I do believe sapphic zombie books are my absolute favorite so i jumped to add this to the list. So very glad to say it makes a wonderful addition! I loved the pacing of this story and the family aspects. Working through an apocalypse is hard enough but adding a family thats actually alive was refreshing. The OCD representation is something that I didn't know I needed. It made the story more real and relatable for me. I really enjoyed this story and brb gonna go make sure I read the rest of her work!

actual rating: 2.5. i relate to Flora on a spiritual level, and only a spiritual level. since, you know, we are not living through a zombie apocalypse. plus the fact that i would be one of the first to die if the zombie apocalypse. other than that, i found the book to be rather enjoyable. my only problem was with the dual timelines. the constant switching from then and now took me out of the story. it would have been better if it was just the now timeline as i did not see any substance that was added by the then timeline. the ending though??? chef’s kiss!! i loved it so much, it definitely saved the book for me.

The prose needed to be tighter in order to match the intensity of the premise, and the main character's choices felt inconsistent, as though her choices were being made to serve the plot rather than her character.

A zombie apocalypse novel with a lesbian POC protagonist with OCD? Yeah, obviously. Hand it over.

The blurb does not mention the OCD, but I could tell from about page 3 before it was even named (and I do applaud the author for actually using the word "OCD" on page). As somebody in treatment for severe OCD, I was beyond elated to see a girl like me as a protagonist in a zombie apocalypse book. This is definitely the first time I've ever seen something like this and I'm so happy.

If you think about it, OCD makes somebody both an excellent and a terrible candidate for surviving a pandemic of zombieitis, which in this case is a mutated form of rabies. Keep in mind I'm generalizing here, but people with OCD often have excellent attention to detail. However, they are terrible at thinking about anything else besides their obsessions and often have a hard time thinking logically. And that's the parallel we see in Flora: her sharp, obsessive mind helps keep her loved ones alive, while simultaneously pushing them away because she's afraid of hurting them or dealing with the grief of losing them.

A blend of The Walking Dead meets Turtles All the Way Down that kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated this book's take on Zombies. It was a little different, but just as sad and dangerous a reality. The book moves at a fairly quick pace and is full of action, but it is certainly character driven.

Flora is an interesting character and I think her mental health was fully explored and developed here which gave her depth as a character but I also found her often foolhardy and mostly selfish, something she thinks she's grown out of by the end of the book but that she really hasn't. She does fight for and save others, but much of her actions are self-serving in some way. Though, again, flawed characters seem more realistic.

My one issue was the conflict here. Yes, there are zombies and those are an ever-pressing threat but a villain is introduced 3/4 of the way through the book and very little time was spent developing who they were. I think the book could have benefited from a little more of this.

Overall, a solid, well-written read that many are sure to enjoy.

If We Survive This is not just a zombie story. It depicts the rawness of a teenage girl grappling with the overwhelming amount of love and grief she has bottled-up in her body, all while attempting to balance both her physical and mental struggle for survival at the end of the world.

The summary of this book is what drew me in, but it was our main character, Flora, that kept me turning each page. Flora was not only an interesting and relatable main character, she was also complex. In fact, each of the main characters felt fully fleshed out and served a purpose. The only ones who didn’t quite meet that mark were our villains. Although the foreshadowing and lead up to their introduction was plentiful, their presentation and resolution itself felt abrupt and short. The true enemies of any zombie story will always be the humans. This story was no different, which was apparent in the way all of our main characters talked about their world. However, we don’t really get to see a descriptive example of this until close to the end. Because of this, the human villains of the story fell flat for me.

If We Survive this did a great job of forwarding the plot and helping us understand Flora. I’m usually not a fan of stories switching back-and-forth from past and present, but this one did a great job of it. The transitions were smooth, made sense plot-wise, and every dive into the past gave us insight into our main characters feelings and motivations. Flora had clearly changed since the start of the apocalypse, but her character had truly developed by the end of the book. Her relationships with her brother, love interest, and friends she gained along the way were integral to her change, but it was the relationship she had with herself that truly blossomed.

This is a great YA zombie book, but I wouldn’t necessarily put it in the same category as Yellowjackets, which is much more guttural in its horror and gore. Although, this book does have plenty of graphic, stomach turning depictions of zombie-killing, don’t be fooled! If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic story centered around the fight to survive the outside world as well as your own mind, then I highly recommend giving If We Survive This a try.

Thank you to Net-Galley for providing me with an early copy of this story in exchange for an honest review!

First off I want to say that this book was so good!! I loved it because it reminded me of The Last of Us (an apocalypse game turned tv show) I wish there was more romance in it, but loved every page nonetheless. It had a good storyline and I liked that it went back and forth between timelines. I thought that was really cool and fun!! I think I found my new favorite genre!! I want to thank NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for creating this book!! And for letting me read it early!! It’s been on my TBR for a long time and I’m so glad and excited that I got a chance to read it!! Apocalypse horror is definitely a new favorite genre of mine!! I fell in love with these characters from this book. It felt like I was in the book with them. It was a very fun read and I can’t to read more from NetGalley!!

This book was such a ride. The back and forth timelines coupled with the exploration of the dynamics of the characters relationships was so well done. The way queerness was not a plot device but an integral part of the characters was refreshing and so beautifully done. All of this paired with the “zombie apocalypse” made for a fantastic book that I would absolutely recommend to others who read in this genre.

This book encompassed what it's like having OCD, intrusive thoughts, experiencing death, and finding the will to survive and having the fear to survive it too. This was a very impactful and downright emotional story, but it hooked me in right away. This book pulled me in right from the beginning! We got straight into the story, which I really appreciated! The twists were making my heart pound, I was like, "What's going to happen next?!?" This gave me the ultimate zombie apocalypse story I've always wanted, especially, because, wow I really relate to Flora. I love you Flora!!!

The writing is beautiful. I have so many powerful, life changing quotes in here for myself, but I am not going to share them, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone. This pulled at my heartstrings and put my broken heart back together. This is a very memorable read. In some ways, it even reminded me of The Walking Dead, because of how character-driven this book was, but even if you don't love a fully centered character-driven story, I think people can be sucked into the story, but, I also think this book is good for those who don't mind reading about a morally gray character. Our morally grey character, who is also the main character, Flora is defiantly flawed, but I LOVE my characters to be written exactly like this!! Though this is a YA book and I'm an adult reading this, I think anyone would love this book really, but like I mentioned above if you don't like morally gray characters this book may not be for you, but if you do, you should defiantly read this!! The gore may be too much for some people, but since it is a horror, you should expect nothing less, but do look up the trigger warnings and I've mentioned some above as well. Either way this book and story made me want to cry out at the end. I LOVE THIS BOOK WITH MY WHOLE HEART. I defiantly recommend!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

close enough. welcome back the last of us!

by on a serious note, this book was so good. it was giving 28 days later, last of us, this is not test and i loved it! it’s starts a bit slow but then suddenly you just keep getting punched in the face by everything that is happening. raquel marie knows how to make me sad

If you love a character-driven story with a little death, danger, and monsters, this is the book for you. Oh, also, LGBTQ+ (specifically lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans), OCD, and anxiety representation.

I am reeling from this read and sitting in my thoughts about it. I might come back later to tidy up this review but here are random thoughts and highlights.

Things I loved:

- jumping in the apocalypse without lead up
- the mystery surrounding Cris and Adán and all the little hints building up around then
- grief and terror and death
- honest humor, it made me laugh while rapids were around every corner
- how many times my stomach dropped
- plot twists! So many secrets and untold things
- FLORA!!! Relatable, distressed Flora with the kindest heart

It feels like a mystery at times, more than horror even. The reason people love apocalypse stories is because of the commentary on humanity, the complexity it explores of survival. This book hits that nail right on the head.

I am so insanely relieved the book didn’t end in one of my least favorite ways. The emotions I felt in the last fifty pages were intense and hurt my chest, which is something I avoid in books. Maybe it was a little unfulfilling without SEEING the end-end, if that makes sense, but in this.. it was perfect.

I never thought an apocalypse book could make it into my favorites. With my zombie phobia (which I wonder if literature is actually okay with it), I certainly didn’t expect to love it so much.

It’s poetic and the words are just SO good. The narrative, the language, the plot twists, the humanity.

The twists make me understand Flora so much deeper. Her hurt and distance, her armor and her fragility. I see myself in her and her reactions. Maybe a piece of this book healed my fear of apocalypse, knowing somebody similar to me (though autistic on my end) could survive. Even in this fictional world Marie wrote.

The only “bad” part was the small lull in the middle where it felt they weren’t progressing in the story. Other than that. Wow. Five stars, added to favorites.

BTW I stayed up past my usual sleep time to finish it. That good! I will absolutely be buying this for my bookshelf when it releases.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me this eARC. I give my review honestly!

excellent zombie apocalypse book with great queer and anxiety rep! our protag is really fun, and the then works great. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for an early eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

RATING: 3.25/5

Racquel Marie has grown to become one of my favorite authors of queer YA lit; her book "You Don't Have a Shot" is one of my favorite sapphic romances and her stories always feel so unique, exploring facets of the female teenage psyche that is so utterly familiar. Unfortunately, I did feel like "If We Survive This" is one of her weaker stories, and coupled with a horror trope that I'm not the biggest fan of, this book just did not end up working for me.

That being said, there were a handful of elements that felt really well done, which ended up preventing me from DNF-ing this story entirely. The OCD representation portrayed through Flora and told through the author's own experiences, felt glaringly authentic, exploring the stark reality of living with OCD and refusing to shy away from the debilitating aspects of the mental illness. Unlike with other OCD rep books I've read, Flora's relationship with her OCD felt intrinsically wound into her personhood, an aspect of herself that also fully encompasses her being instead of being a separate part of her. I enjoyed the ways in which we see how her OCD is both a benefit and a hinderance during a zombie invasion dystopic world, as well as the ways that Flora comes to terms with her OCD.

The world-building and world-immersion also felt like really strong points for me; the descriptions of the Rabids were viscerally gory and intricately disgusting, fully exposing readers to the true horrors of living in a world with such monsters. The lore behind their incarnation felt immensely well thought-out, and I enjoyed seeing the level of detail the author put into encapsulating all the ways, both big and small, that a rabies-fueled infection would affect a society. In this way, the isolation, the paranoia, and the flightiness of the cast of characters makes perfect sense given the circumstances that they continually find themselves in. However, this leads into what didn't work as well for me: the character work.

Flora is a complicated and messy character from page one; she's grappling with the apocalypse, keeping her brother alive, finding refuge in the midst of it all, she's got a lot going on! Cain is a good foil for her character, offering a happy-go-lucky attitude as he struts about the world attempting to still see the good in everything. And then the pair meet Crisanta and Adán, one a shocking glimpse from the past and the other a complete mystery, both harboring a tight-lipped secret. On a foundational level, each of these characters are firm in their motivations and their beliefs, which make each of them, and their dynamic, highly compelling to follow.

But as the plot begins to develop, it feels like each of these characters are locked into a stasis. Flora refuses to trust Crisanta and Adán contrasted by Cain who immediately wants to trust that his old friend has their best interests at heart, Crisanta and Adán refuse to divulge their secret, which all make for characters that feel unmoving; that is, until the 85% mark. At this point, within one single chapter, every secret about every single one of these characters is laid bare. But with this occurring so late in the story and with the reveal being such an upheaval of the characters, it almost feels like readers wasted their time with such a large part of the story. In tandem, the rest of the story feels like a mad dash in order to regain the reader's trust and re-establish characterization. As a result, the ending is severely weakened despite the story's strong beginnings. All in all, I did enjoy a majority of the elements of this story, but unfortunately the poor character writing will always end up tanking a story's potential for me.

This was an amazing zombie apocalypse novel! I really enjoyed the dual timeline and the parallels between them.
The characters were felt like real people and their relationships made this book so compelling. Watching them hold on to their humanity and compassion and love when it seems impossible to do so.
This is a 5 star read!

If a book can be both utterly gorgeous and off-the-charts gorey at the same time, this is it. Marie has taken the best of zombie apocalypse stories and Yellowjackets to create a fascinating story about survival and the courage to love in the face of despair. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and Racquel Marie for the eArc of If We Survive This.

If we survive this is a fantastic sapphic, zombie, survival novel ( try saying that when you're drunk!) Even though it took me a little bit to engage in the storyline, I enjoyed this very much. Our MC, Flora and her Brother, Cain battle across the city to make their way to a cabin to met their Dad. Battling Rabids ( our zombie friends who contacted a virus ) are sly creatures and Flora will do what she can do protect her Brother and further more other survivors.

Even though this is essentially a YA book, I loved it and I don't understand why some adult readers shy away from YA books ( each to their own I know ) Racquel has a beautiful writing style and her characters are wonderfully built. The plot is medium paced with a bit of everything, teen angst, being frightened of dying, frightened of living, self discovery, survival, all bundled up with zombies! I can't ask for any more.

I also loved that this book is set on a dual timeline, building in our characters past and how that's all relevant in the now narrative. I would definintly love to see more of our MC, flora and her found family.

4.25 for Storygraph. 4 stars for other review sites.

I love a good zombie apocalypse book and this delivered it!

The book was so fast-paced and a page-turner that I cannot stop reading it. I easily read this in one-sitting, and I do adore it.

This is horror, mind you and it really was creepy at times.

Plot wise, it's so gripping and intense yet balanced out with the emotional depths we see from the characters and they made me feel seen that I can relate to each and everyone. I did love the mental health representation on this book. The general themes of this book hits hard especially with the friendship or found family and just wanting to protect your family at all costs.

This is my first book of this author, and I am happy to say that I love her so I will keep an eye out on her books now.

Thank you NetGalley & Feiwel & Friends for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If We Survive This is an emotional dystopian/zombie book that follows Flora and her brother Cain navigating the end of the world. With a dead mom and missing father, they are totally on their own - until they aren't. Familiar faces, new allies and even newer enemies will stand between them and their family cabin.

I really liked the mental health aspect of this book; Flora deals with debilitating anxiety, OCD and intrusive thoughts, and I found myself relating to her a lot. I often think in the same destructive cycles as her, and loved seeing it written out in a dystopian. The book is fast-paced and intense, and kept my attention from start to finish.

I did remove a star as I did not personally love the end, but still enjoyed 90% of the story, so you still get my 4 star, bookie.

I definitely recommend this to any lovers of sapphic zombie stories with all the feels.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC!


All 👏 Zombie 👏 Books 👏 Should 👏 Be 👏 Sapphic 👏

This book? Incredible. Am I biased because it's sapphics taking on zombies? Yes. Should everyone still read it? Absolutely.

Flora's survival in a zombie outbreak, while taking care of her injured older brother and battling her own OCD, is put to the test when she runs into a former friend and past crush. Her will to keep her brother alive keeps her going throughout the book, and the reader is treated to the gripping realities of a teenager having to make brutal choices in the name of survival. Flora and her love interest have a very will they/won't they as Flora tries to figure out who she can trust and what her new normal looks like.

Trigger warnings for lots of gore. This book borderlines on YA/NA with the violence, but still manages to swing to the YA side of things.

Thank for NetGalley for an ARC of Raquel Marie’s newest book!!

As a fan of Raquel Marie & a zombie apocalypse, I was looking forward to this release!! It did not disappoint! Without spoilers, I will say both the main characters had me rooting and tense for them throughout the book. I also do love a friends-enemies-lovers troupe, so I recommend it if you’re into that!
The most interesting take that makes this book stand out, was that our MC was dealing with OCD during a literal virus outbreak! Flora is a girl just trying to survive in a world that never was meant for her I think that plot point alone (which was handled beautifully btw) should be a reason this book should stand out among others. I would have preferred maybe more of a closed ending, or like a detailed epilogue to see where everyone ended up but I suppose that’s the fun of it all, I’ll never know and I will have to just live with that!😁
4/5 Don’t miss out on this read