CRISIS

by Shifa S. Sheikh

Earth is dying—drowned in radiation, torn apart by war, and left to rot. But the Subjects survive. They wake up in the wasteland with no past, no answers, and no way out. Hunted by relentless machines, they carve out a fragile refuge called the Nest.

Then everything shatters. Ripped from their sanctuary and thrown onto Neo Gaia—humanity’s supposed second chance—they uncover the truth. They were never meant to live. They were test subjects, a human experiment to see if Earth could still sustain life. And now, the ones who created them want them erased.

With a totalitarian government tightening its grip and World War V on the horizon, the Subjects are running out of time. To survive, they must expose the truth before humanity destroys itself—again. But in a world where trust is a gamble and survival isn’t promised, one question remains.

Are they humanity’s last hope… or its final mistake?

Written by teen and religious author, Shifa S. Sheikh, this book comes with a fresh and unique perspective to the genre of dystopian, and incorporates modern day issues, such as climate change, politics, war and systemic injustices, reimagining what our future could look like.

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2025

About the author

Shifa S. Sheikh is a teen Muslim author based in California, who’s always had a soft spot for dystopian fiction. Addicted to reading since she was a kid, she started writing during the pandemic and finally picked one of her many unfinished plots to publish. This is her first novel. She loves reading, psychology, and cats. When she isn’t writing, she’s either reading, ranting about fictional characters, or daydreaming.

Reviews

[Aleena ☾☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY FRICKIN GOD

THIS BOOK GUYS

ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME BOOKS EVER!!

IT'S SO INCREDIBLY WELL-WRITTEN AND ENTERTAINING!

Shifa, I'm so happy to be able to say I know you ❤️ Can't wait for book two!

[Verity Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARHHHHHHHGG
The ending I’m crying… not because of sadness though. Like, Gemma, really? If you really liked Divergent, then I definitely would recommend this to you!

[rika_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚What a ride it has been!📚

First of all, I want to thank the author Shifa for reaching out and asking if I’d be interested in reading her debut novel. I’m so glad you did, because it gave me the chance to dive into such an intense and captivating story ❤️✨️

"Crisis" is a mix of dystopian, thriller and mystery, with just the right touch of slow burn for us emotional readers 🙇🏻‍♀️

Imagine a world where Earth is dead, drowned in radiation and stripped of any trace of humanity. That’s the setting you’ll explore in "Crisis", a story that shows how extreme situations can reveal the darkest sides of human nature, sometimes burying every trace of empathy or making it shine brighter than ever 🔍

We follow several characters, and while I would’ve loved to see more of some of them, both from their own POVs and through the eyes of the others, I’m almost sure the next books will give me those answers, especially after how this one ended.
And after that ending? I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel! ✨️

Reading "Crisis" was a fresh and powerful experience. The plot is original, the characters are vivid, and the story keeps you hooked until the end. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian worlds and stories that test what it really means to be human.

Thank you again to Shifa for thinking of me, and I can’t wait for everyone else to discover this world too! 🫶🏽

[☆*:..｡.imango.｡.:*☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG THIS BOOK IS SO GOODDDD AAAA
written by a young author in high school, it was especially inspiring. also, I have been honored to come to know this author ;)
it's such a good dystopian book, and I highly recommend anyone to get it!

[Shifa Sheikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend to horror, thriller, sci fi, and psychological thriller fans. Also slow burn fans. Unique characters, interesting plot twists, and great overall plot. Go and read it guys