Six years after a global pandemic wiped out most of the planet’s population, the survivors are rebuilding the country, split between self-governing cities, hippie communes and wasteland gangs. But when reports of another outbreak throw the fragile society into panic, a group of friends is forced to finally face everything that came before―and everything they still stand to lose.
... rooted in deep, realistic human emotion ... the best kind of dystopian novel: one rooted deeply in the hearts of its characters and emphasizing hope and connection over fear. Chen has a true gift for making the biggest of worlds center around the most complex workings of the heart, and his newest is compelling, realistic, and impossible to put down.
Sometimes it is not the violent battles of post-apocalyptic stories that pull readers in; it is the emotional connection of humanity finding their way. Chen’s prose lights a brilliant, fragile path through the darkness.
... imaginative ... Even against a science fiction backdrop, humanity is the center of Chen’s post-apocalyptic tale ... Chen’s fast-paced tale is an optimistic look at how our humanity can bring out the best in us, even in the darkest times.
