 |
Reviewed by: Diana Luce, High School Librarian Title: The Last Bookstore on Earth Author: Lily Braun-Arnold Publisher: Delacorte
Year: 2025 Good for Grades: 8-12 Genre/Type of Book: Climate Fiction/ Post-Apocalyptic
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: violence, teens killing other teens Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: The publishing blurb declared this perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us. (By the way, I found this blurb to be pretty accurate!)
|
Review:
Liz is a teenage girl living alone in a bookstore, one of only a few survivors of a climate-related disaster she refers to as The Storm. Through flashbacks to before the storm, we get to know Liz’s family and we learn about their increasing concern about the climate. In the present day, Liz’s family is gone and she starts to hear rumors of another impending storm, one potentially as devastating as the last one.
Liz has spent the majority of the last year alone comforting herself with the books that surround her. Until, one night, Maeve breaks into the store. The two slowly become friends, and then a lot more, and ultimately come to rely on each other for survival. Maeve’s arrival forces Liz to reengage with the world outside of the bookstore and all its terrors. When another disaster strikes, the two teens find themselves in a fight for their lives.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. The impending feeling of dread was palpable and kept me turning the pages. But this book was also a love story between two young women. It was a coming-of-age novel as Liz and Maeve try to figure out the people they want to be under circumstances where the stakes are about as high as possible. This book would be an excellent choice for any high school student who likes post-apocalyptic fiction with lots of action but also with a lot of heart. I would highly recommend this book for a high school library.
Note: The author, Lily Braun-Arnold, is a junior at Smith College. Her decision to write climate fiction absolutely breaks my heart. I think of my own students and the despair many of them feel about their futures and the future of this planet.
Number of party hats:
Find resources and activities for The Last Bookstore on Earth at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website