This sadly is just another YA. It did not grab my attention, the story is nothing to write home about, and the characters are two dimensional. I was not invested in the relationship or outcome of the story. I do not recommend this for library purchase.

Zombies. Post apocalyptic gore. Sapphic romance. I would read a grocery list written by an author who managed to meld all those tropes together successfully. Brooke Archer definitely achieved that in Hearts Still Beating.

Listen. I had to stop watching The Walking Dead two episodes into the first season because it gave me bad dreams. I went into this book almost expecting to DNF this because I got spooked, but the writing saved it. It forces the reader to suspend disbelief ask themselves what they would do in the same kind situation which is ultimately very uncomfortable.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars. My thank to NetGalley for the eARC.

What would you do if the person you loved had become a murder when the world fell apart just to come back into your life as a rehabilitated zombie?

This was a great zombie end of the world as we know story. I enjoyed all the twists that happen as Maria and Rory work through their complicated relationship in a world that is trying to start over.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I received an ARC from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mara and Rory were best friends with deeper feelings when the world as they knew it ended. Now Mara has to learn how to be human again and live with what happened while she was a Tick. After Mara is turned from being a Tick, she’s sent to Rory’s to try to acclimate to things. Rory, who has survived without being turned, has had a tough time and is trying to survive their new normal. She hates the Ticks is unhappy that Mara will be joining her family.

No one is more surprised than me that I loved this book. Zombie, dystopian books really aren’t my jam but I’m glad I decided to give this one a go. I literally couldn’t put it down.

This was dark, intense, and emotional and had me stressed out at certain points. But I loved it. I liked the world building since most cities have fallen and only a small portion of the population remains. It was interesting to see how different factions are trying to regroup and live this post zombie reality.

It was also interesting to see how the apocalypse has changed people. A lot of people changed in ways you might not have imagined and I liked that Archer shows us how it shaped them. Especially how Rory and her mom basically switched roles.

I do wish we had gotten more of Mara and Rory together outside of high action scenes. I really liked their dynamic (the tension!!) but it felt like all of their scenes together had so much going on and I would’ve loved to see them once they got to settle a little. I’d love to see maybe a sequel to show life after the ending of this.

My only issues were there were a couple of instances where it would start to drag a little. I also needed more on Mara’s relationship with her sister, Carter. Carter plays a big role but she’s hardly ever seen and I wanted more out of those two.

A note to the publisher: My arc copy had several editing issues. The biggest issue was if there was a “fi” or “if” combination those letters would be missing so the fix would like x and the word first be rst.

Hearts Still Beating is an interesting and beautiful story about love and forgiveness in the face of the apocalypse.

My complaints are minimal: there were some parts where the pacing was too slow, and the word “lips” is way overused. It’s all worth it, though.

Overall the pacing is wonderful. There are so many mysteries in this new world, and they all are solved in their own perfect timing. The characters and relationships are powerful. This is a beautiful story I’d love to share with my kids in the future.

Archer is a brilliant writer with a lot of talent, and I can’t wait to see what else she does.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Summary

This is a post-apocalyptic YA novel told from the perspective of Mara, a seventeen year old who had been turned into a Tick (basically a zombie) and has been cured and from the perspective of Rory, a seventeen year old who has somehow survived the apocalypse and is dealing with the politics of human survival. This book has horror elements, political intrigue, and two teens who used to be best friends who have to reckon with the horrors they have experienced and committed while trying to survive.

Review

Forgiveness is a big theme in this book. Rory has become a shell of herself just to make it through. She lost family members and harbors resentment towards her mom who she believes failed her family. Mara is trying to learn how to be almost-human and she has to learn how to forgive herself for all the people she killed while the Tick disease took over her brain. And the two girls also have to forgive each other for something that happened before the world ended.

I like the way Archer portrayed the humans setting up different camps with different ideas about how to run them. It was realistic that not everyone would do things the same way and that there would be conflict there.

Sometimes I felt like the story dragged its feet, so I’m rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The premise—a sapphic love story with a rehabilitated zombie—was fantastic, and I loved Mara, who was well-written and emotionally compelling. However, I wasn’t as fond of Rory; her actions and the lack of chemistry between them were drawbacks. The childhood best friends-to-second chance romance didn’t fully work for me.

That said, I appreciated the themes, like humanity being the true monsters in a world of zombies, and the unique take on zombies (or Ticks) was intriguing. Despite some issues, if you’re into sapphic zombie stories, this one is worth a read.

I saw that Hearts Still Bleeding was a sapphic, zombie book and I knew I needed it…and it delivered! Man oh man did it deliver. It was a bit of a slow start but I just loved the characters and premise.

*Hearts Still Beating* by Brooke Archer is a deeply emotional tale of love, loss, and the enduring strength of the human heart. Archer's poignant storytelling and vivid characters create a gripping narrative that resonates with raw, heartfelt intensity.

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer is an enthralling YA romantasy that seamlessly blends gripping storytelling with innovative world-building. The dual POV narrative offers readers an immersive look into the lives of two protagonists navigating a captivating dystopian universe. Archer’s creative twist on the zombie genre breathes new life into the familiar, making the world both exciting and unpredictable. The secondary characters are richly developed, adding depth and authenticity to the main sapphic romance. This book is a standout for its originality and emotional engagement, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

I really like this version of the zombie apocalypse! It differed from others in the way it portrayed both zombie and human. How there seems to be some sort of cure for the infection, but at the same time it's not entirely clear if it really is, if the cured zombies can really be trusted. And if the cured can be trusted, can the people around them be trusted with all their fear and anger towards the infected?

I also liked the development of the main characters and how they were forced together after their time apart and how they dealt with it despite the reluctance of one and the guilt of the other.

This is one of the best zombie books I've read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💗YA Romance
💀Sapphic
💗Zombies
💀Dystopian / Post Apocalyptic
💗 Enemies to Lovers
💀Dual POV

The way you see the world and the characters change between the timelines was so well written. There’s many different character dynamics going on in this book. I loved it. I love how the author was able to create a character, show how this character was before the world was changed, and then show how they are now and they’re completely different now.
For example,the FMC Rory, the dynamic between her mother and her has flipped completely since the apocalypse. Before her mother was the one that was the guardian the protector and now Rory is the one leading and protecting the family.
Piecing together what happened between the family to cause this change was heartbreaking.
2nd FMC Mara enters the story and you can see and feel all the hate.
Rory and Mara were best friends and secretly crushed on each other prior to the world “ending”. What changed this? Mara was bitten and turned into a tick (zombie). After undergoing a year of research experiments and confinement, scientists have come up with a way to keep the tick locked up inside the host. Basically making Mara a zombie that can still think and act as a human with all her personality and memories intact.
Mara is released into Rory’s family care as part of a rehabilitation/rehoming program. The problem, Rory hates Mara now. There are also leaders in their community that are highly against the program and want to eliminate Mara and the altered ones like her.

Loved this book so much I want physical copy! Highly recommend.

Cute overall story in the sense that I loved the zombies and the romance subplot. It kept my attention but sometimes fell a little flat. Cant see myself rereading but could see myself recommending to those who enjoy a post apocalypse style story.

I loved the way this book utilized the "zombie-like" outbreak trope and made it unique. The love our main characters had for each other was palpable. It was well paced and kept me stressed till the epilogue. Overall, this was a great time.

4.5 stars thank you Penguin for this ARC
An incredibly engaging and often dark read, Hearts Still Beating is the sapphic fantasy romance I've been missing from my life.
It isn't easy living in a world ravaged by Ticks (think zombies), with small pockets of humanity struggling to survive. No true cure has been found, but a treatment allows some Ticks, such as Mara, to regain their humanity and not be animalistic killing machines. When Mara and some of the other "semi cured" Ticks are sent to live with humans, she is going to be living with her once best friend and love of her life, Rory. Rory isn't excited to see Mara, and instead threatens her life multiple times. (She has a sword and knows how to use it!) The apocalypse has changed everyone for better or worse, and soon it becomes clear the two will have to work together if they want to have at living.
The violence and gore were a surprise but I am 10000% on board with it! It lent such gruesome imagery, and fit right in with the world. It isn't all blood and guts, there is such an underlying layer of hope and perseverance that persists. Rory and Mara have a really tenuous and fraught relationship for a lot of the story. Mara represents everything that Rory regrets and tries not to think about, and seeing the love of your life return as a Tick is no small matter. We get to see POVs from Rory and Mara, which is always so essential in a romance. I liked getting a peek inside each of their heads, and see how they are interpreting what the other does and says. Rory and Maras' relationship takes time to develop, but the trust and love that grows is so sweet to read.
I really like the inclusion of disability rep, Rory is such a hardened character, but she never strayed from a fight. (In fact she spent a lot of her time instigating fights, and I love her so much for that!) I really like how it wasn't just glossed over and forgotten, nor was it magically healed in a way stories like to do with injuries.
Hearts Still Beating shows how its different characters cope and respond to their experiences trying to survive a world devastated by Ticks. Some have become hardened, and lash out with their anger, choosing to be mad at the world instead of drowning in grief. Others retreat into themselves, a shell of their former shells, seemingly content with being half present. And of course we have the lovely few people who instead are so conquered by fear that they latch onto any semblance of control they can retain. Take away their power and you'll soon discover just how far they'll go to hang onto it.
The cherry on top is the absolutely gorgeous cover, it captures the vibe of the book so well and I honestly just like looking at it. Designed by: Danielle Ceccolini Art by: Garrigosa Studio
The only real issue I have is because of the large cast of characters, some of them got lost in the shuffle. I had no emotional attachment to many of the side characters, and I didn't truly care if they lived or died. I also almost wish we got a bit more from Rory and Mara in terms of developing their relationship, and see them interact outside of stressful situations.
All that being said I still found Hearts Still Beating a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I found myself reading in the most inopportune places because "just one more page".
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of heart-wrenching sapphic romances with zombies! I look forward to reading whatever book Brooke Archer writes next!

There is nothing more nostalgic to me than a post-apocalyptic novel. (takes me back to my teen hunger games days)

The thing that made this one even better was that it was sapphic!!! This is such important representation in YA books! They definitely didn’t exist while I was growing up.

The books started off kind of slow, but quickly picked up.

Despite being YA, Archer did not hold back with gruesome details of the realities of the world as it is in this novel.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

4.25 stars

I waited too long to finish this one so I lost interest a tad (hence the rating), but I also really liked it. I don’t think I could ever dislike a sapphic zombie apocalypse book. I really liked the “Ticks” and how they occurred. It was super interesting and a unique take on zombies.

The only things that annoyed me were I tend to get irritated when the character that hates the other takes too long to get over it. Like bitch get over yourself. The other is Carter. Honestly, the whole first part of the book made her forgiveness and improvement entirely void for me. Hate her. Like I get you’re traumatized, but you suck jehdhdbdb. Would never do my sister like that bro.

I enjoyed this book a lot!! I wasn’t sure at the beginning how I would feel about it, but Mara and Rory and the world building really grew on me and it turned out to be a good read.

Read if you like:
- post apocalyptic feelings/world
- f/f sapphic love story
- parasite/zombie themed disease 🦠

Thank you to netgalley for my copy of this novel! I’ll definitely give this author more reads in the future.