Bad Hair Day

By Carrie Harris

Set in the world of BAD TASTE IN BOYS, teenage zombie assasin Kate Grable is back to take on the horrors of high school--perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars. 

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school's premed program. But after he's arrested for murder, she's left with the bodies. And when Kate's brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone—or something—is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate's supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius . . . but if she can't figure out what's behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what's left of them—are going to keep piling up.

"What's not to love?"--Kirkus Reviews

"Kate combines the smarts of Veronica Mars with the attitude of Buffy . . .  a fast-paced read."--School Library Journal  

"Entirely enjoyable."--Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307974198

Carrie Harris

CARRIE HARRIS has been writing professionally since the early 2000s. She writes original and licensed books in a variety of worlds including Marvel, Warhammer 40k, the World of Darkness, and the Fate RPG. Her books Shadow Avengers: A Marvel Crisis Protocol Novel, Witches Unleashed: A Marvel Untold Novel, and Liberty and Justice for All: A Xavier’s Institute Novel were Scribe award finalists for best licensed fiction, and her young adult horror comedy Bad Taste in Boys was a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. Carrie lives in New York with her ninja doctor husband, teenagers, and a cranky dog named Slartibartfast.

Reviews for Bad Hair Day

[jennybeast · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I always admire a writer who takes a ridiculous premise and goes all out. Well done with this one, Carrie Harris -- it's silly, but entertaining, as any book that seems to possibly star a sasquatch or a werewolf would be. Even better when the heroine has a past that includes creating an anti-zombie virus.

[funstm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lol, this was funny. I loved the first two books and this was great as well. There was even more science in this. Although I think there was less Jonah which made me sad - I love Jonah. I was also sad Mike didn't make any appearances. I kind of wanted to see him be infected with the nanobots to cure the damage of the zombies. I love Kate. She was much better at focusing on the science and less on the romance with this one. Although there was still the usual teen romance angst we always see in young adult books. I did appreciate her maturity (at one point at least) when it came to Elle and she told Aaron she didn't have any relationship experience and proceeded to just ask him what was up with Elle. It was nice seeing a logical mature response. Of course she let herself down heaps after that but it happened once. Aaron didn't annoy me as much in this book either - not that I really know why he did in the first - maybe because he just went from zero to a hundred in being interested in Kate. I hated Trey. I felt him hitting on Kate was a bit unnecessary but it's kind of how it goes I guess. The plot was great. I really enjoyed it. I wish there were more books. I love the idea of nanobots and seeing this mystery unfold was awesome. 4.5 stars.

[ceilidhann · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I had the first book in the series, “Bad Taste in Boys” on my radar thanks to its gleefully kitsch 50s sci-fi B-movie synopsis yet never got around to reading it, mainly because I could never find it in UK and I’m too cheap to pay for shipping. I began reading the 2nd in the series with the typical hesitations of a reader coming into a series without the full story, but luckily it was easy enough to pick up in this short, if tiresome read. Once again, this is a paranormal YA that promises big and doesn’t deliver.

I really should have written this review straight after finishing the book, but university work got in the way, because it was entirely forgettable and I’m having trouble remembering simple elements such as character names. This isn’t a good sign. Unfortunately, “Bad Hair Day” is generic in every sense of the word. The heroine is the geek who doesn’t know she’s pretty, the handsome but bland love interest, the shoe-horned in romantic conflict, the quirky but mostly absent parents and sibling, the casual disparaging comments towards girls who present a threat – they’re all here. At times it feels like join-the-dots storytelling, especially since the pacing for this short book is completely erratic, veering between fumbled exposition and drawn out and entirely unnecessary romance subplot and shorts bursts of action that do nothing to liven up what should be a short, silly read. Despite the attempts at humour – and I did snigger once or twice – the book never fully decides whether it wants to be a camp take on kitschy horror and sci-fi or a conventional paranormal tale. I’m personally quite disappointed that it didn’t take the latter route since the genre desperately needs less po-faced seriousness.

The book reads younger than YA, with the immaturity of the supposed genius teenage heroine seeming more suited to a middle-grade character. There’s nothing in this book to outright hate, it’s just too bland and inoffensive for that.

2/5.

[love_of_books · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

High school senior Kate Grable has just arrived at the morgue to be mentored by the local medical examiner when the police come and arrest her mentor. At the same time, mutilated bodies are brought in prompting Kate to wonder - were they murdered by something inhuman? Not again! In this second installment, teen medical geek Kate may be tracking a new threat, different from the zombies she hunted in Harris’ Bad Taste in Boys. The book is so outrageous that it’s comical. It’s high school science geek vs. hairy creatures with claws. Will heroic brainiac Kate once again solve the mysterious murder spree before it gets out of hand? Unlike other dark tales of monstrous creatures in today’s urban fantasies, Harris takes a tongue-in-cheek approach. The writing is simple and basic – out of the mouths of teens, one might say. The absence of any strong, reliable, intelligent adult is a bit too convenient but that’s part of the teen crime-solver plot. The story is definitely light and meant to entertain but strains credibility. It won’t appeal to those who prefer the high drama and terror of typical werewolf stories but teens looking for a taste of horror without the intense drama and gore may find the book a lark.

[angelafristoe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Carrie Harris's sequel to Bad Taste in Boys is exactly what I expected from her. If you've ever visited her website you'll know what I mean. Bad Hair Day picks up soon after Bad Taste in Boys ends and Kate is still adjusting to all of the attention she's been getting ever since curing the "zombie" virus. In Bad Taste in Boys she got the boy she wanted and now she's struggling to deal with having a boyfriend who is really beyond her geeky social status while at the same time trying to save the world again.I love that Kate's character doesn't change from one book to the other. Even though she's famous, she stays true to her science geek character and once the new mystery starts she is completely focused on solving it. There were some interesting scenes between Kate and her boyfriend Aaron. But he wasn't a big player in the story, mainly because Kate is too independent to fall into the whole "I love you too much to do anything without you" routine. In fact, Kate almost forgets about him while embroiled in her mystery.I actually found the interactions between Kate and her brother, Jonah, to be the most entertaining. I don't have a brother, but can imagine how one would be so annoying, especially if he wore tights and played with a sword all day.There is of course a certain amount of reality that needs to be checked before opening the book, even for a paranormal book. Kate's ability to perform some complex surgical procedures, the police department's willingness to divulge sensitive information to her, and the hospital's lack of knowledge that a high school senior is acting as medical examiner makes things convenient for the plot, but doesn't toe the line of reality.For me this was a quick, fun read and really, once the line "You don't understand. I'm team Edward!" crossed the page, I was all in. This is a definite must read for anyone who's looking for something a quirky and fast paced.

[booktwirps · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bad Hair Day picks up not long after Bad Taste in Boys ends. As you may recall, super geeky, seizure prone, science nerd Kate found the cure for what was turning her classmates into zombies at the end of the last book. It was a close call, but she managed. Now, Kate is pretty much a celebrity. Not only that, but she's landed a spot on the county premed program. She can't wait to dive in and get her surgery on, but in Kate's world, everything doesn't always work out exactly the way she had planned. On her first day she finds herself assigned to work with the coroner. She's not exactly thrilled at the idea, but agrees to give it a chance at the persuasion of her mentor. No sooner have they made it to the morgue than the police show up to arrest said mentor. Turns out he may have some information on a murder that just happened. Determined to find out if the good doctor is, in fact, a murderer, Kate stays on and begins digging around in typical Kate fashion. As the bodies begin to pile up, and talk of hairy beasts roaming the town increase, it's once again up to Kate to figure out just what is going on.The minute I first heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I thought Bad Taste in Boys was hysterical. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I'd expected a typical zombie thriller, but what I got was a lot of zombie comedy.I love Kate, and I love the voice Ms. Harris has given her. She's smart, quirky, a little neurotic and totally lovable. Most of the other characters are great as well, but they all take a back seat to Kate. The only one I really had a hard time with in this book was Elle. She was the stereotypical rival/bad girl. She just felt a little too cookie cutter for my taste. I'm also not a huge fan of Aaron (the jock boyfriend), but he serves his purpose. What I do like is that Kate isn't the typical "OMG, I can't live without him," type. She's too focused on her work to worry about whether or not a boy is going to call her or not.The werewolves at the center of this story are not typical, just like the zombies in the first book weren't your typical zombies. Again, this is a science/medical mystery, but Ms. Harris makes the science part fun with her witty prose. As in the first book, I found myself laughing out loud several times. These books are meant to be fun and not taken too seriously, and if you read them with that in mind, you'll enjoy them a lot more.If you're looking for a fun, short read for a lazy afternoon, I would definitely recommend this book.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Immediately after finish Bad Taste In Boys I flowed into the sequel not looking back. It is amazing :)So the book started where the last book left off and Kate is pretty famous. She is even offered a internship with doctors who are just as fascinated with her. I really adored that Kate took everything in with ease. She is proud of what she discovered but not stuck up. Instead she wants to continue to explore the area of medicine and biology to continue to save those who need help. The zombie disease is in control and scientist a vastly studying it.Kate once again, finds trouble once again at the start of her internship. Her doctor is mysteriously taken away by the authorities and her boyfriend is being attack by girls. Specifically one girl. I really liked the strained of the their relationship. Kate is clueless as what to do but focuses on bigger things. She doesn't let a guy bring her down. I like that. For once in a book, this girl is not sobbing or whining over a guy. She leaves it in his hands. Take it or leave it buddy! HA!There are some new developments with other characters as well as a disease. I like that the focus of the book doesn't go too far away from what started it all. Kate is still the smart girl but with a little more umph. She has grown into a smart young lady and is quickly learning about life. Bad Hair Day is a fantastic sequel! With a new amazing plot and awesome character, Ms. Harris never fails the reader. It's exciting, filled with never ending action. Bad Hair Day is powerful story that rocks!