Weitz, Chris, The Young World, 373 pgs.
Little, Brown and Company. 2014 $19.99. Lanuage: PG13 (swearing); Mature
Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
A mysterious sickness wipes out the very young and all of
the adults. The teenagers are left on their own to survive until the age where
the sickness will take them as well. Tribes are formed, and the story follows
one tribe and it’s reluctant leader, Jefferson, as he and a select few leave
the safety of their tribe to follow a clue that just may lead to a cure. Along
the way they encounter sheer evil along with kids just like them, trying to
survive. Through it all Jefferson believes that they have the capability to
rebuild and create a future society superior to the one the sickness destroyed.
On reaching their destination, urban legends come to life and it’s up to
Jefferson and his gang to set things right.
This is Oscar nominated writer and director Chris Weitz’s
first novel. Weitz’s films include New Moon, A Better Life, About a Boy, The
Golden Compass, and American Pie, so expectations were high. Weitz certainly
did not disappoint. This isn’t your typical end of the world novel, and Weitz
captures the essence of the teenage psyche beautifully. Twist after twist kept
me reading way past bedtime, and my waking thoughts were consumed with finding
time to read more. A thrilling cliffhanger ending left me absolutely salivating
for more. I was, however, a bit disappointed with the explicit language in the
novel as I feel that it limits the audience to older teens. As a middle school
teacher, I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending this fantastic book to my
students for that reason alone.
MS-HS – ESSENTIAL, Reviewer: Rebecca H.
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