I picked this up based on the Yellowjackets comp, but the writing didn't work for me, unfortunately. I did absolutely love the OCD rep, especially as someone who struggles with OCD myself (I truly cannot imagine how I'd fare in the event of an apocalypse, nor do I want to ever be forced to find out). It certainly reads as YA, and I suppose I was looking for more of an upper YA in characterization.

DNF at 5%

Entirely a me issue. I thought I'd eventually be in the mood for a zombie-esque story, but I just couldn't get into it. Love the idea of someone with OCD surviving, and we always need more queer stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Racquel Marie, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group: Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I never thought I'd be into ANY sort of zombie story, but watching The Last of Us over the past 2 seasons has changed that. If We Survive This definitely filled the heart-pounding, apocalypse sized hole in my current rotation of reading/watching now that TLOU season 2 is done! This was an extremely gripping story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. If a book can have jump scares, this one definitely had some! I could literally picture the events happening on page in my mind as the story unfolded, and I think this would make a great tv series or movie. Marie's writing is vivid and atmospheric, and I appreciated the world she built around the characters. The characters themselves were interesting, if not always fully fleshed out. I felt that things got a bit repetitive throughout the story with Flora's OCD and intrusive thoughts. I appreciated the representation, but it got to the point at the end where I felt that it was distracting a bit and just repeating the same things over and over. Same with Cain, Adan, and Cristina. None of them progressed beyond a certain point in character growth or development for me personally, and I wasn't super emotionally connected to any of the characters. I also thought that the ending with the introduction of conflict and certain characters was a bit jarring and came out of left field. I did enjoy the queer representation though! I think this will definitely be a hit with teen audiences too, since this is a YA read, but there is enough action in it that I enjoyed it as a 27-year-old overall too.

If We Survive This completely pulled me in from the very first page. What I appreciated most was how much heart Racquel Marie poured into this story. It’s not just another survival or "zombie" book; it’s something much more intimate, layered, and beautifully written. The emotional depth of the characters, paired with the constant undercurrent of danger, created a reading experience that had me literally reading while on the treadmill, adrenaline pumping, unable to put it down.

The dual timeline structure was incredibly effective. The shifts between “then” and “now” made the character development feel authentic and earned. Seeing the main character evolve from her younger, more naive self into a grown woman with a much deeper understanding of herself and the world around her made the stakes feel personal and real. The contrast between these timelines was one of the book’s biggest strengths.

Pacing-wise, the structure was smart. Longer chapters early on allowed the world-building and relationships to fully develop, while the shorter, faster chapters toward the end heightened the tension and urgency perfectly. By the time the romance really began to unfold, the pacing gave me space to fully invest in the emotional side of the story, without feeling overshadowed by the action. The LGBTQIA+ representation was handled with care and authenticity. The diversity of the characters felt organic, never performative, and their identities were simply part of who they were, which made their stories even more meaningful.

On top of that, the plot twists and, oftentimes, unreliable narrator kept me questioning everything and everyone. I was never sure who to trust, which only added to the tension and emotional pull of the story.

If We Survive This is a rare kind of survival novel, one that balances action, heart, and character-driven storytelling with incredible skill.

Somehow the author is able to balance her trademark emotional YA with a zombie apocalypse and I loved it. Specifically I found the characters to be relatable, but more than that I found our lead very interesting. Showing how a person with OCD would react to a world where a zombie infection runs rampant was truly a stroke of genius, and then making it somehow relatable to a younger audience was just beautiful.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this in the beginning. Some of the wording from the protagonist threw me off. However this book gets stronger with every page. I think the flashback scenes went on for a little long sometimes, but in the end I throughly enjoyed this book. The ending was so special. Mentally ill lesbians with siblings rise up 💪

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy! To those looking to read it, I do think Yellowjackets is a good comparison. and the Last of Us, but specifically the episode with Bill!

Zombie apocalypse stories typically make me squeamish (in film/tv) so I had never thought to read one. However, I saw Racquel Marie speak about this book at YallWest and she mentioned how she gets scared too but reading horror can be easier to handle than seeing it. I'm so glad she said that because it convinced me to read her first horror, and it's incredible! Flora was such a great character to follow. She reminded me a lot of myself which gave me an interesting insight into how I might fair in a situation like this. So fun and thrilling (and scary but I was able to handle it!) Definitely recommend If We Survive This!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an eARC!

I love literally everything that Racquel writes so I wasn’t surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I’m weird with apocalypse stories because I just cannot understand the mindset of wanting to survive that and I still don’t get it but I loved this take on it! Maybe it’s because I could understand Flora on a very personal level with the ocd and anxiety that basically consumed her life. It was fascinating to read a story about survival from the perspective of someone that has spent their whole life trying to control their fear of death and now having to deal with the very real nightmare of the end of the world. Just a fantastic story, with the perfect open ending (everyone will probably not agree with me on that one though) and a really messy but lovable cast of characters!

If We Survive This is a heart in your mouth YA horror story all about survival and family.

As soon as I heard Yellowjackets meets The Last of Us, I was sold. Luckily, this more than lives up to that comparison with a tense and terrifying read. The stakes feel tangible and the danger is very real, both in terms of the “rabids” and humans alike. Marie creates a wonderfully claustrophobic atmosphere, even as the world opens up on this intrepid journey. It is a horrible world where society has collapsed and the apocalypse has hit, bringing out the worst in some of the people that remain. Marie conveys this darkness perfectly but also adds threads of hope and snatches of happiness. This is not a clear-cut story but it is an ode to survival against the odds and found family that becomes your own community.

At the centre of it all is Flora, battle-tough and weary from fighting for her remaining family. She is smart, determined and deeply loyal with a vulnerability just hidden behind those carefully curated walls. I also really liked the way Marie explored her OCD and anxiety in this environment. It was sensitively explored and nuanced. There are some scenes where she grapples with her survival that are heart-wrenching. In particular, Marie explores surviving when you didn’t want to – that overwhelming flood of emotions where it feels easier to let go. It is poignant and powerful in its honesty. The situation has taken it to the extremity of the zombie apocalypse, but the themes explored are universal and sure to land with readers who may need to hear it.

If We Survive This cuts deep in its character-driven story with some incredible twists and turns – it keeps its heart through the bloody zombie apocalypse.

A cute little found family “zombie” book. Using rabies was a clever way to bring about the apocalypse without reinventing the wheel.

The OCD rep was different and introduced a whole new horror I’d never even thought about in this scenario. Ultimately my only gripe with this book was introducing a “villain” right at the ending and it feeling almost like a different book. It was good and could’ve been introduced earlier

Oh, this broke my heart so many times. It has a searingly accurate portrayal of what it’s like to live with OCD and intrusive thoughts. Flora’s brain is constantly showing her images of herself or her loved ones dying in horrific ways. You know when you’re really frightened for your life? That’s been Flora’s daily reality for years before a rabies mutation turns the majority of the population into “rabids” whose sole purpose is to eat the uninfected. You might she’s made to survive the zombie apocalypse. But at what cost, though!! It has to be extremely exhausting to be in a state of fight or flight all the time. I have some experience with this, having anxiety and intrusive thoughts myself, but nowhere near as severe as Flora. It really breaks my heart that some people go through this their whole lives.

With regard to the plot, Flora and her brother Cain leave LA, planning to reach a cabin they had previously vacationed at, all the way up in Northern California. It’s dangerous to stay…but it’s also dangerous to leave. There are rabids everywhere, and when they run into people who have also managed to survive, they have to ask themselves—what have THEY done to survive…

I honestly love zombie apocalypse stories. I don’t like serious, horrifying, give-you-nightmares horror, like “It” or “Pet Sematary”—but I do love me a good “we must journey across this ruined wasteland full of undead” tale. Call me crazy. It’s just my jam. So this book scratched that itch for me. I will warn you, though…this has TREMENDOUS amounts of blood and gore. Like, buckets of viscera. Slip-sliding in undead goo. You catch my drift?

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was engaged from the tagline "The Walking Dead meets Yellowjackets" and also from the cover and description, it had that horror element that I was looking for and was engaged from start to finish. The characters were everything that I was wanting and worked well in this universe. The concept was so well done and was invested in what was happening in this. Racquel Marie has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a very well-written and heart-pounding novel from this author. I really was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the story. The way she writes the book makes it feel like you are in this exact scenario with Flora, our main character. The world-building, as well, is amazing. It was more showing than telling when it came to building this dystopian world that everyone now lives in. We really felt things along with our main characters. Be prepared to have heart-wrenching moments as well. It was not just about surviving this post-apocalyptic world, but also surviving your own inner demons.
I really liked the dynamic and relationship exploration between the siblings Cain and Flora as they navigated this world together in search of their father, whom they believed had sent them a message, thus leading to this main adventure. I also liked the time hopping between when things were normal, so that we could establish their dynamic with their families before the main timeline and the switch to the current timeline. Who these characters are in the current timeline and how they act with one another and themselves is highly dependent on the characterization and establishment of their lives in the past, leading up to this current dystopian world.

This book, particularly Flora herself, took me completely by surprise. The zombie genre already comes with the expectations of exploring survival, but it tends to paint such a large world view with grandness and action that I haven't felt truly settled into an apocalyptic world. Yet, there is something so unbelievably human about this story. It's a story of survival, humanity, mercy, and love that wouldn't shy away from displaying what it means to live in danger every single day. The danger was my first inkling of what this book was capable of, specifically in how none of the characters could be deemed safe. The gore and harsh choices made by everyone isn't simply a reflection of the world, its about how they fit into this new reality.

Flora, at her core, is a sister trying to navigate a world that is everything she could have feared. Her OCD isn't something that can be pushed back any second for the sake of advancing the plot, its there to stay and permeate through her worldview. Flora isn't written for you to simply glance at and think "Wow that's difficult, can't imagine", you are quite literally thrown into her perspective. This and the use of the flashbacks built a character who can't dismiss the way her brain works, but rather forces us to ask how would one survive.

Marie, by utilizing the rabies origin for her zombie lore, brings into question what it means to be human. More importantly, what it means to stay human when you are constantly subverting social expectations. During moments where this is asked, either upfront or subtly, the affection and love found in people is what shined through. Maintaining those little moments of humanity strengthened the emotional gut-punches in this book.

A heavy read that never holds itself back from igniting our real fear of grief and hesitation towards surviving a world that is actively working against it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for this free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for providing this eARC, and to Colored Pages Book Tours for having me as one of the hosts for this book tour!

Racquel Marie does not disappoint in this incredibly horrific, very grim story, filled to the brim and crafted with so much love!

Throughout this book I was BAWLING my eyes out, and left unable to step away from this story for even a moment!

Please please please check out this incredible book, I promise you won’t regret it!!

4 stars

I've read and enjoyed several of Racquel Marie's books and was surprised - and admittedly a little skeptical - when I learned about the focus of this newest one. Fortunately, I was pleased with the outcome!

Flora is not quite thriving but thus far is surviving during a bizarre, end of days style event. A huge privilege she has that is not afforded to most is that her older brother is with her. There's been a lot of loss otherwise, but this bond is invaluable and definitely coveted by others they encounter. Her brother's presence also facilitates Flora's memories of the past with her parents, which brings her some joy and a lot of pain.

While it did take me a minute to get into this book, once I did, I became really invested in Flora's outcomes AND in what the rest of the characters experienced. I also really enjoyed the way the past memories were woven seamlessly into Flora's contemporary perceptions and experiences. She processes grief and loss in a relatable, realistic way, and this makes her unrealistic (I hope! Who knows what's next for us in these weird times?!) experiences feel more connected to readers and their potential encounters with loss, uncertainty, and fear.

I enjoyed how distinct this book felt compared to this author's previous work. It still possesses many of the characteristic features I enjoy in their earlier efforts but also shows some exciting variety in scope. This is a dark one (which should be apparent based on literally everything one can ascertain about it before reading!), but it's an intriguing read.

Absolutely crushed this post-apocalyptic masterpiece in one night. It was just everything I wanted in a zombie horror tale. Queer latinx characters, a thorough examination of grief and mental illness, with the perfect amount of gore and monster smashing. I am scouring all of author Racquel Marie's socials for any bit of info on her process writing this book as its so much more than what's described in the synopsis. I've already started my re-read to catch all the little morsels I may have missed. Please go get yourself of a copy of this book. You won't regret it.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This is very abnormal for me to say for a dystopia but oh my gosh this arc took me forever to finish. Like over 2 weeks which is usually very abnormal for me. This by all means was not badly written but it took way too long to get going. The first half drags so much that this book put me in a reading slump. It gets MUCH better around halfway through but before that, I wanted more horror, more darkness, more gripping. Instead, a lot of this almost felt like a contemporary with the backdrop of an apocalyptic zombie setting?

In what I would consider an effective dystopia, I’m usually on the edge of my seat, horrified by the brutality of the characters’ circumstances. For most of this book, I didn’t get that, not until maybe about 60% in. I zipped through the second half in one sitting but the first half took me WEEKS to get through. It does get better, but it takes forever to get to that.

I’d also say this is more character driven than plot driven. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, if that’s your taste, but I usually don’t personally care for anything remotely coming of age. I will say though, BIG bonus points for the scenes with all the dogs. As a big dog lover it pulled at my heartstrings to see dogs happy and thriving and safe (as safe as you could be in a zombie apocalypse). A dog is a main character in the first part of the book but the dog is A ok, so more bonus points for that! Best parts of this book were the parts with the dogs and Biscuit absolutely is the best character in this book. I loved the parts with the dogs so much I almost wanted to bump this rating up a star just for that, because that really tugged on my heartstrings and I am super biased towards dogs.

I’ve always been a dystopia girl and while zombie dystopias usually aren’t my thing, I’m not new to them. I loved the Forest of Hands and Teeth and This Is Not a Test, and I was hoping that this book would be somewhat like the latter. Especially with a safe house cabin as the end goal, I compared it to This Is Not a Test in my mind a lot because of that similarity, but it just lacked the intensity that book had. This Is Not a Test had me racing towards the end because I was dying to know how it was going to end and how they were going to get out of this, and I was really hoping to feel that with this book too.

I will occasionally read a contemporary but not often, and as someone who doesn’t like anything remotely close to coming of age or character driven focused books, this was not my personal taste. But, not every reader has the same preferences as me and this may be someone else’s cup of tea. It does get a lot better, it just takes too long to get to that point.

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

DNF at 20%, I enjoyed Racquel Marie’s contemporaries, but I just wasn’t into this. The dual timeline style (especially with first person present in both for some reason) really didn’t work for me, so I kept being jerked out of the story.

I completely devoured this book - pun very much intended. I love a good zombie story, but this was really exceptional! The imagery was so good, I felt like I was watching a new spin-off of The Walking Dead. There were several scenes that really got my heart pumping! I can hardly believe that this is Marie’s first go at a horror novel - it’s so good!

Flora is one of my new favorite FMCs ever. I related so much to her as someone who also has OCD and knows exactly how those spiraling intrusive thoughts feel. I’ve often considered how I’ll fair when (ok, ok... IF) the zombie apocalypse happens, and Flora is exactly what I’ve imagined. Prepared, because we’ve always seen death around ever corner. Afraid, but doing what needs to be done anyway. Fierce, because we’ve been fighting to survive from day one - and survive we will.