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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Uh okay, how do I begin?
1. The only Hispanic character is named Root? And has zero lines? Do I look like a set piece to you? Token POC is tiresome yt authors.
2. I’m sorry but if I lost my whole family and my brother came back from the dead, I would rejoice, not hold a gun to his head multiple times
3. They never thought to try the main solution to plagues as a vaccine? Yeah right.
4. Zombies coming back to humanity could’ve been much better explored but instead it’s a shallow rendition of “bad guy is bad”
5. “I’m not Aurora anymore, I’m Rory”
1. The only Hispanic character is named Root? And has zero lines? Do I look like a set piece to you? Token POC is tiresome yt authors.
2. I’m sorry but if I lost my whole family and my brother came back from the dead, I would rejoice, not hold a gun to his head multiple times
3. They never thought to try the main solution to plagues as a vaccine? Yeah right.
4. Zombies coming back to humanity could’ve been much better explored but instead it’s a shallow rendition of “bad guy is bad”
5. “I’m not Aurora anymore, I’m Rory”
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A mix between Disney's zombies and warm bodies. Ir was a fun YA Sapphic end of the world read and I enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
As far as zombie stories go, the hunt for a cure is usually the focal point of the story, and that is a tired approach, in my opinion. Hearts Still Beating took an entirely different approach, which I loved! In this novel, a select few zombies (called Ticks or the Affected) have been given an experimental treatment in which they have an injection everyday that suppresses the virus so they remain in control of themselves. A select few Ticks in treatment are deemed worthy to be reintroduced to society, and obviously, the non-infected folks have big opinions about that.
The story alternates between two girls: Mara, a Tick in treatment reintroduced to society, and Rory, a non-infected girl very unhappy about the Ticks reintroduction to society. The catch is that these two had a history before the apocalypse started, so they're trying to deal with lingering feelings while navigating the complexities of the fallen world.
Both characters are very well developed, and I adored the way their story unfolded. While the reveal of the big bad villain was not a surprise, this story still kept me entertained and rooting for Mara and Rory the whole time, even when things got super iffy. I also thought the world-building was well done and explained well. From the way the virus functioned, to how the RPA and alliance between communities worked. Such an enjoyable read, and one that should be considered a fantastic and unique addition to the post-apocalyptic zombie genre.
Publication date: April 2, 2024.
As far as zombie stories go, the hunt for a cure is usually the focal point of the story, and that is a tired approach, in my opinion. Hearts Still Beating took an entirely different approach, which I loved! In this novel, a select few zombies (called Ticks or the Affected) have been given an experimental treatment in which they have an injection everyday that suppresses the virus so they remain in control of themselves. A select few Ticks in treatment are deemed worthy to be reintroduced to society, and obviously, the non-infected folks have big opinions about that.
The story alternates between two girls: Mara, a Tick in treatment reintroduced to society, and Rory, a non-infected girl very unhappy about the Ticks reintroduction to society. The catch is that these two had a history before the apocalypse started, so they're trying to deal with lingering feelings while navigating the complexities of the fallen world.
Both characters are very well developed, and I adored the way their story unfolded. While the reveal of the big bad villain was not a surprise, this story still kept me entertained and rooting for Mara and Rory the whole time, even when things got super iffy. I also thought the world-building was well done and explained well. From the way the virus functioned, to how the RPA and alliance between communities worked. Such an enjoyable read, and one that should be considered a fantastic and unique addition to the post-apocalyptic zombie genre.
Publication date: April 2, 2024.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
dark
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved it. Higly recommand it. I just couldn't but this book down even though I was afraid about what would come next.
Will definitively give a try to other books by the same author
Will definitively give a try to other books by the same author
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an eARC of Hearts Still Beating!
This book was absolutely incredible. I’m still in awe that it’s a debut! I absolutely could not put it down and I read it in one sitting. This was a thrilling sapphic monster romance that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and had me NEEDING to know what happened next. I had so much fun reading it!
This book was absolutely incredible. I’m still in awe that it’s a debut! I absolutely could not put it down and I read it in one sitting. This was a thrilling sapphic monster romance that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and had me NEEDING to know what happened next. I had so much fun reading it!