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thebiasedbibliophile's reviews
665 reviews
Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
5.0
What’s better than a YA zombie apocalypse novel? How about a YA zombie apocalypse novel with a sapphic love story! I was so excited to read an early copy of Hearts Still Beating by debut author, Brooke Archer, and trust me, this is a story you don’t want to miss.
First off, the novel gives off major Warm Bodies vibes in the best way possible. I’d imagine that this story could take place several years after Warm Bodies, and I loved that aspect. In the novel, the world is a few years into the zombie apocalypse, and there is a cure…well, sort of. Some of the undead can be given a medication that allows them to regain their free will if taken regularly. I really enjoyed how Archer developed the world, both in the features that reflected the deterioration of society and those that showed an attempt to rebuild it.
Additionally, one of my favorite things about the story was the themes Archer explored. Not only does she explore humanity (which any author writing about the apocalypse should), she also explores themes of grief and blame in a unique and refreshing way. Many of the characters misplace blame and cope with immense grief, and I appreciated the way Archer showed how that changed the characters on a deeper level.
Furthermore, family was another wonderful theme in the story. I loved the way both Rory’s and Mara’s families are broken, and both characters deal with that in different ways. Mara’s past greatly impacts her relationship with her sister. Similarly, both Mara and Rory grieve for their parents, Mara in a more traditional sense, and Rory in a metaphorical one.
On a side note, I liked that Rory had adopted siblings. I adored the fact that she could see her mother in her adoptive brother’s mannerisms, and I often forgot that she wasn’t related to her brother and sister by blood. It was a nice twist on the found family trope, which ironically juxtaposed a theme of losing family too.
I loved both Rory’s and Mara’s characters. I thought Rory insisting on being called “Rory” instead of “Aurora” was a nice way to be more direct in showing how the zombie apocalypse changed her. And, the fact that Mara called her “Aurora” was symbolically pleasing.
Related to that, Mara is an Altered (a former zombie who takes medication to maintain her humanity). I thought her perspective was compelling, and I loved the way her character was contrasted with her sister, Carter, who in many ways lost more of her humanity than Mara did.
Finally, the love story was everything I could’ve asked for. At times, it was heartbreaking, but mostly it was a feel-good touch to an otherwise somber yet interesting story. The way Rory’s and Mara’s personalities clashed was perfect, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to their younger, more awkward selves.
As a whole, this novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys YA zombie apocalypse stories, and even if you don’t like stories about the zombie apocalypse, I still think there is a lot to love about it!
Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection by Madeline Dyer
“Sealights” by Emily Victoria was possibly my favorite story in the anthology. Again, I wasn’t entirely surprised because I’ve read some of Victoria’s other work, but I was impressed by the amount of emotion she elicited from me with such a short story. I loved the way the protagonist’s story went deeper than a love story without taking away from that love story. I still think about “Sealights” now, months after first reading it.
5.0
When I saw the cover of Being Ace, I immediately knew I wanted to read it, regardless of the genre. But when I realized it was an anthology of science fiction and fantasy stories, I was elated! And there were so many wonderful stories in this anthology, too. It’s a book that is greatly needed within the LGBTQIA+ community, and it simultaneously is a wonderful addition to the YA SFF genres.
As a whole, I absolutely loved the way the stories focus on love! I think so many people equate being ace or aromantic with not loving, and that’s a misconception that harms our community and allows people to think of aroace people as “less than human.” Oftentimes, I’ve found that aroace folks seem more than human in that they experience everything very deeply, so I was moved by these stories that show this side of being a-spec.
Additionally, I enjoyed nearly all of the stories, and I was blown away by a handful of them. “Across the Stars” by Akemi Dawn Bowman was an adorable scifi story that explored themes of loss and finding love in the midst of it. I was not surprised by how much I loved this story because Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman is one of my all-time favorite books. The way she combines grief with finding love and hope is beautiful.
“Give Up the Ghost” by Linsey Miller was the story that shocked me the most! I have to admit, I read Miller’s What We Devour, and I was not a big fan, but “Give Up the Ghost” literally brought me to tears and convinced me to add more of her books to my TBR list. The friendship in her story was beautiful, and I appreciated the way she incorporated and broke stereotypes about the ace community.
“Sealights” by Emily Victoria was possibly my favorite story in the anthology. Again, I wasn’t entirely surprised because I’ve read some of Victoria’s other work, but I was impressed by the amount of emotion she elicited from me with such a short story. I loved the way the protagonist’s story went deeper than a love story without taking away from that love story. I still think about “Sealights” now, months after first reading it.
“Moonspirited” by Anju Imura stuck out to me because it focused on the protagonist’s love for her sister. I adored the magic and whimsy in the story and the way Imura mixed it with darker themes. The originality was certainly memorable, too.
I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to like “The Third Star” by RoAnna Sylver, but it ended up being another one of my favorites. I can’t remember if Sylver explicitly stated whether the protagonist was neurodivergent, but they definitely came across as autistic, and I appreciated that representation. I also liked the polyamorous relationship in “The Third Star” and the way Slyver explored both the entire relationship and the protagonist’s individual relationship with each person in the relationship. The themes in this story really made it stand out as well.
“No Cure for Doubt” by Jas Brown was another phenomenal story! I loved the contrasting belief systems between the protagonist and the love interest, as well as the tragedy surrounding their story. This was another one that brought tears to my eyes. Similarly, I liked the theme of fighting corruption and how Brown tied being queer to being superhuman.
As a whole, this anthology really has something for everyone! I think it’s incredibly important that we have more stories that show a-spec people as human and as capable of loving. I really don’t have the words to say how much it means to have stories that depict a wide range of relationships as love, whether they’re platonic, romantic, familial, or something else entirely. It’s refreshing to see authors exploring the depths of what it means to be a-spec and how very human that makes us.