Hearts Still Beating

(Paperback)

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Description

Mara is dead - mostly. Infected with a virus that broke the world and turned her into a monster, Mara awakens in a facility to learn a treatment has been found. No longer a Tick, Mara is placed in an experimental relocation program. But shes sent to live with the best friend she hasnt seen since the world ended. Since their first and only kiss. Rory is alive - barely. And her nightmares are as vicious as the Ticks that infected Mara and permanently injured Rory. Even after the Island - one of the surviving communities - rebuilds itself, Rory fears a Tick attack from the mainland at any time. But the Ticks that show up are medicated - not quite themselves but no longer raging monsters. Among them is the first girl Rory ever loved... the one she thought was gone forever. As Mara and Rory struggle with the violence theyve inflicted and experienced, they must lean on each other to survive their brutal world - or risk losing each other all over again.

Reviews

** Cybils YA Speculative Fiction Award Winner

"The complexity of the worldbuilding 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 deadits just undead. " BCCB (starred review)

"This stunning debut will rip your heart out... and eat it. A gut punch of a romance set in an immersive post-apocalyptic backdrop, Hearts Still Beating will sink its teeth into you and never let you go." Jennifer Dugan, author of The Last Girls Standing

"The sapphic zombie story Ive been salivating for! Infectious storytelling and riveting action with a tender and powerful love story at the beating heart. I absolutely devoured this book." Leslie Vedder, bestselling author of The Bone Spindle trilogy

"At turns brutal and beautiful, Hearts Still Beating is a riveting exploration of love and what it means to be human in a crumbling, impossible world." Jen St. Jude, author of If Tomorrow Doesnt Come

"[An] affecting, adrenaline-filled debutescalating stakes, nuanced plotting, and a visceral first-person-present narrative that alternates between the emotionally complex protagonists POVs combine for a gratifying read." Publishers Weekly

"[An] original, adventure-filled love story. A richly realized and distinctive queer zombie romance." Kirkus Reviews

"[P]erfect for fans of The Last of Us looking for a queer take on the classic zombie story." Booklist

"A riveting, unique, and delightfully queer adventure." SLJ

Author Bio

Brooke Archer graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Creative Writing and has interned with Entity Magazine in LA. When shes not writing, she works at a doggy daycare in San Diego. Find her on twitter: @abrookeworm. And on Instagram: @broookearcher