Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by zaonic
Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Zombies, Enemies to Lovers, Found Family, light sapphic romance, militant bad guys, this has it all.
This book is so much more than a silly YA. It explores themes of sexuality, themes of abandonment, chronic illness/disability, underground themes of racism/anti-Semitism, grief and loss.
On the surface it's a dual 1st person POV, in present tense, that follows two childhood friends 3 years post outbreak. One who has had to step up and become the parent to her family, the other who had recently woken up in a treatment facility after living as a zombie for a year.
Throughout the book you'll see flashbacks of each of their lives, adding context to the story.
I personally found the book a bit slow as it set up the scene, and that's a lot of scifi books I guess, but around 30% into the book things start to take off.
I literally clasped my hands over my mouth when I realized the underlying message halfway through, and I loved it, however I feel like it maybe lost the plot.
I felt like after thefire
The plot became somewhat predictable as we seeMallory Gordan freaking out over Sam's disappearance, at this point we are pretty darn sure Sam has gone to get Daphne and Thalia as it's been talked about Several times since the school incident .
The ending was pretty darn good if not a bit cheesy, but I don't think it made up for the predictableness of the chapters before it. Which is why I'm rating this 3.75 ⭐
Afaik this is this Author's debut novel. I'm interested to see what Brooke Archer does Next.
This book is so much more than a silly YA. It explores themes of sexuality, themes of abandonment, chronic illness/disability, underground themes of racism/anti-Semitism, grief and loss.
On the surface it's a dual 1st person POV, in present tense, that follows two childhood friends 3 years post outbreak. One who has had to step up and become the parent to her family, the other who had recently woken up in a treatment facility after living as a zombie for a year.
Throughout the book you'll see flashbacks of each of their lives, adding context to the story.
I personally found the book a bit slow as it set up the scene, and that's a lot of scifi books I guess, but around 30% into the book things start to take off.
I literally clasped my hands over my mouth when I realized the underlying message halfway through, and I loved it, however I feel like it maybe lost the plot.
I felt like after the
The plot became somewhat predictable as we see
The ending was pretty darn good if not a bit cheesy, but I don't think it made up for the predictableness of the chapters before it. Which is why I'm rating this 3.75 ⭐
Afaik this is this Author's debut novel. I'm interested to see what Brooke Archer does Next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail