(Advance Listening Copy (ALC) courtesy of NetGalley and RBmedia/Recorded Books.)

I can't 5⭐ this hard enough.

VERY important note: There is a precious little old dog in this book, and the second she was introduced, I emphatically announced, “If this dog dies, I'm rating this one star. Full stop.” Refer to the above star rating for the outcome.

The rep in this story is phenomenal. I loved the Latinx representation and the natural interspersing of Spanish dialogue — nothing forced. The queer representation is just as refreshing. The romance feels real and complicated, not sanitized, not overly melodramatic. Just authentically teen, even as the world ends.

There’s also a reveal involving a trans character that’s done in such a natural, low-key way: not a big moment, just another part of who this person is. It’s not the point of the story, but it’s there, and it matters. And it’s really damn cool to see.

Flora’s OCD and intrusive thoughts were probably my favorite part of the book. Brutally realistic, incredibly woven into the narrative. Mental health doesn’t disappear just because you’re busy surviving zombies, and this book gets that.

Flora has realistic flaws. She holds grudges. She’s petulant sometimes. She thinks she knows best and that relying on others will get people killed. But she also loves fiercely, even when she tries not to.

Where the ending seemed to be going almost lost me. It seemed like we were going to take a nosedive from 5 ⭐ to 1⭐… No spoilers: just check my final rating for the verdict.

🎧AUDIO-SPECIFIC:
The narration was low-key and perfect for the story. Narrated by the author, and honestly? She nails it. Flora’s delivery is flat, but purposefully so. This is Flora’s POV: she tries to stay numb, to hold herself steady, to shut out the chaos. It never broke immersion, in fact, it made it stronger.

TL;DR: A brutal, beautiful story of found family, queer love, and survival. The wholesome and the bitter, the heartbreak and the healing. This book earns every tear it wrings from you.

If We Survive This is a post apocalyptic YA zombie title. The family aspects of this story reminded me of Amber Kizer's A Matter of Days. Flora keeps going to keep her brother safe while also protecting him from the truth about their father's fate. Teens will find lots to love in Flora's story. Recommended for all YA collections!

I listened to If We Survive This thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia. This story is thoughtful, at times gruesome, but mostly deeply human — as I think any zombie-apocalyptic narrative should be. It balances the horror of the outbreak with a sensitive and layered portrayal of mental health. The author delivers a nuanced story centered on Flora, a teen navigating OCD, trauma, and anxiety in the middle of societal collapse.

The novel portrays Flora’s intrusive thoughts and constant fear not just as background, but as central to her survival journey. Her emotional landscape is just as tense and unpredictable as the post-apocalyptic one she travels through with her brother.

While the pacing is more measured than action-packed, the narrative is strong and character-driven. And I definitely loved the queer and diverse representation!

Having said that, the audiobook was a letdown. Though I enjoyed the overall story, I struggled a lot with the narration. The tone was flat throughout — the same delivery in quiet reflections, tense scenes, and emotional moments. It felt more like someone who was bored was reading aloud than performing a story, which really took away from the impact of many key moments.

Ultimately, I’d recommend skipping the audio version. Do get a print or e-copy instead. This is for readers who appreciate introspective, emotionally grounded storytelling in dystopian settings, this is could worth your time.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia, Recorded Books for the audio arc.

“Lightning struck, except death isn’t lightning, its the Sun setting because it rose”

I was not aware of Racquel Marie’s talent, I was expecting this to be a fun little zombie survivor romp. What I got instead was an emotionally charged coming of age story, with brutal Mental health and queer representation.
I know everyone will love Biscuit and Adan, will cheer for the small joys and love stories that flow throughout this book. In my eyes the real star is our FMC Flora. Flora who, if you are blessed with a brain that does not always play fair, you cannot help but see your self in. Marie’s prose and deep understanding of the struggle of trying to find yourself while your body works against you creates a beautiful tough and flawed main character, whose name fits her perfectly.

I truly appreciated that Flora being queer was not a struggle for her, we didn’t lean in at all into your normal tropes of coming out and living as a queer teenager (we didn’t have time there were zombies!). The focus on her mental health and struggles during and prior to the outbreak, how they affected her relationships, her world was also so present, I may have gasp allowed a few times, the quote at the top actually made me pause the audio.

Speaking of which this Audio book was stellar, reading her own work and words really gave the connections to the story.

All in all this is a must have - Ill probably be ordering a physical copy

“Death will come knocking whether I invite it over or not and one day I would have to answer, dreading its arrival until then”

Although marketed as YA horror, I wouldn’t personally classify If We Survive This in that genre.

At the heart of this novel is fear - especially the kind that lives deep inside. Flora has lived with undiagnosed OCD for years, carefully masking her intrusive thoughts and anxiety behind a polished exterior. Outwardly, she may seem like a girl preoccupied with appearances, but internally, she’s battling constant dread. Her greatest fear? Death.

But that was before. Now, in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak, Flora no longer cares about how she appears - even though her OCD still roars inside her mind. Everything has changed. She runs. She fights. She survives. And above all, she does everything she can to protect her younger brother, Cain. Yet, as he wisely tells her: “You don’t always have to be the hero.”

The sibling dynamic between Flora and Cain is one of the book’s strongest elements.

This is not a high-octane zombie thriller. It’s a character-driven, emotionally resonant coming-of-age story about a queer teen with OCD navigating both internal and external chaos. With flashbacks to a life before the outbreak interwoven with her struggle to survive in the present, the novel explores themes of mental illness, found family, and identity.

If you're seeking nonstop zombie action, this likely isn’t the book for you. But if you’re looking for a thoughtful and brutally honest portrayal of mental health - both in the “normal” world and when everything falls apart - it delivers powerfully.

The ending wasn’t quite what I expected, but it felt honest - and I appreciated that. Though it’s written for a YA audience, the book doesn’t shy away from the bleak realities of its world. It respects its readers enough not to sugarcoat survival.

I’m a fan of The Walking Dead and zombie stories in general, so this was a guaranteed hook for me.

Make no mistake – there’s a good amount of blood and gore in this novel, but I’d hesitate to classify it as horror. Clashes with the rabid are on the backburner as this is more of a character driven story. Flora navigates this apocalyptic world with OCD, something that magnifies her fears in an already terrifying situation. She’s highly protective of older brother Cain and would rather risk her own life before his. The two of them leave their suburban LA house for a cabin in northern California where they vacationed with their family for many years. During their journey they come across Cris, an old friend/love interest, who’s traveling with Adan and an adorable dog named Biscuit (for my fellow animal lovers, Biscuit lives), but Flora doesn’t trust them. As with The Walking Dead, the real danger is other people more so than the rabid.

Chapters rotate between the world before the rabid when Flora’s family was together and present day. Through conversations with her brother and Cris, Flora learns their perceptions of her were very different than how she perceived herself before the outbreak, and it’s something she struggles to come to terms with. The ending wasn’t what I’d expected going into the novel, but it fit with the characters and their motivations.

Recommended for fans of coming of age stories, survival/thriller more than horror, and diverse casts of characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fun foray into a dystopian novel!! I wish it was a little longer because I was left having some questions about the story. I was so stressed and holding my breath throughout. Full disclosure, I listen to audiobooks at 3x speed and for the first 25% of this book I thought they were being chased by rabbits, not rabids. It painted a very different picture for me. That aside, the. narrator did a great job building suspense. 3.5 stars!

Give me dystopian and zombies and I'm on board. This book kept me intrigued the whole way through and I really enjoyed the duel timelines. The characters were well developed and relationships were built authetically with the times. I am a sucker for all the sciencey background facts to any dystopian epidemic plot line so I do wish this book had gotten into a little more explanation and detail of how the rabids occured and society collapsed.

I really didn't like this. I wanted to like this i really really did but there was nothing about it I enjoyed. The idea was solid but the execution just fell so flat.

This was quite a listen. I appreciated the calming tone of the narrator. She made this an easy listening experience. Now to the book! This was such a cast of well thought out characters. The fact that there are real life complexities such as phobias and deathly allergens just goes the extra mile to make a character real. I loved how, even faced with death around each corner, there is still a front seat for adolescent sexuality/discovery. Most expect zombies to take a front seat but this book allows the characters to drive. There is a genuine hunger to know more about them!

I listened to this book and had an existential crisis. I thought that Flora's OCD was true to my experience with it and was really well-done. It does for sure feel like Yellowjackets, and the complicated relationships introduced with Winnie highlights that, as well as Flora's still present but slipping grasp on what it. means to be humane. Very diverse representation, and as mixed white/latina, the cultural cues and Spanglish seemed very natural. I do think this would stand to be better marketed as coming of age and thriller rather than horror. Daisy deserves all the fancy dog treats. Also, the line about Flora's mom giving her a rock because it's immortal and that will make her love live on made me emotional.

Terrifying look at a world with zombies around every corner after an outbreak of a rabies mutation. The characters were interesting and I found that they were well-developed but somewhat unlikeable, particularly Flora with her hero complex. There was plenty of LGBTQ+ representation (I don’t think there were any straight characters except for her parents who weren’t really in this) and it definitely leans more YA coming of age than horror despite the zombies but I enjoyed the story.

3’5/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of “If we survive this”. I think it’s the first time I’ve read a book about a “zombie apocalypse” and I really enjoyed it! The tension, the constant survival mode, the fear…this book has been a very compelling read. I also enjoyed Flora as the main character, and really loved the OCD rep!! If you’re searching for a zombie/survival themed read, i recommend this one!!

This was a wonderful and exciting read. There were moments of fear and moments of hope. I always enjoy a good zombie book, and this one was unique. The audio was great and I finished the book within just a couple of days because I couldn't put it down.

This was so much more than a zombie survival horror story. While all of that was FANTASTIC and a great ride, I thought the emotions this book brought out was just awesome. It wasn’t just focused on gore. I genuinely FELT so much while I was reading this.

An apocalyptic zombie romp with heavy themes, realistic depiction of anxiety, and the love of family at its core.

Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 9 hours 5 minutes
🎤: Racquel Marie (Author)
Publisher: Recorded Books
I love when authors narrate their novels. This one was no exception. I felt like the author did an absolutely amazing job and added a lot of nuance and layered emotion to the dictation. Each character was able to have their own voice and did not bleed into each other. I was able to listen to the entire novel at the same speed without adjustments. Highly recommend!

Genre: YA Horror

Themes:
🧟 : Coming of age

Representation:
🩸 : Anxiety surrounding germs
🩸 : Latinx Characters
🩸 : Conversational Spanish
🩸 : Lesbian main character
🩸 : Trans/queer side characters

Tropes:
💗: Teens save the world

🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
Flora deals with some pretty heavy things on the daily. Including anxiety surrounding germs. When rabies takes over the human race and turns normal people into cannibalistic zombies, she leads a pack of her peers on a journey to her family's cabin in search of her missing father.

General Thoughts:
This book definitely had it all. Gorey zombie apocalyptic vibes set to the backdrop of some really heavy coming-of-age themes. Watching Flora tried to regulate her high anxiety surrounding germs and intrusive thoughts with actually maintaining order to keep her brother and friends safe was quite the task. I felt like while the anxiety rep was definitely for a more debilitating case of anxiety, it was very well represented, and felt very realistic.

This book was not at all predictable for me. I did not see the big twists throughout the book coming in anyway. I feel like the author made a very good case for each of these characters to feel well flushed out and realistic. The background setting of the apocalyptic world and cannibalistic zombies was so well done. I definitely felt like I was in the middle of the cinematic type setting.

The Latinx rep in the novel was so well done. The conversational Spanish was on point and dictated very well by the narrator. It flowed well into the novel and felt appropriate to the times of usage.

While the novel did have lots of really fun and action packed scenes, there were a few times where the downtime went on a little too long for me. But that is something that is easily fixable in subsequent books.

There is a light thread of sapphic and achelian romance in this novel. It does take a giant backseat to the overall horror story.

I cannot wait to see what else this author comes out with. While this was a debut, it definitely did not read like one and I am very excited to see what else can be done with this author in the future. This was a stellar opening for me.

Disclaimer: I read this book via NetGalley ALC from Recorded Books. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The premise of this book really intrigued me as I love post-apocalyptic stories and this seemed to have great representation for the LGBTQ+ and OCD communities.
It definitely held up to these assumptions, however, I have decided to unfortunately DNF the audiobook at 53% due to the narration. It has no feeling or depth and becomes a bit blurry when you don’t know which character is talking. It also seemed too easy to miss the moments of tension and actions because of the lack of voice acting.
I feel like I would enjoy it much more if I were reading the physical book, but the audio was not for me.
Regardless of this, I really did enjoy the opening as it transported you into the main character’s anxiety and her perseverance and I really rooted for her. The descriptions on the landscape and corpses strewn about the streets, coupled with their desperation to survive really shone through.
Perhaps when this book it released I will give it another go as the story still intrigued me.

i really like this writing style and i can see this being an author i reach for in the future for sure! love love loved the ocd representation—this is one of the only ones i’ve read that made me feel really, truly seen because mine and floras brains function EXACTLY the same. i also love that the author narrated the book themselves. so fun and fast paced!

In a world that has fallen to pieces due to a mutated rabies virus, Flora, a teenage girl, leads her brother and some other survivors through various dangers to find sanctuary.
I enjoyed this quite a lot. The narrative flashes between the present and the past where Flora is heading off to vacation with her family. She herself is a compelling character, with a crush on her brother's female best friend, and mental health struggles including a crippling fear of illness and death.
A superior young adult horror novel.

I am a fan of horror and I have grown up watching more for less every zombie show or movie you cna think of and always find it fascinating so when I saw this book on metgalley all about survival and zombies and a virus that turns everyone into a husk of who they where and the main character being a woman I knew I was going to no pun intended eat this up. I love the flashbacks to before everything changed to the present. I also loved seeing queen representation in horror and also in a apocalyptic horror at that and found it honest and refreshing. Also our main character and the fact that she isn't perfect of exactly what you would assume is built for thia life and yet she somehow is. She's someone that in the before was riddled with fear and anxiety and I could definitly relate to that and I felt for her and connected with her and her relisation that in a world where everything is going wrong he mind finally almost belongs. I loved the group dynamics and meeting like minded ( and some not so like minded) people along the way. I wasn't expecting twista and turns and yet there was two I wasn't expecting. The writing was honest and emotional and hard and brutal but all with this undertone of hope and survival at its core. I loved this book and will definitely read more from this author in the future.