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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4 stars. This was fascinating! A very good debut and I hope that the author does something else in this world. There’s a lot to work with here even if it doesn’t follow the same characters. Speaking of the characters they really had to grow on me, especially Rory (whew that girl was difficult to like) but by the end I was rooting for her and Mara. Their hostile relationship was intriguing and I thought both girls went through some really good character development. My only real complaint is the ending was a bit disappointing but that’s because I feel like an ending with a bit more grit would’ve worked better but that’s just me. Overall, this was very entertaining and unique. I’d recommend it for sure.
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
this is fine there’s just no substance to it and basically only serving as a device for a trope and nothing more like what is the plot even and god the end was cringe i can’t lol
3.5. I wasn't expecting the like "on the way to be cured" take. I thought it would be more like Warm Bodies, which I had an obsession with when I was younger. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would.
My complaints are typical with a YA book: a few cheesy lines and I get it — she's not short. I will say, however, that some of the cheesiness displayed in the first half didn't feel as intense because it almost felt as though you were simply reading from a teenagers perspective. That's how it is, you know, when you're young and in love. It is a bit dramatic, so knowing that made me give it a bit of leeway. I do still think that some dialogue was kind of annoying and at times, it felt like nothing was going on. That's what prevented it from getting a higher rating. That and, maybe an unpopular opinion,
I enjoyed the evolution of Mara and Rory's relationship. Seeing their history through backstory gave them more depth, which I appreciate. I do wish there was more of the Tick life though, but the parts we did see I thought were well done and gave enough to be satisfied.
Overall, a nice little story and definitely has me craving more Zombie media.
My complaints are typical with a YA book: a few cheesy lines and I get it — she's not short. I will say, however, that some of the cheesiness displayed in the first half didn't feel as intense because it almost felt as though you were simply reading from a teenagers perspective. That's how it is, you know, when you're young and in love. It is a bit dramatic, so knowing that made me give it a bit of leeway. I do still think that some dialogue was kind of annoying and at times, it felt like nothing was going on. That's what prevented it from getting a higher rating. That and, maybe an unpopular opinion,
Spoiler
I think it would have been more interesting if Rory died at the end? Is that just me?I enjoyed the evolution of Mara and Rory's relationship. Seeing their history through backstory gave them more depth, which I appreciate. I do wish there was more of the Tick life though, but the parts we did see I thought were well done and gave enough to be satisfied.
Overall, a nice little story and definitely has me craving more Zombie media.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
this book is a sapphic post-apocalyptic story perfect for fans of the last of us (source: me, a fan of this book and TLOU)! truly, hearts still beating did not disappoint!!
mara and rory are the EMBODIMENT of i-hate-you-but-i-love-you. their relationship and feelings for each other are so intense, they seem to leap off the page. after mara becomes infected, she's separated by her almost-more-than-best-friend rory, and by the time a cure is found, there's an irreparable rift between the two. rory can never the ticks for killing her little sister, and to her, mara is a tick— no more and no less. their relationship is full of swallowed feelings and barely-restrained resentment but they're still the couple who would carry the other out of a burning building.
similar to tlou, the infected (called ticks) have infiltrated all the cities. survivors band together in small camps they work together to keep safe. mara, now half-tick and half-human, is not really, truly alive. when mara moves to rory's camp for rehab, everyone living there makes it clear she's not welcome. between political tension and struggling to belong in a community that no longer claims her as human, mara and rory are only forced closer.
this book is bloody and impossible to put down. i loved and understood the characters. i loved seeing how circumstances altered the character's sense of self and decision-making. i also loved that Rory, an angry fighter who only wants to protect her remaining family, has a disability from a past injury. while she's fierce and doesn't know how to back down (much like ellie williams), her experience with pain isn't downplayed. this is by far the best post-apocalyptic book i've ever read!
thank you to penguin teen for a finished copy! all thoughts are my own <3
content warnings: violence, torture, confinement, death (including those of children, friends, and family members), gore, grief, emotional abandonment
mara and rory are the EMBODIMENT of i-hate-you-but-i-love-you. their relationship and feelings for each other are so intense, they seem to leap off the page. after mara becomes infected, she's separated by her almost-more-than-best-friend rory, and by the time a cure is found, there's an irreparable rift between the two. rory can never the ticks for killing her little sister, and to her, mara is a tick— no more and no less. their relationship is full of swallowed feelings and barely-restrained resentment but they're still the couple who would carry the other out of a burning building.
similar to tlou, the infected (called ticks) have infiltrated all the cities. survivors band together in small camps they work together to keep safe. mara, now half-tick and half-human, is not really, truly alive. when mara moves to rory's camp for rehab, everyone living there makes it clear she's not welcome. between political tension and struggling to belong in a community that no longer claims her as human, mara and rory are only forced closer.
this book is bloody and impossible to put down. i loved and understood the characters. i loved seeing how circumstances altered the character's sense of self and decision-making. i also loved that Rory, an angry fighter who only wants to protect her remaining family, has a disability from a past injury. while she's fierce and doesn't know how to back down (much like ellie williams), her experience with pain isn't downplayed. this is by far the best post-apocalyptic book i've ever read!
thank you to penguin teen for a finished copy! all thoughts are my own <3
content warnings: violence, torture, confinement, death (including those of children, friends, and family members), gore, grief, emotional abandonment
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought the concept of this story had a lot of potential, but I wasn't a big fan of the execution. I found a lot of it grating and monotonous, and found myself rolling my eyes a lot. The characters were a bit wishy-washy, and they would change motivations/reactions at the blink of the eye, totally out of character. Much of it was strange and it just didn't hit like I wanted it to hit. And that ending! So convenient!