Mila Flores is alone. She used to have a best friend name Riley and it was always them against the world, being weird and doing magic together. Riley was very recently found drowned in the local creek, ruled as a suicide. Mila doesn't believe it and, after every adult alienates her, she decides to use magic to solve the crime. Her plan was to raise Riley from the dead for a week, but ends up raising two more girls, June and Dayton. They also supposedly killed themselves, but they insist they would never. Now Mila has three zombie teenage girls to hide from the public, provide for, and solve their murders before their week is up.
Undead Girl Gang is a surprisingly heartwarming read that also exposes the reality beneath high school cliques and stereotypes. Mila Flores is out of place in her town as a fat, Mexican witch (of sorts). She embraced her otherness with Riley, a kindred spirit rejected because her parents own and live in a funeral home. Popular girls used that to isolate and bully Riley since elementary school. Together, they dabbled in wicca and found true friendship within each other. Since Riley's death, Mila is alone, mistreated by every adult and student around her (except Riley's brother Xander). The other students never accepted her, but the adults truly failed her. The school psychologist is literally no help and her parents force her to return to school two days after her best friend died as punishment for walking out of the sham funeral. She's the only one who doesn't believe that Riley killed herself and rages at all the crocodile tears, fake hand wringing, and cringy show choir tributes that Riley wouldn't like or want. I felt for Mila and admired how as a teen she was able to push through all that to do what she thought was right.
The zombies are produced by an elaborate magic ritual from a tome shipped to the abandoned house they practice magic and keep all their supplies in. Three girls are raised from the dead, Riley, June, and Dayton, because of the wiccan rule of three. They look normal while they are within 100 steps of Mila, but revert to their rotted state with whatever injuries they had. As time moves closer to the 7 day deadline, the regenerative powers work less and less. These zombie aren't flesh eating, opting for junk food. They don't really have any special powers and they don't remember much leading up to their deaths, so things aren't going as well as Riley hoped. There's also the huge issue that she can't keep an eye on them at all times. They stole disguises, but they aren't exactly being super secretive as they walk all over the school campus and even yell at their insincere friends. This time together for all of them makes them lower their guard and truly see the other people beneath the clique they belong to. Over time, June and Dayton where no longer just popular and cruel shells. Through a lot of conflict and some good times, Riley, Dayton, June, and Mila all became friends while trying to figure out the murder.
Undead Girl Gang shows that even the bully or the loner at school are real people underneath the social expectations and cliques. I found this book incredibly progressive with its sensitive discussion of suicide, the smashing of expectations, and the emphasis on female friendship. This book warmed my heart and impressed me with its different view of magical lore. I would love to see a sequel or really anything else from Lily Anderson.
My rating: 4.5/5 fishmuffins
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