Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer (review)

Reviewed by: Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer Natalie Berglind Archer, Brooke Hearts Still Beating. Putnam, 2024 336p Trade ed. ISBN 9780593698327 19. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593698334 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 9-12 After a year of being under the influence of "the Tick, " the disease that caused the zombie apocalypse, seventeen-year-old Mara is now on medication that prevents her from craving human flesh. Being thrown back into what's left of society is not an easy transition, and complicating things further is the fact that she's now staying with the family of her former best friend and lifelong crush, Aurora, with whom she shared an awkward kiss the day before the world ended. While Aurora never went zombie, she's undergone a transformation herself—she's calling herself Rory and wielding an actual sword to protect her family against the feral Ticks. Tensions are high as the fringe groups running post-apocalyptic society disagree over what to do with the rehabilitated Ticks, and when the Tick-hating leader of the area turns on the rehabilitation program, Rory must decide whether to protect Mara or to lose yet another loved one to the end of the world. At times funny, gory, and heart-wrenching, this dystopic novel brilliantly balances the campy humor in its premise and the undeniable trauma the characters have been through. Alternating perspectives between Mara and Rory convey a well-rounded, understandably tense relationship between two teens just doing their best to survive, and the unraveling of their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is sure to snag romance readers who like their smooches sandwiched with bloodshed. The complexity of the worldbuilding End Page 274 combined with the depiction of the best and worst of humanity are on par with themes from The Last of Us show and games, proving that the post-apocalyptic YA genre is not dead—it's just undead. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois