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Postscript parent’s guide: what’s inside
Substance use
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Educational value
A note for parents
This post-apocalyptic YA novel focuses on emotional survival and human connection rather than action or graphic content. The story centers on West, a character who models empathy and intentional living while navigating a world of loss with other survivors. While there are mature themes including death, grief, and existential dread, the tone is contemplative and ultimately affirming of human bonds and instinct-driven compassion. Best suited for older teens comfortable with philosophical weight and some sensual content.
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From the publisher
From Stonewall Honoree Cory McCarthy, joyful, affectionate, read-in-one-sitting novel about letting go of the things we can’t change and holding on to the passion of our instincts. On the far side of a swift and unknowable apocalypse, a few sapiens are surviving off the last scraps of humanity. No longer recognizable a... From Stonewall Honoree Cory McCarthy, joyful, affectionate, read-in-one-sitting novel about letting go of the things we can’t change and holding on to the passion of our instincts. On the far side of a swift and unknowable apocalypse, a few sapiens are surviving off the last scraps of humanity. No longer recognizable as Cape Cod, the dunes of their archipelago are empty apart from regrets and ruins—until West blows in like a storm. West is a prophet of instinct, the last amateur anthropologist, ever aware of being present in life. He can’t help but move through Ani’s rage, Karen’s anxiety, and Emil’s immense longing with curiosity and care. West’s unbridled love and grief challenge the survivors to defy extinction with the most beautifully human thing imaginable: a family. He may even impress Death. ★ “Simultaneously tragic, existentially terrifying, heartwarming, and sensual."—Kirkus, starred review
Shelved under
- Young Adult Fiction
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ISBN 9780593618257 · Penguin