When I first started reading this book, I didn't like it.

Mainly because the book is formatted to bounce back and fourth between the two timelines (before and after) as well as rotating between three POV's (Rico, Asher, and Wendy). Because of this, I had a hard time getting into it and keeping everything straight in my head. More than once I had to flip back a few chapters to see who did what.

I was also very thrown off because this was pitched to me as a straight up zombie novel. But there are a LOT of "before" chapters. So the book was really half college-age romantic drama, a quarter family drama, and a quarter zombie novel. So to be totally honest, if I had known this breakdown, I probably wouldn't have picked it up.

I also didn't really like the story at first because I didn't really care about any of the characters to even begin with. So I didn't care to learn more about their back stories... However, after a short while, I was totally hooked. I found that I was feeling more invested in the characters as we got to know them both before and after, and I look forward to learning how they were all connected and how they ended up where they were. Thinking back now, I appreciated the layout- if we hadn't bounced back and fourth and instead just read all of the before bits first, I definitely would have put the book down.

The only other irks that really stood out to me were the choppy writing style (which I think I actually liked because it kept the pace of the book up, it just took some time to get used to) and the awkwardly formal dialogue that seemed a bit unrealistic.

And the ending...I keep going back and fourth on whether I liked it or not. I really hope that it was an intentional cliffhanger! But my goodness, it was VERY abrupt.

So while I wouldn't call this a typical "zombie novel," I would definitely recommend it! Just keep in mind that it is a bit different and that you are going to shout out loud at the ending and immediately want the second book! I, personally, cannot wait to read the second book.

My favorite passages:
He released everything into the last of hot water. All of his fears circled the drain with the dirt of yesterday. He had never felt so alive, so clean, as he did in that moment. Asher knew that everything wouldn't change with a snap of his fingers, but admitting his secret to himself and to another soul released him, and now he would get a fresh start.

But the more time I spend talking to you, the more I smiled, the more I laughed. I don't know how to thank you enough for that. I don't know how you saw me through the wall I had built around myself to keep everyone out. How you saw the cracks and ignored them. Now all I can think about is how I'm falling in love with you and for the first time I feel completely safe.