_biblio_obscura_ 's review for:

Hearing Red by Nicole Maser
4.0
adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

4 stars 

<b> Basics </b> 

Author: she/her (USA)
 Genre: post-apocalyptic/dystopian 
 Setting: zombie apocalypse 
 Themes: survival, trust, love
 Vibes: tired, gritty, hopeful 

<b> Characters </b> 

+ Saff - MMA sharpshooter, has severe asthma & needs inhaler, was in med school before zombies, closed-off & jaded, uni soccer player 
 + Maddie - sight-impaired and uses a cane, great with people, snarky & naive & bubbly & kind 

<b> Quotes </b> 

<b> Pros </b>
 + being sight impaired during a zombie apocalypse. New fear unlocked. 
 + first time I've ever seen "petrichor" used 🌧 
 + romance tropes: grumpy x sunshine, slow-burn
 + Is this going to be the slow-burn f/f of my dreams? 
 + living for the jealousy, jealousyyyyyy 👌
 + "It was nice. A good day, even," said no one in a zombie apocalypse ever. If this isn't a death flag sentence, I don't know what is 💀 Sh*t is about to go DOWN 😬 

<b> Neutral </b>
 / A surprisingly small amount of actual zombie scenes for a zombie apocalypse book. 

<b> Cons </b> 
 - Saff is wildly overpowered & max skilled (MMA + med student/doctor + hunting skills + sharpshooting + uni athlete) while Maddie is severely underskilled (no survival skills + sight impaired). Feels like there should have been some more balance.
 - some descriptions in the sex scenes were not my cup of tea (for example, soaking wet folds, swaying, quivering 😬) 

<b> Comp Recs </b> 

+ Crisped & Sered duology - TJ Klune (m/m)
 + Monstrous series - Lily Mayne (m/m) 

<b> TW </b> 

zombies, blood, death, guns, knives, parental abandonment, parent death, pregnancy in dystopian setting, baby death, gunshot wounds, grenades, medical/hospital setting