Dawn of the Dreadfuls

Hi, my name is Lizz and I do very stupid things.

I'll let you in on a little secret: I'm a total wimp. I can't watch monster movies, I can't handle scary movie previews, I freak. I don't care how cheesy and lame they are. Unless it's as uplifting and campy as the original Clash of the Titans, I'm going to be scared shitless. 90% of the movies I see in theaters are PG and under, simply because I'm going to get nightmares otherwise. I don't know why, but for some reason someone in the Hollywood chain of command is under the impression that someone seeing a PG13 romantic comedy really, really wants to watch the preview for the next terrifying movie.

That person? Yeah, it isn't me. I just can't handle it. I wind up tossing and turning. The only way I'll eventually fall asleep is hidden under layers of covers and due to sheer exhaustion. And then I have terrifying nightmares.

I think my only saving grace is that I at least don't wet the bed.

So what have I done that was so stupid, you may ask? Well, it's probably pretty obvious, but in case you haven't figured it out, I read Dawn of the Dreadfuls. I read it at night, no less. At night, while alone. (My roommate, while I enjoy her company, would be immediately sacrificed to any incoming zombies. She's taller and smarter than me so her brains and limbs would hopefully give me enough time to barricade myself into the bathroom. Zombies are like tornadoes, right? Hide in rooms without windows or outside walls?)

Dawn of the Dreadfuls was... interesting to say the least. There were aspects of it that definitely made me giggle. There were parts of it that made me want to hide under the covers. And there were definitely bits that made me remember why I hate the original Pride and Prejudice so much.

Even though this was a lighthearted novel, there were parts of the original Pride and Prejudice that I felt were lacking... like Mr. Bennet's character flaws. And the humor and distinct discomfort I felt from any time Mrs. Bennet opened her mouth. While I do feel that Hockensmith conveyed the personalities of each of the sisters quite realisticly (well, as realistically as one sided characters can be, though that fault lies more squarely on shoulders of Jane Austen), the major themes of the original novel were missing. There were a few brief mentions of Pride, and I could tell the story lines with Elizabeth's supposed love interests were supposed to fall in that line, but I suppose it lacked the whole "hit you over the head with an anvil of theme" that Jane Austen seemed to favor in her original. For a parody, this novel seemed to lack the most important characteristics of what it's supposed to be poking fun of.

I most certainly will read the next book in the series. I'm interested in seeing how the original idea for the mash-up was developed, since I know this prequel was written after Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. I'm not going to lie, the other "Monster Mash" books are geared up in queue as well. I'm nothing, if not my Halloween-obsessed father's daughter. Plus, it's getting to be just the right season for such tales. In any case, as soon as humanly possible, I'm going to force Monkey to watch the campy goodness that is Army of Darkness.



That being said, I may need to invest in a nightlight. Or maybe some serious sleeping pills.

(3/5 stars)