Confessions of Sylva Slasher by Ace Antonio Hall

Sylva Fleischer is an eighteen year old girl working for the Police department. Her job is the raise the dead, she does this for families in mourning as well. Two years after her boyfriend Brandon dies she to go on a cruise with her friends to try to overcome her depression.

But once she leaves she finds that she is in a world with flesh eating zombies. She and her friends have to fight for their lives and she inadvertently becomes known as Sylva Slasher. Add to it she sees Brandon...is he really Dead? And what is happening to her? And what exactly did happen to her parents? These are questions she may not like the answers to.

An original story that moves at a fast pace with a lot of action, secrets, and humor. Sylva is very likable, her approach on life is that of a young lady her age with a lot of humor.

There are secrets revealed about her parents, she has to accept (what she learns) or just cope with the truth. There are events in her life that she does not expect, and again she has to adjust and accept.

A well written zombie story. Very original, with likable characters and so much action I was on the edge-of-my seat. I liked the added humor and the surprises, I like a story that keeps me guessing. Overall I found Confessions of Sylva Slasher entertaining and very enjoyable. Those who love a great zombie story should enjoy it as well! ( )

What I Thought:

Ace's book has hit the nail on the head. This read combines all our favourite horror characters in an end-of-the-human race mash-up. Mix that in with a strong lead character, who happens to be a kick-ass girl, whose job is (was) necromancy. Ultimate result - utter brilliance!

Reading through this book was able to give me a bit of a flashback to my youth, as it had lots of social references, such as the 'W' Whatever sign, though I'm not certain the youth now would relate, but this may just be the case in the UK. I still enjoyed the great banter that the group shared, as it really levelled out the story.

I thought the book was a brilliant mix of blood, guts and determination, with a sprinkling of the undead, and really liked reading each step of Slyva's journey.

I did (sort-of) foresee one of the major events, but never thought things would pan out the way they did, with regards to that event. I found Sylva's strength, maturity and heroic nature refreshing and truly addicting. With everything that happens and has happened, she just keeps getting done what needs to get done.

I thought Ace's writing was excellent, especially for the YA category. It is fast-paced, fun, exciting and appeals to a younger audience. It is also written in a way that appeals to older audiences, but definitely has the feel of YA, which is spot on.

His characters have depth, personality and Ace made sure to not have his characters stray from what is expected of them. Not once was I left thinking 'WHAT?! He/She wouldn't do that!,' which I often find happens in horror films.

Finally, I really found this book engaging and addicting. I couldn't wait to read more. I like that there was a lot going on in the book, and it all came together as we approached the final chapters.

Overall, this was a fab read. I liked every page and really enjoyed reading it. It left you wanting more, after each time you had to put it down. The pace and characters were done well and I seriously enjoyed a mash up of all my favourite horror characters. I loved Sylva! She was a great all-round character, but not one who was cocky or thought she knew everything, just a great zombie-killer. I highly recommend checking this book out, especially if you are or know a YA reader! ( )

A believable teen voice offering a wealth of cultural detail ties the separate parts of Ace Antonio Hall’s Confessions of Sylva Slasher together, and keeps the reader on edge, wondering what strange turn the tale will take next. Like the TV series Lost, the story’s split into parts with different emphases, that seem to hurry on in different directions. But, like Lost, it all comes together in the end. To be honest, if anyone ever makes a TV series of it, I hope they’ll add more parts and I’ll look forward to watching it.

First there’s the zombie’s on a pleasure cruise tale, where Sylva, who raises the dead (temporarily) for a living, is going to do a show. She’s too young for alcohol, but that doesn’t stop everyone else from drinking too much. Add corn maze living dead, all gruesomely convincing, and wait till the power goes out, then... well, scary, exciting battles and desperate escapes ensue. And then...

Now there are covert ops and evil scientists and everyone’s trapped on an island. And then...

But it all makes a weird sort of sense, like Lost, even when it doesn’t make sense. Sylva’s a great main character, loyal to her friends, mourning her lost love, irreverent and fun, and, well, full of surprises I guess.

Confessions of Sylva Slasher is a long read, just like Lost was a long series. I’d have happily taken each part as a book on its own. And I’d happily read more parts before the end. Offering the intriguingly unexpected in a great take on the standard package, this one's cool, fun, and scary. Enjoy.

Disclosure: I invited the author to my blog when the book was touring, and I’m offering my honest review of the book. ( )