Hearing Red – Nicole Maser
Book Details
A Sapphic Apocalypse That Slays
Description
In a world overrun by an unprecedented outbreak, two young women find themselves on opposite sides of the struggle for survival.
Saff, a determined new doctor in the first year of her internship, had clawed her way out of a tumultuous past, only to be dragged back into it when the zombie outbreak hits. Forced to join her estranged father and his band of raiders, she’s confronted with the harsh reality that desperation can make monsters out of anyone—even her.
Maddie, on the other hand, lived a surprisingly easy life after the zombies first appeared, safe behind the walls of the community at her parent’s lake house. That is, until they’re attacked, and she’s ripped away from everything she’s known. Now, she’ll do anything to make it back to her family.
And when Saff’s father dies, she finally has the chance she’s been waiting for. The chance to escape. But only if she can steal the medication she desperately needs and survive long enough to get to safety.
With both girls fighting their way to stay alive day by day, in a world where every circumstance is against them, they realize that maybe travelling together can help them both get what they need.
But Maddie doesn’t know Saff’s secret. She doesn’t know where she came from—what she was. And Saff will do anything, especially lie, to get the medication she needs.
The absolute last thing she needs is to fall for some smart ass rich girl who will get in the way of that.
The outbreak forced us all to do things at times we probably wish we hadn’t
Thoughts
Hearing Red by Nicole Maser is a thrilling, heart-pounding, and refreshingly unique take on the zombie apocalypse genre. From the start, it delivers an emotionally charged, fast-paced adventure led by two compelling and complex main characters: Saff, a new doctor forced to survive in a raider group, and Maddie, a girl determined to reunite with her family.
What sets Hearing Red apart is Maser’s masterful storytelling and the nuanced character development that drives the plot. Saff and Maddie’s relationship is a slow burn filled with tension, charm, and vulnerability. Their dynamic plays off the “grumpy/sunshine” trope perfectly; with Saff’s tough exterior and Maddie’s resilient optimism creating a deeply engaging opposites-attract romance. The chemistry between them builds naturally, growing from reluctant cooperation into a strong emotional connection, without feeling rushed.
Though I’m not a fan of including spoilers outside of our Deep Dive, one of the most impressive aspects of the novel is how one character’s visual impairment is written. Their point of view is sensory-rich, focusing on their other senses and reactions to emotional cues based on the tone of those around them in a way that feels authentic and immersive. Maser portrays the impairment not as a limitation, but as an aspect of their character that enhances the story, giving readers a refreshing take on disability representation in a genre that typically shies away from it.
The world Maser builds is vivid and relentless, with a strong balance between zombie-driven action and character-focused moments. The tension is palpable as Saff and Maddie struggle to survive in a harsh, unforgiving landscape where trust is rare, and danger is ever-present. Others may dwell on the romantic side of this book, but it was not lacking action in the least. Heart-hammering scenes kept me glued to my device, hoping beyond hope that our leading ladies would make it out of each scuffle. And rather than contradict or confuse readers with it’s change of pace, the tender romance scenes ground the story and make the stakes feel all the more personal.
I found myself attached to both of the MCs in different ways, so much so that I wrote this review outside of my normal schedule. I wanted to make sure I remembered what I thought about them and about what they went through. This book was inherently different than other WLW stories in this genre and it showed in the best of ways. The lack of homophobia (hella refreshing, btw), the excellently paced feelings, and the perfectly timed pet names all mingle together in what I would have to deem a 5-star romance.
A romance that also earns 3 chilis from me. It’s sweet and tender scenes get a little steamy, but what secures the 3rd chili is how long we had to ride out their romantic tension—thanks, in part, to the excessive teasing throughout the book.
Readers with a keen eye may find some spelling and grammatical errors, like those often found in independently published books, but the story was gripping enough where I was unbothered by it. Where I normally may have scoffed and complained to my wife, I hungrily read more—nervous for the outcome of the story and the direction the characters were going in. Though I had to take it into account when rating the book, I don’t think it’s worth getting my briefs in a bunch over it.
Hearing Red excels as both a gripping action-packed adventure and a deeply emotional romance. It’s a book that delivers in every way—richly developed characters, high-stakes survival, and a relationship you can’t help but root for. Maser has created a standout in the sapphic zombie apocalypse genre, and it’s one that you won’t be able to put down.
This is a great read that will leave you hungry for more, so when you’re finished, be sure to check back and see what else you have to munch on in our Deep Dive 👇
Deep Dive: Spoilers Ahead
*Slow clapping ensues*..
This 👏is👏 how 👏you👏 write👏 lesbians👏 in 👏apocalypses. The moment I finished this book I turned to Renny to talk about it. I had feelings and I needed help to put a name to them, and who better to ask but my wife? Only problem was that I had trouble articulating what made this story so great. So here’s a rundown.
- Non-existent homophobia ✔️
- Palpable tension between characters ✔️
- Showcasing a disability in an unexpected genre ✔️
- Opposites attract/Grumpy-gills and Sunshine love story✔️
- Who, truly, is the lost puppy here? ✔️
- ‘Stronger than you think’ trope ✔️
- Healing each other, but like, in a healthy-ish way✔️
- Believable violence/action ✔️
- A character who stops trying to “rebuild” society and uses their head when measuring how “safe something truly can be ✔️✔️✔️ (cannot emphasize this enough. Like, JFC, why is this not more prevalent in this genre)
Were there some issues with spelling and grammar? Sure, but I was invested enough in the characters and their story that, for once, I didn’t mind them and it didn’t effect my opinion of the book. Some reviewers critique that there aren’t enough physical descriptors for the MCs, but again, I disagree—to me the focus was on the story and how the characters evolved with one another, not what they looked like. And frankly, it could have been on purpose since Maddie is blind! Forcing us to focus on the people and not their looks.
Now, about those people..
Saff gives off Catra vibes for me—well, not quite Catra, but close. They’re grumpy, sure, but that’s just the outward appearance they give to those who don’t pay attention. They’re both complicated women with a complicated past, unable to forgive themselves for what they’ve had to do to survive, and desperate for emotional support (and therapy) that they don’t even know they need. Saff is her own separate character, of course, and Maser makes that clear in many unique ways, but immediately associating their shared characteristics quickly endeared me to her.
And Maddie is just a ray of sunshine and a ball of fire! The way her chapters are written is another reason why this book stands out to me. The detail and, at times, the purposeful lack of them immersed me in the story so deeply that my brain kicked into overdrive to keep up. Imagining being in a world where those with all their senses still get surprised (and eaten) on the daily—and I do not have all my senses? Wild, to say the least.
When we first meet our leading ladies they aren’t exactly friends, but knowing this had some romance in it gave me hope that they’d be able to find some common ground early on—and I was not disappointed. Oh, not because they quickly broke each other out of their shells, no, I was ecstatic to find that they didn’t get along for some time. The anticipation of what was to come and how it would come about made every step of the way oh so satisfying.
The delightful feeling that would emanate from me every time Maddie would tease Saff, smirking quietly to herself for getting a rise out of her. The smirk I would have when Maddie saw through Saff’s tough exterior to see how thoughtful she was really being. I would roll my eyes and giggle each time Saff would find herself doing things that “Dad-brain” would scream at her for doing just because she had an unacknowledgeable need to care and watch out for Maddie without imposing on her individuality.
Saff and Maddie had a pull and push that drew me in close, waiting to ‘Eeep’ at the earliest signs of affection. I longed for Maddie’s small smiles when she got the upper hand, and I died any time Saff would gruffly say something to the effect of “I’m not doing this because I like you”—sure, girl. Sure. We definitely believed you.
Coupling this not-couple (that act like a couple) with the thrilling scenes of determinate survival was such a great move for Maser. Most books in this genre fall too hard to one side, focusing too much on the people and their relationships and not enough on the struggling-to-live side of things. It’s a pet peeve of mine when writers or directors present a story based in zombie-land and characters seemingly look for ways to get themselves killed. They try to justify their downright awful decisions in stupid ways or they ignore good advice in favor of pretending everything is okay.
Take the scene in Chapter 1, for example. Trapped in the pharmacy with Tyler and Maddie, Saff is busy holding the side door they entered through shut against a horde of zombies when Tyler starts unblocking the door leading out of the backroom they find themselves in. This door is barred closed by a filing cabinet that had been knocked over with several boxes stacked on top—so safe to say whoever knocked it over was likely trying to keep several somethings out of the backroom.
While Tyler is so dead-set on getting out of there that he’s chaotically throwing boxes to the floor and tugging on the file cabinet with all his might, Saff is the sole-thinker between the two and brings up the extremely good point that they “don’t know what’s behind that door.”—but does he stop? Naw, my guy is still manically trying to escape. He doesn’t even notice Saff’s fight with the zombies at the side door.
And later, when they make it to the new settlement—the one that’s been attacked by raiders but doesn’t allow anyone to carry weapons inside—and patrol the fence/wall. Freshly turned earth found fairly regularly on the side of the settlement someone was recently attacked? Ooooh no, don’t worry, that’s not weird at all. Nothing to worry about, silly Saff!
Unfortunately for us, both are realistic examples of people panicking or choosing to ignore a good point. In a real world situation, I’m sure many people would die in those and many other scenarios due to someone’s inability to calm down and listen to reason. Though frustrating to see, these scenes and many others give the book a sense of realism that was much appreciated.
Another realistic quality Hearing Red provided was how long it took our hardened MC, Saff, to finally acknowledge and give into her feelings for Maddie. Time and again Saff would convince herself that the choices she was making were smart choices meant to keep herself alive, but we knew better. Saff didn’t want to let go of Maddie, and with Maddie’s stuttering inability to hide her feelings from readers, it was only a matter of time before they sealed the deal. And oh boy, was it sealed.
When I realized we were getting a two-for-one deal on an intimate scene I was thrilled. I had been dragged along for this teasing ride for 407 pages. I had been taunted by an almost-scene 85 pages prior and there were only 125 pages left, so if there was going to be a scene then it had to happen soon. Tensions were high thanks to the reveal of Saff’s prior company (i.e. raiders) and Maddie was pissed (and injured). I was not expecting them to pick up so soon, but damn if it was satisfying to see Maddie play Saff like a fiddle. Luring her in close, spitting sweet words laced in venom, and finally, finally getting Saff to cave.
The two of them shared moments of love and softness once the initial high was over, and thankfully, Saff didn’t doddle for much longer before caving in completely and becoming the puppy we always knew she could be. Dutifully staying by Maddie’s side and helping design the escape plan to the island settlement, she was ready to let Maddie lock her down.
So imagine my surprise when she gets fucking shot. WHAT? I was the opposite of prepared for a ‘bury your gays’ moment, and I could not believe that in the midst of all this drama I forgot that they could die!
The twisting knife of Maddie’s first use of “baby” brought me to tears. Seemingly losing Saff, surrounded by danger, and so close to their goal, Maddie literally begged her to get up—and I lost it. My wife knows I’m a big baby, they know I cry easily, but being that it was past 11 at night and it was previously silent in our room, they did not expect a gasping sob to leave me as Maddie brokenly asked Saff not to leave her.
Even now, I find myself choking up a bit. I’m the idiot who’s brain immediately imagines my wife and I in the situation and I could not handle the idea of losing them—or worse, forcing them to survive without me (Note: my wife has repeatedly asked me to take them out if zombies are ever a thing, but I have convinced them to go along with my fictional survival plans because I am confident I could keep us safe.. So yeah, me dying and leaving them to fend for themselves would definitely be on my list of reasons why “If I wasn’t already dead, I would XX myself”.)
Thankfully, Maddie hangs in there, and eventually is found by her father and brother, who escort them safely to the pick-up point before they all escape to the island settlement. As soon as Chapter 49 started from Saff’s point of view I knew they had made it in time to save her. What impressed me the most though, was Maser’s very realistic interpretation of grieving—not grieving death, no, the grief you feel even after someone is “okay”.
Maddie is unable to process her feelings on what happened and is physically unable to keep herself from reacting when James and Josh offer future opportunities for Saff to leave Maddie’s side. Her pain is evident in the way she flinches and clings to Saff’s hand, and it broke my heart time and again—but I forgot Maddie is the more emotionally mature of the two, and they eventually talked it over. Even better, they eventually went on that date Maddie planned, and it was perfect.
Hearing Red was a joy to read. It was heartfelt, thrilling, and relatable in a way I had not experienced in a long time. Independently published books get a bad rep, but this one fixed that for me in many ways. The characters weren’t infallible, the setting was believable, and it gave light to a unique character that normally wouldn’t be featured in a book like this—or at least one that let them live. Nicole Maser did an excellent job and deserves incredible praise for Hearing Red, and I personally cannot wait to see what she does next.
If you enjoyed it half as much as I did, let us know down below. Did you find that Maser balanced the action and/or violence with the psychological and emotional aspects of the story as well as I did? What did you think of Maddie’s chapters, where limited senses kept me on edge?
Until next time!