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Young World
From the international bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series comes a renegade thriller, about a teenager elected President of the United States, sparking a global revolution of young leaders—until one of them is murdered and he’s the prime suspect.
Presented in brilliant neon color, with over 150 nuke-orange visuals, fizzy orange-and-blue stained edges, full-color designed endpapers, and a neon-orange cover case.
Presented in brilliant neon color, with over 150 nuke-orange visuals, fizzy orange-and-blue stained edges, full-color designed endpapers, and a neon-orange cover case.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2026
About the author
Soman Chainani
35 books7,838 followersSoman Chainani’s debut series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD & EVIL, has sold over 4.5 million copies, been translated into 35 languages across six continents, and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Netflix that debuted at #1 in over 80 countries.
His book of retold fairytales, BEASTS & BEAUTY, also debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List and is slated to be a limited television series from Sony 3000.
EverNever World, his decade-long franchise of fairy tales and fantasy, continues to expand. Together, these books have been on the New York Times Bestseller List for 50 weeks.
In 2026, Soman unveils a brand new universe with YOUNG WORLD, a global political thriller.
In his career, Soman has visited more than 800 schools around the world, where he continues to share his secret with students of all ages: that reading is the path to a better life.
His book of retold fairytales, BEASTS & BEAUTY, also debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List and is slated to be a limited television series from Sony 3000.
EverNever World, his decade-long franchise of fairy tales and fantasy, continues to expand. Together, these books have been on the New York Times Bestseller List for 50 weeks.
In 2026, Soman unveils a brand new universe with YOUNG WORLD, a global political thriller.
In his career, Soman has visited more than 800 schools around the world, where he continues to share his secret with students of all ages: that reading is the path to a better life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
January 22, 2026
Picked this up on a whim while looking for something immersive that will make me just sit and READ, and... this did the job.
At least in the beginning. I binged a decent portion in a sitting, until things started to slow down a bit. Later it did pick back up, though.
This was very different from the books I normally read, and maybe that's why it HIT. I think this is considered a YA Thriller— I don't read thrillers often, but I liked this one! It just felt like an exciting mystery, with some crazy WTF is happening right now parts (like the 🐻❄ iykwim). Is this what thrillers are like? I always thought they were more hardcore and unsettling, which is why I stayed away, but maybe that's the adult thrillers.
Why did it take me so long to realize it was an upside down building on the cover and not a creepy, dripping vacuum cleaner?
A tad too many suggestive jokes/inappropriate humor in this book.
Overall, an interesting story! It's a LOT 😂 And I enjoyed it for the most part. It was fun to read something so different. Definitely well written and well done. Some parts were really entertaining and bingeable. Some parts/ideas I wasn't a fan of. Also, I did guess who was on the BRICS side~
Cool to see something totally different from the author of one of my favorite childhood series 🏰📖✨️
*I received an ARC of this book, thank you to the author and publisher!*
At least in the beginning. I binged a decent portion in a sitting, until things started to slow down a bit. Later it did pick back up, though.
This was very different from the books I normally read, and maybe that's why it HIT. I think this is considered a YA Thriller— I don't read thrillers often, but I liked this one! It just felt like an exciting mystery, with some crazy WTF is happening right now parts (like the 🐻❄ iykwim). Is this what thrillers are like? I always thought they were more hardcore and unsettling, which is why I stayed away, but maybe that's the adult thrillers.
Why did it take me so long to realize it was an upside down building on the cover and not a creepy, dripping vacuum cleaner?
A tad too many suggestive jokes/inappropriate humor in this book.
Overall, an interesting story! It's a LOT 😂 And I enjoyed it for the most part. It was fun to read something so different. Definitely well written and well done. Some parts were really entertaining and bingeable. Some parts/ideas I wasn't a fan of. Also, I did guess who was on the BRICS side~
Cool to see something totally different from the author of one of my favorite childhood series 🏰📖✨️
*I received an ARC of this book, thank you to the author and publisher!*
April 24, 2026
I recieved an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
EDIT-
To everyone telling me to “get over it” about the language, if you actually read my review you would see that that isn’t my only issue. You are completely ignoring the inappropriate relationships between an adult and a minor. And on the terms of the language, a PG-13 movie is only allowed 1 F-bomb. Anything more than that is considered R.
To begin, this book is advertised as a Young Adult book. That means it’s being targeted to 12-18 year olds.
That being said, I would recommend ages 17+ on this book. That is because of language and sexual content.
SPOILER FREE PART OF REVIEW
Starting off immediately I was excited because of the unique concept of this book. But immediately I was disappointed. The way that Benton becomes president is a paper thin plot point that doesn’t really make sense, despite Chainani boasting on his social media that once you read the book you will see that it’s plausible for a 17 year old to be president. Spoiler alert, ITS NOT!!!
Second is the writing, it was very train of thought throughout the whole book, which led to a very convoluted story and unlikable characters.
I did NOT appreciate the amount of language in this book. 31 F-bombs, and 3 times as many uses of other curse words. Let me remind you, this book is being targeted for 12 year olds at the young end!!! There is zero reason for there to have been that much language let alone for 12 year olds.
Dont get me started on the unrealistic aspects of the story. I won’t get into that because I can’t without giving spoilers.
SPOILERS INCLUDED PAST THIS POINT!!!! Being a help for parents whose kids may want to read this.
The biggest concerns I have about this book are the relationships.
120 pages Ont the book you realize that “The Girl” that our 17 year old main character is in love with is his 27 year old Gov teacher. Oh but it doesn’t stop there, this 17 year old and 27 year old kiss on multiple occasions, as well as Benton (main character) fantasizing about her and her body throughout the book.
Beyond that, there is one point 3/4 of the way through the book where one character is filming a discussion between two of the boys in the book, and then it escalates from there and *almost* becomes a very explicit moment that I don’t believe is appropriate for a YA novel. The author manages to hide *just* enough in that moment for it not to be explicit, but is HEAVILY implied, just before the scene ends when the person filming is found out.
Overall this book was very poorly written, the plot was paper thin, and the characters plain unlikable. Couple that with the authors lack of knowledge of the way government works and you get a pretty terrible book.
1/10 would never recommend
EDIT-
To everyone telling me to “get over it” about the language, if you actually read my review you would see that that isn’t my only issue. You are completely ignoring the inappropriate relationships between an adult and a minor. And on the terms of the language, a PG-13 movie is only allowed 1 F-bomb. Anything more than that is considered R.
To begin, this book is advertised as a Young Adult book. That means it’s being targeted to 12-18 year olds.
That being said, I would recommend ages 17+ on this book. That is because of language and sexual content.
SPOILER FREE PART OF REVIEW
Starting off immediately I was excited because of the unique concept of this book. But immediately I was disappointed. The way that Benton becomes president is a paper thin plot point that doesn’t really make sense, despite Chainani boasting on his social media that once you read the book you will see that it’s plausible for a 17 year old to be president. Spoiler alert, ITS NOT!!!
Second is the writing, it was very train of thought throughout the whole book, which led to a very convoluted story and unlikable characters.
I did NOT appreciate the amount of language in this book. 31 F-bombs, and 3 times as many uses of other curse words. Let me remind you, this book is being targeted for 12 year olds at the young end!!! There is zero reason for there to have been that much language let alone for 12 year olds.
Dont get me started on the unrealistic aspects of the story. I won’t get into that because I can’t without giving spoilers.
SPOILERS INCLUDED PAST THIS POINT!!!! Being a help for parents whose kids may want to read this.
The biggest concerns I have about this book are the relationships.
120 pages Ont the book you realize that “The Girl” that our 17 year old main character is in love with is his 27 year old Gov teacher. Oh but it doesn’t stop there, this 17 year old and 27 year old kiss on multiple occasions, as well as Benton (main character) fantasizing about her and her body throughout the book.
Beyond that, there is one point 3/4 of the way through the book where one character is filming a discussion between two of the boys in the book, and then it escalates from there and *almost* becomes a very explicit moment that I don’t believe is appropriate for a YA novel. The author manages to hide *just* enough in that moment for it not to be explicit, but is HEAVILY implied, just before the scene ends when the person filming is found out.
Overall this book was very poorly written, the plot was paper thin, and the characters plain unlikable. Couple that with the authors lack of knowledge of the way government works and you get a pretty terrible book.
1/10 would never recommend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2026
November 21, 2025ANHPI TBR
Pride TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers
Pride TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers
May 6, 2026
3 stars!
A big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Just a fun read! A teenage boy makes a revolutionary Youtube video to impress a girl and ends up a) elected as President of the United States and b) inspiring other young leaders to step up around the world - and all told through school journal entries, art, and other added media images.
It’s nothing incredible or memorable hence the 3 stars, but entertaining nonetheless. I will say, I’m not the biggest fan of the main character Benton’s motivation in shifting society being a girl… and I’m also not the biggest fan of that girl actually being a grown woman and a TEACHER. I feel like it came completely out of left field when that was revealed and lowkey ruined the plot for me 😭
~~
i just got the ARC!! i grew up on soman’s writing, i’m so so freaking excited
A big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Just a fun read! A teenage boy makes a revolutionary Youtube video to impress a girl and ends up a) elected as President of the United States and b) inspiring other young leaders to step up around the world - and all told through school journal entries, art, and other added media images.
It’s nothing incredible or memorable hence the 3 stars, but entertaining nonetheless. I will say, I’m not the biggest fan of the main character Benton’s motivation in shifting society being a girl… and I’m also not the biggest fan of that girl actually being a grown woman and a TEACHER. I feel like it came completely out of left field when that was revealed and lowkey ruined the plot for me 😭
~~
i just got the ARC!! i grew up on soman’s writing, i’m so so freaking excited
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
February 9, 2026"A renegade thriller about a teenager elected President of the United States, sparking a global revolution of young leaders—until one of them is murdered and he’s the prime suspect."
i can't decide if this sounds ridculous or fantasic
i can't decide if this sounds ridculous or fantasic
March 24, 2026
This story had the chance to tell such an important story about revolution and actually changing the world but for some reason the MC keeps revolving around his idea of having to "get the girl." Thus this idea of true meaningful change is undercut by the patriarchal society that caused all the failures in the first place. And the reveal of who the girl is? Left a bad taste in my mouth.
The MC was giving major incel vibes throughout the novel. Like I had to not cringe so hard at many parts. This story loses its strength with a male voice of entitlement behind it. Its a male perspective from an already male dominated and created world. All his motivations are superficial and he doesn't add any true meaning to the main issue and political strife. Throughout the whole mystery and saving of Dragontail, Benton does absolutely nothing to aid the solving of the mystery, he just happens to be told the truth.
This is so dense with politics yet absolutely nothing truly political is happening other than superficial land power tactics and one upping each out. I'm into politics so thank god for the fun articles and ads between chapters to cleanse my eyeballs!
Um why is the love interest (and halfway through the big reveal of his love interest) being HIS TEACHER? Who he has kissed? Who is 10 years older than his 17 year old self? What the grooming is happening here? And why are we letting it happen?? Because it's a woman and not a man?? I'm just so confused on how this was approved.
60% of the way through the book when the summary plot point finally happens? Like ok now we gotta solve this mystery? Jk he does nothing but run around and be kidnapped and shot at. Honestly poor guy I felt bad for him constantly being targeted!
I'm gonna be so honest, if you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl, you will probably like this. And I don't mean that as a compliment
The MC was giving major incel vibes throughout the novel. Like I had to not cringe so hard at many parts. This story loses its strength with a male voice of entitlement behind it. Its a male perspective from an already male dominated and created world. All his motivations are superficial and he doesn't add any true meaning to the main issue and political strife. Throughout the whole mystery and saving of Dragontail, Benton does absolutely nothing to aid the solving of the mystery, he just happens to be told the truth.
This is so dense with politics yet absolutely nothing truly political is happening other than superficial land power tactics and one upping each out. I'm into politics so thank god for the fun articles and ads between chapters to cleanse my eyeballs!
Um why is the love interest (and halfway through the big reveal of his love interest) being HIS TEACHER? Who he has kissed? Who is 10 years older than his 17 year old self? What the grooming is happening here? And why are we letting it happen?? Because it's a woman and not a man?? I'm just so confused on how this was approved.
60% of the way through the book when the summary plot point finally happens? Like ok now we gotta solve this mystery? Jk he does nothing but run around and be kidnapped and shot at. Honestly poor guy I felt bad for him constantly being targeted!
I'm gonna be so honest, if you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl, you will probably like this. And I don't mean that as a compliment
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2026
ESP:
*2.5*
ARC POR PARTE DE NETGALLEY PARA RESEÑA
Well… Sorta Kinda.
De verdad que es muy complicado venir a dar una reseña “negativa” a un autor que HISTÓRICAMENTE has disfrutado mucho. He leído TODO de este señor: 8 novelas, 1 colección de historias cortas, 1 libro compañero extra, 2 novelas gráficas. O sea soy experto en Soman Chainani, pero este libro de verdad nada más falló en muchos aspectos.
Yo creo que el problema más grande es que, para mi, el autor se llenó la boca de muchísimas cosas que no me entregó en este libro. Lo escucho constantemente en su podcast, y tiene un Pitch muy específico para el libro que PARA MI no cumple. Que es un thriller shockeante en todo momento (el asesinato que se dice en la sinopsis sucede hasta un tanto después de la mitad, entonces tienes un inicio tedioso y que se siente lento), contado en un formato que lo vuelve único en el mercado (no mucho, he leído otra trilogía que hace uso del estilo mixed media y que siento lo hace mil mejor), que es revolucionario en temática (tal vez si eres gringo nada más).
Siento que si masticó más de lo que podía tragar. Y ok entiendo el arriesgarte, especialmente si estas debutando de nuevo en otra categoría de género que no es la tuya, pero siento genuinamente se está sobrevendiendo el libro. Ya habiéndolo terminado no siento que la idea sea tan fuerte en ejecución, porque al final todo termina sintiéndose super “full americana”, que puedo entender en parte porque el autor es estadounidense y obviamente va a tomar como referencia la política de su país, pero al hacerlo en una escala GLOBAL donde supuestamente esta revolución joven termina afectando a todos si termina sintiéndose un poco floja.
Que, hablando de los jóvenes, el protagonista es encantador pero si muy diferente al resto de los personajes de Soman, Tiene la misma personalidad molesta de hombre que tiene Tedros, pero agréguenle que es una adolescente puberto con poder internacional lol. Sí lo leí muy hetero, y se que esa es una crítica que el autor tomó en cuenta y corrigió después de las copias avanzadas (pero lo que no se si la versión de ARC que yo leí ya tenía esos edits), pero disfruté de la perspectiva de Benton. El resto de los personajes, especialmente los otros líderes jóvenes, se sienten como estereotipos andantes del país que representan. Son SUPER planos, no shade.
Hay ciertas conversaciones sombre el imperialismo y la colonización que me parecieron valiosas para contrarrestar el humor y ritmo de la historia. Siento que están bien implementadas, pero como he mencionado anteriormente, si siento que al final el libro no termina de cuajar bien.
Triste que no me haya gustado tanto porque se sabe que quiero mucho al autor y, honestamente, si no hubiera sido porque me dieron una copia avanzada no lo habría leído, pero al menos no me quedé con la espinita.
Eso sí, lean la escuela del bien del mal mucho antes que este.
ENG:
*2.5*
ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR REVIEW.
This is the author’s YA debut, and as an avid enjoyer of Soman’s work I had high expectations for the story. A red-hot political thriller, with shocking plot twists and very graphic design making it unique in the market were some of the things I was expecting, purely from hearing how the author has been describing the book. And yes, it is some of those things, but after finishing it I can say I’m whelmed. Not overwhelmed nor underwhelmed. Very in the middle.
The characters are interesting, and the narrator has a certain charm that makes the story enjoyable and digestible. Benton is very different from any other MC that I have read from the author, and though I agree that he reads very hetero and very male-teenagers, he is very likable and very entertaining. The rest of the characters, specially the other young leaders feel like walking stereotypes (I’m not quite sure if this was intentional), almost like caricatures of what they were supposed to represent. Not the strongest cast of characters.
The world building, although grand, feels a little short-sided when it comes to the scheme of the story. It feels like it’s missing several pieces, specially when creating this idea of a worldwide young-led revolution that ends up in inevitable change across multiple nations. Even though it heavily includes other countries and there are some bits and pieces of information on how the rest of the world is reacting, the story ends up feeling as way too us-centered, which I guess makes sense after all, but it kind of leaves a lot up in the air, making it feel incomplete in a sense.
Also, the pacing is weirdly inconsistent. One of the major plot points (that is described in the synopsis) happens only until about the 60% of the book, which leaves us with 2 first thirds that read a little too slow, a climax that goes by quickly and it’s very entertaining, but also an ending that feels rushed and somewhat too plain for the scale of the story.
I will say that I really enjoyed all the discussion about imperialism and the effects of colonization. There are some nuanced conversations throughout the novel, which I think really helped balance all the humor and shenanigans that were happening every other page. The message felt very clear by the end of the story.
Overall, I think the book was good, although very middle of the road If I’m being honest. I’ve enjoyed Soman’s entire work, so I knew I had to give this one a chance. I enjoyed it; I found it entertaining in the majority, the concept was interesting and the execution with the mixed-media format really helped with my enjoyment, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorites form the author.
*2.5*
ARC POR PARTE DE NETGALLEY PARA RESEÑA
Well… Sorta Kinda.
De verdad que es muy complicado venir a dar una reseña “negativa” a un autor que HISTÓRICAMENTE has disfrutado mucho. He leído TODO de este señor: 8 novelas, 1 colección de historias cortas, 1 libro compañero extra, 2 novelas gráficas. O sea soy experto en Soman Chainani, pero este libro de verdad nada más falló en muchos aspectos.
Yo creo que el problema más grande es que, para mi, el autor se llenó la boca de muchísimas cosas que no me entregó en este libro. Lo escucho constantemente en su podcast, y tiene un Pitch muy específico para el libro que PARA MI no cumple. Que es un thriller shockeante en todo momento (el asesinato que se dice en la sinopsis sucede hasta un tanto después de la mitad, entonces tienes un inicio tedioso y que se siente lento), contado en un formato que lo vuelve único en el mercado (no mucho, he leído otra trilogía que hace uso del estilo mixed media y que siento lo hace mil mejor), que es revolucionario en temática (tal vez si eres gringo nada más).
Siento que si masticó más de lo que podía tragar. Y ok entiendo el arriesgarte, especialmente si estas debutando de nuevo en otra categoría de género que no es la tuya, pero siento genuinamente se está sobrevendiendo el libro. Ya habiéndolo terminado no siento que la idea sea tan fuerte en ejecución, porque al final todo termina sintiéndose super “full americana”, que puedo entender en parte porque el autor es estadounidense y obviamente va a tomar como referencia la política de su país, pero al hacerlo en una escala GLOBAL donde supuestamente esta revolución joven termina afectando a todos si termina sintiéndose un poco floja.
Que, hablando de los jóvenes, el protagonista es encantador pero si muy diferente al resto de los personajes de Soman, Tiene la misma personalidad molesta de hombre que tiene Tedros, pero agréguenle que es una adolescente puberto con poder internacional lol. Sí lo leí muy hetero, y se que esa es una crítica que el autor tomó en cuenta y corrigió después de las copias avanzadas (pero lo que no se si la versión de ARC que yo leí ya tenía esos edits), pero disfruté de la perspectiva de Benton. El resto de los personajes, especialmente los otros líderes jóvenes, se sienten como estereotipos andantes del país que representan. Son SUPER planos, no shade.
Hay ciertas conversaciones sombre el imperialismo y la colonización que me parecieron valiosas para contrarrestar el humor y ritmo de la historia. Siento que están bien implementadas, pero como he mencionado anteriormente, si siento que al final el libro no termina de cuajar bien.
Triste que no me haya gustado tanto porque se sabe que quiero mucho al autor y, honestamente, si no hubiera sido porque me dieron una copia avanzada no lo habría leído, pero al menos no me quedé con la espinita.
Eso sí, lean la escuela del bien del mal mucho antes que este.
ENG:
*2.5*
ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR REVIEW.
This is the author’s YA debut, and as an avid enjoyer of Soman’s work I had high expectations for the story. A red-hot political thriller, with shocking plot twists and very graphic design making it unique in the market were some of the things I was expecting, purely from hearing how the author has been describing the book. And yes, it is some of those things, but after finishing it I can say I’m whelmed. Not overwhelmed nor underwhelmed. Very in the middle.
The characters are interesting, and the narrator has a certain charm that makes the story enjoyable and digestible. Benton is very different from any other MC that I have read from the author, and though I agree that he reads very hetero and very male-teenagers, he is very likable and very entertaining. The rest of the characters, specially the other young leaders feel like walking stereotypes (I’m not quite sure if this was intentional), almost like caricatures of what they were supposed to represent. Not the strongest cast of characters.
The world building, although grand, feels a little short-sided when it comes to the scheme of the story. It feels like it’s missing several pieces, specially when creating this idea of a worldwide young-led revolution that ends up in inevitable change across multiple nations. Even though it heavily includes other countries and there are some bits and pieces of information on how the rest of the world is reacting, the story ends up feeling as way too us-centered, which I guess makes sense after all, but it kind of leaves a lot up in the air, making it feel incomplete in a sense.
Also, the pacing is weirdly inconsistent. One of the major plot points (that is described in the synopsis) happens only until about the 60% of the book, which leaves us with 2 first thirds that read a little too slow, a climax that goes by quickly and it’s very entertaining, but also an ending that feels rushed and somewhat too plain for the scale of the story.
I will say that I really enjoyed all the discussion about imperialism and the effects of colonization. There are some nuanced conversations throughout the novel, which I think really helped balance all the humor and shenanigans that were happening every other page. The message felt very clear by the end of the story.
Overall, I think the book was good, although very middle of the road If I’m being honest. I’ve enjoyed Soman’s entire work, so I knew I had to give this one a chance. I enjoyed it; I found it entertaining in the majority, the concept was interesting and the execution with the mixed-media format really helped with my enjoyment, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorites form the author.
Read
November 29, 2025This book is INSANEEEEEE you guys aren't ready
December 8, 2025
This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read! High school student Benton Young makes a very public declaration in order to get a girl’s attention and it thrusts him onto the presidential ballot. In a surprising turn that no one saw coming, he wins and America is turned on its head. The win sparks a revolution around the world with more teens and young adults gaining positions of power in their countries. All want to gain control of an arctic island known as Dragontail where an unknown treasure trove of natural resources has yet to be tapped. This is a YA political thriller. Unlikely? Yes, but also captivating! The artwork sprinkled throughout the book adds to the intrigue. It’s incredibly well done. High school teachers and librarians—hand this one to your reluctant boys. Thank you Random House for the opportunity to read this advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
March 16, 2026girl that was crazy
Want to Read
January 13, 2026I can't wait for this!
May 8, 2026
I've been listening to the PlotTwist podcast for the past year and was really excited for this book's release! And boy was it an experience. This book is wacky and unique and really cool. I love the visuals. I definitely connected to some of the things said here about the pressures and disillusionment and existential dread young people face these days, and I think this is a super valuable book to have out in 2026. Also, I read a friend’s text about RFK Jr being stupid immediately after finishing this book and yeah I do believe a lot of 17-year-olds would do better in office than the “swamp trolls” we’ve got.
To critique, I think there could’ve been more development of the drama and political intrigue. There was a lot of action, and movement from place to place (willingly or not on Benton's part lol), but while the politics were super interesting, they weren't explored as much as I would've liked. I wanted more about how Benton and the others got elected, and especially more purposeful and thoughtful build-up of the warring alliances and everything at stake. More of the young leaders talking and planning and plotting together! (The agreement all the others came to felt a little bizarre, for instance, and I would’ve liked a bit more of everyone’s defense for something I would’ve thought they’d all be against.) More about how brutal the press would be to them, gossip and rumors and defamation... More about how Benton's background and identity would affect people's attitude towards him... And also more of Benton actually solving the mysteries! Most things were just explained to him...
I actually didn't mind Benton's preoccupation with The Girl and his own personal issues as much as I might've expected. It helped establish Benton as literally just a pissed-off teenage boy who never actually wanted to be president and just wanted to get The Girl. A good thing about this book is pretty much no one felt perfect or unrealistically mature. Also, while reading I remembered Soman saying something on the podcast about teenage boy narrators being unreliable, so that helped when certain parts of this book had me in disbelief - just knowing that he's absolutely seeing things that aren't there in regards to The Girl - although there is one point they argue about and she flat out denies something happened and there wasn't really closure there on whether she was gaslighting him or he was deluding himself?? And that point is very important for reasons that would be a spoiler so I won't say but AHH yikes.
I also wanted more development of the side characters - especially the other young leaders!! Erik gets a couple chances to shine, and Amita gets her turn, but we get like...is it actually 0 dialogue from Rafaella and Gilles before the murder?? I liked how isolated Benton felt going into the summit, but I expected more interactions before the murder - a chance to actually get to know the others before they're all murder suspects! Also not sure how I felt about Yuzuru being described as the leader of *the* country known for being reasonable and peaceful or something because I don't think Japan is that... (I don't think any country should be put on a pedestal like that.) And Steffi felt perhaps a bit stereotypical. I mean they all did... And it took to here checking that I'd mentioned all the leaders to realize I forgot Elliot. Oops. Jax and Freddy were great, but also...mayhaps...a tiny bit (or completely) interchangeable in how they sounded and how they helped and supported Benton.
Anyway, this book was different and daring and I enjoyed the wild ride of it! I think it could've done more to fully reach its potential, but I also understand its narrative limits from staying in Benton's head.
To critique, I think there could’ve been more development of the drama and political intrigue. There was a lot of action, and movement from place to place (willingly or not on Benton's part lol), but while the politics were super interesting, they weren't explored as much as I would've liked. I wanted more about how Benton and the others got elected, and especially more purposeful and thoughtful build-up of the warring alliances and everything at stake. More of the young leaders talking and planning and plotting together! (The agreement all the others came to felt a little bizarre, for instance, and I would’ve liked a bit more of everyone’s defense for something I would’ve thought they’d all be against.) More about how brutal the press would be to them, gossip and rumors and defamation... More about how Benton's background and identity would affect people's attitude towards him... And also more of Benton actually solving the mysteries! Most things were just explained to him...
I actually didn't mind Benton's preoccupation with The Girl and his own personal issues as much as I might've expected. It helped establish Benton as literally just a pissed-off teenage boy who never actually wanted to be president and just wanted to get The Girl. A good thing about this book is pretty much no one felt perfect or unrealistically mature. Also, while reading I remembered Soman saying something on the podcast about teenage boy narrators being unreliable, so that helped when certain parts of this book had me in disbelief - just knowing that he's absolutely seeing things that aren't there in regards to The Girl - although there is one point they argue about and she flat out denies something happened and there wasn't really closure there on whether she was gaslighting him or he was deluding himself?? And that point is very important for reasons that would be a spoiler so I won't say but AHH yikes.
I also wanted more development of the side characters - especially the other young leaders!! Erik gets a couple chances to shine, and Amita gets her turn, but we get like...is it actually 0 dialogue from Rafaella and Gilles before the murder?? I liked how isolated Benton felt going into the summit, but I expected more interactions before the murder - a chance to actually get to know the others before they're all murder suspects! Also not sure how I felt about Yuzuru being described as the leader of *the* country known for being reasonable and peaceful or something because I don't think Japan is that... (I don't think any country should be put on a pedestal like that.) And Steffi felt perhaps a bit stereotypical. I mean they all did... And it took to here checking that I'd mentioned all the leaders to realize I forgot Elliot. Oops. Jax and Freddy were great, but also...mayhaps...a tiny bit (or completely) interchangeable in how they sounded and how they helped and supported Benton.
Anyway, this book was different and daring and I enjoyed the wild ride of it! I think it could've done more to fully reach its potential, but I also understand its narrative limits from staying in Benton's head.
November 18, 2025
This book was a rollercoaster from start to finish! Initially, I was very nervous about how I would feel about Chainani’s departure from fairytale-esque fantasy to a more dystopian narrative but I believe he pulled it off extremely well, incorporating a great cast of characters and a compelling narrator into the plot. The use of art within this book is also something of note, which added an interesting and unconventional way to incorporate details into the story that went beyond the main character’s perspective. Overall, this book surpassed what I expected and is perfect for fans of young adult dystopian and even the movie Don’t Look Up.
September 17, 2025
Ahhhh super excited to dive into a new Soman Chainani world!
May 11, 2026
I was first intrigued with Young World due to the premise of a teenager becoming president of the United States and promised a political thriller and murder mystery. While the book presents some interesting concepts and examines the consequences of young people ruling many countries, overall, the story feels under-baked, mainly in the characters and pacing, as well as some aspects of the concept, souring my impression of the story.
First the good. The story presents the premise of “what happens if young people ruled the world?” in a somewhat realistic way, deconstructing the fantasy into a thrilling narrative, where our protagonist, Benton Young, discovers that leading the country isn’t as simple as it seems on the outside. It also shows that despite the idea often presented in media (and sometimes in real life) that if the young ran the world, all the world’s problems would be fixed because they have a longer future, it shows that the young and old are more similar in their ambition for power and potential for good. Yes, the premise is a bit silly, but I liked that and mostly held to it’s suspension of disbelief, as well as some of the political drama, though I wished there was more of that. Plus, some of the plot twists were interesting.
Benton himself was an engaging protagonist, wanting to initially impress his crush to care about the world, something more than himself, and then finds himself in a whirlwind situation that would be stressful for anyone, much less a 17 year old. He’s trying to find his footing and shows why the young wouldn’t be quite equipped for the job, especially not one who wasn’t born and raised in the political environment. He’s also dealing with parental issues and trying to juggle his life. I don’t mind that he was basically thrown into it, as it shows the impulsiveness of many teens and young activists who dream up this stuff. He does learn and grow with each mistake and I do like the conclusion he does come to by the end of the story. I didn’t think he was perfect, as I did have issues related to some plot twists.
I do like the storytelling style. While most of the story is told in first person prose, there are many images and other types of writing formats utilized throughout the book to give an extra dimension to the narrative, and in a way, made the story read a bit faster and might have disguised the sluggish pacing in some sections. I always commend authors who take this risk.
Now for the not so good.
As mentioned, the pacing was off. The story deals with Benton becoming president at 17, fending off domestic enemies, as well as dealing with his personal life, the global youth uprising, and an international crisis, all in 480 pages! And there’s a lot in between to juggle that I’m not mentioning, maybe too much for the story to address in that time. While the first half was slower paced and mostly allowed for ideas to breathe, and my preferred pacing, the second half goes at a breakneck pace, with some plot lines abruptly falling off before moving onto the next plot point. Near the end had plenty of plot convenience for Benton, resulting in a rushed climax that really needed some more explaining, and sucked some of the satisfaction out of the ending, which was otherwise good for Benton. I wonder if this could have been split into two books for the story to get some breathing room for the concepts to be fleshed out or if some elements been removed, because there were points where I was engaged with the plot, but others I wasn’t.
Most of the characters besides Benton felt mostly surface level and one note. I wasn’t too engaged with most of the cast, as it felt like they were playing their role on the chess board. I think part of it could have been the prose was trying to be hip and cool with Gen Z teens that it might lose a chunk of the audience. It sometimes came off as cringe, crude, and way too much profanity for my taste. There’s also a student-teacher romance I wasn’t a fan of (even if both parties are over the age of consent in their jurisdiction) and was very awkward in presentation. Part of me wished the young leaders were slightly older (early 20’s) due to these elements and the book have been written and labeled as New Adult.
The prose had a bit too many spots where I didn’t feel grounded in the setting and I felt a bit lost in some spots, trying to understand what was going on. Aspects of the mystery felt disconnected, and not much time was spent on them before the next crisis sprung up, which ties into the pacing issue.
As a heads up, the sales copy is slightly misleading, and made me think it was going to primarily be a murder mystery instead of political thriller. However, the event headlined as the major incident (the murder) doesn’t happen until almost 2/3rds of the way through the story, and is downplayed after a few chapters, so it feels like a part of a bigger puzzle instead of the major plot. The big story, once Benton rises to power, is about a land grab that many countries are trying to claim and the hidden danger behind all of it.
If you come in understanding that it’s more of a deconstruction of the “youth run the world” concept instead of a murder mystery with an interesting protagonist, you might enjoy this one, but probably not to younger teens due to the content.
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers. All opinions are my own.*
First the good. The story presents the premise of “what happens if young people ruled the world?” in a somewhat realistic way, deconstructing the fantasy into a thrilling narrative, where our protagonist, Benton Young, discovers that leading the country isn’t as simple as it seems on the outside. It also shows that despite the idea often presented in media (and sometimes in real life) that if the young ran the world, all the world’s problems would be fixed because they have a longer future, it shows that the young and old are more similar in their ambition for power and potential for good. Yes, the premise is a bit silly, but I liked that and mostly held to it’s suspension of disbelief, as well as some of the political drama, though I wished there was more of that. Plus, some of the plot twists were interesting.
Benton himself was an engaging protagonist, wanting to initially impress his crush to care about the world, something more than himself, and then finds himself in a whirlwind situation that would be stressful for anyone, much less a 17 year old. He’s trying to find his footing and shows why the young wouldn’t be quite equipped for the job, especially not one who wasn’t born and raised in the political environment. He’s also dealing with parental issues and trying to juggle his life. I don’t mind that he was basically thrown into it, as it shows the impulsiveness of many teens and young activists who dream up this stuff. He does learn and grow with each mistake and I do like the conclusion he does come to by the end of the story. I didn’t think he was perfect, as I did have issues related to some plot twists.
I do like the storytelling style. While most of the story is told in first person prose, there are many images and other types of writing formats utilized throughout the book to give an extra dimension to the narrative, and in a way, made the story read a bit faster and might have disguised the sluggish pacing in some sections. I always commend authors who take this risk.
Now for the not so good.
As mentioned, the pacing was off. The story deals with Benton becoming president at 17, fending off domestic enemies, as well as dealing with his personal life, the global youth uprising, and an international crisis, all in 480 pages! And there’s a lot in between to juggle that I’m not mentioning, maybe too much for the story to address in that time. While the first half was slower paced and mostly allowed for ideas to breathe, and my preferred pacing, the second half goes at a breakneck pace, with some plot lines abruptly falling off before moving onto the next plot point. Near the end had plenty of plot convenience for Benton, resulting in a rushed climax that really needed some more explaining, and sucked some of the satisfaction out of the ending, which was otherwise good for Benton. I wonder if this could have been split into two books for the story to get some breathing room for the concepts to be fleshed out or if some elements been removed, because there were points where I was engaged with the plot, but others I wasn’t.
Most of the characters besides Benton felt mostly surface level and one note. I wasn’t too engaged with most of the cast, as it felt like they were playing their role on the chess board. I think part of it could have been the prose was trying to be hip and cool with Gen Z teens that it might lose a chunk of the audience. It sometimes came off as cringe, crude, and way too much profanity for my taste. There’s also a student-teacher romance I wasn’t a fan of (even if both parties are over the age of consent in their jurisdiction) and was very awkward in presentation. Part of me wished the young leaders were slightly older (early 20’s) due to these elements and the book have been written and labeled as New Adult.
The prose had a bit too many spots where I didn’t feel grounded in the setting and I felt a bit lost in some spots, trying to understand what was going on. Aspects of the mystery felt disconnected, and not much time was spent on them before the next crisis sprung up, which ties into the pacing issue.
As a heads up, the sales copy is slightly misleading, and made me think it was going to primarily be a murder mystery instead of political thriller. However, the event headlined as the major incident (the murder) doesn’t happen until almost 2/3rds of the way through the story, and is downplayed after a few chapters, so it feels like a part of a bigger puzzle instead of the major plot. The big story, once Benton rises to power, is about a land grab that many countries are trying to claim and the hidden danger behind all of it.
If you come in understanding that it’s more of a deconstruction of the “youth run the world” concept instead of a murder mystery with an interesting protagonist, you might enjoy this one, but probably not to younger teens due to the content.
*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers. All opinions are my own.*
May 9, 2026
I listen to Victoria Aveyard and Soman Chainani's podcast called Plot Twist in which they talk about publishing and their new books releasing this year. For Chainani, that was YOUNG WORLD. It intrigued me since he first announced it on the podcast about a year ago, especially because this is the first book of his I've ever read.
17yo Benton Young makes a video challenging youth to write him in for the U.S. Presidential Election to get a girl's attention. It goes viral and he wins the election. We then see eight countries led by teenagers and when one of them is murdered at a Summit, Benton becomes the prime suspect. There are over 150 neon illustrations in the book and they're wicked, and the book is told through diary entries
I hope YOUNG WORLD gets more teenagers reading—especially teenage boys. To get them to read and fight for something, for their futures. The youth need to be reading! And challenging themselves! And critical thinking! So much of this book has truth. About climate change and what will happen if we don't change our ways, about decrepit old people in political spaces, and what it means to fight for something and believe in it.
17yo Benton Young makes a video challenging youth to write him in for the U.S. Presidential Election to get a girl's attention. It goes viral and he wins the election. We then see eight countries led by teenagers and when one of them is murdered at a Summit, Benton becomes the prime suspect. There are over 150 neon illustrations in the book and they're wicked, and the book is told through diary entries
I hope YOUNG WORLD gets more teenagers reading—especially teenage boys. To get them to read and fight for something, for their futures. The youth need to be reading! And challenging themselves! And critical thinking! So much of this book has truth. About climate change and what will happen if we don't change our ways, about decrepit old people in political spaces, and what it means to fight for something and believe in it.
January 3, 2026
YA Action
Start to finish this action packed thriller is one unexpected turn after another!
Inspired by his AP Gov. teacher, Benton makes a social media post that starts a teen movement for change across the world and suddenly the youth are leading the world. As president, Benton meets with other leaders but for all the change, there is still greed and conspiracy. It’s the start of a wild ride…attempted murder, international espionage, kidnapping…that will keep you guessing as to what’s next and by who!
Could not put this down. Excellent character development and an original story that just wouldn’t stop!
Start to finish this action packed thriller is one unexpected turn after another!
Inspired by his AP Gov. teacher, Benton makes a social media post that starts a teen movement for change across the world and suddenly the youth are leading the world. As president, Benton meets with other leaders but for all the change, there is still greed and conspiracy. It’s the start of a wild ride…attempted murder, international espionage, kidnapping…that will keep you guessing as to what’s next and by who!
Could not put this down. Excellent character development and an original story that just wouldn’t stop!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is AMAZING! I received the book at Yallfest (which btw is the greatest book festival of all time) and was finally able to sit down and read it this week. It gives you hope for the future that things can change, an intriguing murder mystery, and the most lovable characters! Without spoilers I just want to say that Jax is my favorite and no one can change my mind. 10 out of 10 highly recommend this book. Once it got started, I could not stop reading and had to take extra breaks at work so I could keep reading it. I am not the best with words or with writing, but I recommend that everyone read this book!
April 27, 2026
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC of this book!
★ What is pitched as a “Coachella party” of a book is, in fact, a meandering and long-winded story that could have been so much more.
★ Right off the bat, I want to point out that a teacher-student relationship is romanticized in this book, and it is never even subtly hinted at that the relationship is not okay. The only aspect of the relationship that is scrutinized is that the two are incompatible, not that the teacher was grooming a minor. The two are on good terms at the end of the novel.
In a book marketed towards children, there is no room for a gray area about this topic. I am shocked that the publisher and editor are allowing this to be published.
★ Also, the story is so long and boring. The major plot event from the blurb occurs over 60% of the way through the book, and the lead-up to it is overwritten. This book does not need to be 475 pages. It was painful to read page after page where barely anything was happening.
Even when events were happening that could have been exciting, they were buried in banal detail and therefore could not capture my attention.
★ In 2026, do we really need to include multiple Harry Potter references in a book? It felt tired. Young readers enjoy other media besides HP, and a lot of that media doesn't have a problematic author.
★ The writing felt amateurish and sloppy at times. Someone would “blast back” a response rather than reply, etc. I understand this book is supposed to be (mostly) written by a teenage boy, but the prose didn’t have to be as clunky as it was.
★ The overall narrative could have been cool if it had been more tightly plotted. Eventually, I got tired of reading and stopped caring at all, when I probably would’ve liked it if it hadn’t been so poorly paced.
★ There was so much potential with this premise, and I'm surprised that Chainani only did this with it. There could have been more conflicts, or more excitement and hilarious antics.
★ I enjoyed the part of the story set in another, warmer country (if you know, you know).
★ And there were some funny moments of banter between Benton and his friends. They felt like real teenage boys in a friend group, and their interactions were by far the strongest part of the book.
★ I appreciated that Benton’s parents were flawed, and their flaws didn’t magically go away by the end of the story.
★ The final scene of the book was perfect, funny, and surprising.
★ There was just enough good material here that I know this book could have been so much better. I’m disappointed, and I really wish this book wasn’t about to hit shelves in a week.
★ What is pitched as a “Coachella party” of a book is, in fact, a meandering and long-winded story that could have been so much more.
★ Right off the bat, I want to point out that a teacher-student relationship is romanticized in this book, and it is never even subtly hinted at that the relationship is not okay. The only aspect of the relationship that is scrutinized is that the two are incompatible, not that the teacher was grooming a minor. The two are on good terms at the end of the novel.
In a book marketed towards children, there is no room for a gray area about this topic. I am shocked that the publisher and editor are allowing this to be published.
★ Also, the story is so long and boring. The major plot event from the blurb occurs over 60% of the way through the book, and the lead-up to it is overwritten. This book does not need to be 475 pages. It was painful to read page after page where barely anything was happening.
Even when events were happening that could have been exciting, they were buried in banal detail and therefore could not capture my attention.
★ In 2026, do we really need to include multiple Harry Potter references in a book? It felt tired. Young readers enjoy other media besides HP, and a lot of that media doesn't have a problematic author.
★ The writing felt amateurish and sloppy at times. Someone would “blast back” a response rather than reply, etc. I understand this book is supposed to be (mostly) written by a teenage boy, but the prose didn’t have to be as clunky as it was.
★ The overall narrative could have been cool if it had been more tightly plotted. Eventually, I got tired of reading and stopped caring at all, when I probably would’ve liked it if it hadn’t been so poorly paced.
★ There was so much potential with this premise, and I'm surprised that Chainani only did this with it. There could have been more conflicts, or more excitement and hilarious antics.
★ I enjoyed the part of the story set in another, warmer country (if you know, you know).
★ And there were some funny moments of banter between Benton and his friends. They felt like real teenage boys in a friend group, and their interactions were by far the strongest part of the book.
★ I appreciated that Benton’s parents were flawed, and their flaws didn’t magically go away by the end of the story.
★ The final scene of the book was perfect, funny, and surprising.
★ There was just enough good material here that I know this book could have been so much better. I’m disappointed, and I really wish this book wasn’t about to hit shelves in a week.
May 6, 2026
Thank you so much, Netgalley, for an ARC of this book.
This book definitely made it clear why teenagers do not become presidents of the United States. However, this is what happens to Benton Young in Young World. After going viral with his plea to get written in as a candidate for President of the United States, he gets voted in as President at only 17 years old. His motivations for running? To impress a girl he likes. Not the best or most mature reasons to run for President. Though he did have some valid points that speak towards issues that youth today face. It was not the worst campaign, even though Benton was likely not the best person for the job.
He was shown as an inspiration for others to run to be young leaders across the globe. And in the book, we learn of various other young leaders who followed Benton’s lead. However, although they were all under the same party, they for sure did not have the same beliefs. And as the quest for a very useful resource goes on and a murder of another young leader is committed, Benton is cooked, as well as blamed for the murder. With all of this, along with not being taken seriously as the President of the United States, Benton Young was for sure not having a good time with the position. A position that he seriously never actually legitimately wanted in the first place. But even though it didn’t get him the girl, he still had to live with the consequences of being elected to the position.
I personally did not like Benton very much, but his character made a lot of sense, taking into account that he is just a teenage boy. He was not the best choice for President, but neither were the Democratic and Republican candidates. Both Mary Mummer and Chuck Skully were just as sly and corrupt as the typical everyday people who are in our government. Benton at least had the right ideas of what a President should be able to accomplish, even if he was too young and immature to be the best person for the job. So, really, he was not the worst President. He was just very immature and annoying.
I do recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and political books. And yeah, every book is political, but if you really are into a very political book, I definitely recommend it. This book will definitely have you on your feet. There are many plot twists. There are also some points where you’ll just have to bear with the book and Benton’s immature and questionable choices. But please trust me when I say that it is worth it. There are reasons why I did end up enjoying this book, and I do recommend this for anyone who is interested in reading Young World.
This book definitely made it clear why teenagers do not become presidents of the United States. However, this is what happens to Benton Young in Young World. After going viral with his plea to get written in as a candidate for President of the United States, he gets voted in as President at only 17 years old. His motivations for running? To impress a girl he likes. Not the best or most mature reasons to run for President. Though he did have some valid points that speak towards issues that youth today face. It was not the worst campaign, even though Benton was likely not the best person for the job.
He was shown as an inspiration for others to run to be young leaders across the globe. And in the book, we learn of various other young leaders who followed Benton’s lead. However, although they were all under the same party, they for sure did not have the same beliefs. And as the quest for a very useful resource goes on and a murder of another young leader is committed, Benton is cooked, as well as blamed for the murder. With all of this, along with not being taken seriously as the President of the United States, Benton Young was for sure not having a good time with the position. A position that he seriously never actually legitimately wanted in the first place. But even though it didn’t get him the girl, he still had to live with the consequences of being elected to the position.
I personally did not like Benton very much, but his character made a lot of sense, taking into account that he is just a teenage boy. He was not the best choice for President, but neither were the Democratic and Republican candidates. Both Mary Mummer and Chuck Skully were just as sly and corrupt as the typical everyday people who are in our government. Benton at least had the right ideas of what a President should be able to accomplish, even if he was too young and immature to be the best person for the job. So, really, he was not the worst President. He was just very immature and annoying.
I do recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and political books. And yeah, every book is political, but if you really are into a very political book, I definitely recommend it. This book will definitely have you on your feet. There are many plot twists. There are also some points where you’ll just have to bear with the book and Benton’s immature and questionable choices. But please trust me when I say that it is worth it. There are reasons why I did end up enjoying this book, and I do recommend this for anyone who is interested in reading Young World.
April 30, 2026
A wild ride. Unfortunately one I kinda wanted to jump off halfway through, but instead made it to the end with my hands covering my eyes?
Idk, I had really high hopes and the story didn’t meet them. I enjoyed the writing and the voice felt very true to a 17 year old boy, but I’ve never read a character that is so incapable of making a single right decision (until the end). The teacher/student relationship felt really unnecessary and was smoothed over too much for my liking. Why did no one ever bring up he didn’t have a VP? Too often it felt like we were focusing on the wrong things.
I can’t act like there weren’t parts where I was sucked in, but ultimately it wasn’t for me. A crazy and interesting read, but a few too many weird choices for me to fully get behind it.
Idk, I had really high hopes and the story didn’t meet them. I enjoyed the writing and the voice felt very true to a 17 year old boy, but I’ve never read a character that is so incapable of making a single right decision (until the end). The teacher/student relationship felt really unnecessary and was smoothed over too much for my liking. Why did no one ever bring up he didn’t have a VP? Too often it felt like we were focusing on the wrong things.
I can’t act like there weren’t parts where I was sucked in, but ultimately it wasn’t for me. A crazy and interesting read, but a few too many weird choices for me to fully get behind it.
May 11, 2026
I found the main character insufferable and the love story in the book to be extremely extremely weird, and creepy. This book was not for me. However, it could bring you joy, and I am not here to judge that. I also myself have not written a book so I don’t know what it takes and I’m not here to judge the author except to ask what could possibly possess you to write a romance between a seventeen year old and his twenty seven year old teacher? As the target audience for this book- a person in high school- I found the characters to be a flat representation of high schoolers, as they were solely obsessed with power and love l, and if anything it did not fulfill its purpose of convincing me I could change the world right now but instead had me convinced that perhaps it should be left to those with more qualifications than me. However, I am just one person and perhaps this book will be deeply meaningful to someone else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.
I had high hopes for this novel. Perhaps I misunderstood the premise, but I’d hoped it would be a book that encouraged young readers to engage in politics and activism even at a young age. While there was a fun irony in the main character accidentally becoming a symbol for a movement because he wanted to impress a girl, it was disappointing to discover that the girl that this 17-year old loves and who KISSED him is in fact the teacher he’s been writing to. I found it very inappropriate, especially that it was romanticized. The plot was also all over the place. From polar bear attacks to exploding volcanos, I felt lost in the chaos. Some part of the book seemed to drag, then suddenly there was nonstop action, but I never felt like there was much depth when it came to character development. I can handle the unrealistic elements, but honestly I kept expecting the main character to wake up from some weird dream—he did not. So, really not for me, which is normally fine, but in all honesty, the relationship is really what led to the low review. It is the reason I would never recommend this book to anyone in its intended audience.
I had high hopes for this novel. Perhaps I misunderstood the premise, but I’d hoped it would be a book that encouraged young readers to engage in politics and activism even at a young age. While there was a fun irony in the main character accidentally becoming a symbol for a movement because he wanted to impress a girl, it was disappointing to discover that the girl that this 17-year old loves and who KISSED him is in fact the teacher he’s been writing to. I found it very inappropriate, especially that it was romanticized. The plot was also all over the place. From polar bear attacks to exploding volcanos, I felt lost in the chaos. Some part of the book seemed to drag, then suddenly there was nonstop action, but I never felt like there was much depth when it came to character development. I can handle the unrealistic elements, but honestly I kept expecting the main character to wake up from some weird dream—he did not. So, really not for me, which is normally fine, but in all honesty, the relationship is really what led to the low review. It is the reason I would never recommend this book to anyone in its intended audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
May 14, 2026I liked the premise of activist youth taking over governments, but then I found out who the love interest is (I was getting weird vibes and decided to look it up) and I cannot in good conscience keep reading. We are not romanticizing an adult teacher grooming a child in 2026.
May 12, 2026
super fun and engaging from the start. we love a woke male protagonist and definitely enjoyed all the representation. also between the fun and suspense there’s some good food for thought
plus the graphics make it a full Immersive Experience
plus the graphics make it a full Immersive Experience
February 11, 2026
TLDR: literally did not finishing reading because this was so awful
Really tried to push through this but it was not worth it. I was immediately not loving the premise being that a 17-year old was elected because he wanted attention from a girl he like who rejected him (big inc*l vibes) and it only went downhill. I couldn’t tell if the author had never been or spoken to a teenager or is really a teenager cosplaying as an adult writing a teenager. The dialogue was so cringey. The two best friends are absolute caricatures. One is gay and the other plays video games. That’s it. Neither one can say more than one sentence without referencing their assigned trait. What really made me stop reading was the romanticization of p*dophilia. Hard no from me and I don’t know how something like this gets published.
Really tried to push through this but it was not worth it. I was immediately not loving the premise being that a 17-year old was elected because he wanted attention from a girl he like who rejected him (big inc*l vibes) and it only went downhill. I couldn’t tell if the author had never been or spoken to a teenager or is really a teenager cosplaying as an adult writing a teenager. The dialogue was so cringey. The two best friends are absolute caricatures. One is gay and the other plays video games. That’s it. Neither one can say more than one sentence without referencing their assigned trait. What really made me stop reading was the romanticization of p*dophilia. Hard no from me and I don’t know how something like this gets published.
March 5, 2026
This novel is written in the form of the personal journal of a 17 year old boy named Benton. It starts with him writing the journal as part of a history assignment and then builds from there. There are also visuals throughout depicting news headlines and political advertisements. The genre is political thriller, meant for high school and young adult readers.
I enjoyed the story line and the character development. The descriptions of setting made it easy to visualize what was happening and helped add to the overall tension. I was vested in the story early on, but felt that it dragged on a bit at times. Hopefully the length doesn’t dissuade young readers as the writing is good and the messages portrayed are valuable.
Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for honest feedback. -4 stars
I enjoyed the story line and the character development. The descriptions of setting made it easy to visualize what was happening and helped add to the overall tension. I was vested in the story early on, but felt that it dragged on a bit at times. Hopefully the length doesn’t dissuade young readers as the writing is good and the messages portrayed are valuable.
Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for honest feedback. -4 stars
Review of advance copy received from Author
Phenomenal writing, and storyline, the art scattered through is surprising and really puts you in the world. So amazing for teenagers who feel politically helpless, or adults like my dad who just want a GREAT read.
May 11, 2026
This book had a lot of potential that it didn’t not even come close to living up to.
The author had a wonderful opportunity to use this story to encourage young people to get involved in politics and to actively engage in helping shape our society, but that’s not the point to book ended up making in my opinion. It started off talking about how the older generation only thinks in the short term because they don’t care what happens to the world since they will be leaving it soon. Therefore the younger generation should be the ones in charge or at least have a seat at the table. But the moral ended up being that everyone, no matter their age or where they are from, is corrupt and just after money. Not exactly very inspiring for our youth…
I had a very hard time connecting to the main character (or any of the characters for that matter). All of his motivations were incredibly superficial and everything in the plot just kind of happened to or around him. He didn’t really DO anything in the book. Also, the inciting incident of him becoming president happened so quickly that we didn’t get any time to actually get to know him as a character before he was thrust into this new life.
And speaking of how he becomes president… it felt so unrealistic, superficial, and overall just a very poorly executed plot point. It almost felt glossed over when it should have been this big moment in the book. Also, the fact that he was just doing it to “get the girl” not because he actually cared about helping society or the planet just makes him very unlikable.
Now a HUGE turn off for me with this book: the student, teacher relationship. The girl he is so desperately in love with is his teacher who is 10 years older than him. And they kiss multiple times throughout the book. The teacher does say they can’t be together, but it feels very half-hearted and honestly she still encourages him throughout. The whole thing was just not handled well and perpetuates the gross double standard that is “cool” for a guy student to be in a relationship with his female teacher, but creepy when it’s a male teacher and female student. It is not ok either way and we need to stop making it seem like these boys are not also victims of grooming, sexual assault, etc.
Also, the main character referenced his erection SO many times throughout the book. It was weird and uncomfortable.
Overall, the entire story was overly ridiculous. Obviously the premise requires you to suspend your disbelief a bit, but the actual events that happen throughout the book are so widely unbelievable that it just felt very forced. Like the author was trying to make it as action packed and over the top as possible. It did not work.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very hard to listen to. The dialogue and interludes were done well, but the narrative was very annoying. It felt like the narrator was yelling it or performing it like he was a news announcer the entire time. Then the way it was mixed made the narrative portions very loud and the dialogue a lot softer. Just very badly done.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.
The author had a wonderful opportunity to use this story to encourage young people to get involved in politics and to actively engage in helping shape our society, but that’s not the point to book ended up making in my opinion. It started off talking about how the older generation only thinks in the short term because they don’t care what happens to the world since they will be leaving it soon. Therefore the younger generation should be the ones in charge or at least have a seat at the table. But the moral ended up being that everyone, no matter their age or where they are from, is corrupt and just after money. Not exactly very inspiring for our youth…
I had a very hard time connecting to the main character (or any of the characters for that matter). All of his motivations were incredibly superficial and everything in the plot just kind of happened to or around him. He didn’t really DO anything in the book. Also, the inciting incident of him becoming president happened so quickly that we didn’t get any time to actually get to know him as a character before he was thrust into this new life.
And speaking of how he becomes president… it felt so unrealistic, superficial, and overall just a very poorly executed plot point. It almost felt glossed over when it should have been this big moment in the book. Also, the fact that he was just doing it to “get the girl” not because he actually cared about helping society or the planet just makes him very unlikable.
Now a HUGE turn off for me with this book: the student, teacher relationship. The girl he is so desperately in love with is his teacher who is 10 years older than him. And they kiss multiple times throughout the book. The teacher does say they can’t be together, but it feels very half-hearted and honestly she still encourages him throughout. The whole thing was just not handled well and perpetuates the gross double standard that is “cool” for a guy student to be in a relationship with his female teacher, but creepy when it’s a male teacher and female student. It is not ok either way and we need to stop making it seem like these boys are not also victims of grooming, sexual assault, etc.
Also, the main character referenced his erection SO many times throughout the book. It was weird and uncomfortable.
Overall, the entire story was overly ridiculous. Obviously the premise requires you to suspend your disbelief a bit, but the actual events that happen throughout the book are so widely unbelievable that it just felt very forced. Like the author was trying to make it as action packed and over the top as possible. It did not work.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very hard to listen to. The dialogue and interludes were done well, but the narrative was very annoying. It felt like the narrator was yelling it or performing it like he was a news announcer the entire time. Then the way it was mixed made the narrative portions very loud and the dialogue a lot softer. Just very badly done.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 17, 2026A YA debut for fans of The Hunger Games and any political thrillers.
🗳️
After a joke write-in campaign unexpectedly lands high school senior Benton Young in the White House, a global youth revolution erupts, placing teenagers in charge of some of the world’s most powerful nations. But at a summit meant to unite the new leaders, a murder throws the world into chaos and Benton becomes the prime suspect. As conspiracies and betrayals mount, he must uncover the truth before the fragile future they’ve created collapses.
🇺🇸
The audiobook production was fantastic and really elevated the experience with its energy and intensity. I also have to give major credit to the gorgeous deluxe sprayed-edge edition and the overall promotion surrounding this YA debut; it absolutely looked and felt like a big event release. The premise had so much potential too: teen world leaders and political chaos is such a compelling concept. But unfortunately, the story itself never fully gripped me the way I wanted it to. I kept waiting for that moment where I’d become completely hooked, and it just never quite got there for me, BUT I believe that this title would see traction in a high school library.
CW: adult/minor relationship, bullying, murder, gaslighting, alcohol, sexism, animal attack, gun violence
🗳️
After a joke write-in campaign unexpectedly lands high school senior Benton Young in the White House, a global youth revolution erupts, placing teenagers in charge of some of the world’s most powerful nations. But at a summit meant to unite the new leaders, a murder throws the world into chaos and Benton becomes the prime suspect. As conspiracies and betrayals mount, he must uncover the truth before the fragile future they’ve created collapses.
🇺🇸
The audiobook production was fantastic and really elevated the experience with its energy and intensity. I also have to give major credit to the gorgeous deluxe sprayed-edge edition and the overall promotion surrounding this YA debut; it absolutely looked and felt like a big event release. The premise had so much potential too: teen world leaders and political chaos is such a compelling concept. But unfortunately, the story itself never fully gripped me the way I wanted it to. I kept waiting for that moment where I’d become completely hooked, and it just never quite got there for me, BUT I believe that this title would see traction in a high school library.
CW: adult/minor relationship, bullying, murder, gaslighting, alcohol, sexism, animal attack, gun violence
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