AFTER THE FALL

A teenage girl embarks on a dangerous journey to find her mother in Parent’s debut YA novel.

The world after the Fall is bleak. Environmental destruction is widespread; powerful drugs called LoTabs are widely circulating; books have mostly vanished; and the militant Green Mountain Boys keep close watch for anything suspicious. June’s memories of a mysterious barn fire that left her horribly scarred six years ago are patchy (“Bales of hay rose up around me, their shadows moving like monsters when the flame guttered”), but she knows it was the last day she saw her mother. Ever since, she’s been staying at a ramshackle house in the Hollow with a couple who look after her in exchange for her labor. The one bright light in June’s life is Thomas, an orphan who’s become like a kid brother to her. One day, June sees Jacob, a weathered town deputy, sparking the return of hazy memories—she realizes he’s the one who pulled her from the blaze. When a circus rolls into the area, June and Thomas are determined to track the troupe down, hoping to get information about June’s mother (traveling circuses are one of the few sources of news in this world). But the trek is perilous: There’s a dead girl in the woods, someone’s killing sheep, and solar panels are being destroyed. The closer June gets to learning the truth, the more secrets she uncovers. In captivating, sharply observed prose, Parent strikes a skillful balance between hope and despair; when all seems lost, flickers of light illuminate the darkness. Though much has changed in the narrative’s foreboding future world, the characters’ struggles—the beating heart of the story—are deeply relatable. Oddball circus performers, unsavory lawbreakers, and flawed do-gooders round out the lively cast; the fiercely loyal June, and Jacob, whose bad habits fail to dull his sorrow, will stay with readers long after the final page. Aimed at a YA audience, the novel will also appeal to adults who enjoy character-driven fiction and adventure.

A gripping, visceral, post-apocalyptic story brimming with adventure and heart.