Deck Z: The Titanic by Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon

Pages: 222

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Supernatural horror

Notes for Parents: Contains many scenes of graphic violence

The Inside Cover

The year is 1912. Theodor Weiss, a German scientist, has discovered a strange new plague that ravages its victims, transforming them into soulless, flesh-hungry monsters. Yet, his lab studies show that the strain also holds great promise: It could be the key to a cure for all types of the plague. When Weiss uncovers a sinister military plan to use the disease as a weapon, he steals the world’s only sample vial and makes for America, where he will be safely out of the reach of German operatives. And what better way to travel in anonymity than on the world’s largest ocean liner, making its maiden voyage that very week?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the authors’ first novel.

What’s good?

I love a good zombie story! This is a highly entertaining, well-written, fast paced story about the desperate battle to survive a zombie invasion below deck on the ill-fated Titanic. While infusing tales of the undead into a dramatic moment in history requires a bit of literary licensing, the authors do an excellent job of staying true to history (for the most part) while injecting the myth and horror of a zombie plague. The characters are well-drawn and carefully introduced. The suspense builds slowly at first as we follow the toxic aboard the ship, but as the invasion spreads, action and horror spill into the lower decks where heroes and villains are born!

Best Part: Captain E.J. Smith and his sword, Kabul.

What isn’t good?

To bend a true story in this way may seem disrespectful to the actual people whose lives were lost in the tragedy. However, I read it as more of a tribute to the timeless legend than was Titanic, rather than the historical event. Some of the battles are over the top and the gore is graphic, but that’s all standard fare for a good zombie story as far as I’m concerned.  

Worst part: The flaming squash balls.

Recommendation þþþþo

It’s a gory adventure, full of severed heads, half-eaten crew members, a cane-weilding German and a swashbuckling captain who thrusts and parries until he goes down with his ship. With a grain of salt and a sense of humour, this is a very entertaining tale. Recommended (but bring a weapon!).

Pauls, Chris. Solomon, Matt. Deck Z: The Titanic. New York: Scholastic, 2012.