Review: Post-Apocalyptic YA Must-Reads

I spend a lot of time thinking about the end of the world. You might not expect that from a middle grade, author, but it's true. One day, I even want to live off the grid, not because I'm so environmentally passionate, but because I want to survive. If you think that's a touch crazypants, believe me, my husband agrees with you. This is why we probably won't live in a yurt any time soon.

For now, I limit my obsession with the end of days to reading everything I can about the state of our fragile world, and imagining what may come. That's why post-apocalyptic YA is so appealing for me. Through these books, we can explore our theoretical futures in many forms. That's the incredible appeal of fiction in general, and YA especially, which tends to challenge and explore our most visceral fears with honesty, bravery, and heart-stopping immediacy.

We cannot know what the future holds, but by exploring our guesses, we can learn more about ourselves. Scientists agree--we cannot know which apocalyptic event will occur first. Therefore, it's best to be prepared for all outcomes. IE: GET READING!


Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unlike some other dystopian tales out there, Not a Drop offers a world with a clear focus: a water shortage. Survival in this world is fascinating and heart wrenching. A fabulous read.




The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best paced YA novel I've ever read. Swept me off my feet. Loved the world, and the characters even more so. A chillingly rational answer to a familiar hypothesis: when the aliens arrive, what will happen to us?




The Living by Matt de la Pena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An adventurous story in a unique setting--first a cruise ship, then the ocean--with the kind of action that makes you stay up too late reading. The setup takes a while, so be patient with the first 100 pages.




Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fully-imagined far future in a world whose atmosphere has become hostile, with characters whose startling realness will latch onto your heart. I highly recommend the full series, which has one of the best trilogy conclusions I've read.




-- Melanie