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thewizardem's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol and Cursing
c_dmckinney's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I initially started reading this under the impression there would be actual, not just metaphorical zombies.
That said once I adjusted my expectations and approached it as a st ry about grief and loss and love I appreciated it considerably more. The emotions are raw and the poetry is very evocative. I expect it would have resonated with me much more strongly had I read it when I was a teenage girl going through my own angst and losses.
That said once I adjusted my expectations and approached it as a st ry about grief and loss and love I appreciated it considerably more. The emotions are raw and the poetry is very evocative. I expect it would have resonated with me much more strongly had I read it when I was a teenage girl going through my own angst and losses.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Abandonment, Body horror, and Death of parent
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Blood
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US is a story of grief and complicated relationships. Zharie’s mother died recently and unexpectedly, but in her final days Zharie perceived her as a zombie, an undead person with unintelligible speech and pieces of her sloughing off. Now, Zharie is living with her aunt when Bo, a boy around her age, moves into another apartment in the building. Since her mother's death she has been seeing many people as zombies, but is fascinated against her better judgment when Bo sometimes appears halfway as a zombie, rather than the full and permanent transformation that Zharie has come to expect.
Zharie has four main relationships with other people. There’s her mom, though she’s deceased when the story begins, and parts of their life are shown through memories of their time together. Zharie's connection to her mom (both past and present) is very driven by their mutual love of a dance style called West Coast Swing. They’re both Black and the competition space for this style of dance is overwhelmingly full of white people, to the point that often Zharie's mom was the only Black instructor in any space. Since her mother's death, Zharie has been practicing in her room rather than going back to the studio. This is both because of a lack of money and because being the Black person in the room serves as a visceral reminder of her loss. For those still among the living, there’s her aunt with whom she now lives, who is spending most of her time working long hours (I think in multiple jobs). Next is Luca, a boy from her school who at some point decided that they were going to be friends and hasn’t really take a no for an answer, so also Zharie doesn’t want to push him away completely. Generally, she’s conflicted and often annoyed by his presence. Finally there’s Bo, the new kid who moves into the apartment building, the boy, who is sometimes halfway a zombie, he finds her beautiful, and wants to hang out with her, gradually drawing her into his circle of friends. Bo tries to pull Zharie into his life at a pace that seems dizzying, asking her to different things, but often failing to explain the particulars of the event, in a way that makes her feel off kilter even before the undead encroach on her attempts to relax .The final major character who perhaps ought to have a relationship with Zharie but does not is her absentee father, generally referred to as the "sperm donor" by Zharie.
This is a very character-driven story, to the point that trying to explain any step after this basic setup, seems to me like it would spoil the plot in a way that I don’t want to accidentally do. Zharie is trying to work through her grief, to understand that shape and figure out what place if any, it’ll having her life.
Because it’s set in contemporary reality, most of the worldbuilding is in is related to what’s going on in Zharie's head, how she relates to the people in her life, and what dance means to her. She lives in the USA and her dad is in another state, but the worldbuilding is pretty sparse on what would often be more logistical details in a contemporary novel with a teen protagonist. It takes place as school lets out for the summer, and there's more conversations of where she attends than there are moments set there within the story.
Zharie uses Vincent van Gogh's life and paintings as a way to process the emotions she’s feeling and the strange things she’s seeing around her. No one else seems to notice the zombies, and in trying to understand herself Zharie keeps re-searching zombies, the undead, and the life of Vincent van Gogh. In addition to the zombies, Zharie sees intense colors, either layered upon or interwoven with the world. I’m not totally sure which they are, because that may be a distinction without a difference in this case.
The story maintains a tension in the question of whether what Zharie is seeing is real or if it’s a manifestation of some underlying mental illness that’s affecting the way she sees the world. The parallels drawn with van Gogh don’t specifically resolve this tension, because, as this book is shelved as fantasy/horror, the implication could be that in this version of reality, maybe he, too, was seeing something real. Honestly, if it weren’t for the very last line of the book, along with the explanations Zharie finally figures out for who looks like a zombie, this seems like it wouldn’t have to strictly be fantasy in order for the story to happen. I wondered if this was where the book was going to go, and then it did… and I guess it does fit the book. But it’s a cliché enough moment that it sent me back out of the story right as it was coming to an end. This also complicates my reaction to the book because of the way it’s entangling potential mental illness with a possible magical explanation, and the conclusion that there is some kind of reality or way in which she is perceiving something with a genuine and understandable cause outside of her own brain. This isn’t the first book I’ve read that’s leaned in to the difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality when there isn’t a meaningful way to check the perceptions in one’s one mind, but this particular resolution happens to not quite be in the direction I would’ve preferred.
Zharie has four main relationships with other people. There’s her mom, though she’s deceased when the story begins, and parts of their life are shown through memories of their time together. Zharie's connection to her mom (both past and present) is very driven by their mutual love of a dance style called West Coast Swing. They’re both Black and the competition space for this style of dance is overwhelmingly full of white people, to the point that often Zharie's mom was the only Black instructor in any space. Since her mother's death, Zharie has been practicing in her room rather than going back to the studio. This is both because of a lack of money and because being the Black person in the room serves as a visceral reminder of her loss. For those still among the living, there’s her aunt with whom she now lives, who is spending most of her time working long hours (I think in multiple jobs). Next is Luca, a boy from her school who at some point decided that they were going to be friends and hasn’t really take a no for an answer, so also Zharie doesn’t want to push him away completely. Generally, she’s conflicted and often annoyed by his presence. Finally there’s Bo, the new kid who moves into the apartment building, the boy, who is sometimes halfway a zombie, he finds her beautiful, and wants to hang out with her, gradually drawing her into his circle of friends. Bo tries to pull Zharie into his life at a pace that seems dizzying, asking her to different things, but often failing to explain the particulars of the event, in a way that makes her feel off kilter even before the undead encroach on her attempts to relax .The final major character who perhaps ought to have a relationship with Zharie but does not is her absentee father, generally referred to as the "sperm donor" by Zharie.
This is a very character-driven story, to the point that trying to explain any step after this basic setup, seems to me like it would spoil the plot in a way that I don’t want to accidentally do. Zharie is trying to work through her grief, to understand that shape and figure out what place if any, it’ll having her life.
Because it’s set in contemporary reality, most of the worldbuilding is in is related to what’s going on in Zharie's head, how she relates to the people in her life, and what dance means to her. She lives in the USA and her dad is in another state, but the worldbuilding is pretty sparse on what would often be more logistical details in a contemporary novel with a teen protagonist. It takes place as school lets out for the summer, and there's more conversations of where she attends than there are moments set there within the story.
Zharie uses Vincent van Gogh's life and paintings as a way to process the emotions she’s feeling and the strange things she’s seeing around her. No one else seems to notice the zombies, and in trying to understand herself Zharie keeps re-searching zombies, the undead, and the life of Vincent van Gogh. In addition to the zombies, Zharie sees intense colors, either layered upon or interwoven with the world. I’m not totally sure which they are, because that may be a distinction without a difference in this case.
The story maintains a tension in the question of whether what Zharie is seeing is real or if it’s a manifestation of some underlying mental illness that’s affecting the way she sees the world. The parallels drawn with van Gogh don’t specifically resolve this tension, because, as this book is shelved as fantasy/horror, the implication could be that in this version of reality, maybe he, too, was seeing something real. Honestly, if it weren’t for the very last line of the book, along with the explanations Zharie finally figures out for who looks like a zombie, this seems like it wouldn’t have to strictly be fantasy in order for the story to happen. I wondered if this was where the book was going to go, and then it did… and I guess it does fit the book. But it’s a cliché enough moment that it sent me back out of the story right as it was coming to an end. This also complicates my reaction to the book because of the way it’s entangling potential mental illness with a possible magical explanation, and the conclusion that there is some kind of reality or way in which she is perceiving something with a genuine and understandable cause outside of her own brain. This isn’t the first book I’ve read that’s leaned in to the difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality when there isn’t a meaningful way to check the perceptions in one’s one mind, but this particular resolution happens to not quite be in the direction I would’ve preferred.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gore, Death of parent, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Excrement
CW for mentions of anxiety, depression.ghostlyprince's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Classism and Drug use
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Zharie loves to dance—West Coast Swing, specifically, which she used to dance with her mom before she inexplicably turns into a zombie a few days before her untimely death. Nearly a year later, Zharie just wants to hide away, but she needs to find out the truth about what happened to her mom, and her skater boy neighbor is determined to get her out of her shell (and also, he might be a zombie?). Set in Kansas City, this sweet and surprising slow burn love story and exploration of grief reads like a Vincent van Gogh painting with a twist of horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, and Body horror
Minor: Infidelity and Vomit
booksbyabbi's review
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Mark your calendars people. August 9th. You need to get your hands on this book. It is claiming one of the spots for top books this year because it was STUNNING. I actually love fantasy or contemporary books with horror aspects and Lewis does it brilliantly with this one! Her take on zombies is heartbreaking, unique, and beautifully written and her command of prose is just gorgeous. She can be pulling you from a sweeping description of what it means to be human straight into the horrifying face of the undead.
The premise intrigued me because of this aspect, but I was pleasantly surprised with the romance between the main character Zharie and the boy who moves in downstairs, Bo. Their dynamic is hilarious and adorable and everything I’m sure we all dream about. One of my favourite little things about Zharie's character were all of her well-rounded interests. From West Coast Swing dancing to a fascination with Vincent van Gogh, she felt like a real person on the page (and someone I would totally be friends with). I really did appreciate the references to van Gogh through the book because he and his story are an inspiration to me personally and it was refreshing to see him represented by more than just a few cliche remarks about The Starry Night. All of her interests were so well researched and developed that it really just added to the depth of her character. In fact, all of Lewis’s characters are rich and make me want nothing more than to be sucked into the pages to join their friend group. Honestly, the characters are what make this such an addicting read as you can't help but be pulled in by their humour, compassion, and humanity.
No review would be complete without commenting on the ending. I had to read it six times just to make sure I was reading it right. It gives you this lovely bit of closure and peace and then completely flips everything around and you are left reeling. However, it still functions well as a standalone and I think it is just such a perfectly crafted ending. (but please britney do not take that as me saying i don’t need a sequel to move on. i’m begging you to write one)
Everything about this book is so captivatingly human. It is a tale of grief and uncertainty, love and loss. There are times when you don’t know what is going on, but that’s because Zharie doesn’t either. This book is her journey and we are forced to take it with her in all of its ups and downs, triumphs and losses, until the very end.
The premise intrigued me because of this aspect, but I was pleasantly surprised with the romance between the main character Zharie and the boy who moves in downstairs, Bo. Their dynamic is hilarious and adorable and everything I’m sure we all dream about. One of my favourite little things about Zharie's character were all of her well-rounded interests. From West Coast Swing dancing to a fascination with Vincent van Gogh, she felt like a real person on the page (and someone I would totally be friends with). I really did appreciate the references to van Gogh through the book because he and his story are an inspiration to me personally and it was refreshing to see him represented by more than just a few cliche remarks about The Starry Night. All of her interests were so well researched and developed that it really just added to the depth of her character. In fact, all of Lewis’s characters are rich and make me want nothing more than to be sucked into the pages to join their friend group. Honestly, the characters are what make this such an addicting read as you can't help but be pulled in by their humour, compassion, and humanity.
No review would be complete without commenting on the ending. I had to read it six times just to make sure I was reading it right. It gives you this lovely bit of closure and peace and then completely flips everything around and you are left reeling. However, it still functions well as a standalone and I think it is just such a perfectly crafted ending. (but please britney do not take that as me saying i don’t need a sequel to move on. i’m begging you to write one)
Everything about this book is so captivatingly human. It is a tale of grief and uncertainty, love and loss. There are times when you don’t know what is going on, but that’s because Zharie doesn’t either. This book is her journey and we are forced to take it with her in all of its ups and downs, triumphs and losses, until the very end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
debussy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautiful debut. The zombie magical realism pairs well with the themes of grief and love. Sketchy in places, but overall very well done and will look for this author in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
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