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Synopses & Reviews
Two teen girls fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to bring about the end of the world in this unforgettable YA debut. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us.
The world is about to end. Again.
Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It's the one place left that feels safe to her.
Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.
Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs--the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes--and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.
As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve's secrets and Liz's inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.
Review
“Just the right amount of action, balancing the introspective scenes, a blossoming queer romance, and a well-executed slow doomsday reveal . . . A beautifully realized addition to the genre.”—Kirkus Reviews, ★ starred review
“[A] poignant sapphic debut dystopia turns a suburban New Jersey bookstore into a haven for survival and romance in a world of ‘death, and rot, and memories.’” —Publishers Weekly, ★ starred review
"[Braun-Arnold] manages to create a sweet romance amid the chaos of the climate impacted world, and the conversations in flashbacks about climate and how close humans are to the “point of no return” will invoke a familiar anxiety." —Booklist
About the Author
Lily Braun-Arnold is currently an undergraduate at Smith College studying English. When she isn’t writing, she can be found working at her local independent bookstore, Watchung Booksellers, or daydreaming about living in outer space.