Unexpected and original read. I'm not the biggest fan of zombie stories, but I will read just about anything that's queer, and this was like no other zombie story I've read before. It's an imagining of an After, where a cure is found and humanity isn't destined for complete and total destruction. People thought lost for good or dead are brought back, but only if they undergo a daily treatment. A cure is only the first step to a happy ending, however.

Really amazing representation, with both queer content and disability. It's not a romance, but it does have its moments, and I love a good slowburn. Mara and Rory are such likable and engaging characters. It's mostly a story about the slow process of healing and I really loved it! So it's not the most fast-paced story, but I think that worked well. I'm so looking forward to whatever the author might write next.

Hearts Still Beating is set in an apocalyptic world in which a zombie virus has ravaged the population, turning the infected into cannibalistic killing machines called Ticks. Scientists have developed a medication which can reverse the zombie changes and restore an affected person's humanity. Mara, who did horrendous things as a Tick, is one of these patients, called the Altered. Her treatment is successful and she going to live with her godparents and her former best friend and crush Rory. Rory has been traumatized by loss (as has all of humanity) and is resistant to Mara's arrival, worried that she will start killing again.
The story is tense, compelling, beautiful, emotional, violent and tragic. The world building was excellent. This book makes the reader think about what makes a person human vs. a monster. Hearts Still Beating is a story about the triumph and survival of love after trauma and change. I could not put it down. Thanks to BookishFirst for a gifted copy. ( )

Gory and gruesome and yet somehow still strangely sweet?

Mostly dead, Mara is about to be sent to live among humans again as an Altered version of the Ticks - the parasite that makes people want to kill and commit cannibalism. All she can hope for is that the girl she loved is still somehow alive. Rory is definitely still alive, and she's angry at the world. When authority starts to get out of control, Mara and Rory have to rely on each other to make it through.

This book gives off The Last of Us vibes, and I don't hate it. Several of the flashbacks seemed unnecessary, but I appreciate the story that was being built. This story doesn't rely much on the science aspect, which makes it easy to read. I liked Rory's family and the tension that played out between Rory and her parents. I was not a fan of the sister's vague attempt at reconciliation. It didn't feel natural to the story at all. Mara and Rory's second chance, on the other hand, played out really well.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review! ( )

I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this. Rory's hatred and anger at Mara did not ring true to me. I can see how someone could develop resentment or fear of the ex-ticks that turns to hatred. It's a little victim-blamey, a little self-centered, but it's the post-apocalypse, all these people are traumatized and grieving; they don't need to be rational or examine their reactions to their emotions. But Rory's (and Carter's, Mara's sister's) hatred felt forced. Maybe their characters just needed more development in general for me to get why they were the way they were. I could probably say the same for the villain, Mal, but he's not much of a character really, bit of a stock villain, and this story is more about the romance so it matters less.
So, the characters' behaviors were 'off' and I couldn't connect with them. Then, the non-romance plotline and the world were very standard zombie apocalypse fare, not done any better than I've seen before. There were also a lot of bits and pieces, not usually major to the plot, that took me out of the world and annoyed me. A lot of it was packed into the end, so I won't spoil anything, but the way certain things were written made the minor characters look dumb or inconsistent or made me have to put in more work than I'd like to justify how something could fit the world of the story. ( )

*reviewed from ARC courtesy of the publisher*

teen fiction, queer zombie romance/adventure
oh, it's everything you hoped for and more! Really enjoyed rooting for this couple, despite the seemingly insurmountable odds -- I mean, how can you still love someone who represents the ending of the world and the loss of your loved ones, and whose existence brought out the worst in those who remained? Well, of course Love is the answer to everything, but first they also need to survive the attacks of the megalomaniac despot in charge of "keeping the community safe." Look for this book in April 2024 -- you won't want to put it down. ( )