Reading Journal Details
Book: If We Survive This by Racquel Marie
Format Read: Audiobook (~9 hours, 5 minutes long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)

My Quick Take Review
Exceedingly character-driven and emotionally grounded, If We Survive This offers a unique take on the zombie genre—referred to as "rabids" in the story—with strong mental health representation. A slower middle and a desire for more survivor-on-survivor conflict holds it back slightly, but it's still a very worthy read for fans of introspective survival stories.

Some Key Features
🧟 Rabies mutation zombies
🌈 LGBT representation
🧠 Highly introspective
🐕 Biscuit the dog
🧬 Sibling dynamics
🩸 Zombie killing

My Full Review
If We Survive This really shines by focusing more on the depth of its characters rather than just outer chaos, making it stand out nicely in the world of zombies. The story switches between two timelines, before and after the rabies mutation turns everything upside down for the human population, thereby giving a great perspective on how things changed.

Mainly, it's Flora's story, and I think the author did an admirable job showcasing her struggles in a way that is both genuine and respectful. Flora's OCD, internal battles, and overall emotional journey are all handled with care and insight, making her a relatable and lovable character. I also really appreciated how thoughtfully the book weaves in biracial and LGBT themes, treating them with the same grace and authenticity.

That said, there was a bit of a slow patch in the middle where things felt sluggish, and I found it harder to stay fully engaged at times. Luckily, the story picks up again in the final third, and that renewed momentum kept me hooked all the way to the end.

If I could wish for one thing, it would be a little more external conflict. More interaction or tension with other survivors. The internal struggles were really rich and deeply meaningful, but the story's focus on survival alone kept it feeling a bit more like a "wait and see" rather than a full on "end of the world" chaos that I love in apocalyptic stories.

I always enjoy when the author themselves narrates their own audiobook. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of amazing narrators whose voices I purposefully seek out all the time, but there's something extra special about hearing the author bringing their own story to life. You can truly feel the heart and soul of the book in Racquel Marie's narration.

Huge thank you to Recorded Books (RBmedia) and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced listener's copy (ALC) of this truly wholesome and emotional novel in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

I will never not request to read an ARC of a zombie related book. Give me all of the zombies! This audiobook focused on a lot more than zombies, such as romance, mental disorders, and family. I personally would have preferred more of the zombies, more of the outbreak, and more of the backstories in that regards. With that said, this was still an entertaining audiobook that I listened to in a day!

I really liked and related to Flora. I can’t imagine going through a zombie apocalypse with my anxiety/OCD so it was interesting to see it painted in a somewhat helpful light. The always fighting for survival, gaining knowledge along the way to avoid death/tragedy.

The narrator was ok, I felt like someone else could have done a bit better. Maybe someone a little less monotone in their reading. All in all, she’s a great author and I commend her for narrating as well.
I listened at 1.75x.

An entertaining YA zombie book!

This had an underlying sadness that I haven't seen much in post-apocalyptic situations where majority of the story is action. Which this book has but it also has a lot of heart into it. Flora is having to face so much in this story and it's inspiring to see her grow slowly but surely.

I'm just so stuck on how much grief and loss there is on the page yet Flora keeps going. I can't get over that. It hits hard to see someone keep going when they're losing everything/everyone. This book will stick with me.

The audio made it so much more real too. It came alive with the narrator. It was also really easy to listen and maybe even easier to fall asleep to ahaha. The narrator has such a soothing voice.

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! Also very much recommend the audiobook, Racquel’s narration was so good!

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 as the rest of the book was pretty slow.

I am unfortunately going to give a Did Not Finish review. I got this book based on the comp to The Walking Dead meets Yellowjackets. I did not find it to be much of either of those shows and did not find myself engaged with the story or characters after competing 20% of the book. I do apologize and hope the book does well. I just did not find myself being compelled to continue or finish the book.


Best wishes. Thank you for the opportunity.

I was hesitant to listen to If We Survive This by Racquel Marie because it was also narrated by the author. She did satisfactory narration but this could have shined with another narrator. How does someone with anxiety and OCD survive in a zombie apocalypse? The main character, Flora, showed her strength in battling the rabids (people infected with rabies) while struggling internally with anxiety, fear and OCD. The narration with the dual timelines blurred together and felt awkward. There was LGBTQIA+ representation in this survival story. There’s a lot of blood and gore which I appreciated. ALC was provided by RB Media/Recorded Books. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

While this book was slightly triggering as someone with OCD, that is kind of the point. A beautiful, poignant tale of survival. Gorgeous prose, and the narrator (who is also the author) did an incredible job setting the tone. This scratched the itch I was missing from season 2 of TLOU

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

If We Survive This by Racquel Marie is a YA horror that's described as "The Walking Dead meets Yellowjackets." Sadly, I do think this one was a miss for me. The thing that threw me off the most is that I would not call this horror at all. It's more of a survival thriller. I also was really excited after seeing this compared to Yellowjackets but this really was just a zombie apocalypse story. It didn't seem to have anything that would equate it to that television show. What I did like was the narration for the audiobook. It was narrated by the author so I felt like the characters and story just came to life with her voice. So if you're looking for a slower paced zombie apocalypse story with some great pride representation, you should definitely give this one a try.

This was an interesting take on a zombie apocalypse- Mostly ‘cause I thought for the longest she was saying “Rabbits” instead of “Rabids” ☠️

As much as I loved so many elements of the story being LGBTQIA+ representation dowwwn, I just wanted a bit more!! It just felt too stagnant to me.
The spotlight of LGBTQIA+ & Mental Health rep was wonderful though- Kinda reminded me of how it was in 2020 trying to get my HRT medicine lmfao. What a struggle that was…

The characters def carried the story, Abel is def my fave lol!! The scene w/ their dog, I was just 💔 Omg. But also so many scenes w/ Abel had me cracking up!! Such a great tension breaker. The ending also had me like 👁️👄👁️ I mean, from the synopsis, you basically get that info, but I didn’t read it ☠️ So when it happened I was SHOOK. Overall, even though I rated this a 3⭐️ I enjoyed it!!
And Racquel Marie narrating her own book? Iconic.
She did an amazing job 🤍

This is a great character-driven horror that has a lot of emotional depth. The imagery that’s depicted is exceptional and the character development is masterful. I loved Flora as our FMC, the author depicted a realistic character as someone who has OCD. Flora felt so thought out. I also really like Cain as a character, he added a lot of emotional dynamic to the story.

I enjoyed the dual timeline here, it really provided necessary backstory while not impeding the story. The story develops naturally with a consistent pace with a constant presence of looming tension.

The audio wasn’t my favorite. This is read by the author, but it feels just that, like we’re being read to rather than listening to performance with emotions expressed.

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.

2/5⭐️ 📖🎧

Thank you netgalley for this copy!

A YA apoctolyptical take on a rabies outbreak.

This was very dry- the story was flat until over half way done, and the audio no emotion in this.

While I appreciated the diversity of the characters in this nothing stuck out or made this impressionable.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I devoured this book in one sitting. I’ve been craving a solid post-apocalyptic zombie story ever since they announced 28 Years Later, and this absolutely scratched that itch.

Flora is an anxious girlie trying to survive a rabid outbreak while managing OCD. The anxiety was so relatable and real. Huge shoutout to the author for portraying it accurately.

Also… sapphic lead AND queer side characters?! Literally my dream combo. Add in dual timelines done right (yes, I said it!). I normally side-eye flashbacks, but in this context, they worked! The world building was fantastic and had me anxious for the group as they traveled towards safety.

This is a new fave, no question. Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook! I was surprised that it was narrated by the author but it was a solid audiobook!

🖤 What You Can Expect:
• Zombie apocalypse
• Sapphic FMC
• Anxiety + OCD rep
• Dual timeline flashbacks
• Found family vibes

🗓 Release Date: June 17, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, RB Media and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.