I feel so bad about what I'm about to say because ultimately, I DID like the romance and thought the representation was good. The emotional descriptions were also very well written but...

I just feel like, if my sister came back from the dead and while unsettling in some ways was more or less still her, I would be grateful and happy and not miserable and weird. Skill issue.

Hate in the book seemed forced, world seemed vague. That feels like the case with a lot of zombie books but this one felt particularly egregious and underdeveloped. I had a hard time sensing where and when we were in relation to the plot. Also, my goodness a "she's actually immune" trope? In the year of our Lord 2024? Let's be serious...
I do have students that I will recommend this to and it will likely be a new fave for them.

Unfortunately I don’t think I’m a post apocalyptic girlie like I thought I was and also zombie’s I guess. I used to be a HUGE fan thank to the walking dead but I just going get passed the first couple of chapters unfortunately so I did end up DNF’ing this one but 100% believe it’s a me issues and not an issues with the story.

This book was incredible! I was surprised at how quickly I was sucked into the story. I was in live with Rory’s character arc and how she was able to parse through her conflicting feelings surrounding those she loved and her place in the remnants of her world. Mara’s tenuous hold to her humanity was such an interesting thing explored throughout the hook as well. Her development was very well done, and I think the pacing was exactly how it needed to he to supply us with such a gratifying ending. All in all, it’s a book I will recommend to anyone looking for a post-apocalyptic/horror type novel with bi/lesbian representation.

It’s a cute zombie book, or an almost-zombie book, very much like that movie Warm Bodies, maybe combined with some other stories. I love Mara, Rory, Raisa, Noah, Isaac, Sam, and even Carter. It’s a sad story, but it’s also hopeful and beautiful. It’s also not a new idea at all. The monsters who aren’t entirely monsters, who are coming back to life, turning more human, made more human by love and by medicine, and the humans after the world ends who are more monstrous than the monsters. It’s definitely not a new concept. I still enjoyed it though, and I expect fans of horror and zombie stories will adore it as well.

I really enjoyed the strong Last Of Us vibes that this book has. The main characters are wonderful and I just really enjoyed everything about this book.

I loved this book so much, I had a slow time reading this at the beginning, but then it hit around 30 percent and I was hooked all the way til the end, like this is definitely a genre that the author should stick with!k

I had so much fun reading this book! A young adult, dystopian zombie lesbian love story!?!?! Sign me up.

Such a great debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author! I love a dual pov and I thought this book did great dual pov storytelling.
It's reminiscent of the 2000s dystopian novels we all loved with a fresh twist on zombies and queer romance.
Had such a fun time reading this one!!!

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review and OH MY F*CKIN GOD!!! It was so good. Action packed, deep, sapphic, perfect for fans of The Last of Us. When I have more coherent thoughts I’ll share them but 5 stars forever.

I'm not sure what it was, but this one fell flat for me. I didn't really connect with either of the main characters, which made it hard to be invested in the story. I think my students will like the plot, though, and it's always nice to find a sapphic story appropriate for my younger teen students.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

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.

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.