There are zombie stories, and then there are zombie stories involving mysterious glowing green goo, wood-eating orphans, scientific investigations, secretive ninjas, and an entire town at risk of literally being eaten. Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub by Melanie Abed is the first book in the Felix & Ninja series, and it kicks things off with plenty of action, mystery, humor, and wonderfully strange world-building.
The story takes place in the Territory of Tub, specifically the wooden island town of Spinachi. Thirteen-year-old Felix is a young naturalist who would probably be perfectly happy staying in his tree fort, observing the world and recording everything in his field journal. Unfortunately for Felix, his home is suddenly facing a much bigger problem than anything he can simply observe from a safe distance.
A mysterious bioluminescent green substance is turning orphans into wood-eating zombies.
And when your entire town is made of wood, that is a pretty serious problem.
Felix quickly realizes that this outbreak doesn’t seem accidental. Someone may have intentionally unleashed the plague, and whoever is behind it could still be out there. To figure out what is happening, Felix is forced to leave the safety of observation behind and actually jump into the action.
That is where Ninja comes in.
Ninja is another orphan, but unlike Felix, she approaches problems through instinct, secrecy, and spycraft. She is clever, cautious, and not exactly quick to trust anyone. Felix, meanwhile, relies heavily on scientific observation, evidence, and data. Putting these two together creates a fun dynamic because they approach almost every problem from completely different directions.
Their personalities and methods are one of my favorite parts of the book.
Felix brings a lot of humor to the story, while Ninja has a cleverness and mysterious quality that makes you want to know more about her. Watching these two loners slowly learn how to work together gives the story more than just its zombie adventure. At its heart, this is also a story about friendship and learning when to trust someone else.
One of the things I especially enjoyed was the way the author speaks directly to the reader.
There is this wonderful feeling that the stories we are reading are supposedly true accounts from the Territory of Tub and that the storyteller knows much more about this strange world than we do. The narration gave me strong Lemony Snicket vibes. I really enjoy stories where the narrator feels almost like another character—someone guiding us through the events while also making comments, giving warnings, or hinting that there is much more happening beyond the current story.
That storytelling style immediately made the world feel bigger.
We also get glimpses of the Territory of Tub and its elementals, which made me curious about what else exists beyond Spinachi. Since this is the first book in a planned five-book series exploring different territories, I think there is a lot of potential here for the world to grow as the series continues.
I also liked the STEM element woven into the adventure. Felix isn’t just running away from zombies. He is observing what is happening, looking for patterns, following evidence, and trying to understand the science behind the outbreak. That scientific curiosity fits naturally into the mystery without making the story feel like a lesson disguised as a novel.
At the same time, Ninja balances Felix perfectly because she approaches situations with completely different skills.
Together, they have to uncover the mystery behind the outbreak, figure out who they can trust, discover why the zombies are attacking the town, and hopefully find a cure before Spinachi is completely destroyed.
And there is a lot happening.
The story moves very quickly, which I think many middle-grade readers will love. There is rarely a quiet moment before another clue, danger, discovery, or zombie-related disaster appears.
That fast pacing was also my one small complaint.
Sometimes the action happened a little too quickly for me. I would have loved a few more quiet moments with Felix and Ninja so I could get to know them better as characters. Their personalities are interesting enough that I wanted more time with them outside of the immediate danger.
I especially wanted a little more room for their friendship to develop.
That said, the quick pacing never ruined the reading experience for me. If anything, it makes the book especially well suited for readers who enjoy stories that keep moving and don’t spend too long lingering in one place.
Middle grade readers who enjoy creepy adventures with plenty of humor should have a lot of fun with this one. The zombies are strange and spooky without making the story lose its playful tone, and the mystery surrounding the outbreak gives readers plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages.
Fans of Goosebumps, The Last Kids on Earth, or stories with quirky narrators and unusual worlds may especially enjoy exploring the Territory of Tub.
Overall, Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub is a funny, imaginative start to a new middle grade series. Between Felix’s scientific curiosity, Ninja’s spy skills, the mysterious elementals, and an outbreak of wood-eating zombies, there is definitely no shortage of adventure.
I’m giving this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5 stars.
The action moved a little faster than I personally would have liked, and I hope future books give us more time to get to know Felix and Ninja. But the unique world, clever narration, humor, and mystery made this a fun reading experience—and I’m definitely curious to see what other strange adventures are waiting in the Territory of Tub.
About the book:
Genre: Middle-grade Mystery
Publishing date: September 15, 2026
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Synopsis:
Creepy, clever, and laugh‑out‑loud funny, ZOMBIE ZOO blends STEM investigation, paranormal mystery, and friendship forged in chaos.
When mysterious bioluminescent green goo turns orphans into wood‑eating zombies, 13‑year‑old naturalist Felix can’t hide in his tree fort anymore—someone unleashed this plague deliberately, and they’re still out there. Forced to team up with Ninja, a shadow‑dwelling orphan who trusts no one, Felix must trade his field journal for action. Two loners with opposite methods—Felix relies on scientific observation and data; Ninja depends on instinct and spycraft—race to uncover who released the plague and find a cure before their wooden island town of Spinachi is devoured. As the outbreak spreads and Doc Brunne’s loyalties crumble, buildings collapse, and clues point to sabotage, the pair must solve the mystery, deploy a cure, and learn to trust—before they become the next victims.
First in a 5-book series exploring the territories of Tub. Perfect for readers who loved Goosebumps,Amari and the Night Brothers, Last Kids on Earth, It Found Us, and anyone ready for a zombie adventure where being different might just save the world.
Meet the author:
In kindergarten, my life’s goal was to become a teacher who wore only pink and ate French fries all day long. Now that I’ve matured, my goal in life is to become a Miss Marple-Sherlockian-Jedi Knight—I’m totally serious; it’s a real thing.
I love stories, and I’ve had the privilege of working in Hollywood for over a decade in many different capacities, working with celebrities, directors (I’m married to one, plus he’s my illustrator), and a few executives (the head-honcho types that I can’t talk about because I signed confidentiality waivers). I’m not sure any of these people would have hired me if they knew I had a closet full of mint-condition Star Wars toys…
However, the life of a freelancer is not for the faint of heart. I’ve kept myself busy with my extracurricular activities, from skydiving to scuba diving, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a degree in Fine Art, an M.A. in Psychology (with a focus in Neuroscience), and a few other things that I like to keep top secret. …Some people think I’m a spy, but I’ll never tell!