Book Review: Broken Hearts & Zombie Parts by William Hussey

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!