I'm not sure how this book managed to be wholly unique but also an amalgamation of literally every YA urban fantasy book ever. The dialog, the characters, the humor, just everything was so fun, and I laughed out loud a bunch of times. I loved the snarky MC, and I'm so happy with how her story ended. Magic, zombies, a cat named Chad, this book has so much to offer.

This book follows Sid Spencer as she fights against the evils lurking beyond the surface of her home town. As she searches for her family she finds long hidden truths.
This was such a fun book. I loved the idea of the fault lines and the magic that seeps out from them. This world felt so real and magical that when disaster strikes you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens to Sid and her friends.
I loved this new take on zombies and I absolutely adored Sid.
She was so quirky and felt so real with her anxiety and insecurities.

You’ll love this book if you enjoy
-AAPI representation
-Fantasy
-Zombies
-Found family
-Neurodivergent representation

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear was an excellent book with immersive writing.

The characters in this book were so well written. They were relatable. They had their strengths and weaknesses. The dialogue between characters felt natural, especially in the ALC. The writing style was perfectly translated into audio. Sid and Brian were so adorable!

The pacing was great, it never felt like it was too slow or too fast. Everything in this story felt natural and unforced. The representation didn’t feel like it was thrown in for the sake of having representation. The romance developed nicely without a rush.

Overall, I loved this. It had an interesting plot with great characters. The narrator was amazing! Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dead Things are Closer than They Appear
is a fantasy novel set in a town perched atop a magical fault line. One night part of the fault line suddenly breaks open, unleashing wild magic that turns some people into zombies while sparking magic inside others. Sid is an average teenager with no magic, messed up friendships, and a lot of emotions. She is not equipped for the apocalypse. But with the help of a brooding semi-stranger, an unfairly beautiful hockey player, a precocious little girl, and her brother’s grumpy cat, Sid ventures into the apocalyptic world to find her brother and maybe save the city from a very average white man drunk on power.

I appreciated the magic system used in this book: each person’s powers manifest based on who they are and what they need. It’s a great way to get insight into everyone in a fun way.

This story drew me in in a way I wasn’t expecting. I instantly attached myself to the self-conscious, emotional Sid and each of her new friends. I felt the grief, betrayal, love, and wonder with each of them as they struggled through the horrors of killing former humans, watching people die, and fearing that each moment may be their last. This is a story all about connections between people and I loved every second of it. I will warn readers that there is some gore in the form of killing zombies, gun and other physical violence, implied abuse, and character death. But *spoiler* the cat does not die.

If you want a magical adventure filled with found friends and family with a lot of heart and a solid plot, this one is for you!

Used to feeling like a secondary character, Sid isn't sure she's got what it takes to be a hero. She doesn't have much choice when someone starts trying to open up the fault lines sealing away magic, leading to a zombie apocalypse. Now Sid is not only learning secrets about her family and town, but also herself.

A great blend of humor and horror. Sid is a well-developed character whose narration pulls you in to this unique story.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear
by Robin Wasley

A young adult great for women's history month strong female characters and focus on possibilities. The book is filled with finding magic in the world. The book shows the nature of family, seeing yourself and beauty of finding your own magic. The version of zombie in this book is a new look at the classic nature of the horror tropes. The use of magic has a new twist similar to super powers and guardians that I haven't seen before.
The characters bring the readers into this world. And shows the nature of young adults and how they see them selves and their world. It teaches how we all change because of are introduced to new people and events. The main theme shows that everyone teaches us something weather our interpretation is positive or negative.

This was funny but maybe too ambitious. I wished Sid's friendships had been better-developed so we could understand why she forgave her friends for dating each other, and I wished there were more clear-cut rules to the magical system. All in all, it felt like there was too much going on: zombies, guardians, everyone developing powers, a group of baddies bent on retrieving the keys, etc.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! Wasley skilfully combines the disaster movie genre with modern second world fantasy to create a unique apocalyptic landscape for our main character to move through. The magic system is incredibly unique and used consistently to further the plot, with fragments being unveiled slowly but surely in time to be useful. The romance is a nice B-plot that compliments the rest of the action, and the focus on the main character’s insecurities and neuroses really tied the novel together for me. I’ll definitely be checking out the author’s previous works and would love to see more in this universe, though it stands well alone!

The narrator does an incredible job of making the main character’s voice unique, while still giving complexity and depth to both other character voices and narrative voice. Engaging and easy to listen to!

I had a fantastic time listening to this book! The whole premise of magic having been locked down, but in these towns, they have Guardians who protect, but theoretically could open the magic up again-and having that happen, yeah, I couldn't get enough!

I do wish I could've read a bit physically, just to get a sense for the style, because there were a few times where it felt like it jumped, and I was a bit confused about what was going on, and I think I would've better understood if I could've read it physically.

Sid is adopted, and that sense of identity is a pretty big part of the plot, of who she is, where she belongs, what she shares with others, since while she loves her family, she doesn't see herself reflected in them. So I loved what that added to the story.

The whole thing with the magic and the guardians, and the guy who wants all the power, it was almost superhero-esque, but make it the world-ending as we know it of dystopian, which was really entertaining. Plus Sid and the gang were all great to read, and I loved their different dynamics!

I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more by Robin Wasley!

I requested this book mainly for the art cover. But this really isn't my type of book.
The main character is relatable, the story development is good but slow paced. It seems to be dragged for longer than it's needed.
The writing and the storytelling is average.
I would read something from Robin Wasley again, just something more on my usual reads.

Where to begin, thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to rate & review this ARC because I absolutely loved this story.
Wasley does an impeccable job at weaving a
story about what it feels like to be on the
outside of everything when you don't fit the
mold. Sid's path of understanding herself better as well as the world around her was done very well and in a way that most can understand. I found her sense of cultural displacement very relatable as a mixed Korean kid. Wasley perfectly captures that feeling of being raised in a white household but still expected to be a certain way by strangers based on ones appearance.
I would say at times the message of the story was a bit spoon fed, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story overall and have already begun recommending it to friends. The narrator did an excellent job capturing the emotions of the scenes and I am very grateful to have had them giving voice to this story and it's characters.

The Walking Dead by way of The Raven Boys.

DEAD THINGS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR feels like an approachable, accessible and pacey story of worlds feeling as though they're ending, of survival and humans failing one another even in the face of shared (somewhat otherworldly) enemies, of forming connections and coming into yourself even as the world ends around you. What's life and self development if not a constant journey in spite of anything else, aye? The horrors persevere, but so does the teenage experience, with its own type of horror.


I think this is partly a case of "it's not you, it's me", as this is the kind of book that perhaps demands more attention from you in order to keep up than I had to give, particularly on audio. While the novel has many quieter character moments sprinkled throughout, it is mostly a fast paced action packed survival story, which isn't necessarily my usual cup of tea.

I think this achieved everything it attempted thematically without ever feeling like it spoonfed you the messages it wished to convey, and I really appreciated the follow through of this world (and these lives) forever changed in the wake of the events driving the plot forward.

Absolutely worth a go if it sounds like it'd appeal to you.

I was given the opportunity to listen to an ARC of Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley on audiobook.
Ratings
Book itself – 4 stars
Audiobook – 2 stars
Average rating – 3 stars

First, the book itself was entertaining – you were cheering on the characters and wanting them to figure out what was going on. For them to survive and make connections – putting together relationships (romantic or not) in your head as the book was going. As a reader I wanted to immerse myself to some extent with the characters, although they were a bit young. I understand that this was a YA, which is something I do not normally read much of anymore, but I teach high school. Some of the behaviors seemed a lot younger than late teenage years, but that is just my perspective. I liked this book and would recommend reading a physical, or ebook, copy of it to others – especially my students who love the fantasy realm, especially those with zombies and apocalyptic settings.

The audiobook – there is some to be desired here. Honestly, the narrator’s voice was too mature for this book. I know I said that the characters seem to be younger in some respects than that of late/older teenagers, but the narrator’s voice was too mature – more suited for an adult novel with characters potentially in their 30s. Although the narrator has won various awards, the voice did not suit the story and I did not feel as though they changed it enough with various character dialogues. I played a short 30 second clip for a few friends who love audiobooks and they agreed that the voice was too mature for teenagers. I think the audiobook would do well with a younger voice narrator that can change more for each character, or a few people/a full character cast.

Therefore, I would recommend the book but not the audiobook to others.

There was much to love about Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear, but here are my top three reasons this novel spoke to me.

First, I completely identified with Sid, the protagonist. She’s Asian, awkward, and doesn’t really feel like she belongs.

Second, the notion that vibrant communities continue to thrive after an apocalypse.

And third, Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear includes the accidental introduction of magic to previously “normal” people. No one knows how to use their new powers at first, nor even what kind of ability they’ll get. The range of the magical abilities and how they manifested made me squeal. For example, one character finds they have art-based magic!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear is about found family, betrayal, trust, and love. In this book, thriller meets fantasy in an exhilarating adventure in a small town where magic exists within a fault line. When one part of the fault line is opened, Sid is met with unexpected friends on a quest to close it back up.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. I did forget there for a second that it was YA just because the kids were in such a high-stake situation. The beginning was fun and fast paced. However, towards the end of the book it did slow down quite a bit and it wasn’t the ending I was expecting; It was anticlimactic.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this book. She embodied the characters personalities very well.

Sid Spencer is a normal teenager in a fault line town where the magic sealed away draws tourists. After a rift opens up she discovers her brother is one of eight guardians of the fault line and that magic and shells (zombie like beings) are now running loose. People besides the guardians start getting powers. Now she needs to find her brother and navigate an apocalypse.

Though this was a slow start for me, I really enjoyed the themes of family and human connection in this book. There were plenty of points that made me chuckle and cheer for these characters.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for an advanced audio book on NetGalley.

4.5 ⭐️

Sid Spencer has always been the most normal girl in her abnormal hometown, a tourist trap built over one of the fault lines that seal magic away from the world. Then someone kills one of the Guardians who protect the seal. The earth rips open and unleashes the magic trapped inside. Monsters crawl from the ground, no one can enter or leave, and the man behind it all is roaming the streets with a gang of violent vigilantes. Suddenly, Sid’s life becomes a lot less ordinary. When she finds out her missing brother is involved, she joins the remaining Guardians, desperate to find him and close the fault line for good.

This YA fantasy was a solid read. My keyword I wrote reading this was “suspenseful”. The trauma of loss and grief is a central theme. Sid has to learn how to navigate grief and how to trust others with emotions in order to build the relationships she needs to be successful. Did, the “ordinary” FMC stays pretty normal throughout the book. I absolutely recommend checking this one out.

You will never know when you assume.

The narration of this book was good. I don’t really have any major pros/cons. I liked it and wouldn’t think twice if listening to another of Wong’s performances.

audiobook ARC - thank you netgalley, Robin Wasley, and dreamscape media

this book was archived before I had a chance to read it. I can't give this a full review. I'm rating it for the potential and the blurb.

This book was an interesting and unique plot with zombies and magic. My biggest issue with the book is that there are massive plot holes that just do not make sense and make you go "mmmm I'm not sure if that tracks". Old school tropes like the quirky teen who is totally different and no one gets her was present and made my brain feel like it was stuck in the past. I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't make myself get over the issues I had when reading.

This was a fine book.. The writing is a bit young for me and not what I was looking for. I’m willing to admit this may be a purely “me” problem and I’m sure that it won’t bother all readers, but it did bother me.

There are a good handful of pop culture references which is also something I’m not a fan of and the main character really likes to talk about her hair….. but again; there are good ideas and elements within the book such as the main character’s family!

This definitely has an audience it’s intended for, it just wasn’t for me.