by David Lubar
4. On page 33, Nathan observes that “the whole world had done its best to take my breath away.” How is this foreshadowing? What other images prepare readers for Nathan’s zombie transformation?
5. Do you think Nathan means it when he wishes that he “didn’t have any feelings at all"? Would you want to remove all painful emotions from your life and, if yes, would you risk being a lab experiment to do so? Explain your answer.
6. In the chapters following the lab accident, what changes begin to happen to Nathan? How do these changes affect his routines and attitudes? How do Nathan’s parents and teachers react to the changes?
7. What is Mookie’s reaction to Nathan’s being “dead"? How is Mookie a good friend to Nathan?
8. Why does Abigail hide her intelligence at school? Do you agree with her reasons for doing so? Why or why not?
9. On what adventures do Nathan, Abigail, and Mookie embark to find elements of the cure? What surprising things do the friends learn about one another in the course of these adventures?
10. How does being a zombie improve school life for Nathan? How does he react to his unusual athletic ability and resulting popularity?
11. Why does Nathan agree to go to Shawna’s party after all? What happens when he arrives at the party with Abigail and Mookie?
12. How does Nathan’s newfound understanding of the social scene help him get the charm from Shawna’s wrist? How does his plan affect the social status of others at the party?
13. What does Nathan do when Abigail tells him that she could have made the cure without the last ingredients? How do you think you would have reacted? How does the cure work?
14. What events change the course of Nathan’s cure? If you had been in Nathan’s situation, would you have made the same choices? What is Nathan’s zombie status at the end of the novel?
15. Abigail tells Nathan that “. . . a solution isn’t like a piece of clothing. You can’t always find one that fits the way you want.” Give at least two examples from the story where this advice applies. Do you think this expression offers a good way to look at problems in life? Why or why not?
