The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook by Jeff Kinley

I must say I'm a little embarrassed, based on the title/cover, to have people know I read this book.  I'm not a zombie kinda girl.  But the title is precisely what prompted me to want to read it.  From the second I saw it on the list of books at booksneeze.com, I knew I wanted it.  The title was compelling, and based on the subtitle, "Slaying the Living Dead Within," I figured it was a non fiction Christian self-help type book with a catchy title to get people like me hooked into buying (or otherwise acquiring).

The book was not a whole lot like what I was expecting, but it was very intriguing!  It is half fiction and half non fiction, which is weird to read together, but the author makes it work.  For every 'episode' of the zombie story (which is pretty gory and grotesque at times), there's a corresponding chapter on how our sin nature is like a zombie, how when we succumb to it we are like the living dead because we die inside.   Humans do wicked things, and that capacity to do wrong is born into each of us.   Paraphrasing from the book: 'It affects everyone; male and female; old and young; civilized and barbarian; religious and pagan; ancient and postmodern...  Our default mode is self and anti-God.'

Kinley pulls some amazing analogies, describing how horridly wretched we are from birth, explaining in detail how the fall of Adam is the beginning of our downfall.  When Adam and Eve sinned they died inside.  It was like a virus entered them (just like a virus passed from person to person makes people become zombies; at least in Kinley's created story).  "This sin virus is 100 percent lethal and 'heir'-born, passed from parent to child in an unbroken chain of humanity.  Currently 6 billion carriers worldwide."

Most of the book is actually quite negative, as Kinley writes again and again how we are dirty and not worthy of God's salvation, but it is somehow written in a way that doesn't feel overly depressing, but as to make you really want to change and strive to be free in Christ from your 'inner zombie.'

I felt the book was written with teens in mind, though it definitely applies to my life as well.  It is culturally relevant, with references to Facebook and even Justin Beiber, and of course the zombie genre is currently fairly popular.  And the way he explains our downfalls and how we can redeem ourselves, not through our own works, but only through a real relationship with Jesus and by accepting the salvation He's bought for us, just totally clicked with me and I imagine would with many people.

I enjoyed this book, even though this was not the kind of book I anticipated.  It is well done and interesting.

**I received this book free from booksneeze to review.