I received a copy from NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Holiday House in return for an honest review.

Take All of Us has a lot of things that I really like when reading. Small town setting, horror elements, slight gore (descriptions aren't all that horrible or detailed), lgbtq+ relationships, and easy-to-love characters. I was hooked from the first page, and I finished it fast, enjoying every bit of it!

This book has a lot of disability representation. Since I do not have any of the disabilities the characters have I will not speak on how accurate the representation is. But I really enjoyed reading a book where the disabilities weren't forgotten/played down and were present during the whole book.

I did find myself a little lost in how long had gone since the evacuation in the first few chapters, this righted itself later on, but did make me feel a little disoriented. And the summary says it's a parasite in the waters, which I didn't see spelled out in the book until the very end. (Unless I missed it ofc) I remember thinking a lot about why the water made the dead walk again. This didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book.

I enjoyed the writing style and the way Natalie told this story. It was enjoyable, fun, scary, and gut-wrenching throughout! It made me cry a couple of times, to be honest ^^

I look forward to seeing what else Natalie Leif offers in the future!

TAKE ALL OF US is a wonderfully queer, PoC, and disabled apocalyptic horror.

That being said, I felt the plot was paced strangely, and the dialogue, despite containing heavy swears, felt largely middle grade. I did enjoy how empowering the book was.

The internal monologue was very “tell” rather than “show”, which made it annoying at times. The characters act contradictory at times, and while there is an attempt to characterise them, they remain homogenous.

I loved the disabled representation. I loved the metaphor of zombies being marginalised. I loved the idea of found family whole having a loving family. I just feel like it could be done better.

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

"Take All of Us" by Natalie Leif is a captivating blend of horror, romance, and adventure. While marketed as a horror book, I found the genre of action/adventure to be more prominent, though I did really enjoy the horror elements throughout the book. Leif also explores themes of love, loss, and resilience in the face of unimaginable circumstances through a unique depiction of zombies. Set against the backdrop of a town plagued by a mysterious illness, the book follows Ian, an epileptic teenager who finds himself grappling with death and rebirth in ways he never imagined.

Leif's narrative weaves a haunting tale of survival and self-discovery as Ian navigates the complexities of his newfound existence. From his blossoming romance with his best friend Eric to his unlikely alliances with Monica and Angel, Ian's journey is filled with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. The romance in this book was really well written, especially for a horror/action book. I definitely wasn’t expecting a lot of romance going into the book, but I was pleasantly surprised, especially since that is one of the aspects I enjoyed the most in the book. I also really liked the descriptions of Ian’s epilepsy as I was able to learn more about the condition as well as think about the hypothetical of trying to survive a zombie apocalypse with epilepsy.

The pacing was a bit slow to start; I found it a bit difficult at first to power through the book as the plot meandered a bit at the beginning. But then once the plot starts advancing, I found that I couldn’t put the book down. I especially enjoyed the fresh take on the zombie genre that leaves a lasting impact.

While the book may not fit neatly into the horror genre for some, its blend of suspense and romance makes for a compelling read that will leave a lasting impression. Leif's debut novel is a testament to her storytelling prowess, and I definitely can’t wait to read more from Leif.

This book is a well written and fun dive into being a queer teen, ethics, and zombies. Leif writes Ian perfectly and the book is well done.

final rating: 4.5/5☆

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for the e-arc!

Take All of Us singlehandedly put me out of the reading slump that i've been contemplating for the past few dats. i thought i'd be a little bit more like Scorch Trials (the movie) of crossing towns to find something or someone, but it's not. the story is kept contained in a small town, with a small cast of characters and i enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. think a bit like They Both Die at the End (Adam Silvera) but with the undead.

(spoilers ahead)

i went into this thinking that Eric was going to be an asshole who 'mercy kills' the living dead and unfortunately strung Ian along to find him in death even when he's not loved. seeing him freak out at him at the dollar store solidified it, but i'm so glad the book subverted expectations and he's just a really sweet guy who's damaged (but who isn't honestly) and really scared and who actually loves him to bits, enough to keep a stash of everything Ian's ever given him, even granola bar wrappers. and it was nice to see that the whole gay thing wasn't the forefront of the story, it's a lot more that just that and i'm glad while it was touched on, it was not the focus. sure the ending of him along with their friends grabbing onto him while he was hallucinating was a tad cliche, but there's nothing i would change about it.

i loved the other non romance type love that was portrayed in this. platonic, of course, between Ian, Monica and Angel, a mixed gender group that did not cause any romance to blossom at all which was fantastic and i liked how in such a compact story, no time was wasted on 'third parties'. and the family aspect ended me. i was bawling my eyes out when Ian called his family and had to tell his sister he's not going to see them. and the disability rep!! need i say more?

the only thing that took me out a bit was the final ending, the last two pages. sure the cycle was broken, and as much as i wanted Ian to still be alive again, why is everyone alive again??? i am confused. but nonetheless, still, nothing i would change about this.

Is this my favorite book of the year so far? I think this is my favorite book of the year so far.

I really and truly loved every single second of this book. I will admit that I was expecting something totally different based on the description, and I think classifying this as horror is a mistake because there's like .5% horror overall (and I would have loved it even more if it leaned into the horror aspect, especially when it starts to get a little lovecraftian) but the book that it actually ended up being was incredibly special.

Every single character you're introduced to is vivid and full of life, each of them dealing with their own struggles against the backdrop of a not quite apocalypse. I loved seeing how they all changed and grew, revealing more of themselves and the deep bonds they all managed to forge together over their circumstances.

Ian is a fantastic protagonist, and seeing him try to hold himself together as his humanity starts to slip away is great. It's a desperate fight for survival from someone who is technically dead, and I was desperate for him to make it.

I love Eric. I needed more of him. That's probably my biggest complaint, the fact that there's not more Eric and that when they finally do come back together there's so much going on that you can't quite devote all your time to the romance. I would have loved at least a chapter or two from Eric's POV, but it makes sense that there wasn't one given that the book was about Ian's journey and his mortality.

The ending is slightly abrupt, but it felt great and I was satisfied. Like I said earlier, I do wish the horror aspects were expanded on, there's a fair bit of body horror, but the book verges into creepy Appalachian Lovecraft territory at the end and I'm always a sucker for some Appalachian horror so if there was more of it I would have been over the moon. But that's ultimately not the kind of book this one wanted to be, and I'm totally fine with that.

In short: Read it, as long as you're ok with a healthy dose of body horror.

Take All Of Us is a young adult apocalypse style novel. It follows Ian as he tries to deal with his chronic illness, confessing to his best friend that he has feelings for them, and becoming a reanimated corpse in the final days before his body decays. Ian must team up with a ragtag group to find out why the town has been evacuated and what to do next.

The best part of this book is the diversity and the exploration of what it means to take up space as a chronically ill teenager. The relationship between Ian and his best friend Eric is the heart and soul of this story. Unfortunately, the ending feels rushed and some of the emotions aren't built up due to the large main cast of characters within a short timeline. Overall this book would be a great jumping off point for teens to discuss representation, disability, chronic illness, and feeling like an outsider.

Thank you to Netgallery for giving me an early release copy of Take All of Us by Natalie Leif, this book will be available for purchase on June fourth of 2024.

I’ve really been in the mood for a book with zombies in it and Take All of Us delivered! This book has zombies, queer, and disabled representation that I believe was written greatly. All of the characters are very lovable, I was a little hesitant about the friendships at first because they were very instant but the found family aspect was amazing, I loved all of our characters and their little quirks, the friendships really lead this book and I absolutely loved it.

I however wasn’t very fond of the romance, Ian and Eric were nice friends and I could definitely see a romance happening (we kinda get one) but I think it just needed some more development. We don’t get enough time with Eric to really know or understand him, we pretty much just get what Ian says about him. We just get very little time to really see the relationship/friendship between them and I feel if we did get just a bit more the romance would have felt more flushed out.

i liked this! i feel that it took a little adjusting to get into to, maybe i'm just not a fan of this particular register, but to be honest i was way too invested past the 20% mark to really be that put off by the prose.

what i liked about this book is definitely my son ian (i have adopted him, he is my child). i've often found that in a lot of fiction, when writers write a disabled character, especially when said disabled character is a main/prominent character, they'll tend to have some weird undertones, usually offhanded implications of how their disability is a thing to 'fix' or something that's 'wrong'. this is not the case with ian, thankfully. leif writes an engaging account of his epilepsy, how he initially regards it as something that makes him a burden but eventually grows to accept that he is more than that, with the help of new, unfamiliar friends. it was interesting to see how it would impact someone's daily life and how one would deal with the subsequent effects of that.

also, props to the zombie plot. it's not the typical zombie apocalypse, we have to run sort of plot, instead, there's a twist on this trope- the virus slowly erodes at your sanity, bit by bit until all consciousness is gone and you revert to your most instinctual form. it was eerie how leif portrayed it, but there was also a bit of melancholy to it- especially in the first scene when ian wakes up and sees the infected ice cream worker still scooping melted ice cream and handing it to him. there's a quiet sadness to this, someone who's dead but still sticking to their duty. i feel that by having ian guide her to going on break (as if she was taking a shift) and letting her rest (in peace lol), it was both a form of exposition to the reader about the virus and also a subtle characterisation of ian, showing his personality naturally without having to explicitly state it.

eric and ian. eric and ian!!!! my son has grown so much, i'm so proud. leif does a great job at packing character growth into a meager 200+ pages, and i don't think it was clustered at all. the friendship between monica, and ian i particularly liked- they're written very authentically as teenagers finding themselves in friendship. i love it.

overall, i think this was fun and a quick read. i would say maybe it's more of action YA than horror YA, mostly because it didn't feel as horror-y, but that's a minor complaint.

3.8/5 stars!

Soooo... I do feel like the marketing on this is a little off, but NOT because the book is bad. On the other hand, the book was very good! I just think it shouldn't be classified as horror, and more of an action adventure YA kind of read. I don't really read horror in the first place (I'm a scared little baby lol), and when I requested this book I had NO IDEA that I had requested a horror book. As I read, I couldn't tell that it was going for a horror-esque theme, because while it was pretty graphic, it wasn't SCARY. Most of the scenes that carried a lot of suspense were detailed and gory, but it wasn't like "grip your armrests and sit at the edge of your seats kiddos, this is gonna be one helluva ride!" effect. It was more of a "oh, that was strange. Interesting for sure, but very strange." And most of the gore is balanced out by the romance as well, so it doesn't hit as hard as it could (which was a good thig for me because I can't handle that kind of thing, but bad for people who prefer it!) This was a very intriguing book to read, and while I came into it totally blind, it was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed how the characters stayed true to their ages in the actions that they performed and the dialogue, but some of the plot did fall a bit flat for me (in some scenarios there were a few plot holes and other ares that didn't entirely tie up loose ends) but despite the issues I found, this was an incredibly enjoyable read! Starting off the book was already going strong, with Ian and Eric's introduction and the death of Mr. Owens kicking off the whole 'infection' idea. The premise was very promising as soon as I finished chapter one! Ian's epilepsy is what causes the major problem of the book (aka his death), however I took a little bit of issue with Natalie Leif kind of "picking and choosing" when she wanted the epilepsy to be THERE and mentioned, and when it almost felt like he didn't have it at all. Another issue I had, was that Angel as a character was very unlikeable and while it is eventually established to be a coping mechanism of childhood trauma, we didn't really see her grow as a character which didn't really develop a connection to her. Another issue I had was with PLOTHOLES. Ian forgets things (as the dead are meant to do in this novel) however almost immediately in the next chapter it is almost as if he never forgot anything at all. This was a bit confusing for the reader, because it was a little bit of a "wait, what? But didn't he just... And now he is... The blue sedan? Whatever." kind of feeling you get as you read. Which, by all means, was not a terrible thing at all. It just gave off a little bit of an unpolished aspect.

Anyways, since I've summarized all of that, here are my in depth likes and dislikes!

LIKES:
- Ian and Eric were sooooo cute! I absolutely adored both of them, and I found it very sweet every single time they interacted. (I do kind of wonder about the kiss with Ian being dead and everything, like... Does that spread the parasite to Eric? Idk... Idk if I want to think about that)
- Monica and Ian were totally bsf feeling, enemies to friends is totally something I can get behind. I really love how their disabilities shaped them into the person they are in the book, and even though it was really only a one sided enemy kind of thing I did really feel the connection between them. They had chemistry as friends, and it should be a more established thing with authors creating perfect friends and not creating a romance between them!
- Ian's whole thought process and feelings of guilt were very tough topics. He often thinks he isn't good enough for able bodied people throughout the book, but his character development definitely showed the evolution of his actions and inner monologue. He was a deep character who wasn't written to be too complicated for a teenager, and I applaud the author for portraying him so raw and clear.
- Zoey was a very misunderstood character, and I enjoyed the development she had.
- The world building, while murky at times, was really interesting! The author enables this amazing world of zombies that aren't really zombies to exist, and I think this was super clever and fun to read about.

DISLIKES:
- I pretty much summarized it all in my overview, but the plot warped a little bit and it was hard to keep up with.
- I admit, I did really love the ending of the book. It was nice and sweet, but it was also very abrupt which I didn't like. It felt like the book wasn't really closed off, and kind of gave off disney vibes. But it was really cute, and I have to say that even though it wasn't the most true to the book's theme, it was super cute!

OVERALL, this book was really enjoyable (though I don't recommend reading it at night because it may or may not give you existential crisis) and while its not exactly a multiple reads kind of thing, its great for picking up pretty quickly. I read this book in the span of three days with about an hour and a half designated to it everyday, and it was a great cooldown sort of book to read as I ate dinner or did some work. Love the author's work, as a debut novel you should be very proud! I would totally read some more of Natalie's work in the future, this was extremely impressive!

I was initially drawn to the cover of this book and there were more emotional moments as I first thought.

What a surprisingly rich story! I will say the description sounded interesting, but I was shocked by just how much I enjoyed this story. Leif writes a triumphant story that both challenges the "bury your gay" trope and does not magically fix individuals with a disability, instead exploring the idea that they're allowed to take up space and have needs beyond their disability.

The story follows Ian who dies in a town haunted by a strange environment where the dead linger, slowing decaying. He doesn't want his death to be permanent and with the help of Angel and Monica he tries to live in this suddenly abandoned town. The issues they faced before this apocalypse aren't erased, but they learn more about themselves and their capacity to handle what life throws at them. I was not expecting this story, but I find myself lucky that it came my way; I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink for providing me with the e-arc of this book. This did not affect my review in any way.

Rating: 4.3/5

Background:
This zombie-esc book is about Ian and his friends who embark on a quest to explore Kittakoop, which is deserted. Ian has epilepsy and while trying to confess his love to Eric, things don't go as expected. An emergency evacuation alarm goes off throughout the town triggering Ian and causing him to have a seizure, on his way down he hits his head at the bottom of a fountain which eventually leads to his death. Luckily for him, something weird happened and he woke up still fully functioning, unluckily Eric and everyone else were gone. Except for one straggler Angel or are there more?

Overall:
I enjoyed the author's use of italic and bold text, which made the book more engaging and easier to read. While there is some swearing and gore, it is not the main focus and shouldn't discourage you from reading it. This was a quick read once I got into a rhythm, I recommended this book to several friends that I thought would enjoy it!

Positive:
This book feels like it was written from the perspective of a 15-year-old who just died, making the story more realistic.
There is a lot of gay panic throughout the book, which adds to its cuteness. Eric and Ian's romance is simply adorable!
I live (unlike Ian) for Monica and Ian's relationship and I'm glad the author didn't make their relationship romantic. This shows that soulmates don't always have to be in a romantic relationship.

Neutral:
Initially didn't like Angel because of her "know-it-all" attitude. However, as I continued reading the book, I realized that it might just be a way for her to cope.
The timeline of events in the story didn't feel right. Even though the story takes place over just a few days, it seems as though months have gone by.

There was nothing I would say that was "bad" about this book, just some tiny improvements. Great job to the author I truly enjoyed reading this!

I receive a copy of this book from NetGalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a unique take on a “zombie” novel. To be dead without being “all-the-way dead”. Blackened eyes and a body slowly beginning to rot away while you are still coherent enough to know you don’t want it to; until finally, that piece of you that you still had left in your mind starts to decay as well.

Ian, our main character, is an epileptic who dies in a mall water fountain after a seizure. He wakes up knowing he is dead, but not ready to leave his life yet without telling his best friend that he loves him. Along the way, he teams up with Monica and Angel. Two girls that are imperative to him taking his first steps forward in his “new life”.

There is a ton of character growth within these 250 pages between both Ian and his party of stranglers. A fun and fast read about what it means to allow yourself the freedom to live for yourself and to take up space.

*4.5 stars* Take All of Us was a fantastic young adult horror. This book featured a lovely cast of characters that make you feel for every single one of them. I'm not a big fan of zombie-like books, but this one was so captivating. I don't typically read them because I am emotional and will sob...I did indeed shed some (a lot) tears reading this, but it was so worth it.

This book is about Ian trying to confess his feelings for his best friend, Eric. When Ian finally tries to tell Eric, there is an alert in the mall for an evacuation which triggers his epilepsy. Falling into a water fountain mid-seizure and dying get in the way of his confession. However, Ian's town has a peculiar way of dealing with their dead. Those who have died are able to linger, most fall back into their daily routines until they rot or someone mercy kills them. Ian makes it his undead mission to find Eric and tell him how he feels. He joins up with Monica and Angel, two other kids who were left behind in the evacuation, and sets out on his mission.

Leif's characters were my favorite thing in this whole book. The plot was captivating, but the characters were why I was so invested in the book. Ian was so easy to feel for and I was rooting for him and Eric. Each character had their own backstory that added depth to the story. I felt more for Ian, Monica, and Angel, but I think that was because we spend so much time with that trio in the story. However, by the end, I was attached to every single one.

Overall, I loved this book. It reminded me of Andrew Joseph White's books, which are unapologetically queer, horror, and gore. Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh god do I love horror books that are queer and centered around boys who are meek and learn not to let unfathomable horrors screw with them and keep them from having a life they never got to have but deserved to. If I had a nickel for every book I've read that had horror elements and a kickass cast of unruly teens I'd only have two nickels but it's weird that it happened twice, right?

I won't lie towards the end it got to my head a little bit and I was left wondering what the ever loving hell was going on, but I honestly think that adds to the mindfck of it all, the weirdness, the unease, the horror. I was driven to the end wondering, is he going to make it? I was driven through to each plot point wondering, is Zoey going to kill him? is he going to be betrayed? does Eric love him?

And I think a truly good book is one that not only captivates you, but smoothly takes you from one plot point to the next, and keeps you reading and reading because you just HAVE to know the answers to your burning questions.

I'm picky on my horror books, but I can trust authors like Leif, like Andrew Joseph White, to provide trippy, truly scary horror books paired with just a hint of love, justice, bittersweet, and the taking back of what was truly theirs all along.

Take All of Us is a deeply moving story about queer youth, death, and acceptance.
Ian is a loveable protagonist, a disabled teenager who struggles with epilepsy and seizures. He is arguably my favorite in terms of how his character is developed, although Eric is quite close. (Eric had a wonderful arc.) The tension in their relationship was immense, and throughout the novel I couldn't get enough of it. It is one of the central points of conflict, and handled excellently. They were a perfect, gut punch rollercoaster of a couple in the best way possible. I was on the edge of my seat for what was next with them.

The plot felt frantic at just the right moments, and there were times where I was genuinely in fear for Ian's safety. Ian is a fantastic character the reader is able to connect with, in that regard. There was a moment where I physically sat slack jawed at a particular plot point. and needed to take a break to process it. The worldbuilding was also fascinating, and the mechanics of zombies were given a bit of additional lore. As someone who enjoys new perspectives on traditional apocalypse stories, it was appreciated.

If I were to have one criticism, the conclusion felt a tad rushed. All the loose ends were tied, but the ideas weren't given time to settle. The cast is amazing and just a little bit more time with them would've been great. Otherwise it was fantastic. Lovable characters, fresh ideas, drama, action.
The climax itself was exhilarating and brilliant. I will avoid talking about it in detail, but it was wonderful. A favorite in recent times.

Take All of Us reignited my love for YA, and is a wonderful addition to any queer library.

I’m ultimately giving this one a 3.5, rounded up, because it did take a little while to get going, but the ending totally redeemed it. I cried. It was beautiful, scary and haunting, all at once.

The romance aspect of it was great, and I rooted for Ian to be able to tell Eric how he really felt about him. The angst! The longing!

One character did get on my nerves a bit, due to the “I know how to do everything ever” and “Let’s commit crimes because no one ever cared about us” vibes, but I loved how three of the characters really loved each other. This story has a wonderful message of recognizing that everyone has failures and makes mistakes, but we can find our people and create a community that means something.

Major shout out to the author for sheer inventiveness regarding the illness taking over the town. I was invested in seeing how it played out.

It’s important to note that this is a good opportunity to learn more about what it might be like to suffer from epilepsy and seizures. Leif gives vivid descriptions of Ian’s experiences with his disability and shows how it has affected his entire life. Any time I can learn more about what life is like from another person’s perspective, I take it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the eARC. All opinions are mine.

Take All of Us is a teen book about death, zombies and friendship. All Ian wants to do is confess his crush to Eric, his best friend of ten years, but when the mall alerts for an evacuation, triggering Ian's epilepsy and leaving him to have a fit in the water fountain, death gets in the way of his plans.

The town that Ian lives in has a unique way of dealing with death, being that those who die will linger on for hours to days, rotting from the inside out until someone puts them out of their misery. This fate now awaits Ian, but there's something he needs to do before he'll allow that - find out where Eric has gone and say goodbye properly. He tags along with Monica and Angel, who've also remained behind while the rest of the town were evacuated.

This book started strong; the premise is interesting and the characters are unique and diverse. There's elements of horror and mystery, as well as romance and friendship. The language is easy to understand, the storyline isn't hard to follow and doesn't get bogged down by a lot of exposition or descriptions. However, there wasn't much sense of urgency despite the novel taking place over 1-2 days, and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfactory.

this was really good. in part a beautiful and emotional love story, and part a survivors story. this was gross in the best way posible, and i loved every bit of it.