Amanda's Reviews > Married with Zombies

Before I get into this particular work, I would like to say that there is only one true rom-com with zombies:



And don't think I didn't see the spots where Petersen was obviously channeling that movie.

TW/CW: very fatphobic, gore, gun violence

This was included in Audible's last 2-for-1 sale and seemed like it could be an interesting listen.

Man, what a flop this was.

The zombies were actually charming in their own right and the mythos for them here was a bit of a change from the usual, but the mains were shallow, über-TSTL, and I kept wishing they'd just get eaten already so the book could end. It was a shame that the more interesting secondary characters kept dying and we get stuck with these drips.

So let's get into my big reason for why this didn't get to be a 2-3 start "eh, it was fine" story for me: apparently Petersen is really fatphobic and unapologetic about it in her writing. This story is ten years old, it's possible she's evolved since then and her pov has changed. But. It is a lot. A. Freakin'. Lot. of fat hate in here for such a short story.

Every character Sarah doesn't like in the beginning? All three, fat men. Fat men whose stomachs she has to describe in great detail. Fat men whose health and routines she makes assumptions about. Fat men with poor hygiene. Fat men she describes as constantly burping and farting. Fat men who can't keep a clean house, who have disgusting takeout containers strewn all over their floors. Fat men who need a cart to take a bag of garbage out. Fat men who leer at her—though, EVERY man in this book she interacts with apparently can't stop checking her out: gag. Later on, she describes one of those fat men as "smelled like sausage."

High on her list of things she HATES about her spouse, David? He has a little tummy now, because...lazy and getting fat.

That's not even all of it.

Stares in Angry Fat

Maybe leave all of your body hate and nastiness out of your writing, yeah?

Every time I would just start to enjoy this story, Sarah was talking about some GROSS FATTY again and it killed any positive feelings I felt for this.

If she wasn't commenting on FAT, then she was making mean comments about someone else's body. And nothing is sadder than a character who has to fill their bucket being shitty about and to other people. Worst way to get self-esteem.

I tried.

But this doesn't reinvent the wheel. The characters are flat as hell. The scenarios were flat and uninspired. And I kept waiting for the funny to happen. Where was the funny?

Right. It was supposed to be bagging on other people's bodies—like the not funny at all leaking silicone bewbs on the "ditsy" receptionist.

Gotcha.