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

** 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 dead--it's 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 I've 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 Doesn't Come

"[An] affecting, adrenaline-filled debut...escalating 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

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pub date: 2025-05-06

Length: 336 pages