
Published: May 11th 2023 by Usborne YA
Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Genre: Young Adult // Contemporary Romance, LGBT, Coming-Of-Age
Quick Thoughts: A sweet, empathetic, hilarious and much-needed story of love and the heart.
A Big Gay Rom-Zom-Com with Heart
Jesse Spark has a broken heart and in a few short weeks he’ll require major surgery to repair it – which means he only has a month to accomplish two almost-impossible tasks.
1) Shoot his epic zombie movie on a shoestring budget if he has any hope of getting into film school.
2) Fall in love before this surgery lands him with a huge scar – because how will anyone ever fancy him after that?
Sex Education meets Love, Simon – with fake zombies – in this savagely funny gay YA romance about body image, self-acceptance and falling in love, all while shooting a low-budget zombie flick!
Fun, fresh and authentic, this is the feel-good hit of #hotboysummer, perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Ciara Smyth and Adam Silvera.
I’m a sucker for YA romances (well, just romances in general) so when Broken Hearts & Zombie Parts came along, with all it’s rom-com-zom sweetness, I knew I had to have it in my life! (Major thanks to the Publishers for this gorgeous arc!!)
Jesse Spark is living his life when, as Taylor Swift put it, the music suddenly stopped. His heart isn’t working properly, much to the surprise of Jesse and his loveable, protective Mum. In just a few weeks he will need major surgery to fix the defect so he can continue living. But with his life being so busy, how does a broken heart fit into it all? He has a zombie movie to shoot if he actually wants a chance of getting into film school. And what about all the stuff that major heart surgery will make difficult? Like falling in love. Who will love him when he’s scarred?
Jesse sets his plan into motion, one month to fulfil all his endeavours. But life never really goes to plan when you’ve got a certain outlook in mind. From friendship drama to movie mayhem, Jesse and his friend’s lives derail over the course of the month, thrusting them into uncertain outcomes. Through it, Jesse feels himself unravelling at the thought of accepting himself post-surgery, and how life might change. And when love unexpectedly comes from the last place he expected—or was it there along?—Jesse is finding that the heart really is unpredictable.
Overall, Broken Hearts & Zombie Hearts was this burst of sunshine and feel-good vibe that felt like a hug for the heart. It was an easy read, and I slipped into the pages effortlessly, getting to know Jesse, Cas, Morgan, and everyone in between, feeling every laugh and heart wrenching moment they went through. Jesse’s Mum was a real standout character for me, and I thought that William wrote their dynamic perfectly. This was such a sweet, empathetic, hilarious and much-needed story of love and the heart. I would recommend this to mostly younger YA readers, but is definitely enjoyable for all ages. Four sparkling stars!
William Hussey is an award-winning author of over a dozen novels. From thrillers and love stories for Young Adults to gripping whodunnits for grown-ups, he has written in almost every genre of fiction. His latest books include the highly-anticipated KILLING JERICHO (Zaffre, April 2023), the first in a brand new series introducing Scott Jericho, crime fiction’s first Traveller detective; and BROKEN HEARTS AND ZOMBIE PARTS (Usborne, May 2023), a romantic comedy based on his personal experience of major open-heart surgery. illiam lives in the seaside town of Skegness with his dog Bucky and a vivid imagination.
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happy reading!
Writer + Blogger
Hello, I'm Becca. I love books, iced coffee and all things autumnal. I'm 27 from South Wales and books are my biggest passion. My dream is to become an author of YA Books, someday! On my award-winning book blog, you can find a range of reviews of YA to Adult books and all the topics in-between. Stick around and browse or get in touch. Have a magical day!