Groups of survivors struggle to go on in a post-apocalyptic world in Warren’s novel.

The author takes on the hot topic of deadly climate change in a story featuring Winona, who was orphaned at 17 after an uncontrolled wildfire killed her parents and has been barely subsisting on her own in a rural Washington family cabin ever since. Lonely and disillusioned, she meets another orphaned youth, Jeremy, while foraging in the woods and reservedly invites him to help out with chores. Despite some simmering attraction, Winona has trust issues. Meanwhile, in upstate New York, siblings Dee and Rowan bury their parents and attempt to figure out their next survival steps. Dee is resilient and uses her mother’s journal for emotional guidance to fulfill her promise to take care of her sensitive brother. Running parallel to these plotlines is the story of acclaimed Colorado environmentalist Dr. Diego Rivera, who, despite falling in love with his assistant, Mia, has entirely lost hope in a world of embattled survivors fleeing from wildfires (“He had tried—with his research, with his speeches—but it was all useless”). The narrative is set in the first decade following a massive global climate crisis event that has collapsed ecosystems, decimated organic life, sparked wildfires, elevated sea levels, compromised clean water systems, and killed millions. In their search for others, Winona and Jeremy abandon the cabin and set out for Denver, watching out for packs of hungry coyotes. Timely and forebodingly grim, the novel paints a portrait of a world crippled by a natural disaster; even the cleverly written, proactive dispatches from the nation’s president do little to quell a desperate, broken country’s panic. Winona and Jeremy’s storyline remains the strongest throughout—their trek across barren wilderness in search of food and other survivors is gripping and emotionally resonant. Warren’s descriptions of her characters and their surroundings are consistently believable and often chillingly realistic. Spooked readers will welcome the inclusion of a hopeful ending.

A cautionary, compelling portrayal of a world in crisis.