THE ZOMBIE STONE

Zombies may be nothing but trouble, but the living can be downright deadly in this delightfully disconcerting sequel to 2019’s A Small Zombie Problem.

We find our hero, August DuPont, much as we left him: haloed by butterflies, comforting his terribly high-strung and hot-sauce–obsessed Aunt Hydrangea, and at an utter loss for what to do about Claudette, his clingy, undead companion. Leaving his crumbling home of Locust Hole for only the second time in his life, August sets off for Croissant City in search of the one thing that can rid him of his zombie problem—the Cadaverite stone. One alligator attack, several chance encounters with old friends and enemies, and four new zombies later, and it’s clear August is far from the only one after the famed jewel, though he may be the only one with good intentions. Campbell continues his study of the cozy macabre against the backdrop of a New Orleans–esque setting and all the supernatural atmosphere it implies. Ranging from awkward to disastrous for August, the main action gives way elegantly to brief threads of mystery as he begins to unravel his family’s (living and otherwise) history. Spot art and occasional full spreads punctuate the text, adding dimension to emotionally charged scenes—particularly zombie antics—and showing a nearly all-White cast.

Cliffhangers draw readers right over the edge.