I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US by Britney S. Lewis Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About the Book
Author: Britney S. Lewis
Pub. Date: August 9, 2022
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 368
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org, Libro.fm, Book Depository
*Please note - this post contains affiliate links, from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase
Death was everywhere. They all stared at me, bumping into one another and slowly coming forward.
Sixteen-year-old Zharie Young is absolutely certain her mother morphed into a zombie before her untimely death, but she can't seem to figure out why. Why her mother died, why her aunt doesn't want her around, why all her dreams seem suddenly, hopelessly out of reach. And why, ever since that day, she's been seeing zombies everywhere.
Then Bo moves into her apartment building—tall, skateboard in hand, freckles
like stars, and an undeniable charm. Z wants nothing to do with him, but when
he transforms into a half zombie right before her eyes, something feels
different. He contradicts everything she thought she knew about monsters, and
she can't help but wonder if getting to know him might unlock the answers to
her mother's death.
As Zharie sifts through what's real and what's magic, she discovers a new truth
about the world: Love can literally change you—for good or for dead.
In this surrealist journey of grief, fear, and hope, Britney S. Lewis's debut
novel explores love, zombies, and everything in between in an intoxicating
amalgam of the real and the fantastic.
Reviews:
"Britney Lewis has really nailed it with this one. I
loved this striking, suspenseful, and deeply heartbreaking debut about a Black
girl named Zharie on a quest to discover the truth about her mother and the
darker parts of life and family! Spooky good.”―Jay Coles, author of Tyler
Johnson Was Here and Things We Couldn't Say
"Deeply healing and impossible to put down, The Undead Truth Of Us, is an
affecting portrait of grief’s many shades, and an affirming reminder to
live.”―J. Elle, New York Times best-selling author of Wings of Ebony
"The perfect blend of emotion, sweet romance, and creepy imagery, The
Undead Truth of Us is a journey you won’t soon forget."―Lauren
Blackwood, New York Times best-selling author of Within These Wicked Walls
"THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US is a revelation of a story, both macabre and
magical, full of heartache, hope, and the infinite mysteries of love. I adore
this book."―Rebecca Podos, author of Lambda Award-winning novel Like
Water
“The Undead Truth of Us is unlike any book I’ve ever read before.
In this eerie and otherworldly story, Britney Lewis layers explorations of
grief and love on the page like bright colors of paint on a canvas.”―Elise
Bryant, author of Happily Ever Afters and One True Loves
“A devastatingly poignant tale of grief, healing, and the monsters we make of
ourselves and of others. In American popular culture zombies have been used to
represent our greatest fears and what do we fear more than losing the people we
love? In Zharie, Lewis has created a perfectly imperfect character―someone who
is learning to navigate grief and love and friendship all at once. Her moments
of vulnerability feel familiar as do her moments of healing and joy. This story
is an emotional and gripping take on the classic zombie archetype. A must read
for lovers of genre bending horror.”―Kalynn Bayron, best-selling author
of Cinderella is Dead
“A lament, but with fireworks.”―Nafiza Azad, author of The Wild Ones
“A wonderful book full of lyrical prose, but also grief―and the painful,
sometimes beautiful, steps we take to get through it.”―Jessica Lewis,
author of Bad Witch Burning
“Britney S. Lewis explores love and death in a debut that is tender, poetic,
and wholly original.”
―Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of Labyrinth Lost
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eARC (Provided by Publisher and Rockstar Book Tours)
Admittedly, when I went into this book with the word “zombies” bouncing around in my mind, I immediately thought of a story that fits within the dystopian genre. That is not what this book is. On one level it was disappointing to go into a book and not have my expectations met, but when I reset and went into The Undead Truth of Us fresh it was so exciting to take in Britney’s fresh and contemporary perspective on the concept.
Zharie is coping with unimaginable loss. Her mother has just recently died, and Zharie was forced to watch as she declined and became a zombie. In her grief, she’s now struggling even more as she begins to see zombies in her everyday life and wonders if she’s going insane. Once she notices that her new neighbor is also showing signs of zombification, she makes a plan to get to the bottom of her visions once and for all.
I was in awe of Britney’s vivid and surreal imagery while reading. She paints the scenes like a picture, and I never had any issue envisioning what she was describing. There’s an almost poetic nature to her prose. I did want to acknowledge the particularly memorable moments in the book where the author uses color associations.
Instead of the brain-eating ghouls most people think of with the word zombies, zombies in The Undead Truth of Us serve as a metaphor for Zharie’s grief. Grief is a process, and Zharie went through it. The maturity she displayed was commendable - I don’t know if I would have reacted as she did at that age. Getting to see her slowly make her way out of the dark tunnel that is grief, and begin to live again was a rewarding experience as a reader.
In contrast to many of the other stories I read, this is an emotion and character-driven narrative rather than something that’s action-packed. Everything that Zharie is going through is so relatable; I could easily put myself in her shoes. If you want a story to compare this to, the closest I can think of would be one of John Green’s Looking for Alaska or Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is also a Star.
Overall, this was a compelling contemporary young adult debut, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Britney’s writing in the future. Those who might enjoy a unique, beautifully written exploration of grief, loss, and change should definitely check out this book.
Thank you to the author Britney S. Lewis, the publisher Disney-Hyperion, and Jaime at Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Undead Truth of Us immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Self Harm, Body Horror
About Britney S. Lewis:
Britney
S. Lewis was
born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas where she fell in love with storytelling
and the idea that magic moved and breathed in our world. After getting her
Bachelor’s of Arts and Science, she worked in the world of marketing and
communications for a few years before accepting a position as an editor for
greeting cards where her job is to make sure to get the best words on paper.
When she isn't daydreaming about new stories, Britney can be found
binge-watching TV shows with her husband and pup or practicing West Coast Swing
in one of her local dance studios. The Undead Truth of Us is her
debut novel. For more information, you can follow her on social media
@britneyslewis or visit her website at https://www.britneyslewis.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a finished copy of THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US, US Only.
Ends September 6th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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8/1/2022 |
TikTok Review/IG Post |
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8/2/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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8/3/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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8/4/2022 |
Excerpt |
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8/5/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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8/6/2022 |
IG Post |
Week Two:
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8/7/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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8/8/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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8/9/2022 |
Excerpt |
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8/10/2022 |
Review |
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8/11/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
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8/12/2022 |
IG Review |
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8/13/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Three:
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8/14/2022 |
IG Review |
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8/15/2022 |
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8/16/2022 |
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8/17/2022 |
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8/18/2022 |
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8/19/2022 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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8/20/2022 |
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Week Four:
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8/21/2022 |
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8/22/2022 |
IG Review |
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8/23/2022 |
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8/24/2022 |
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8/25/2022 |
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8/26/2022 |
IG Review/FB Post |
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8/27/2022 |
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Week Five:
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8/28/2022 |
IG Review |
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8/29/2022 |
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8/30/2022 |
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8/31/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
What a BEAUTIFUL review! I'll admit that I didn't pay much mind on this book (I didn't hear the zombie news until like yesterday?) but this sounds like such a smart and powerful read. Definitely going to request my library buys a copy for me to read!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words, and for taking the time to visit my blog :) Kudos to Rockstar Book Tours for putting the book on my radar. It is SUCH a powerful read - I loved Britney's original take on zombies, and her exploration of grief throughout the story. I hope your library picks up a copy of the book soon - in the meantime, please feel free to enter the giveaway!
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