Zombies vs. Unicorns

Written by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Narrated by Ellen Grafton, Nick Podehl, Kate Rudd and 2 more

Justine Larbalestier says that zombies are our own walking deaths. Funny, grim, and terrifying, they cannot be escaped. Unicorns are sparkly and pastel and fart rainbows.

Holly Black says that unicorns are healers, arbiters of justice, and, occasionally, majestic man-killers. Zombies drool and shed and probably carry diseases.

Some of today’s finest writers have chosen their side, creating dazzling stories about both creatures. So listen on, and decide for yourself:

Are you Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Team Unicorn: edited by Holly Black
Featuring authors Kathleen Duey, Meg Cabot, Garth Nix, Margo Lanagan, Naomi Novik, and Diana Peterfreund

Team Zombie: edited by Justine Larbalestier
Featuring authors Libba Bray, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan, and Scott Westerfeld

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Sep 21, 2010
• ISBN: 9781441889263

Holly Black

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy books, including the Novels of Elfhame, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, Book of Night, as well as an Arthurian picture book called Sir Morien. She has been a finalist for the Eisner Award and Lodestar Awards, and the recipient of a Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula Award, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. She invites you to visit her online at BlackHolly.com or on Instagram @BlackHolly.

Reviews for Zombies vs. Unicorns

[Naomi Kelly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book!!! I am Team Zombie, but I did really love Naomi Novik's Unicorn story. A couple of stories are mildly disturbing, but that is to be expected. Overall, it was a great idea and I loved listening to all the stories. I would definitely recommend this book!

[Alexandra Jane Welcome · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed some of the zombie stories, but I think I have to be team Unicorn!
However, I really disliked most of the narrators. I found them obnoxious.
But this anthology is wacky, sometimes dark, and often full of humor. I had it on my shelf for years, I am glad I finally picked it up. It is a great read for spring time.

[alexia561 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After careful review of all of these stories and despite a strong showing by Team Zombie, I proudly declare myself Team Unicorn! This collection proves once and for all that unicorns are not sparkly, cuddly and girly, but are awesome! And BTW, killer unicorns rock!This was a strong collection of short stories with either a zombie or unicorn theme. Loved the little introductions at the beginning of each story, where Holly and Justine made their pro-zombie/pro-unicorn arguements. Nice touch, and very funny!The stories alternate between zombie and unicorn, and there's a helpful icon above each title in case you want to read only one theme. But even if you're firmly in one camp or the other, I think you'll miss out if you don't read all of the stories, as there are some real winners in this collection!

[bcushman-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is full of good fun and is definitely worth reading.

[sixteendays · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a collection of short stories - half about zombies and half about unicorns - this book is actually pretty entertaining. The question is posed before the short stories about which side you are on. With my boots always firmly in the zombie camp, I figured the contest was a no brainer. Imagine my surprise when, by the end of the book, all of my favorite stories were unicorn. The best in the anthology, imho, is Diana Peterfreund's "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Unicorn" which sounds ridiculous, starts out ridiculous, but ends up something else all together. I instantly wanted a larger story, and was pleased to find out that Peterfreund has other books about the same material. I also really enjoyed "Princess Prettypants" by Meg Cabot - it's worth reading for the riding-a-unicorn-into-a-highschool-party scene alone. On the zombie side, I enjoyed "Inoculata" by Scott Westerfield, but was otherwise unimpressed with most of the tales.If the entire collection was up to the writing and storytelling that Peterfreund accomplished, I would have rated the book a lot higher. Unfortunately, some of these stories are mere stuffing inbetween the good bits.

[auroraceleste_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good, entertaining anthology. The banter of the editors is great reading alone! "The Highest Justice" by Garth Nix was a story about an invisible unicorn who kills bad people. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Alaya Dawn Johnson, about a person with a prion disorder who is driven to murder and cannibalism (from the point of view of the murderer, yet amazingly sympathetic) was probably the best story in the whole book. I am going to look up more of her work. "Purity Test" by Naomi Novik was funny:"What does being a virgin have to do with opposable thumbs?" she said."Nothing!" The unicorn said. "But will anyone else in the herd listen to me? Of course not! They go off and grab the first thirteen-year-old who coos at them, and then it's all, 'Their purity will lead the way,' blah, blah, blah. Lead the way to a whole bunch of dead baby unicorns, maybe. I want a little more competence in my heroine.""I'm drunk and sleeping on a bench in Central Park," Allison said. "That meets your criteria?""Bougainvillea" by Carrie Ryan is about a girl whose father rules Curacao after the zombie uprising, keeping zombies off the island and everyone safe. Not everyone appreciates his rule, though. This was another favorite, with a great ending that I didn't anticipate but loved all the same. "A Thousand Flowers" by Margo Lanagan was rather unremarkable, and, in the end, rather icky, and I'd really rather not think more of it. "The Children of the Revolution" by Maureen Johnson was just as unremarkable and icky, but with a funnier ending. "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund was the reason I bought this book. It was great, but to me it really read as a tag for her series. I am not certain it would function well as a stand-alone to someone who had not read the books first. However, there was talk of it over on the hugo_recommend livejournal, so it had to speak to someone (also, talk of a Campbell Award, which confused me, since Peterfreund's first book came out in 2007 so I thought she'd be ineligible). "Inoculata" by Scott Westerfeld was good but not great. I think it really spoke to how kids are always selfish in the end, which is something I just don't believe. It was well-written, though. "Princess Prettypants" by Meg Cabot was another fave. About a girl who gets a unicorn for a birthday present and how it changes her life for the better. "Cold Hands" by Cassandra Clare was a really good story about a town cursed with zombies and thus cut off from the rest of the world contained within a murder mystery. I am rather torn over "The Third Virgin" by Kathleen Duey. It was not pleasant, but I don't think the author meant it to be. It was, however, a bit too long to sustain the uncomfortable feeling and at times got draggy and, at other times, confusing. I am still not certain what the feelings and intentions of the narrator are, which is odd for a story told entirely in the head of one person (being?). "Prom Night" by Libba Bray closes out the anthology, but I am not sure it is on a good note. The story felt like a small part of a much larger world that I just didn't get. It may need to be more of a novella to really get the "how" and "why" information in there, or some editing so that the reader no longer cares.In all, though, a very strong anthology. Worth picking up for "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Alaya Dawn Johnson, "Bougainvillea" by Carrie Ryan, "Princess Prettypants" by Meg Cabot, and "Cold Hands" by Cassandra Clare.

[leirali · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book gets five stars just for its premise: an anthology of short fiction alternating between two of the coolest things on the planet -- zombies and unicorns! Though the banter between the anthology's two editors in-between each story urged me to choose a side, I'm not able to make such a choice. I found all of the stories entertaining in one way or another. This is mostly thanks to editors Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie) getting pretty much all the coolest writers in Young Adult fiction today to contribute a story to this collection. Personal highlights from Team Unicorn were Margo Lanagan's "A Thousand Flowers" and Diana Peterfreund's "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn." Personal highlights from Team Zombie were Alaya Dawn Johnson's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and Libba Bray's "Prom Night." This was a very awesome read & I'm so happy it exists in this world. Hurrah!

[catfantastic_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Zombies vs. Unicorns is an incredibly fun and unique anthology. Editors Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie) set out to answer the age-old question of which is better: zombies or unicorns? The stories in this anthology alternate between these two supernatural creatures, spinning them in wonderful creative, original directions. Killer unicorns? Romantic zombies? Why not? This anthology is packed with fun surprises, originality and sharp, crisp writing. The stories are all of consistently good quality, perhaps not surprising since the author list features some of the most popular young adult authors, including Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth), Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments), Scott Westerfeld (Uglies), Libba Bray (The Sweet Far Thing), Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries), Diana Peterfreund (Killer Unicorns), and more! As usual, I will only review in detail those stories which particularly caught my eye, so the following is is not representative of the entire anthology, but I personally felt that these stories were of particular note:Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson is an unexpected zombie romance story that is both original and sweet. Grayson is only partially a zombie: he was captured and experimented on, and the zombie virus has only partly infected his brain. He can pass as a normal teenager, but he still craves brains, so he travels around the country luring his victims into the woods and eating them. All of this changes, however, when he meets Jack. For the first time Grayson is torn, because he's found someone he likes so much that he doesn't want to kill him. The other complication is that Jack's father is an ex-CIA agent, who has been training his son to be the world's most efficient zombie slayer. This is a very lovely story, interspersed with pop culture and literary references, song lyrics, and lines from famous poems. It is a study in contrasts between the gruesome acts of violence Grayson is capable of and the sweetness of his growing love for Jack. It's also quite funny. The story is somewhat marred by Johnson's bizarre choice of second-person POV, but it's enjoyable reading nonetheless.Maureen Johnson's The Children of the Revolution is a very funny new spin on the origins of the zombie virus. In Johnson's world, it starts out as a celebrity fad(!). This hilarious story pokes fun at celebrity diets, religions and publicity stunts. Sofie is a poor university student who gets a summer job babysitting for a famous actress, but her brood of adopted children seem decidedly odd and unhealthy. Is it simply the eccentricity of the rich and famous? Sofie knows that the actress follows a bizarre new religious cult that includes strange diets and belief in overcoming death, but things become steadily creepier and more sinister.The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund gives a dramatic twist to the legendary creature. In Peterfreund's story, unicorns have been rediscovered in the modern world as an endangered species, but the they aren't the gentle creatures of myth; they're bloodthirsty man-eating killers! Peterfreund has a series of young adult novels set in this universe, but this story works perfectly well on its own and is very enjoyable. Wen's cousins were killed by a unicorn attack. She miraculously escaped because she is one of the very few people who can control the creatures - she is a virgin and a descendant of Alexander the Great. Wen keeps this a secret, but she struggles with the "evil" she perceives as tainting her soul, and her terror of the unicorn returning to finish her off. This could be incredibly silly, but Peterfreund's confidant writing pulls us in and makes the tale of killer unicorns believable and frightening. When Wen rescues a baby unicorn and starts to care for it in secret, she tortures herself over the ethics of her decision, and the danger she is placing her loved ones in. I could have done without all the heavy handed religious angst (does God want her to kill the unicorn? Is she disobeying God's plan by letting it live? Is God testing her?) but overall this was easily one of the strongest stories in the collection.Scott Westerfeld's Inoculata takes place in a post-zombie-apocalypse landscape. A group of survivors exist in the confines of a high-security farm, the zombie menace crowding the gates and growing each day. The adults are content to dig their heels in and stay in the relative safety of the farm, but their children feel they should run while they still can. One day Allison finds her crush, Kalyn, standing dangerously close to the fence. Kalyn is beautiful and enigmatic, with her long black dress and ash-smudge makeup, and Allison is completely drawn to her. Allison's emotions are beautifully portrayed, and drew me into the world and her story. Kalyn has a big secret, and a plan that will alter the world for the kids living in the farm forever. This story leaves me wanting to read more about the characters and their world. It feels like it could have (should have?) been the opening chapter to a novel-length adventure. Still a very good read.All in all this is a very fun collection with diverse appeal. Expect to see zombies and unicorns treated in unusual and unexpected ways, and a healthy mixture of humor and chills. I also appreciated the inclusion of stories featuring gay and lesbian characters. Recommended for teens.

[amandaink · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Remember how I reviewed saying Geektastic was my favorite anthology? Well, I lied because Zombies vs. Unicorns blows it out of the water. Maybe it’s just because I love YA and maybe it’s just because there’s something magical about having Holly Black for an editor. Regardless, one of the bookstores I frequent put it on sale ten days before the release date (!) so you can imagine how excited I was to snag an early copy. Each story opened with Holly and Justine (Team Unicorn and Team Zombie respectively) arguing (read: bickering) over the merits of their sides. The debates were an entertaining segway into the subject matter of each contribution and, like I did with Geektastic, I’m going to try to give a brief opinion of each story in the anthology.“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix: This was a lackluster opening to a great anthology. Pretty boring, relatively short, and not especially memorable. It did feature a zombie and a unicorn though it was undoubtedly a Team Unicorn story. In the end though, the unicorn was just a convenient plot device rather than a focal point of the story like one would expect from an author trying to up the merits of the incessant creatures. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Alaya Dawn Johnson: Okay, I might be biased when I say that this story was awesome because the author appealed to something I’ve always wanted to see: gay zombie love. No kidding. I think I started clapping a few pages into it. My biases aside, it was an interesting, well-written story and it deserves commendation. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more stuff by Alaya Dawn Johnson. “Purity Test” by Naomi Novik: A solid effort from Team Unicorn. The story itself was quite funny and well-written. I only have one complaint which was the constant allusions to the background of the main character that were never expanded on. “Bougainvillea” by Carrie Ryan: I loved The Forest of Hands and Teeth so I had high expectations from Carrie Ryan’s zombie story. You’ll be happy to hear that she did not fail to deliver. I thought I was going to rip my hair out at the end of the story since it looked like it was going to take a nasty turn but the author averted my expectations in the best possible way. I now cannot wait to get my hands on The Dead-Tossed Waves. “A Thousand Flowers” by Margo Lanagan: One of the weakest in the collections. The ending left me saying, “Huh?” Not that it’s a confusing story—it’s quite readable but it seems like it was just thrown together without any rhyme or reason. The subject matter is also something TVTropes would list under Fridge Horror.“The Children of the Revolution” by Maureen Johnson: This story is a perfect example of why I love Maureen Johnson so much. Her contribution to Team Zombie is stunningly original. It’s creepy but it’s also pervaded with Maureen’s own special brand of off-beat humor. “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” by Diane Peterfund: Without a doubt my favorite in the Team Unicorn collection (which is most likely due to the fact that, as the title suggests, the unicorns are killers). But it’s a well thought out story a well-developed main character that spends time thinking of the consequences and morality of her actions. The premise is also quite original.“Inoculata” by Scott Westerfeld: This one didn’t leave as much of an impression on me as the first three zombie stories, though I did like it. It’s also the second story in the anthology to display a homosexual romance, this time of the f/f variety. Again, zombies and LGBT love—how could I not enjoy it? “Princess Prettypants” by Meg Cabot: This one was cute and worth the read—probably my second favorite Team Unicorn and the collection. It was amongst the more “brain candy”-ish reads in the collection: it featured a traditional pop culture unicorn which had the same sort of plot device feel as the first story, though for a much more entertaining outcome. It was a story that you could root for. Probably my only complaint would be that homeschooled character seemed like a caricature.“Cold Hands” by Cassandra Clare: I was disappointed in this story after Clare’s awesome contribution to Geektastic. It wasn’t especially entertaining and there were quite a few holes in the story’s logic. Undoubtedly my least favorite from Team Zombie. “The Third Virgin” by Kathleen Duey: This one was just bordering on ‘okay’. It was an interesting concept but I couldn’t get over the unicorn’s ungodly whining. Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this one. “Prom Night” by Libba Bray: I love you, Libba Bray. You never fail to disappoint and this is why you are my number one favorite YA author. This one was a traditional zombie story that’s been gifted with a chilling atmosphere. I felt the desolation as I was reading. It hit the head of what a zombie story is supposed to be beyond anything else—creepy. So, you know where I stand but how about you? The official release is today and I urge you to go out and get a copy for yourself. So which side are you rooting for?

[cgalvin-774225 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How can you not love a book that includes a unicorn who farts rainbow out of its ass? Westerfeld's short story was the creepiest to my mind, but I truly enjoyed Cabot's the best.

[dkflynn33-152943 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book full of short stories with commentaries from Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalesier (Team Zombie). They are debating which is better, the zombie or the unicorn…. I will break it down by story and then tell you which team I am on.

Team Unicorn
1. The Highest Justice by Garth Nix – I liked this short story. The unicorn handed out justice and right won out over wrong. Definitely makes you want to be Team Unicorn!!!
2. Purity Test by Naomi Novik – This is a whimsical and funny short story. A grown unicorn wants to save some baby unicorns from a wizard. The wizard wants to obtain immortality by using unicorns and a virgin. The grown unicorn purposely finds a non-virgin to trick the wizard. The unicorn is definitely using his brains in this one.
3. A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan – This story was different than I expected. Unicorns are mystical creatures so I guess somehow they can mate with a human woman. Definitely not my normal perspective of a unicorn……
4. The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund – Wen has a gift. She can sense, attract and train killer unicorns. They seem to me to be no different than other wild animals. It would be like a lion or a wolf doing what they do naturally. That is kind of how she looks at it. She knows what unicorns can do but she can’t bring herself to kill this one.
5. Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot – This is a sweet short story about a girl that gets a unicorn as a birthday present. I want a unicorn!!! LOL
6. The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey – This is a very sad story. The unicorn was healing people and took some of their lives from them as he healed them. He felt so badly about himself even though he did so much good as well.





Team Zombie
1. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson – This is not your typical zombie story. Being a zombie is more of a disease that is semi-treatable. He still has control of his thoughts and actions. Just like anyone else, I like a good zombie story and this one doesn’t disappoint.
2. Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan –Zombies are taking over. A pirate has learned how to control the zombies and plans to take over the island where Iza lives. He needs Iza to succeed. However, Iza has a brain of her own and has her own plans…. I don’t know if I would choose Team Zombie yet. Zombies seem to be just a tool in this book.
3. The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson – Reanimation is what they are doing. Creating zombies is more like it. Kind of creepy that someone could have control over life and death like that.
4. Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld – Zombies have taken over except for a small group of survivors in a farm-like compound. I liked this story as it gave a different perspective of zombies. They were bored and looking for something exciting to happen. Aside from the trying to eat uninfected humans, they aren’t so bad. LOL
5. Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare – This may be my favorite of the zombie stories. The town is cursed and all of their dead come back to life to be with their loved ones. Her boyfriend is killed by his uncle and comes back to reclaim his title and life he should have had. There is no eating of brains and the people are not afraid of the zombies.
6. Prom Night by Libba Bray – The kids of this little town are trying to go on like normal despite that nothing will ever be normal again. Their parents have become zombies and some of the kids are gone also. They have a prom despite all the chaos going on in their lives.

Ok, I love a good zombie book just like anyone else. I have never read a unicorn book until the short stories in this book. Am I team Unicorn or Team Zombie? Well let’s look at a quote from Justine in the book: “I can trust and animal that’s out to kill us. It’s the rainbow defecators I don’t hold with.” Good luck with that when they are eating your brains, Justine. As for me, I am Team Unicorn all the way!! This book is definitely a MUST read. I love the interactions between the stories as the team states why one is better than the other.

[lexilewords · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You know the drill--individual reviews then overall. I promise not to be swayed too strongly by my love of Zombies. After all, I used to love Unicorns when I was like five.

"The Highest Justice" by Garth Nix

This was, for me, too short. I haven't read Nix before, though I've heard of him, but from this sampling I think I would enjoy him quite a bit. The ending is just the right sense of irony--on all accounts--to make me want to see how things pan out for Jess. The unicorn of this story was quite fierce, very willing to help you 'see' the errors of your ways.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Zombies in love! This is kind of a trend I wish that would just stop, or at least, not pair zombies with living people. Its more than a little...disturbing to be frank. However this was witty and full of dark humor. Mildish warning for the fact there's a whole lot of the 'f-word' and its a same sex pairing. The ending kind of fills me with...not any good feelings. Its bittersweet and filled with dark possibilities.

"Purity Test" by Naomi Novik

Ah-ha. I'm not quite a fan of Novik's "Dragon" novels (though I do appreciate the concept), but I have liked her shorter fiction in the past. This ran hot and cold for me; on the one hand I loved the fact that Belcazar was possibly the snarkiest thing under the sun since Daria. Then again I wasn't too keen on Alison because a lot of stuff about her didn't add up. We didn't get very much development on either of their sides beyond the 'now' unless they made a throw away comment. The goblin was rather amusing as were the baby unicorns. I'm not sure why Alison felt a need to constantly, and I do mean constantly, remind us of her non-virginity.

"Bougainvillea" by Carrie Ryan

This is both set in her "Forest of Hands and Teeth" universe, but not quite. Its set only a few (maybe a decade?) years after the Return (aka: when the mudo began manifesting) and it gives us a different perspective on things. Iza remembers life before the Return, though really only vaguely. The story is told in both the 'Before' and the 'Now', going back and forth between her memories of growing up on Curacao and the events leading up to an epiphany about not only her father, but herself as well. The ending is...bittersweet. She found her strength, but by doing so she lost a piece of herself. As always Ryan made me tear up. I think she does this on purpose.

"A Thousand Flowers" by Margo Lanagan

Did Not Finish. Which is fairly rare with a short story for me. I will usually power through these because, well, they're short. Unfortunately I got about two pages in and the narrator was still talking about finding a place to go to the bathroom (its ye olden days, so he was looking outside and refused to defecate on the 'innocent, fresh faces' of the flowers. He was drunk.) and that right there stopped me dead.

"The Children of the Revolution" by Maureen Johnson

To be fair, Johnson seemed completely normal when I met her at Book BloggerCon this past May. You almost couldn't see that her hair is really purple, her skin is sparkly and her eyes are polka-dotted pink*. So you know how all those celebrities are into weird cult like religions and seem to be in a race to adopt the most foreign kids possible? Johnson gives the most likely answer. It all makes complete sense. I have no complaints about this story at all, it was amusing, entertaining and filled with dark humor.

"The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund

I said this in Kiss Me Deadly, which included another short story set in Peterfreund's "Killer Unicorn" universe, but I really wish her longer books were as captivating as her shorter stories. This one is set in more modern times when unicorns aren't quite as plentiful anymore. Wen adopts herself a baby unicorn and against all odds, every rule and common sense decides to raise it. To not be a killer. There's mixed results. Of the stories this one has the most obviously teen angst bisecting the plot, which mostly petered out by the final third of the story. The two didn't quite mesh so well for me (aided possibly by the fact that there's a whole lot of referencing, but not a lot of explanation).

"Inoculata" by Scott Westerfeld

This was an off twist about a way to stave off being a Zombie. Westerfeld mostly surprises me with his writing every time I open something of his and this didn't change that trend. Its also the second story in the anthology to feature a same-sex pairing, which correct me if I'm wrong two same-sex stories don't often happen in the same anthology (unless the anthology is geared in that direction). The one character, Kalyn, has some pretty interesting logic in regards to what happened to her. Something I've often wondered about and isn't often explored.

"Princess Prettypants" by Meg Cabot

I laughed through much of this story, or at least whenever "Princess Prettypants" was talked about. She's something a five year old riding a sugar high from birthday cake would love. Despite the funny nature of things this is also a story with a good moral to it--don't ever trust a guy named Spank. I joke--its really about revenge, standing up for yourself and finding what is it you really want (or need).

"Cold Hands" by Cassandra Clare

Creepy. This story is levels of creepy, especially the ending. It was also kind of sweet, but naive and unfocused much of the time. Lychgate is basically its own little fiefdom in America, but why is there a Duke? And if people can't leave, what about people who move there (for whatever reason)--are they part of the curse then as well and thus can never leave? When did killing people become legally okay? I had too many questions in regards to the world of this story, it kept jarring me out of the reading experience.

"The Third Virgin" by Kathleen Duey

I feel rather bad for any unicorn lovers out there who read this story. Zombies are expected to at least be the middle ground as far as villains go. No one is particularly surprised when Zombies act worse and are pleasantly surprised when they act better. Unicorns? No one expects a unicorn to admit to enjoying sucking the life out of people. This story kind of confused me and I was ready to bolt when I saw bags and rope and sharp things, but I think it ended in a good way.

"Prom Night" by Libba Bray

Though the narrator for this story talked about hope and discussed measures that kept the teens of the town alive, something felt off about the way she observed things. She felt melancholy. Which, given the ending, made perfect and utter sense. It was kind of funny to see Tahmina and Jeff try to bring some order and lawfulness to the teens of the town. Tahmina was all serious business and Jeff was constantly joking. Or making elaborate plans for when things went back to normal. I hope things turn out better than the ending suggests they will.

Equally entertaining was Holly and Justine's 'commentary' before each story, giving an idea of the story, the author behind it and other useful information (like whether its zombie filled). Some of the earlier remarks between Justine and Holly are quite biting (which is kind of at odds with how the authors seemed like in real life), but as the anthology wears on their commentary mostly involves telling the other how deluded they are for their preferences. Its kind of like listening to a Joss Whedon commentary track--full of laughs, but doesn't really give any details away.

Overall this anthology worked really well for me. Zombies are the clear cut winners in my mind, but I think also that there is more diversity at work in the zombie stories.

This was, with the one exception by Lanagan, a fun diverting read. Did it answer the age old question of which species reigns supreme? of course Zombies won Well that's up to the reader to decide. Personally, while I do admit the unicorn stories could be...amusing, Zombies still hold my heart. Possibly literally. I'll get back to you on that.

(*this is a reference to an inside joke between my sister and I)

[et.carole · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a nice variety of interesting, thought-provoking stories and odd, twisted, disgusting stories. My favorites were Naomi Novik's "Purity Test," Diama Peterfreund's "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Unicorn," Cabot's "Princess Prettypants" (much better than it sounds from the title, a regular and satisfying Cabot story,) and Cassandra Clare's "Cold Hands."
All in all, I am definetly team unicorn. This has been a good introduction to new authors, though, and I'll definetly be checking some of them out more thoroughly.

[sdramsey-298717 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So, look at the dates--I devoured this book. Precisely for the reasons I picked it up in the first place...the fabulous premise, and the spectacular lineup of authors.

I didn't love every story, of course, but I don't think I've ever loved every story in any anthology. I liked them all, though, and I did love some of them. That's a tricky enough task, though, and enough to get it five stars from me.

I especially enjoyed the running debate between editors Holly Black and Justine Larbelestier as they defended their respective teams (Team Unicorn and Team Zombie, respecectively) in the introduction to each story. I think this book must have been as much fun to put together as it was to read.

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A friend lent this book to me years back (actually, I should check if it was lent or given...) Anyway, it's a light quick read and the stories are entertaining and pretty even throughout. They switch back and forth between stories about zombies and stories about unicorns. Not all the unicorns are nice...in fact, most aren't. Not all the zombies are just out to eat brains (most are though). I think the only real shortcoming was the conversations between Black and Larblestier cheering on zombie or unicorn to introduce each story. Their shtick just didn't add anything and in the cases where a story coming up was particularly dark, their joking about cheering for their respective "team" set the wrong mood before wading in.

[kerilynned · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was ok. I only really enjoyed about half of the stories. Cassandra Clare's and Meg Cabot's were the best. There also was one story that I enjoyed but it ended really suddenly and with no real conclusion which I hated. The best parts were the banter between Holly and Justine in the introduction and at the beginning of each chapter. If I had to choose I think I'd have to say the zombies won!

[shabacus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Like many collections, the quality of stories in Zombies vs. Unicorns varied considerably. A few stood out as particularly well-written glimpses into an alternate world. Others, and these were in the majority, were more or less forgettable. The editorial framing device was cute, but it wasn't enough to make a meme war between zombies and unicorns a thing, or to convince me that it ever was. 

[iira_24 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First: Team Zombie, OBVIOUSLY! But unicorns weren't too crappy, either. As always, some stories are better than others. But then again, some are great. I'm kinda starting to grow to like short stories, it appears. This battle, for instance, could not have been made without them. So hooray for short stories and coming up with a purpose for them!

[laphenix · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some great, some funny, some so-so.

[keindi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Definitely a book for high school age and up readers. Several stories are extremely violent and sexual, but humorous too. The running commentary at the beginning of each story between Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier helps set a more lighthearted tone. The collection is pretty evenly written. Maureen Johnson's Children of the Revolution and Alaya Dawn Johnson's Love Will Tear Us apart were particularly disturbing. My vote goes to Team Zombie.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I sometimes have a very hard time with short story collections. Mostly because there are always a couple of stories that really just kind of suck. But there wasn't a single story that sucked here. Were there ones I liked more then others, absolutely but really there was no bad here. I also loved the banter between each story. It was funny and I felt like they offered good ways to think about zombies and unicorns and their history. Each story is labeled as either Unicorn or zombie so only have to read your side if you want. But I strongly reccommend reading it all because there is no bad here.

Unfortunately I was not able to pick a side having liked Unicorn and Zombie stories equally. My favorite zombie stories were Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare and and Prom Night by Libba Bray. My favorite unicorn stories were Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot and The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfund.

[joanab951 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stories: I really enjoyed reading all of the stories - some more than others - but overall they were pretty good and convincing. Even though they were all either about zombies or unicorns, they all showed the different aspects of the two topics. Each unicorn story represented the unicorn in a different way; some unicorns were killers, others healers, some "rainbow-farting unicorns". The same thing goes for the zombies; some were man-eating monsters, others just people trapped in their own heads with no way out. Overall, they were all interesting and unique, but my favorites would definitely have to be Purity Test by Naomi Novik (Team Unicorn), The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson (Team Zombie), The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund (Team Unicorn), Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare (Team Zombie) and Prom Night by Libba Bray (Team Zombie). There were also some (Inoculata, Cold Hands, Prom Night) that would be awesome if they were expanded into series or just into longer stories. These ones kept me wanting more and wondering what would happen next.

Dialogue: The commentary before each story was hilarious and very useful. The information that was given really helped me understand the stories better or they were just fun, interesting facts about both of the topics.

Cover: I love how the picture of the zombie and the unicorn are all you need to figure out what the title is and what the book is about. It basically says it all without really doing anything.

Overall Impression: Team Zombie!

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The conceit is Team Unicorn and Team Zombie; the result is nearly all highly enjoyable stories of adventure and horror, not all of them correlated with the creature you might first think. Alaya Dawn Johnson’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, for example, is a zombie love story, while Kathleen Duey’s The Third Virgin is unicorn horror. Naomi Novik’s Purity Test is a charming unicorn-in-the-big-city story, and Scott Westerfeld’s Inoculata manages to meld YA rebellion with zombies: evolution as metaphor for growing up. Other authors include Garth Nix, Margo Lanagan, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Cassandra Clare, and Libba Bray, who ends the volume on an elegiac note.

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Still not a fan of short stories. There were a couple of good ones, but for the most part not worth my time to read.

[carl_alves_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This anthology doesn’t literally pit zombies against unicorns, but instead has half of its stories featuring zombies and the other half featuring unicorns. It’s an interesting enough premise, enough to get me to read, however, by and large, the stories left me ambivalent. Like most anthologies there was some good and some not so good stories. Overall, however, I felt the stories generally lacked any real bite (no pun intended). Perhaps they were aimed for a younger audience, but I was left a little underwhelmed by it all. A prime example of this is Meg Cabot’s story “Princess Prettypants.” I would have preferred the stories to have a bit more of an edge to them even if it was intended for more of a YA audience. It seemed as if the stories were more going for laughs than chills and thrills. With all of that said, there were some decent stories in the anthology that were worth listening to.

Carl Alves – author of Reconquest: Mother Earth

[citizenjoyce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having always been extremely anti zombie, I wasn't sure I'd like Zombies vs. Unicorns. As Justine Larbalestier, one of the editors says, zombies represent the unremitting inevitability of death, a story about which is as entertaining as that statement. Which means, some people will think it very interesting while I think that as long as one is living one should either enjoy life or try to find out how to do so - putting me squarely in Holly Black's unicorn camp. To my surprise all the zombie stories except one (Bougainvillea - a rather typical offering of its type) were as entertaining as all the unicorn stories - very. I especially liked the humor, the fluidity of gender and the fresh take on both ideas.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Zombies vs. Unicorns is a showdown between two mythical creatures as hosted by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black and meant to assist the reader in determining whether they are on Team Zombie or Team Unicorn. The stories are by well known writers from the fantasy genre, Libba Bray, Naomi Novik and Garth Nix, just to mention a few. This is a head on battle, alternating creature stories in an all out bid to take top honors. The winner? The reader, of course.

I went into this a firm Team Zombie member as I have an aversion to the sweet, sparkly mythical unicorns that seem to litter little girls dreams, and although overall I probably preferred more of the zombie tales, let me tell you, in most cases the unicorns in this book were far from the sickly sweet, rainbow farting ones that I was expecting. Some of these unicorns were truly ass-kicking monsters!

As in all short story collections, some of the stories appealed to me more than others. My top favorites were Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot, Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan, Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld and the hilarious send-up Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and the dialogue between Holly and Justine before each story only added to my pleasure. This is a great way to dip your toe into both zombie and unicorn infested waters as well as introducing yourself to some very intriguing authors.

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a brilliant collection of short stories featuring zombies and unicorns. The rational is that Holly and Justine find one or the other 'easier' or 'better' to write about as parallels for the human condition, and have persuaded a collection of authors to submit short stories for consideration.

In terms of the actual stories published then the zombies win, they are generally better stories than any of the unicron submissions. But I think that may be an artifact of the authors chosen, because I know that Stephen Donaldon's unicorn short story beats any of these as a tale. None of them were particularly brilliant. Modern unicorns and traditional zombies. A few slightly interesting takes on the unicorn's powers but again nothing particularly noteworthy. Lots of darker unicorns - very few had the full nobility aspect to them, which I think was probably deliberate, but doesn't really work unless you do have something to contrast it with. DItto for the zombies with unexplained emotions etc.

The author's banter introducing each tale was just tedious filler without any redeeming merit. They didn't even discuss the story or why they'd chosen that particular author.

[wiseyoungfools · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a solid anthology. Of course, it was a mixed bag-- but most of the authors succeeded. I think I ended up on Team Unicorn, though.

[jescat-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not always a fan of short stories. I don't like how they always end just as things are getting good. Despite that, I greatly enjoyed this anthology, edited by two authors who had a feud about which is cooler: zombies or unicorns? So each story is either a zombie story or a unicorn story. Highlights include a nanny hired to look after the zombie children of a famous actress that sounds an awful lot like Angelina Jolie, a town that is terrorized by evil, killer unicorns, and so much more. Each was so good, I can't decide on a winner.