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merlioras's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Gore and Grief
marym2215's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
In a world ravaged by a deadly virus that reanimates the dead, seventeen-year-old Mara finds herself grappling with a second chance at “life” after being given medication that tempers the virus living inside her. Now an Altered, and therefore technically no longer a Tick, Mara is placed in an experimental resettlement program where she is sent to live with the family of her long-lost best friend Rory, who also happens to be the only girl she’s ever loved. Rory, whose nightmares are haunted not only by the virus and the undead but also the one shared kiss she had with Mara, is anything but happy when she finds out Altered Mara will be thrust back into her life. As the Island, their home and sanctuary from the Tick-infested mainland, faces internal strife and the threat of an outbreak, Mara and Rory must confront their shared history and rely on each other to navigate the dangers lurking in the shadows. With the little semblance of peace the Island has hanging in the balance, their bond becomes the key to survival in a world where love and loss intertwine amidst the ever-present threat of the undead.
Overall, I found this book to be very entertaining and enjoyable! While it was a little slow at the start, it was definitely difficult to put down once the plot really got going. I always love a book with duel point of view, and this one did not disappoint. Mara and Rory’s history is woven in well through flashbacks that provide the reader with a better understanding of why their relationship is the way it is in the present. Although, I did find Mara’s sister, Carter, and Rory’s anger towards Altered Mara a little much and unfair, considering I don’t think it is fair to blame Mara for what happened while she was under the virus’s control as a Tick. It would be understandable for them to be weary of Altered Mara, but to be so angry, each for their own reasons, seems unjustified. But besides that, I really enjoyed the characters, plot, and suspense that this book offered. Since it is a book centered around a life-altering virus turning people into the undead, make sure to check trigger warnings if you have certain situations to which you are sensitive. There is definitely a decent amount of gore, blood, and death, as well as some accounts of torture and child death. If you are ok reading about those types of events, then I would highly recommend this young adult book if you are looking for an adventurous and suspenseful story about love, loss, family, and finding oneself set against the backdrop of a world hanging on by a thread.
Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of Hearts Still Beating in return for my honest review.
Overall, I found this book to be very entertaining and enjoyable! While it was a little slow at the start, it was definitely difficult to put down once the plot really got going. I always love a book with duel point of view, and this one did not disappoint. Mara and Rory’s history is woven in well through flashbacks that provide the reader with a better understanding of why their relationship is the way it is in the present. Although, I did find Mara’s sister, Carter, and Rory’s anger towards Altered Mara a little much and unfair, considering I don’t think it is fair to blame Mara for what happened while she was under the virus’s control as a Tick. It would be understandable for them to be weary of Altered Mara, but to be so angry, each for their own reasons, seems unjustified. But besides that, I really enjoyed the characters, plot, and suspense that this book offered. Since it is a book centered around a life-altering virus turning people into the undead, make sure to check trigger warnings if you have certain situations to which you are sensitive. There is definitely a decent amount of gore, blood, and death, as well as some accounts of torture and child death. If you are ok reading about those types of events, then I would highly recommend this young adult book if you are looking for an adventurous and suspenseful story about love, loss, family, and finding oneself set against the backdrop of a world hanging on by a thread.
Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of Hearts Still Beating in return for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Medical trauma, Child death, and Medical content
booksdogsandcoffee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
4.0
My heart is beating for this Sapphic Last of Us meets Warm Bodies post apocalyptic story.
Archer nailed the tension between Rory and Mara, one of the altered and Rory’s previous best friend/crush before the world ended. All while exploring the human condition at the end of the world. How it molds and shapes both our selves and decisions. I quenched my thirst for the post apocalyptic stories I’ve been needing in my life right now.
Archer nailed the tension between Rory and Mara, one of the altered and Rory’s previous best friend/crush before the world ended. All while exploring the human condition at the end of the world. How it molds and shapes both our selves and decisions. I quenched my thirst for the post apocalyptic stories I’ve been needing in my life right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gaslighting and Torture
laurenabayne's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
We are living in a sapphic supernatural renaissance and I am LIVING (or un-living?) for it.
Before we get into the romance, let's talk about the epic world-building. In this post-apocalyptic world, a virus unleashed from Antarctica due to climate change has infected people. The Tick acts almost like the an implant in the brain - the hosts are helpless to the Tick's insatiable appetite and are kept alive just enough for the Tick to attack other humans. A new drug allows the Ticks to be subdued so the hosts can be semi-real people, and a new government program allows these Altered to be released into the custody of their kin. Not that everyone is happy about the people who costs the deaths of their loved ones! Enter a dictator keeping control of his island community, manipulation of the masses, and scapegoating of the Altered for all issues in society. This story is less about the apocalypse and more about taking down a dictator!
PHEW. This world is set up PERFECTLY. Archer never shies away from the gore or the tragedy in this world. It's grisly and heartbreaking at the same time. Our heroines are battered (Mara is missing fingers, Rory has a chronic leg injury), but what matters it that they are beautiful to each other.
And my goodness. The romance here gave me hope in the genre again. The angst? The second chance romance? The way that love conquers even a virus threatening to turn Mara back into a zombie? Perfection. In the world that doesn't have much hope, these two girls find each other and cling to one another. Even as Rory blames Mara for the destruction of her family. Even as Mara's Tick causes her to forget Rory's name. They support one another even when they can't explain why (spoiler: it's love!)
The book is dedicated to the girls who are angry, but this truly is a story of love and sapphic joy. There isn't room for homophobia in the post-apocalyptic world, and Mara and Rory get to revel in one another. I don't want to spoil too much but making out saves lives, y'all.
Five stars. And that's coming from a girl who is terrified of horror and would definitely not see this if it was made into a movie (side note: this should be made into a movie).
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Before we get into the romance, let's talk about the epic world-building. In this post-apocalyptic world, a virus unleashed from Antarctica due to climate change has infected people. The Tick acts almost like the an implant in the brain - the hosts are helpless to the Tick's insatiable appetite and are kept alive just enough for the Tick to attack other humans. A new drug allows the Ticks to be subdued so the hosts can be semi-real people, and a new government program allows these Altered to be released into the custody of their kin. Not that everyone is happy about the people who costs the deaths of their loved ones! Enter a dictator keeping control of his island community, manipulation of the masses, and scapegoating of the Altered for all issues in society. This story is less about the apocalypse and more about taking down a dictator!
PHEW. This world is set up PERFECTLY. Archer never shies away from the gore or the tragedy in this world. It's grisly and heartbreaking at the same time. Our heroines are battered (Mara is missing fingers, Rory has a chronic leg injury), but what matters it that they are beautiful to each other.
And my goodness. The romance here gave me hope in the genre again. The angst? The second chance romance? The way that love conquers even a virus threatening to turn Mara back into a zombie? Perfection. In the world that doesn't have much hope, these two girls find each other and cling to one another. Even as Rory blames Mara for the destruction of her family. Even as Mara's Tick causes her to forget Rory's name. They support one another even when they can't explain why (spoiler: it's love!)
The book is dedicated to the girls who are angry, but this truly is a story of love and sapphic joy. There isn't room for homophobia in the post-apocalyptic world, and Mara and Rory get to revel in one another. I don't want to spoil too much but making out saves lives, y'all.
Five stars. And that's coming from a girl who is terrified of horror and would definitely not see this if it was made into a movie (side note: this should be made into a movie).
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Child death
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5 stars thank you Penguin for this ARC
An incredibly engaging and often dark read, Hearts Still Beating is the sapphic fantasy romance I've been missing from my life.
It isn't easy living in a world ravaged by Ticks (think zombies), with small pockets of humanity struggling to survive. No true cure has been found, but a treatment allows some Ticks, such as Mara, to regain their humanity and not be animalistic killing machines. When Mara and some of the other "semi cured" Ticks are sent to live with humans, she is going to be living with her once best friend and love of her life, Rory. Rory isn't excited to see Mara, and instead threatens her life multiple times. (She has a sword and knows how to use it!) The apocalypse has changed everyone for better or worse, and soon it becomes clear the two will have to work together if they want to have at living.
The violence and gore were a surprise but I am 10000% on board with it! It lent such gruesome imagery, and fit right in with the world. It isn't all blood and guts, there is such an underlying layer of hope and perseverance that persists. Rory and Mara have a really tenuous and fraught relationship for a lot of the story. Mara represents everything that Rory regrets and tries not to think about, and seeing the love of your life return as a Tick is no small matter. We get to see POVs from Rory and Mara, which is always so essential in a romance. I liked getting a peek inside each of their heads, and see how they are interpreting what the other does and says. Rory and Maras' relationship takes time to develop, but the trust and love that grows is so sweet to read.
I really like the inclusion of disability rep, Rory is such a hardened character, but she never strayed from a fight. (In fact she spent a lot of her time instigating fights, and I love her so much for that!) I really like how it wasn't just glossed over and forgotten, nor was it magically healed in a way stories like to do with injuries.
Hearts Still Beating shows how its different characters cope and respond to their experiences trying to survive a world devastated by Ticks. Some have become hardened, and lash out with their anger, choosing to be mad at the world instead of drowning in grief. Others retreat into themselves, a shell of their former shells, seemingly content with being half present. And of course we have the lovely few people who instead are so conquered by fear that they latch onto any semblance of control they can retain. Take away their power and you'll soon discover just how far they'll go to hang onto it.
The cherry on top is the absolutely gorgeous cover, it captures the vibe of the book so well and I honestly just like looking at it. Designed by: Danielle Ceccolini Art by: Garrigosa Studio
The only real issue I have is because of the large cast of characters, some of them got lost in the shuffle. I had no emotional attachment to many of the side characters, and I didn't truly care if they lived or died. I also almost wish we got a bit more from Rory and Mara in terms of developing their relationship, and see them interact outside of stressful situations.
All that being said I still found Hearts Still Beating a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I found myself reading in the most inopportune places because "just one more page".
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of heart-wrenching sapphic romances with zombies! I look forward to reading whatever book Brooke Archer writes next!
An incredibly engaging and often dark read, Hearts Still Beating is the sapphic fantasy romance I've been missing from my life.
It isn't easy living in a world ravaged by Ticks (think zombies), with small pockets of humanity struggling to survive. No true cure has been found, but a treatment allows some Ticks, such as Mara, to regain their humanity and not be animalistic killing machines. When Mara and some of the other "semi cured" Ticks are sent to live with humans, she is going to be living with her once best friend and love of her life, Rory. Rory isn't excited to see Mara, and instead threatens her life multiple times. (She has a sword and knows how to use it!) The apocalypse has changed everyone for better or worse, and soon it becomes clear the two will have to work together if they want to have at living.
The violence and gore were a surprise but I am 10000% on board with it! It lent such gruesome imagery, and fit right in with the world. It isn't all blood and guts, there is such an underlying layer of hope and perseverance that persists. Rory and Mara have a really tenuous and fraught relationship for a lot of the story. Mara represents everything that Rory regrets and tries not to think about, and seeing the love of your life return as a Tick is no small matter. We get to see POVs from Rory and Mara, which is always so essential in a romance. I liked getting a peek inside each of their heads, and see how they are interpreting what the other does and says. Rory and Maras' relationship takes time to develop, but the trust and love that grows is so sweet to read.
I really like the inclusion of disability rep, Rory is such a hardened character, but she never strayed from a fight. (In fact she spent a lot of her time instigating fights, and I love her so much for that!) I really like how it wasn't just glossed over and forgotten, nor was it magically healed in a way stories like to do with injuries.
Hearts Still Beating shows how its different characters cope and respond to their experiences trying to survive a world devastated by Ticks. Some have become hardened, and lash out with their anger, choosing to be mad at the world instead of drowning in grief. Others retreat into themselves, a shell of their former shells, seemingly content with being half present. And of course we have the lovely few people who instead are so conquered by fear that they latch onto any semblance of control they can retain. Take away their power and you'll soon discover just how far they'll go to hang onto it.
The cherry on top is the absolutely gorgeous cover, it captures the vibe of the book so well and I honestly just like looking at it. Designed by: Danielle Ceccolini Art by: Garrigosa Studio
The only real issue I have is because of the large cast of characters, some of them got lost in the shuffle. I had no emotional attachment to many of the side characters, and I didn't truly care if they lived or died. I also almost wish we got a bit more from Rory and Mara in terms of developing their relationship, and see them interact outside of stressful situations.
All that being said I still found Hearts Still Beating a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I found myself reading in the most inopportune places because "just one more page".
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of heart-wrenching sapphic romances with zombies! I look forward to reading whatever book Brooke Archer writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent and Medical content
Minor: Child death and Torture
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