Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ALC.

This genre-bending novel was interesting, and magical. The characters in this novel navigate coming of age, high school angst, zombies, and magical powers being stolen by an adversary named Ford. Sid is the quintessential lost teenager who is trying to deal with high school when a fault line opens up, releasing zombies into the world. As she embarks on her quest to find her friends, and whoever is left, she realizes that all along her brother, a guardian of the fault, and she, have powers that she must learn to use to save her friends from Ford and the zombies.

Tinged with witty banter, introspective teenage characters, and characters who will remind you of the X-Men, Sid Spencer and her friends save the world, and come to understand themselves.

If the walking dead was a YA fantasy book, it would be this book. Sid Spencer is an average teenage girl, in a small town that used to be filled with magic. That magic is now locked away and kept safe by guardians to prevent people from using and abusing it. Until one of the guardians is killed and the magic is released. Sid has to join forces with the remaining guardians and a few survivors to lock up the magic and find her missing brother. I really enjoyed this, I loved the found family aspect and Sid’s growth throughout this book. I listed to the audiobook and Eunice Wong did such a great job narrating and bringing so much life to each of the characters. I was so so immersed while listening. The characters are all high school aged and the awkward teenage feelings are captured perfectly. My favourite example of this is when the FMC is describing what she thinks being hugged would be like as being engulfed by a phagocyte. I really enjoyed the premise and the overall message of the book but I found it a little long in places. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment though. This is mostly character driven which I don’t usually like but I found the ideas were original enough to keep me interested.

Thanks to netgalley, dreamscape media and Robin Wasley for this ALC

Absolutely normal lass Sid Spencer lives in a very abnormal town. A town built on a magical fault line that keeps the magic from seeping in to the world. When someone kills a guardian on the line, creatures make themselves known, crawling from the cracks. No one can leave the town, it's in magical lockdown - and now the vigilante groups are rising. Fighting the hordes of undead zombies and overgrowing forests, Sid must survive this very, very unusual apocalypse.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear has wonderful world building, great new lore and a diverse batch of characters. Hearing about Sid finding her footing in the world is exactly the type of story I love. Mix it in with zombies and a Buffy like feel and you should have the perfect book. However, that's just where the good ends.
I found this one feeling way too long. I never felt myself getting anywhere in the story. It isn't even the length of the book as around 400 pages is fairly average; it's just the book drags and drags. It's the type of book that could much more action and adventure, Wasley could really have had a lot of fun with that, only it just ended up falling flat. It genuinely felt like a comic that has been extended into a novel.

I loved the choice of narrator for the audiobook, it's because of this choice that I kept going. I was going to DNF around the 40% point - but I decided to stick it out just so I could keep having the narrator read the book to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Robin Wasley for an advanced copy. Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear is available in all formats now.

I had a great time with this. The story itself was very unique and all the characters were well-developed and nuanced. The audiobook was well done, I found the voice actor to have an extremely compelling delivery.

My only issue was that I had such a hard time connecting with Sid, I enjoyed the story but I felt myself struggling to stay engaged and actively listen. I occasionally find it difficult to relate to young adult narratives, so I think this issue was personal.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley follows Sid and her friends as they fight to protect their town from zombies emerging from the underground as a magical chasm rips open in their small town. The story has adventure, intrigue, horror, humour, and depth. In addition to a solid plot, it boasts of powerful storytelling which evokes vivid imagery and important themes like identity and community. The characters are well-developed and their relationship dynamic is really interesting, especially Sid and Brian's.

I am very picky about what audiobooks I like because I have high expectations when it comes to narration, Eunice Wong did not disappoint. The experience was completely immersive and I did not want to pause once I hit play. I would definitely recommend.

Sid Spencer has a pretty lackluster life. She works at a mediocre coffee shop in a boring tourist trap of a town. But one day a Guardian is killed. They’re pretty important since they protect the seal. The fault lines rip the earth, and pretty soon there are hellish creatures and zombies roaming Sid’s town. So much for a boring life, right? In addition to trying to survive, Sid’s brother is missing and is somehow involved in all this nonsense, so Sid joins the remaining Guardians to try and track him down. Meanwhile, they’ve got a megalomaniac on their heels who’s determined to kill the remaining Guardians and take their keys and powers for himself. Can Sid survive all this and still find her brother?

To be honest, this book drags in the beginning. In fact, I almost thought of DNF’ing pretty early on. But I’m glad I stuck with it in the end. This book has one of my favorite tropes of all time (which I’m sure I mention ALL THE TIME), found family. Sid and her found family are all great characters. Sid (especially) is a sympathetic character, who I’m sure many people can relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Eunice Wong was a fantastic narrator and she really brought Sid to life. I would absolutely recommend this book.

Eunice Wong = WOW!

I absolutely loved this narration. The story was great too, but the narration really blew me away. It gave me a little Buffy vibes (just the hellmouth part and not the vampire part) because dead things start appearing out of the ground and it's up to a group of teenagers to save the town/world.

This was such a fun listen. I really enjoyed it a lot.

Can I start by saying "WOW"? The audiobook is a little over 12 hours long, but I finished it in one day. I did not want to stop listening at all. Robin Wasley sped out of the gate with her first book, a great combo fantasy/horror book.

First up, the narration. Eunice Wong was incredible. Her voicing of the story kept me on the edge of my seat. There was depth to her characters as well as range in her intonation of the actual story. When characters were whispering, she did too. If the characters were anxious, you could feel it in her voice. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by Eunice!

The story starts off describing the sleepy little town where tourists visit to see where the magic used to happen. However, the fault lines were sealed off ages ago and the magic is no longer accessible. There is one caveat to that though. There are guardians who hold keys to unlock the fault line. No one knows who they are or how they are chosen. And everyone is just goes about their day staring at the ghostly impressions that rise up regularly.

Unfortunately, things take a quick turn and part of the fault line opens. Chaos ensues as "Shells" start to climb out of the chasm that has opened. It is up to a group of teens to put a stop to the madness.

Robin wove a story rich with imagery and intrigue. My heart was literally pounding at many points during the book. She would switch between the anticipation of the horror into the calmness of simple conversations with such ease. I look forward to hearing more books from this creative author.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

I thought this book was a little too ambitious with a magic-induced zombie apocalypse, but it had a wonderfully relatable main character and lovable cast of characters (guardians and their siblings). At times, there were parts of the book where it only focused on magic (or the zombies), and it was hard for the reader to piece it back together (especially readers who are not well-versed in fantasy). Regardless of my personal aversion of fantasy, I would recommend this book to readers who love an adventure story with a large cast of characters, a robust magic system, and found family.

This was surprisingly good - excellent audiobook narration with a fun and snarky story. Typically, I'm not a fan of the snark since it can feel overwritten or incongruous in many situations. But the author makes it work seamlessly here so that there are good laughs among the terror. The plot may sound familiar: we've seen it especially with movies like Red Dawn or TV series like Buffy. But the author gives us some fresh twists to make for an enjoyable read.

Story: Sid Spencer is pretty ordinary in a very unordinary town sitting on contained magic. But as an adopted Asian kid in a very white town, she also is tired of standing out in the wrong ways. When something goes very wrong with the magic, her life is about to get very, very, exciting. Can she find and save her brother and best friend Nell before the zombies get them (or, worse, her!)?

What we have is a zombie apocalypse - except that it is only affecting her little town and all the inhabitants are trapped. Cue evil guy who is a bit too cliched but definitely takes a cue from Buffy and Angel. While Sid is never going to be a Buffy, her journey has some excellent character development coupled with quirky bon mots and biting observations on society. She is strong but also weak, not stupidly fearless but also brave.

The action flows smoothly and there is very little down time. The book has a typical wide cast of side characters who interact with Sid and try their best not to get killed by the zombies or the evil guy and his henchman. There is also a cute romance that plays out over the course of the events.

I listened to the audio version and the narrator was perfect - she really embodied the character. I was often reminded of Awkwafina though the narrator gave Sid a very distinct personality. But really, the narration added to the enjoyment since the narrator was able to really have fun with the character.

In all, this had some great funny moments, zings, and a neat self contained plot. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

What happens when one of the guardians are killed that protect the town from the magic hidden in the fault lines? Read Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear to find out. This is a YA dystopian book with a little bit of romance sprinkled in. Syd is just a normal girl until the fault lines are opened up and she is grouped up with the remaining guardians to help close the fault lines and save the town from a man who wants the magic all to himself. I am not normally into YA books but this one definitely held my attention.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Set in a small town located on a fault line, Sid has always known magic was locked below the ground. What she didn’t expect was to be thrown into a magical apocalypse when one of the guardians of the fault line is killed. Tasked with the job of finding her missing brother, she teams up with remaining guardians to close the fault lines, find her brother, and save her town.

I really enjoyed this witty and fun read. Our characters were enjoyable to read about and the ya romance was so sweet! I highly recommend this read for anyone who loves paranormal, zombies, and characters you want to root for.

Read this book if you like:
-small towns with a tourist trap
-quirky main characters
-witty writing
-ya romance
-found family

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear is out NOW and if it is not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I adored this book from beginning to end and highly recommend to anyone looking for some urban fantasy mixed with horror all while tenderly exploring how it feels to be a transracially adopted Korean kid in a town full of white people.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear follows Sid Spencer, a very normal kid, as the magic-containing chasm, which has long been a tourist attraction in her hometown, is ripped open unleashing an undead army and returning magic to the inhabitants.

The characters in this novel are all so full and real, I loved being there for all of Sid's journey as well as her compatriots'. Robin Wasley explores incredibly difficult topics so stunningly all with the backdrop of the chaos of this world. She expertly illustrates how magic is not the enemy, but the desire for power and the people behind that absolutely are.

Additionally, I was lucky enough to get the audiobook and Eunice Wong's narration is brilliant. She truly brings the characters to life and does an especially wonderful job bringing Sid's interiority to the surface.

All in all, I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for an amazing adventure with wonderful characters with fantastic representation to boot.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

When authors say their book "has it all", this is the level they should be referencing. It's difficult to represent and fulfil different genres within the same story, but Wasley does it perfectly with Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear. To combine a love story, fantasy, and personal growth into a comedic, feel-good adventure is a huge task - one that Robin Wasley knocked out of the park.
DTACTTA bring the world of magic to the reader with layered, relatable characters, a perfect mix of sweet and sarcastic dialogue, and so much heart that you feel it in every chapter. It was truly a joy to read this ARC, and will be recommending it aggressively to everyone I know.

I loved the author’s writing style, funny but still so complex. There was a lot going on in this one but all trains of thought were clear and tied together nicely by the end. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator could not have been any better, absolutely perfect for this book! This was such a fun, exciting yet still emotional and moving book. I would love to read more by this author, especially more with these characters.

The magical abilities are long lost in this town or so the people thought. Until one day it all collapses - the power, the city and the myths behind the guardians. Our protagonist wants nothing more than to see her brother safe, but the emerging zombies from underground have made one thing very clear, it's no longer safe here.

The plot of this book is enthralling with those magical abilities, guardian keys and ZOMBIES! I did have a slow start with the story, though the way the characters kept popping in did keep up with the engagement facet. If you enjoy books by reading them seamlessly without much of an afterthought, this could be your next read. But if are in a habit of questioning and reasoning those minute turns of events, it might be slightly difficult. I wanted to see an elaborate description of the places and not just the people, the details around how those capabilities worked and not just that they simply did.

Overall, I loved the plot and the characters, it would have been memorable if the worldbuilding was also on the same level. I do have to say that the title and the cover choice were both top-notch!

Thank you @netgalley @robinwasley @dreamscape_media @simonteen for the digital ARC.

Genre: #fantasy #middlegrade #teens #ya
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

I probably should have read the synopsis better. Because I was definitely not expecting such a dark ya book with zombie-like creatures. I was scared and anxious while listening to the audiobook. I'm a big chicken. The writing and narrator made me feel like I was there. I don't like zombie movies or TV shows. This was definitely out of my comfort zone.

Read if you like:
🖤dark ya books
🖤Zombies
🖤 Magic
🖤 Walking Dead

I've been waiting to read this book ever since I saw the cool title and that gorgeous holographic foil cover - and what was inside absolutely didn't disappoint. This is a YA contemporary fantasy about a group of teens with super powers going through something resembling a zombie apocalypse, which only affects their little town. A big strength of this book were the characters: they all felt like distinct people with different personalities and motivations (even the cat). I adored our protagonist, Sid, who was relatable, awkward and confident in equal measure, and absolutely hilarious. I couldn't help but cheer her on as she found new friends, got to know herself better, pissed off the entirely wrong people - and the romance was absolutely adorable. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much during an otherwise romantic scene! Read this book if you like found families, funny main characters, and high stakes. Since I got an ARC of the audiobook, I should also mention that Eunice Wong's narration is stellar.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley started out strong. I was laughing and having fun but eventually tragedy happened. I believe that the amount of characters overwhelmed the narrator because it started to sound the same to me and personally I got lost. I have listened to and enjoyed other audiobooks with the same narrator, Eunice Wong, so maybe it’s time to get my hearing checked. The cover art is really cool and I probably would have picked it up because of that. I found myself getting emotional at the end of the book. ARC was provided by Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars
This was just okay, it dragged a lot in the beginning but thankfully, the story picks up midway. I liked the idea of the zombies and the super powers were a lot of fun. It took a bit for me to connect with these characters but I liked the cute lil' romance with Sid and Brian (though the romance didn't was more of a slow burn) and Sid's character growth was nice to see. Also Chad the cat was an amazing addition.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!