First, let me say that it was the cover that initially attracted me to this book. It is haunting in its simplicity and the stark, frayed red dress is a dark touch of femininity in a battered world. I really love it.When I read the blurb, I was caught by the mention of infested and flesh eaters. I, like so many others, am strangely attracted to all things zombie. I can't seem to get enough of them, whether it be books, movies or television. Needless to say, I was eager to read Wisteria.Wisteria is somewhat of an outsider on the island she lives on. She made her way there some years back with her mother and brother. She lied about her age to the head of security, enabling her to venture out and hunt the infected. She is not like the other teens in her small, military protected town. She yearns for more than the average day of mindless schooling and menial work. She's had a puppy-love crush on the cutest boy in town for years; causing only heartbreak and ridicule from other kids and leaving her feeling more of an outsider.Wisteria's life changes when a routine assignment goes wrong and she is left stranded in zombie infested territory. Saved by a mysterious young boy who she has an odd connection with. Bach is an awkward but utterly handsome hero and Wisteria struggles to understand who he is, why he so easily survives in the midst of the infected and more urgently, why he is hunted by a group known as Red Phoenix. As she fights to survive along side Bach, facts about her own life, her past and the origin of the Nero disease begin to unravel and she is left wondering if anyone in her life can be trusted.I was thoroughly enthralled with this book up until Bach entered the story. I loved the world Wisteria was living in but became utterly confused by Bach's world. I feel like it needed more ground work. The reader is kind of tossed into it and has to wade through the confusion, hoping for explanation to show itself.I do really like Bach as a character. He is stiff and formal but there are a few occasions where he becomes almost human. I liked the soft moments of vulnerability. Wisteria herself has those moments. She is mostly a strong character but with this little vein of loneliness and need that runs through her, it is hard not to like her.The story itself has a foundation for a great tale, if you can wade through the sketchy details of Bach and The Family. There is mystery, intrigue, betrayal, love and a healthy dose of zombie fueled action. I just wish that there had been more time spent building up the world that Bach is from and the connection between it and Wisteria's world and the infestation caused by Nero.
