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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Nothing like a love story during the apocalypse. I loved the duel perspectives and how late in the apocalypse we currently are. I wish we could have gotten to know the other treated ticks other than Mara but I really enjoyed the diverse ways the apocalypse affected each person shown.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
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, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Torture, Gaslighting
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
In a post-apocalyptic world, two teen girls in love were separated when one of them was infected with a virus that turned her into a vicious monster. As time passes, a cure is finally invented and they are reunited, but nothing’s the same…
Hearts Still Beating is an absolutely brilliant debut novel and a new favorite of mine. I mean, it’s a zombie apocalypse lesbian romance…enough said.
The post-apocalyptic world, with the complex mess society was left in, provided a very intriguing backdrop for the main characters that I really enjoyed. It added so much adventure, high stakes, mystery, and danger to the plot that kept me invested from the first chapter. I also really enjoyed seeing both outcomes of the apocalypse through the characters perspectives: Mara with her inner turmoil after being controlled by a literal parasite, versus, Aurora’s wariness and fierce anger at the world for taking her loved ones away.
There was also SO much angst between Mara and Aurora and I loved it. First off, they’re both badasses and I’m obsessed with them. Secondly, their romance was so sweet. The mix of tension, longing, and protectiveness between them was perfect and all the “touch her and you die” moments had me screaming. Overall, watching them evolve, from hating each other to falling in love again, was genuinely amazing.
I honestly could’ve read a whole trilogy of this. An immediate 5 stars!!!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an HONEST review!
Hearts Still Beating is an absolutely brilliant debut novel and a new favorite of mine. I mean, it’s a zombie apocalypse lesbian romance…enough said.
The post-apocalyptic world, with the complex mess society was left in, provided a very intriguing backdrop for the main characters that I really enjoyed. It added so much adventure, high stakes, mystery, and danger to the plot that kept me invested from the first chapter. I also really enjoyed seeing both outcomes of the apocalypse through the characters perspectives: Mara with her inner turmoil after being controlled by a literal parasite, versus, Aurora’s wariness and fierce anger at the world for taking her loved ones away.
There was also SO much angst between Mara and Aurora and I loved it. First off, they’re both badasses and I’m obsessed with them. Secondly, their romance was so sweet. The mix of tension, longing, and protectiveness between them was perfect and all the “touch her and you die” moments had me screaming. Overall, watching them evolve, from hating each other to falling in love again, was genuinely amazing.
I honestly could’ve read a whole trilogy of this. An immediate 5 stars!!!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an HONEST review!
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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: Body horror, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!
Have you been missing that feeling that Warm Bodies gave you? Have you been wanting an apocalyptic romance that will rock your world with the perfect combination of angst and fluff to keep you needing more like you need your next breath? Have you been searching for a sapphic love with a side of disability representation and self love and acceptance to boot? Look no further!
This book was everything I wanted and so much more! It gives such angst and longing which is perfect for the setting of a zombie apocalypse gone wrong (if it could ever have gone right?). I adored the dual POV and the way both girls are so relatable in such different ways. At the end of the day, they're both learning to accept themselves and figure out exactly who they want to be in a world that's gone upside down.
My only issue was partly with the disability rep. Rory has impaired mobility and chronic pain from an injury she got in the apocalypse, but she seems to just "push through" it a lot. It doesn't seem to be intentionally written with toxic positivity as the goal, but rather it seems to be trying to show her strength. But the rate at which she just pushes past the pain rather than modifying situations or letting herself rest was a bit of a red flag for me.
All in all, I absolutely adored this book and the sweet love story that bursts through the fear and gore of zombies. Get your hands on this book, you won't regret it!
Have you been missing that feeling that Warm Bodies gave you? Have you been wanting an apocalyptic romance that will rock your world with the perfect combination of angst and fluff to keep you needing more like you need your next breath? Have you been searching for a sapphic love with a side of disability representation and self love and acceptance to boot? Look no further!
This book was everything I wanted and so much more! It gives such angst and longing which is perfect for the setting of a zombie apocalypse gone wrong (if it could ever have gone right?). I adored the dual POV and the way both girls are so relatable in such different ways. At the end of the day, they're both learning to accept themselves and figure out exactly who they want to be in a world that's gone upside down.
My only issue was partly with the disability rep. Rory has impaired mobility and chronic pain from an injury she got in the apocalypse, but she seems to just "push through" it a lot. It doesn't seem to be intentionally written with toxic positivity as the goal, but rather it seems to be trying to show her strength. But the rate at which she just pushes past the pain rather than modifying situations or letting herself rest was a bit of a red flag for me.
All in all, I absolutely adored this book and the sweet love story that bursts through the fear and gore of zombies. Get your hands on this book, you won't regret it!
Haven't read a good distopian romance in a while and I forgot how much I enjoy it. This one is a great 5-star read for me.
I genuinely liked Mara and Rory and their development. Also quite happy we got a happy ending, which is not a given in this genre.
Overall I truly enjoyed the story and the characters and would definitely read a sequel or something different by the author.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I genuinely liked Mara and Rory and their development. Also quite happy we got a happy ending, which is not a given in this genre.
Overall I truly enjoyed the story and the characters and would definitely read a sequel or something different by the author.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.