Liz has been alone for a while now. Besides the folk that pass through her deserted suburb on their way to somewhere else or leaving a message with her for someone, she hardly sees a soul. Her only consolation after the world fell apart, is that she is living in the bookstore she was working in a year ago. A year since she lost her family and caused the death of her twin. But at least she is surrounded by books.

Getting through the days the best she can on cold canned baked beans and tap water, she feels safe. Sure the front door won’t lock and she hasn’t left the bookstore for a year, but life is okay. It was better when a colleague was there too, but Eva left months before – for a bigger piece of the world and some adventure.

It never dawned on Liz that she was unprepared for others wanting the little she has, or another life taking storm coming. When someone breaks in, Liz’s life changes. This girl called Maeve is a little older and a lot more sure of herself. She has supplies, a weapon and seems completely in control of her life. A deal is made and in exchange for shelter in the bookstore, Maeve will fix up some of the crumbling building. It seems a good plan to Liz, once she begins to trust Maeve.

But not everyone is trustworthy and there are others out there who aren’t so helpful. They know of another storm on its way and they need the shelter of the bookstore. And they will take it by any means necessary.

A post apocalypse tale set in a bookstore in New Jersey. No zombies, gun totting gangs or viruses lurking in every crevasse, but plenty of malice present in other ways.

Main character Liz isn’t the most likeable character, but her obliviousness to possible threats is reasonable enough after not experiencing any dangerous people for an entire year after the world fell apart.

The thread of guilt woven through the story keeps you guessing about what she did to her sister, and when I found out, it didn’t make me dislike her any less.

Liz is very impractical, unable to do or even try much in the way of improving her living conditions and it seems, a little too lazy to try anyway. There of course will be people like Liz if ever doomsday comes – lucky enough to survive terrible global events and then avoid the worst of the world. But even Liz’s luck runs out eventually, completely changing the new closed off world she has made for herself.

Author – Lily Braun-Arnold

Age – 13+

(2024, Penguin Books NZ, Dystopian, Friendship, Love, Courage, Grief, Family, Action, Betrayal, Queer, LGBTQ+, Alone, Fear, Postal Service, Messages, Bookstore, Acid Rain, Survival)