was no huge action or conflict I did enjoy this book. B joining the angels and starting her training was interesting and I read through those sections quickly, however I wasn’t as overly thrilled when it came to the last thirty odd pages of the book. This section discussed good vs. evil, briefly mentions how the zombies began, and how some are able to regain their senses after ‘death’. As interesting as this sounds the way it was presented was in a rather boring conversation, I feel it could have been shown rather than told as it just felt like an odd and boring way to end the book.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel. The first two hundred pages were quite gripping, though it’s a shame the ending fell flat and there was no real ending or conflict throughout the book.
Profile Image for Haley.
445 reviews38 followers
April 17, 2017
So far the series is just straight 3 stars because I like them, but I don't really enjoy them. In this book, B has come across Dr. Oystein and his home for zombies like her. In this book more all of the questions are answered and how B turned back the way she did. All the zombies like her apparently have 200 to 300 years to live if they keep eating the human brains and continue along their life keeping their brain healthy. Dr. Oystein is preparing them all to take on a war that is to come. I didn't enjoy how they brought a religious aspect to the series and how the devil and god brought someone down to either save the race or kill it off. That was really my only major issue, but the books do seem to be getting better than what they were.
Profile Image for Julie (Let's Read Good Books).
1,659 reviews486 followers
October 11, 2017
4 stars

I listened to the audio version. This series is highly entertaining, despite some issues with B, a girl who continually makes the same stupid mistakes. It's been quite a while since I read the previous book, but the narrator gives a quick overview at the beginning, so I didn't feel lost. The narrator is engaging, and when the cliffhanger came at the end of the book, I immediately borrowed the next in the series. These are short, action packed, and fun to listen to.
Profile Image for Louise Jones.
288 reviews11 followers
March 22, 2018
I do find myself drawn in to series and wondering which was it is going to turn next meeting up with the other Zombies and deciding wether to work by self or within a grp . I like the way it brings in to thinking points such as Muslims and Christians all have the same God just branched out in different directions I do wan to find out what happens in the rest of the series but in o mad big rush to do so !!
Profile Image for Fishie.
41 reviews
August 22, 2024
Glad to have some more background info/history on why this all happened but not sure how to feel about it. Nazis makes sense I guess but I'm not a fan of using such a serious topic and making it about zombies. And then the way religion was brought into it felt out of place.

I'm invested in the story though and I trust that Darren Shan knows what he's doing.
Profile Image for Apip.
70 reviews3 followers
May 12, 2020
Much more intriguing compared to the last one! The plot is much quicker and compelling. After that revelation from Dr. Oystein at the end, I couldn't wait to read the next one!
Profile Image for Soo.
2,851 reviews337 followers
May 13, 2020
Notes:

Hm. Plot took a turn that I was hoping that it would not. At this point, the story seems to be degrading on multiple fronts vs getting stronger. Let's see how the next book goes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews

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