School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Gr 8 Up-Finch, a teenage runaway, is murdered in 1896about 50 pages into this behemoth of a novel, which proceeds through his inexplicable reanimation and well into the 20th century. He's not fully alive, but he cannot die and, thus, he is a Zelig-like participant in matters as consequential as World War I, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. Kraus's fascination with decaying, rotting human flesh, as readers of Rotters (Delacorte, 2011), his novel about father and son grave robbers, will remember, returns here. His descriptive powers are on full display, as Finch's body doesn't hold together very well. Then there is the author's prodigious vocabulary, which will have many searching for the definitions of such words as voussoir, sulcus, lansquenet, gasconade , and the like. Readers will not be comforted in knowing that this is merely the first installment of Finch's story. It's possible that this cliff-hanger ending will provide an excuse for Finch's lengthy, unattractive existence, but another 600 pages of reading might prove to be an insurmountable obstacle to all but the most motivated. VERDICT A hefty volume for fans of historical fiction with an undead twist. Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Voice of Youth Advocates

Zebulon Finch is a master storyteller, ambitiously telling the tale of his first death and subsequent resurrection. As a gangster teen in 1879, Zebulon is murdered and then finds himself alive again, able to relive many lives that Kraus intelligently weaves with American history, from bygone Hollywood to war. In the first volume, Kraus leaves us at the doorstep of World War II with much anticipation for its sequel. Zebulon's journey is narrated in the first-person, and after a few sentences the title character draws readers to him with his unique account: "I have been seventeen years old for over a century. Even as I lay down these first few lines of what I intend to be the definitive chronicle of my miserable existence, I can hear Hector apply the final blanket of cement to my tomb." Each situation brings a cast of characters that are funny, mature, serious, and mysterious, and the adventure ensues in epic fashion.The book is substantial, at over six hundred pages, but all events are carefully plotted and elaborately drawn; likewise, situations including patronizing prostitutes and war make the content appropriate for a mature fantasy reader. But these readers will not be disappointed, making this another treat for fans of Kraus's work. While it might not be for every reader, it should be an option on the shelf in every library.Alicia Abdul.

Horn Book

In 1896, seventeen-year-old Chicago gangster Zebulon Finch is shot, killed, and mysteriously resurrected. In picaresque fashion, he chronicles his second life down through the centuries. While the voice is strong and the narrative elements interesting--it may appeal to fans of the Octavian Nothing volumes and Yancey's Monstrumologist series--the over-long book lacks clarity and purpose, something the second volume may yet deliver.

ALA Booklist

Editor's note: It is Booklist policy that a book written or edited by a staff editor receive a brief descriptive announcement rather than a full review.After 17-year-old on-the-rise Chicago gangster Zebulon Finch is shot and killed in 1896, he mysteriously comes back to life ough that is to use the term loosely, as blood no longer pumps through his veins and his flesh is slowly decomposing. His sharp, sly, overeducated mind, however, remains intact, and his body is quite capable of movement. This behemoth first installment of a duology spans from the turn of the century to 1941, wherein Zebulon vain rapscallion forever teetering between villain and hero counts his incredible, often horrific, and frequently moving life after death. Readers witness his experiences in a traveling medicine show and the trenches of WWI, as well as his activities during Prohibition and among Hollywood's elite. Taking on the big questions of the meaning of life, the purpose of death, and good versus evil, this first half of a giant-size epic skillfully blends historical fiction, dark humor, and horror to push readers right to the brink.