Thank you to netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Holiday House for allowing me access to the book. I was hoping for more with this book but it never came.

I definitely expected to like this book more :( I recently read a book with a similar theme and I really loved it, so I was really looking forward to this reading, unfortunately I found it all a little dull, there's something about the writing that didn't leave me feeling very excited, the The characters also don't have very bright personalities to help the situation. In the end, I liked the general idea, but it doesn't work.Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

The opening line of this book was a banger!

I was hooked right away from the first line, but had a hard time sticking through it. I loved the found family, disability rep, and queer rep. The characters are really what kept me around, because I often felt I was missing parts of the story. The timeline didn’t really make sense to me either. Things were sort of all over the place and I really struggled with that. The mix of angst and hurt/comfort was a roller coaster. One second I was giggling, then I was close to tears.

Even though there were parts of this book I didn’t enjoy, there was a lot I did. The characters felt very real. They were each their own person and were unapologetically themselves. My favorite was Angel. Monica’s priorities made me giggle, and I loved that she was often a bit of comedic relief to Angel’s speeches. Ian’s panic about being in love with your best friend, especially being a friend of the same sex, is something I can relate to. I love that he had this idea that he was gay and panicked so hard he died. It wasn’t even an exaggeration. He literally died. It wasn’t truly the reason he died, but it is funny to think about.

I enjoyed the adventure aspects of this book as well. If you liked the Maze Runner or the darkest minds, I think you would probably really appreciate this book.

It was something different than I normally read, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Overall, I enjoyed the book once I learned to just go with the flow of things.

Love it. Love it. Love it. This has a unique promise with a twist on the zombie apocalypse story. A teen adventure to find his love while his love is actually planning to kill him.

I loved the found family aspect of the story and the world-building around the contagion and the government responses was very interesting.

Take All of Us by Natalie Leif!
Now I'm not normally a fan of zombie media mostly because it tends to feel over used and it's just hard for me to get into it. This, however, was way different!
In a small West Virginia town sometimes the dead...linger. When Ian dies unexpectedly and wakes up dead and his best friend (and love of his life) is nowhere to be seen and the rest of the town seems empty, he must band together with unexpected friends to find out where everyone went and what happened before he rots away and dies for real.
I actually super loved this. I LOVED how the disabled main characters were the prime focus. I don't have any of the disabilities mentioned so I don't feel like I'm qualified to say if it was perfect representation or not, but I found it to be so heartwarming despite the setting and each character felt so fleshed out and unique in their own ways. This was a really heartfelt, queer story about finding yourself and allowing yourself to take up space unapologetically. It felt like the perfect mixture of horror and friendship and romance all tied into one package that I enjoyed far more than I expected.
My only real complaint was that I kept forgetting that the cause of the virus was mentioned in the early chapters because it felt almost like it was easy to miss? That may have been just me, though, because it was mentioned enough in the middle chapters to make up for the fact that everyone knew why it happened and I had just missed it, probably. But it was a fun read and I loved being able to read it.

The idea of the story sounds compelling, the execution is absolutely not. This reads like someone's first draft. Or maybe one needs to be in the intended age group to enjoy it, and not much older.

The characters are flat, the story drags on, is sometimes quite weird, the writing is bland and reading this has been nothing but a chore for me.

That the publisher formatted the (epub) ARC so badly (line-breaks in the middle of words or sentences and hyphens in the middle of a line) doesn't help either.

In addition, the ARC version seems to be also not fully edited and proofread (at least I hope so) as there are still a few typos, missing spaces between words and double spaces.

I have given up on reading this at 44%, I just couldn't get myself to waste any more of my reading time on this story which brought me absolutely no enjoyment. I am sorry.

I wish the author, who clearly is talented when it comes to story ideas, all the best for the future - and much better editors.

--

Transparency disclaimer: I received a free ARC version of this story via NetGalley which did not influence my review in any way, shape or form.

Apocalyptic zombie story but from the perspective of a recently turned queer teen? Sign me up! Admittedly, Take All of Us was not what I was expecting when I initially read the synopsis. It was so much more centred on the emotional impact of Ian slowly losing his sense of self in the face of his infection, as well as balancing the betrayal he feels for Eric abandoning him with the secret crush he has been harbouring for years. All together, it was a beautifully poignant journey wrapped up in world building that would have been at home in any action-horror movie or videogame. If you’re familiar, think The Last of Us, but with a YA twist.
Personally, I loved the dynamic between Eric and Ian, and found them both to be amazingly sympathetic and engaging characters. Throughout the entirety of the story I couldn’t help but root for them despite the dourness of the situation—I just wanted them to get together and live happily ever after. However, I did find that my affection for the characters sort of ended with them. While Monica and Angel had their moments they just didn’t feel fully realized. Both had back stories, but they felt generic and were delivered in a way that seemed rushed. As a result I never really felt invested in either of them, so when they had their own emotional turning points the affectation felt off and kind of melodramatic.
Overall, would I still recommend this? Absolutely. I love a blending of genres and this one does horror and love story so well.

3.5 rounded up.

The story follows a group of disabled kids who are left behind during an apocalypse evacuation in a small town and are trying to figure out how to get back to their families. Ian, the main character is epileptic and suffers from seizures and is trying to confess his feelings to his best friend Eric when the town is evacuated. He makes two friends on the way - Monica, and Angel who are also alone and are trying to find people.

Overall I really enjoyed the setting in particular since I am a huge apocalypse/zombie fan, the "zombies" and their origins were super interesting and original. Love the found family aspect and it was really evident that they all really care about each other!! I wish we got more backstory/ development for the other characters, such as Eric and Angel, and some more set-up for the Ian/Eric romance. I loved Ian and Monica's arcs of letting themselves act selfish and take up space as disabled people. It was a very fast-paced story and it was enjoyable and maybe just not my overall cup of tea. Read if you like apocalypse gay people found family!!

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"All of them were hurt and broken and wrong in some way or another. All of their hurt and break and wrong choices could be drowned out in a beautiful infinite, turned into nothing more than a hum in tune with the universe. But they mattered. The parts that hurt and broke mattered."

Thank you NetGalley, and Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book and it's message. I needed it.

Within 'Take All Of Us' a disabled gay 15-year-old learns to take up space, to be selfish, to be unapologetic; Ian Chandler fights God and he wins.

I think it certainly would've benefitted from a multi-pov, and perhaps being slower-paced. Everything seemed to happen too fast for what seemed like a three day timeline.
And more than anything, I felt like I needed more from Eric & Ian, because—while I understand most of their development would've happened prior—their relationship seemed under-developed as a spectator. More so Eric, I never felt like I knew him past the fact that his father was abusive, and that he liked Ian back.

Overall I enjoyed this & I felt that I learnt something valuable as a queer, disabled person.

TAKE ALL OF US is an "unbury your gays" horror novel about ian, a teenager living in a small west virginia town infected by a parasite that turns the affected into shells of their former selves, dead but not "all the way" dead yet. ian resolves to tell his best friend, eric, about his feelings for him, but he dies before he gets a chance to, leaving him in a race against time and his decaying body to find eric, tell him how he feels, and ask him why he left him behind. i love horror novels but i particularly love queer horror novels and this one certainly did not disappoint. i wasn't sure what to expect when i started reading it, but i absolutely loved it and read it in one sitting. i loved ian and eric, but i loved that the story placed as much importance on ian's relationship with monica and angel as well. if you like intriguing and speculative horror novels, this one is for you!!

read if you like:
- queer horror
- found family
- angst with a happy ending

thanks to netgalley and holiday house for the advanced copy. TAKE ALL OF US comes out june 4th!

♡ Queer Horror
♡ Found Family
♡ Angst with a Happy Ending

In a world where the dead refuse to actually stay dead, and while dead himself Ian learns a few things from some unexpected friends; taking place in small town in the Appalachian (of West Virginia).

Overall though I thought it was good, it was a romance take on a survival horror story.

While I did enjoy most of the characters and relationships, and the friendships that felt like a found family, it did take me a little to get into, the pacing was a bit slow in a few parts meanwhile at the beginning everything happened rather quickly. It was on the younger side of YA which was difficult to really find interesting to me.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Peachtree, and Holiday House Imprint for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧💧 (4/5)
POV: First Person
Release Date: 04, June 2024
Rep: LGBTQIA+ (Main and Side Characters), BIPOC (Side Characters), Disabled (Main and Side Characters)

⚠️ Content Warnings:
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Medical content, Violence, Murder, Car accident, Medical trauma, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor:Death of parent, Gaslighting, Ableism, Child abuse, Vomit, and Dementia

It took me a while to dive into this because I was expecting it to be sad. I was wrong! Don't get me wrong, there were sad moments, frustrating moments, times when I wondered what the hell was going on, but in the end it turned out to be a very sweet YA story about love and acceptance and empowerment. And if, like me, you worry about something being sad, I'll go ahead and say it has a happy ending.

What I will say, though, is that the zombie-like undead weren't all that well thought out. I was constantly questioning the mechanics of it all and in the end had to just give up on any of that making sense. It felt like the seeds of a great plot, but it just didn't quite make it.

The writing was lovely, though, and I felt the feels. At one point I had to wipe away tears.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House Publishing for the ARC of Take All of Us.

Take All of Us is set in a small West Virginia town that for years has been plagued with undead individuals due to a parasite in the water. The story follows Ian who has epilepsy, his friend Eric, Monica who suffers from a chronic pain disorder, Angel who is an end of the world prepper, and Zoey who is jaded. After Ian is left behind by Eric during an evacuation order he is joined by Monica and Angel while they try to find out what caused the evacuation and to see if there is anyone left in town. Ian hopes to reunite with Eric to discover what happened during the evacuation and to finally confess his feelings. Unbeknownst to him however, Eric is looking for Ian to mercy kill him as he is now part of the undead.

At its essence, the novel is a tale of resilience and redemption, as Ian confronts mortality and strives to regain control of his life. Leif sensitively delves into the psychological effects of trauma, crafting a narrative that is both heartrending and hopeful. Leif also shows the impact of childhood illness and how this changes the individual over time.

The story is driven by its well-developed characters, each wrestling with their own inner demons. Ian's journey is marked by moments of profound self-discovery and growth as he confronts his past and finds solace in unexpected places.

Take All of Us beautifully underscores the enduring strength of human bonds in adversity. With its evocative prose and insightful exploration of the human experience, it's a novel that leaves a lasting impact on its readers' minds and hearts.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for letting me read this arc!

I was most drawn to this story because of the unbury-your-gays line in the synopsis with the addition of chronic disabilities in an apocalyptical event. And whatever expectations I had from that were not only met, but exceeded beyond it. I genuinely liked this story and how the characters moved and interacted. The inner dialogue felt repetitive at times but it showed how Ian was slowly forgetting things, and the outer dialogue felt clustered at parts but it showed everyone talking over each other super well.

I was also just interested in how the infected came about. Near zombies but not really. The little details here and there as the ending was near, the water filters were my favorite part because it reminded me of the Doctor Who episode "Waters of Mars" but without the super sad ending. This was tense at times and I almost cried at a few conversations between Ian and Eric. The emphasis on wanting to live and being selfish to remain for just as long as possible was also a good tie between other conversations. This book was a lot shorter than I thought it would be which was perfect because it was to the point and didn't distract from how things had to go. And I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!! 💀🧟🛢️

There's a tumblr post about how if people became zombies they would just continue going about their day-to-day lives because that's what their bodies remember. That is literally this book.

I found the synopsis to be rather misleading. It gives the impression that this book is a scary survival thriller, where the characters have to fight to stay alive, against terrible odds with heavy angst. While Ian, our main boy, does do some angsting, for the most part, this book feels really cute and cozy to me. The begrudging-allies-to-found-family pipeline is real and I eat it up every single time. The characters initially beef with each other upon meeting, but quickly bond over their shared circumstances (being abandoned, chronic illnesses, being outcasts). I liked how the author quickly established their personalities and circumstances, making it clear how their dynamic works from the get-go.

I'm sleep deprived and running out of steam so the rest of this review is in bulletpoints.

The Romance
- cute!
- it's giving 😳👉👈
- I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did, given the synopsis, which made it sound very ominous.

The Chronic Illness Rep
- idk how accurate it is, as I have no first-hand experience
- the synopsis says that Ian gets chronic migraines, but he is dead for most of the book, so he doesn't have any migraines in the story, but he also doesn't mention it ever
- he does talk about his epilepsy though, but mainly in terms of how people react to him (staring, calling for an ambulance when he doesn't need it)
- the synopsis says that Monica is chronically ill, though the book doesn't state exactly how, and she also uses a cane

Character Arcs
- Ian's arc is mainly about how, as a chronically ill person, he struggles to take up space because of the guilt he feels from needing people to help him
- I think Ian's arc was well-executed, but the arcs for all the other characters were lacking
- I wish Eric could have gotten his own arc, he has a bunch of stuff that goes unaddressed

The Premise
- The most unrealistic part of this book is that the dead people have oil for blood and the US government didn't round them up and throw them in the Oil Extractor 3000
- The most realistic part of this book is that the government (belatedly) discovered a parasite in this town's water supply and instead of trying to clean the water or evacuate the townspeople, just told them to filter their water

Amount of Horror
- Most of this book didn't read like horror to me, other than the light cannibalism
- The last 10% is the most horror-y part, very trippy and strange, with more gory bits

Overall
- This wasn't the best written book, there were some minor plotholes, and the character development could use some work
- But! This was so entertaining and so much fun to read so 5 stars just for enjoyment reasons

Thank you Holiday House and NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Lovely YA with post apocolyptic zombie theme.

I think the characters are quite interesting i like Angel the most.
I like the found family aspect of this book.

And oh when Ian finally reunited with Eric...

I feel the ending is quite heartwarming.

What happens when you try to confess your feelings to your best friend... only before you get to a government evacuation occurs and you end up as a infected undead... and now you have to find him again, that is if he doesn't try and mercy kill you on sight. Ian's small town has been poisoned by a parasitic water that turns people into dark-eyed, oil-dripping shells of their former selves. Ian deals with chronic pain from migraines and seizures, which impact his physical abilities. Ian relies on his best friend and secret crush, Eric to keep him safe and to mercy kill any of the infected people they come across. Yet during one of their latest outings, in which Ian hopes to finally confess his love to Eric... there is a mandatory government evacuation and Ian cracks his head in the rush. When he wakes up he realizes that he is infected and that Eric left him behind to die... now he has to find the truth about why Eric did what he did before the parasite inside him takes over completely and he dies. Ian joins his childhood rival Monica and a jaded prepper Angel, to go on a journey to track down Eric. Yet this means facing the truth about what happened and having to deal with the fact that Eric might kill him on sight... and even if he does confess... will Eric return his feelings and how can they be together if one of them is now part of the undead? This was definitely an interesting queer zombie-apocalypse esque love story and I think the chronic pain rep was great, however apart from that this book really just didn't do much for me. I really wanted to like it but found Ian to be kind of bland and annoying, and then I wasn't invested in the side characters or the romance at all. The book had me skimming parts and honestly, I didn't miss much. I'm happy to have even just gotten to the end of the book. The story felt slow and drawn out at parts and honestly, I just couldn't get into it as much as I had hoped. I think maybe younger ya readers will have fun with this one and anyone who enjoys dystopian or zombie apocalypse-esque stories will have fun with this.

*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Holiday House for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Release Date: June 4,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

Beautifully written, attaching characters. I wish there had been more.
One problem was that throughout almost the whole book, I thought that Angel and Monica were dead as well, so I got confused. The Book also seems to be preparing the reader for the real death of Ian, only for him to escape it, so it feels like both a plot twist and a prank.
I never knew I would take an interest in 'zombies'.

This was absolutely phenomenal. Unexpectedly deep with a lot of heart. For a YA novel this did explore those deeper emotions we feel. Beautiful and tragic, but all around well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was probably one of the fastest moving books I’ve ever read. It’s a quick read that packed a punch. I really enjoyed this premise, but I always sit back and think “if there was something that could make me a zombie if I drank the water in my town, I would just leave.” Like why are people staying?

We unfortunately don’t get a big look at the friendship between Ian and Eric since everything happens so fast. I was expecting some character building to happen first but nope! Like I said it moves super fast. The side characters were interesting even if we don’t really see much of them either.

I also LOVED the disability rep. Ian gets seizures and feels like a burden to his family and best friend Eric. He feels second to Monica, who is pretty and seems like she has it all together even though she walks with a cane. Them teaming up together was so sweet. Angel telling them they are allowed to be selfish and take up space and act human even though they are disabled got me in my feels.

This is such an interesting twist on the zombie genre and I had a fun time reading it. I actually thought it was going to make me cry a few times. A good debut for sure!