Books On Board

White Trash Zombie Books in Order

  • 6 Books
  • 2011 – 2017 Published

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Recommended White Trash Zombie Reading Order

If you are ready to dive into Diana Rowland’s swampy, humorous, and occasionally gory urban fantasy world, the reading path is straightforward. The series follows a tight chronological narrative with a single main protagonist, Angel Crawford. There are no side novellas, spin-off series, or short stories that disrupt the main sequence. Therefore, the recommended reading order is the exact publication order.

  1. My Life as a White Trash Zombie (2011)
  2. Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues (2012)
  3. White Trash Zombie Apocalypse (2013)
  4. How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back (2014)
  5. White Trash Zombie Gone Wild (2015)
  6. White Trash Zombie Unchained (2017)

The White Trash Zombie Novels in Detail

1. My Life as a White Trash Zombie (2011)

The series kicks off by introducing us to Angel Crawford, a high school dropout and pill-popping misfit living in Southern Louisiana. After a mysterious car accident that looks like an overdose, Angel wakes up in the hospital completely healed—but with a sudden, bizarre craving for raw meat and brains. When she lands an entry-level job at the local county morgue, she finds a convenient way to satisfy her new diet. However, her new lease on undead life gets complicated when she discovers someone is murdering local zombies, and she is forced to use her forensic access to solve the crime.

2. Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues (2012)

Angel is slowly getting her life together, holding down her job at the morgue and trying to stay clean. But being a zombie in Tucker Point, Louisiana, is never simple. In this second installment, Angel has to contend with corporate conspiracies, a shady zombie mafia, and aggressive zombie hunters. Her forensic skills are put to the test once again as she investigates a series of mysterious disappearances, all while dealing with her complicated relationship with her deadbeat father and her growing feelings for Marcus, a fellow zombie.

3. White Trash Zombie Apocalypse (2013)

The stakes escalate dramatically in the third book. A zombie movie is being filmed in Tucker Point, providing the perfect cover for real undead activity. Angel finds herself caught in the crosshairs of a massive corporate espionage plot involving the Saberton Corporation, the corrupt entity seeking to exploit the zombie parasite for profit. As a tropical storm rolls in, Angel must rally her allies to prevent a biological catastrophe that could expose zombies to the world and trigger a real apocalypse.

4. How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back (2014)

After the chaotic events of the previous book, Angel is trying to recover her sense of normalcy. She is working toward her GED and trying to navigate her responsibilities within the zombie community. However, new threats emerge when a mysterious designer drug begins circulating, causing terrifying reactions in zombies. Angel must delve back into the dark underbelly of Saberton's scientific research to stop the spread before it destroys the fragile peace she has worked so hard to build.

5. White Trash Zombie Gone Wild (2015)

In the fifth novel, Angel’s personal and professional lives collide once again. The Saberton Corporation continues to loom large, and their experiments with the zombie parasite threaten to spiral out of control. Angel is forced to go on the run, navigating the swampy bayous and dealing with unstable zombies who have lost their cognitive functions. The book focuses heavily on Angel's resilience as she fights to protect the people she loves from becoming corporate test subjects.

6. White Trash Zombie Unchained (2017)

The sixth and final book brings Angel's journey to a thrilling conclusion. A new, highly contagious variant of the zombie parasite emerges, turning infected hosts into mindless, hyper-aggressive "shambler" zombies. With the government attempting a massive cover-up and her community on the brink of eradication, Angel must step up as a true leader. She faces her own deep-seated demons and coordinates a high-stakes stand to secure a future for her kind, completing her evolution from a troubled dropout to an undead hero.

What to Know Before You Start

Unlike traditional horror stories where zombies are mindless, decaying monsters, Diana Rowland introduces a unique sci-fi explanation for her undead. In this universe, zombieism is caused by a specialized parasite that uses misfolded prion proteins as its building blocks. This parasite keeps the host's body functioning and regenerating, provided they consume human brains regularly to replenish essential nutrients. If a zombie goes too long without brains, they begin to decay and lose their minds, turning into typical mindless ghouls.

The series is highly praised for its authentic forensic details. Rowland drew on her real-world background as a former street cop, detective, and morgue assistant to write the series. This forensic expertise shines through in Angel’s work at the county coroner’s office, adding a layer of gritty, realistic procedure to the supernatural mysteries. The first novel in the series earned Rowland the 2012 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist, highlighting how much readers connected with Angel's raw, authentic voice.

For audiobook fans, the series is widely celebrated for its audio adaptations. Narrator Allison McLemore performs all six audiobooks, bringing Angel’s distinct Southern drawl and sarcastic wit to life. McLemore’s performance earned an Audie Award nomination for the first book and is highly recommended by fans as the definitive way to experience Angel's story.

Chronological Caveats and Reading Advice

Because the White Trash Zombie series tells a single, continuous story of Angel Crawford's personal growth, recovery, and survival, these books should not be read as standalones. Reading them out of order will result in major spoilers regarding character relationships, character deaths, and the evolution of the zombie conspiracy. There are no prequel novellas or spin-off series to worry about. Diana Rowland has written another highly popular urban fantasy series, the Kara Gillian series (starting with Mark of the Demon), but it takes place in an entirely different universe and does not cross over with Angel Crawford’s adventures.

Frequently Asked

Can you read the White Trash Zombie books as standalones?

No, the books follow a continuous story arc tracking Angel Crawford's personal growth and the unfolding corporate conspiracy. Reading them out of order will spoil major plot points.

Is there any crossover between the White Trash Zombie series and the Kara Gillian series?

No, although both series are written by Diana Rowland, they are set in separate universes with different mythologies and do not feature any crossovers.

What makes the science behind the zombies in this series unique?

Instead of magic or a simple virus, zombieism in this series is caused by a parasite that relies on misfolded prion proteins. Consuming human brains provides the necessary proteins to keep the host body functional and regenerating.

How many books are in the White Trash Zombie series?

There are six novels in the primary series, beginning with My Life as a White Trash Zombie (2011) and concluding with White Trash Zombie Unchained (2017).

Who narrates the White Trash Zombie audiobooks?

The entire audiobook series is narrated by Allison McLemore, whose performance of Angel's Southern accent received critical acclaim and an Audie Award nomination.

Does the author have a background in forensics or law enforcement?

Yes, Diana Rowland is a former street cop, detective, and morgue assistant, and she drew directly on these professional experiences to write the series' detailed coroner and forensics scenes.