Review Detail

THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US is a heartfelt YA contemporary about grief and love. Zharie started seeing zombies right before her mother died - her mother was already dead before her death. Since then, Zharie has started noticing other zombies in the world around her. She has realized that she is the only one who can see them. Her life changed when her mother died, and she went to live with her aunt. The man who fathered her has never been involved in her life, and her mother was everything.

Without her mother, Zharie is set adrift, and she is struggling with making it through life, especially amongst the zombies she meets. When Bo moves in, Zharie notices that he is a zombie - but only some of the time. As she begins hanging out with him more, she finds herself getting closer to him, but she is not yet sure if she can trust him. As the story continues, Zharie will need to deal with her grief and her understanding of love and relationships to find her own path forward.

What I loved: Beyond the zombie elements, this story ended up being a heartfelt story of grief, facing your pain, and forging a new path forward. The plot is very character-driven, and Zharie is very compelling, handling some heavy themes in a way that felt genuine and authentic. Her path was not always smooth or easy, but it was ultimately a beautiful journey of self-discovery and dealing with loss, family, and love.

The zombie aspect of the story was pretty enthralling and ultimately discussed in a way that showed the toll that unhealthy relationships can take on people. The magical realism style brought her grief and emotions to life in a really unique way. This created some thought-provoking themes to life and would be great for book groups or further discussion.

Final verdict: Ultimately, THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US is a beautiful and heartfelt story of love and loss that will tug on readers' heartstrings. Highly recommend picking up this enthralling and emotional read.