In TUToU, Lewis has truly crafted a new genre of horror. This novel's mood and tone are reminiscent of the emotionalism and confessional interior of Sylvia Plath and Kate Chopin. But while this narrative is carried by Zharie's grief, it never overwhelms in such a way that the prose becomes too metaphorical for its target audience. John Green is the stylistic comp for this book and the similarities in prose are as clear as the book's underlying themes of brokenness, love, and closure. The main character's emotions are described deftly but also in an engaging manner that captures the raw vulnerability of one's teenage years. TUToS is an angsty, thrilling, wondrous contemporary cerbral horror that will leave readers thinking long beyond THE END.

This book covered a lot more territory than I expected. I thought it would be a simple zombie fighting plot, but was drawn in by the themes of grief and friendship. I lost a loved one earlier this year, and it has been heart to read anything that tackles loss. But The Undead Truth of Us explores loss through the lens of a charming, witty, and resilient main character.

Lewis has a strong narrative voice and comforting cadence. The frequent pop culture references are a little jarring… I was not expecting The Used lyrics 2% in, but the help make the story quirky and fun to read. I look forward to reading what Lewis does next.

2.5 stars

This book is okay, but not particularly great. I think I probably had high hopes for it, so I feel extra disappointed with how unmoved I was in the end. It has a mix of scary / horror elements, as well as sad / emotional parts, and yet I didn’t react to any of these. I cry super easily, and I read horror books in the right environment to make the fear element that much more effective. But even with all that, the story just felt lackluster.

First, the good: the parts where the MC is thinking about her mom and grieving her death are super touching and heartbreaking. The passages were just so raw, and you really felt devastated for the MC. I loved the relationship she had with her mother, who I think is one of the best characters in the book, so it made it that much more sentimental to read through the memories and the character’s grief.

However, I think this part of the book was by the far the most interesting. The zombie parts just really weren’t all that scary; they didn’t do much for me. From early on, I was pretty much convinced that I knew what the metaphor was and what the zombies represented. It made complete sense in my mind for about 90% of the book, and I thought it was depicted in a way that was clear without it being laid out word per word in the narration. But then I got near the end of the novel and the MC just explicitly explains why she sees zombies, and it confused the hell out of me. I was so off. I’m barely even sure I understood the message of the book at this point.

The MC and love interest were cute, but I can’t say they’re one of my favourite book couples out there. I usually get giddy and giggly when characters flirt in a book; I’m easily swayed. But this time I just didn’t really care if they ever got together or not. I think the love interest was kind of mediocre. He cracks jokes every once in a while, and he’s very forward about the fact that he’s flirting. But a lot of the relationship felt cliché and I wasn’t too interested in their conversations. I get that they’re teenagers and I have to be realistic, but some of their interactions felt so fake-deep it was just hard to really develop a connection to them, either as individuals or as a couple.

Also, I just don’t think I liked any of the characters other than the mother. The MC was a bit frustrating, but it does make a certain amount of sense: she’s a teenager who has just lost her mother, so she’s not exactly in the best headspace. But then, a lot of the friends she makes are either annoying or underdeveloped as characters. As I mentioned above, I didn’t really care for the love interest. I also found the aunt to be a little immature considering that she’s a whole adult. I get that she’s also grieving her sister’s death, but she takes it out on her young, teenage niece and she has so little self-awareness that the kid has to spell it out for her at the end. Which leads to another issue I have with the story: there were these huge problems that lasted for multiple chapters or even most of the book, and they ended up getting resolved by one simple conversation that lasted about a page, if that. At that point, everything is smoothed over as if the argument had never even happened in the first place.

I get that book characters don’t always have to be likeable, but it made the story kind of frustrating to get through. The only other character I really liked was the MC’s close long-distance friend, but her appearances were short and far in between, so it wasn’t enough to make it up for me.

Overall, I had a hard time getting through this book. I pushed on because I knew it had potential and I was hoping for a super redeeming ending, but if anything, it was even more disappointing than the rest of the story. I don’t think it’s a bad book necessarily, it’s just not that invigorating.

Positives:
Gruesome description of zombie stuff is well done
Moments of MC confronting grief are very well done
The romance is cute

Neutral-Negative
Some clunky pacing/syntax which I assume will be caught on those last edits before publication
The last lines didn’t do it for me

Overall a good choice for a reader of YA looking for a romance with a sprinkling of people turning into (non/lethal) zombies.

I learned of this book from the author on TikTok. This book is beautifullly written. Somehow I missed that there would be zombies. While I'm not a huge fan of this particular trope, I was drawn in by Zharie's poignant journey through grief, and the world around her. I will admit, I guessed where the story was going early on, however, I still enjoyed the journey.

This book is a young adult, contemporary novel about a teenage girl who sees zombies after the unexpected death of her mother. She spends the length of the novel trying to figure out if the zombies are real and why she is the only one who sees them. Along her journey she meets a teenage boy who helps her see the joy in living her life instead of being consumed by her grief. This book was enjoyable and heart-warming (and at times tear-inducing). I loved the character development of the MC and her struggle through her grief. The only thing I did not like about this book was that I felt the only truly descriptive parts of the book were when the MC was having a vivid dream, which happens frequently. However, the dreams had almost nothing to do with the actual plot, but the descriptions were very long and drawn out. I am not the target audience for this book as an adult woman, but I do highly recommend this for pre-teens and teens or anyone who really loves young adult novels!

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’d put my rating at 3.5. I adored that concept of a YA horror with a black female protagonist and a possible zombie love interest. However, if you’re looking for actual zombies, this is probably not the book for you.

What you’ll find instead is a young woman grappling with the grief of losing her mother unexpectedly and subsequently noticing the ways other people hold their own harm in a poetic way. We all move forward from our trauma in different ways, and The Undead Truth of Us depicts that hurt metaphorically by way of zombie and horror imagery.

While some of the language gets a bit too flowery (no pun intended), the pacing gets a little muddled (perhaps the book would benefit from another developmental pass to give more room to the side characters and eliminate exposition that goes nowhere), and the novel leaves me wanting a story that delivers on the concept - literally - Britney S. Lewis boosts a compelling protagonist with Z, who is a character I wish I had when I was that age. She’s messy and complex, a bit of a recluse due to her circumstances, but hasn’t completely written off hope and love.

Overall, it’s a solid debut for an author I’d like to see more from.

I received an ARC for my honest review. This book felt really nostalgic to me. Especially with all the John Green references which was my favorite author when I was this age. I loved how relatable all the characters felt and I thought the storyline was so creative and interesting. Definitely recommend!

4 Stars

I received an ARC of The Undead Truth of Us earlier this year and decided to pick it up late in June. I'm so glad that I did because I had such a wonderful time reading this story. It was an absolutely beautiful story taking a deep dive into the complex emotions of love and grief. The Undead Truth of Us is unlike any other story I've read and by using surrealism it creates an emotional story that will sure to capture readers' heartstrings. (4 Stars)

A brilliant debut! Zharie is a gifted high school student grieving her mother. Being her head while reading this was lovely. Moments are written in all of the senses, without quite taking an atmospheric approach. Instead, with touches of accessible surrealism, the reader is brought further in her body- almost retreating into her. I particularly loved how well rounded and complex she was. She felt like a real person.

In her grief, Zharie begins seeing zombies in her day to day life. She sees this frightening world through the art and colors of Vincent Van Gogh, and struggles to distinguish what’s real. While she is seeing zombies, she meets a cute boy, tries to make this new life work with her late mother’s sister, and tries find who she is in the wake of her life being upheaved.

My younger self would have loved this, but as an adult reader some of it was wasted on me. I worry that the specific pop culture details will date it, but I hope it can build a world of nostalgia instead. I didn’t care for Bo, he really felt like a manic pixie dream boy in the beginning and I struggled to get past that in their interactions. I really just wanted Zharie to make a new friend, or reconnect with an older one. I hated that a boy was what she thought was bringing her back to life.

Overall, a wonderful debut and I’m looking forward to what’s next from Britney S. Lewis.

Lewis through me, a lifelong reader of many genres, through a fricken loop. I could not solve this unsettling mystery Zharie finds thrust upon her until just a few pages before she admitted it to herself. I am a very intuitive reader, and yet Lewis kept me on my toes. This is such a compelling zombie book, romance, self-discovery journey. Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an early read in exchange for my honest review.

i really liked the concept of this book. the cover art is absolutely gorgeous and i found myself growing really fond of our main characters and being a dancer, i loved the dancing aspect.

This book is allllll vibes. Sad girl summer vibes.

It's not a horror - it's a contemporary and almost a hard-hitting contemporary at that. But it's stunning. Yes there are zombies, but as the author herself says "not in the way you think" but it's a way that did work for me. At the end of the day this is a story about grief and forgiveness.

I too have struggled with zombies when my mental health was not well, though at a much younger age, and in dreams, but the use of zombies as coping mechanism really resonated with me.

This book is heavily character driven in a way that YA usually isn't, but I think that's part of what makes the book so special. I did felt like it dragged a bit in the middle because of it, but the moments where I felt it dragged came back to be important so by the end of the book I wasn't too frustrated with it.

This book is ethereal and beautiful and I hope the teens who need it find it.

I do not know what I expected this book to be, but it was more than I could have ever comprehended it to be. And yep it may have gotten me misty-eyed more than once! The Undead Truth of Us is an amazing story of love, grief, and forgiveness all wrapped in a package never seen and it is well worth the price of admission and then some. Z was everything. Perfectly imperfect. Cheers to Britney S. Lewis for writing a GREAT Zombie story.

The Undead Truth of Us by Britney S. Lewis is one of the most unique young adult, coming of age novels I’ve ever read. This book tackles the heart-wrenching grief of losing a parent combined with an amazing teenage romance story that’s also simultaneously part horror with regular appearances of zombies. If you like any of those genres or just absolutely brilliant & beautiful storytelling that has vivid & colorful imagery, I would highly recommend reading The Undead Truth of Us!
The horror part of this novel has such terrifyingly graphic depictions that basically leap off of the page along with the amazing story that I can easily see this being turned into a movie or TV show. The artistry, the lyrical intelligence & the layered symbolic prose cannot be overstated. The author writes in a way that the story flows like an artist painting a beautiful work of art.
This book deals with the loss of a parent & vividly intertwines the main character’s grief so pungently through the story that my heart felt genuine ache at her loss. Anytime an author can elicit such strong emotions from a reader I feel like it is a testament to the author’s talent & superb writing.
I absolutely loved the fact that both the main character & her mother were avid dancers & lovers of West Coast Swing! I’ve never read a book before that had this genre of dance, so I found it epically cool that it’s so unique. The romantic interest was also a skateboarder, which is another underutilized hobby in literature that I have profound respect for. This is an author that is fantastically innovative & just makes sublime choices all around that will make you remember her work.
I don’t say this often mostly because I have ADHD & struggle with my attention span but I wanted this book to be longer. The ending felt a little rushed to me. I think this book has a thought-provoking ending with an openness for the reader’s creativity to brainstorm or what I hope is the author’s opportunity to write more. Either way, this is definitely an author to watch out for & one I will happily read anything they write.
The Undead Truth of Us comes out August 9, 2022!

Massive thanks to the author Britney S, Lewis, NetGalley & Disney+Hyperion for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains death of a parent/sister & gore including graphic depictions of zombies.

I will post to my social media as it gets closer to release date & add links once I do.

The Undead Truth of Us is a mesmerizing combination of art, emotion, and craft. It weaves beautiful, surreal, sometimes horrifying imagery throughout the story flawlessly while digging into some hefty character arcs. The characters and world are rich and unique, and all have their own charm that will make you fall in love with them. Though this is Lewis’ debut novel, she demonstrates a prowess with words that I don’t doubt is only the start to a lucrative career. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes horror, YA, romance, art, or even just a really beautifully told story.

Very interesting story! The format was very unexpected but it will be appealing to the younger audience it is meant for! I enjoyed the themes that were laid out and how the younger audience will be able to relate. Very nice debut novel!

This story was so much more than what it appears. It hides grief and mental illness and anxiety within its pages.

The Undead Truth of Us follows Zharie as she copes with the unexpected death of her mother, suddenly moving in with her aunt, and seeing zombies everywhere she goes.

It's only with the help of a half-zombie boy that she can fully find acceptance and grow.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a bit to get into the character voice but it really pulled through for me. I enjoy how the author weaved the storylines together and compared Van Gogh, especially in the ending.

*More of a 3.5***


I struggled finding a rating for this book because so much of my experience was based on what I thought the book was going to be about vs what it actually was. I expected far more of a supernatural/ya horror sort/post apocalyptic vibe and that was not what this was I don’t know why I had that assumption, looking back I couldn’t find any markerting that promised that, but that was my headspace. I spent so much time waiting for some big reveal about zombies or about the world itself that I think a lot of the story was lost on me.

What this was was a good YA story about a young dancer processing the loss of her mother, adjusting to living with her aunt and a budding new relationship. Zhaire is a likable enough character and I appreciated that we as they reader were able to see her strengths and flaws, though I don’t know if there was anything that really stood out to me about her. I’m not sure how memorable she will be the longer I’m away from her story. Her love interest Bo is similar in this way. The supporting cast of friend characters were different enough to keep their sections of the story interesting though I really felt like there were more of them than necessary.

I wonder if I am just not the target audience for this book. I wonder if I had read this at 16 if I would have enjoyed it more and felt more of an emotional weight. I did think that Lewis did a good job of capturing the emotions around the unique experience of losing a parent and finding out more about them after their death. All in all, I think this was a solid story, if maybe a little long, but it just failed to leave a lasting impact on me.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56651317

There are many reasons why Britney S. Lewis’ debut is worth your time, but there are a few as to why it falls flat. This is a vivid exploration into how sudden & unexpected grief manifests for young people. As someone who was in a similar situation to our protagonist at a young age, I connected to her experience of trying to understand & make sense of her mothers death. The striking visual horror is a highlight of the novel, feeling both atmospheric & consuming. It seemed to trip up on itself though, with too much going on & relying on too much visual symbolism that loses impact the more it is flipped between. I appreciate the effort with the prose & that symbolism itself but it did feel overly flowery at times. The love was sweet & compelling, which sat nicely alongside the tender friendships formed. I think younger readers would really enjoy this book & possibly find some solace in it!