Young World

by Soman Chainani

Imagine if you became President of the USA aged 17? Discover the heart-stopping truth in the debut YA novel from multi-million copy bestselling author of School for Good and Evil​.

After a video goes viral, seventeen-year-old Benton Young finds himself elected President of the USA. But politics is a dangerous game and when things are run by teenagers, you'd better watch your back. Now Benton is not only fighting to save the world, he's fighting to save himself . . .

​

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Politics

480 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 2026

About the author

Soman 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.

Reviews

[maya venice · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!*

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

Pride TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers

[littlefox]

i just got the ARC!! i grew up on soman’s writing, i’m so so freaking excited

[rachel x]

"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

[Nev Corey · Rating 1 out of 5]

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

[Elle Dunne]

This book is INSANEEEEEE you guys aren't ready

[ellie pasquale]

girl that was crazy

[Christine Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Elizabeth Sagan]

I can't wait for this!

[Janine]

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.*

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh super excited to dive into a new Soman Chainani world!

[Alex (tessa’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Chelsea]

Review to come on April 21st

[ˢᵃⁿᵃ ᴿ. ᶜʳᵃᶠᵗ]

The revolution is coming-can you feel it?

[B]

I thought this was a great concept and a cool idea with the images interspersed but god he cannot write to save his life. This was all over the place and the dialogue was SO bad. Also he did all of this to get a girl’s attention? As if that’s any better than what’s going on in this fucked ass country. DNFd at page 40.

[Emmalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Bethea Scovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Jen Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Caroline Starrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Random House Books for Young Readers for the digital advance reader copy.

So, no, as a 51 year-old woman I am not the target audience for this book. I understand that.

However, I requested an advance copy because I thoroughly enjoyed Chainani's School for Good and Evil series, and I was excited to see that he had started something different with a fun premise: a 17 year-old becomes president and the entire world's political stage is thrown into chaos.

Unfortunately, the execution was disappointing. It had the chance to say some important things about how our current global leadership truly doesn't seem to care about the future of the planet, sustainable economies, extreme wealth gaps, or colonization. It does touch on these things with a dash of hope, but they all seemed to just be background to fight scenes (including one with a polar bear!), sexual fantasies, and conspiracy theories.

The hardest part for me is that every woman in the book seems to be there only for the main character, Benton, to fantasize about. Every single one, except maybe Essie, his White House cook, who is there to provide him with food. If he isn't fantasizing about the women, he'll explain how unattractive they are. So, nearly every woman in the book is deemed worthy or not worthy based on their appearance. Sigh. Even the couple of women whom seem to be intelligent make awful decisions because of the men in their life.

However, most of the secondary characters are relegated to one-note characterizations. His best friends (gay and gamer rebel), his parents (absent mom and coach dad), the other teen world leaders (teen idol, teen idol's hot girlfriend, ugly data girl, inscrutable betrayer, hot race car driver, hot race car driver's hot power-hungry partner, etc.)

Benton accidentally started his presidential campaign to gain the attention of a girl he claims he's in love with, and he obsesses over her in page after page through the first third or so of the book, long after she's said no and he should be thinking about much larger concerns. This becomes tedious quickly.

Then the identity of the girl is revealed, and if the author hadn't been one I enjoyed in the past, I would have quit reading. It's his government teacher, who is 10 years older than him, and who, at least in the situation as Benton describes it, has kissed him inappropriately for a student-teacher relationship. The teacher later claims the kiss was like kissing family. He's written an entire journal about their relationship, and the book never clearly and definitively exonerates the teacher, nor clearly and definitively indicates that the power dynamic in their relationship is messed up and this long-term "crush" and never should have been allowed to continue. If the gender roles had been reversed, the teacher not squashing and reporting this immediately - even just his sending her the journal where he shares his fantasies - would be considered grooming. Worse, the fact that Benton's journal is used to blackmail him during the story, indicates guilt of some sort. Bleh. It's an awful plot point that ruined the book for me.

Finally, despite all his opportunities, Benton himself is a passive character. He barely does any of the homework he's asked to do as president, as he lets others do that for him. Following a crisis during the G-8 meeting, he is dragged around the world and told what is happening by the Indian prime minister, a video game creator, and his friends. He doesn't really ever solve the central mystery - he's told point blank who done it.

I did like the interstitials in the book. Those were well-done. And, I liked the idea of the book and appreciated Chainani's drawing attention to the scars of empire and colonization, but otherwise, it felt like a good idea that missed the mark.

So, no, this book wasn't for me. It's an action-packed, video gamesque teen political thriller put together in an attention-grabbing neon cover.

Your mileage may vary.

*language, sexual situations

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Disclaimer I have received a free copy of this book and it will not affect my thoughts or feelings towards it.*

As a massive fan of everything Soman Chainani I was shocked to hear that he was entering to the YA genre and diving deep into politics which was a strong genre shift from his MG fantasy books. I was nervous about how the story would land and how he would tackle the concept of the young leading the world and flipping it on his head. Unfortunately after reading the novel I come away conflicted on how to feel overall. At some moments of the novel it feels like a great mystery and all the pieces are coming into place and then we hit another turn, then another turn...and then another turn leading this mystery to go from interesting to just plot convenience.

I would say my two biggest problem with the novel is the dialogue and structure of the plot. The dialogue in this book is all over the board as it tackles the idea of using Gen Z terms and phrases to make it seem modern and cool with the trends, which sometimes lands swimmily and other times sound like robotic teenagers saying buzz words or dirty jokes because they can for no particular reason. I feel like this novel was a way for Soman to let at all types of jokes he has wanted to include in the past but couldn't due to the age range out and so they sometimes land and other times feel forced in there. The other problem is the structure of the novel because part one is far too long and takes way too much time to establish problems and part 3 feels like a rushed conclusion with the main problem continues to escalate larger and larger and then conveniently resolved.

Part 3 felt very out of character compared to parts 1 and 2 because those parts did a great job of grounding us in this reality and part 3 comes along and everything happens to cause dramatic sequences or crazy turns for no particular reason. However when the book is strong it shines beautifully, and part 2 is the perfect example of this. Part 2 traps you into this political mystery where we the reader feel trapped in this impossible mission where everyone's loyalty is tested and the humor felt natural and the stakes felt high and every twist and turn felt telling. Part 2 felt like a great redemption for a snail-paced part 1 and create the best parts of the book for me. However part 3 came in and destroyed most of the best parts from part 2.

Overall this novel was not my cup of tea due to amount of tone shifts and sometimes unbearable dialogue however, I still applause Soman for taking the creative risk to try something new and step out of his comfort zone and for the moments where the story lands it exceeds but unfortunately when it falls short is does painfully.

In conclusion a 3/5 stars and would still recommend to anyone in the mood for a wacky political mystery.

[Elle Cheshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has one of the most unique concepts I’ve come across in a long time. It’s a YA political thriller in which high school student Benton Young makes a public video to get a girls attention. The video is a condemnation on the current political leaders way of doing things. In a wild turn of events, the world sees it and supports it. All of a sudden Benton is a write in vote on the presidential ballet as his words resonate with the people. They’re desperate for someone who actually cares about the problems and for someone who will tackle them differently … Benton is not at all prepared for this. All he wanted was to get the girl.

Benton’s presidency sparks a world wide revolution as the ‘young world’ revolt and start electing teenagers to countries all over the world. I absolutely loved the rise of the young world and seeing how Benton went from student to president and how it felt for him. It was electric and I felt the possibilities and excitement the world did during this turmoil.

No one really knows how to deal with this development, not least Benton himself. The adults look down on him and he has a lot to learn. Benton faces opposition from within his own house and is sorely disappointed when his fellow young worlders start making rapid moves for power. I enjoyed the different dynamics and positions of the other young world leaders. Benton struggles a lot and though it made him more relatable as a teenager, it got frustrating seeing him stumble so much when the other kids seemed more in control. At this point we also get a murder mystery which made the middle drag a bit but the last 100pages picked up again and brought us back to the politics and the various plots and schemes really heated up. I loved seeing Benton finally come into himself and ultimately it’s the things that held him back before that he needed in the end. That, plus his found family support group were wonderful. The story escalated rapidly and it was thrilling!

It was quite the ride. An entirely unrealistic concept driven by the need and the opinions of the youth, brought to life really well. The books is full of visuals and these really elevated the book. They were fantastic in bringing the story to life and added a dimension I loved. The politics and manoeuvring were all compelling and it ended explosively. My only wish is that Benton got it together quicker but he has an earnestness that was hard not to like. Overall a entertaining read with poignant themes and a spiralling plot. Certainly a unique one that I won’t be forgetting!

[Lily the Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Elisha Jachetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

YOUNG WORLD by Soman Chainani is a YA political thriller in which Benton Young, a 17-year-old kid, accidentally becomes president of the United States. To impress his activist crush, he posts a video on social media, which goes viral and sets off a revolution amongst the youth, not just in the United States, but around the world. This lands Benton in the White House, with all the enemies that come with it, and instead of the newly elected young leaders coming together, they fall into the same power plays as the generations before them. When the fate of the world hinges on their collective decision, Benton must become the leader the world needs, or it will all go up in smoke. Literally.

This book is incredibly creative. Between chapters are multiple mixed media newspaper clippings, maps, intel reports, art, and more. It’s all so thoughtful, which makes it feel extremely timely and innovative. In addition to that, the overall branding of the book cover, the color, the font, the imagery, the author's headshot, and the quotes are absolutely brilliant. Add to that a first chapter that will punch you in the face, and I’ve rarely, if ever, had such a good first impression of a book.

What works really well in the story is the relationship Benton has with his friends, both old and new. I absolutely adore Jax and Freddy, the banter, their smarts, and the way they support their friend without question. I also enjoy Charlie, the unconventional security guard, who always has Benton’s back, and Soo, his one ally in the government. Within the 474 pages of plot, a lot happens, and what would have really made it a rollercoaster ride would be if the pacing consistently picked up speed. Instead, it slows often before gaining momentum again.

Still, YOUNG WORLD is a unique commentary on the times, and how difficult it can be to not only do the right thing, but to get others to join you in it. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of intrigue and mystery.

Review originally published on YA Books Central: https://yabookscentral.com/young-world/

[Matt W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young World is one of those YA books that sounds wildly implausible on paper and then somehow becomes impossible to put down once you’re in it. Benton Young is just a high school kid trying to impress a girl with a big, public gesture, and that single moment snowballs into the most unexpected outcome: he ends up on the presidential ballot, wins, and suddenly the entire world is reeling.

From there, the story shifts into a fast paced political thriller with a dystopian edge. Chainani clearly knows how to keep momentum high, and the escalation feels intentional even when it’s ridiculous in the best way. The global ripple effect is especially fun, with teens and young adults gaining power across different countries and pushing competing agendas. The tension eventually narrows toward Dragontail, an Arctic island rumored to hold massive untapped resources, and that conflict gives the book a sharp, modern urgency.

One of my favorite touches is the artwork scattered throughout. It is not just decorative. It adds texture, delivers information in unexpected ways, and helps the world feel bigger than Benton’s viewpoint. It’s a genuinely cool storytelling tool that I wish more books would use.

This is a departure from Chainani’s more fairytale flavored work, but it mostly lands. The cast is strong, the narrator is compelling, and the tone feels like a YA political satire that occasionally brushes up against the same anxious energy as Don’t Look Up.

Why not a full five stars? A few turns rely on you fully buying the premise and going along for the ride, and if you stop to nitpick realism, you will have a bad time. But if you want a clever, addictive, slightly unhinged dystopian political thriller, this delivers.

Also, teachers and librarians: this feels like a great “hand it to a reluctant reader” pick, especially for teens who want something high concept, current, and fast.

[Ivy_359]

This book, despite the dear reader note at the beginning insisting otherwise, is a fairytale. It is one based in reality, sure. And I do understand why this story exists, and I hope that some young person out there finds it aspirational in some way.
This book is very cool on a formatting front! I like the almost epistolary format, it's a fitting format for a book so dependent on social media and the ways that young people communicate. But a cool concept can only take you so far. Near the end of this reading experience I was figuratively yelling at Benton Young to GET A GRIP. Sure, I guess this sort of...confused charisma might make him more relatable to a teenage audience, but my GOD, I had very little patience for this hapless dude. You're the president now man, SHUT UP about your 27 year old teacher crush (more on that later).
I hate to say it, but this book had major "how do you do fellow kids" energy. And maybe I shouldn't be talking, I'm 24, but hell that's still young in the grand scheme. The fellow kids energy really hit with the descriptions of the other young leaders and their entrances into the G-8 meeting. I'm sorry, but the mental image of the British PM in a sequined Union Jack dress with Under Pressure playing is just soooooo try hard.
The last straw wasn't even anything specific. The book just started to feel like a chore to finish. This is an ARC copy I got from work. Maybe the best thing to do in regards to this book is give another co-worker a crack at it.

Also, I guess I'll never know if this resolves, but this book was really weird about the 27 year old woman kissing this kid on the cheek. Like...sure maybe Benton is an unreliable narrator...but I feel like we can't just gloss over this weird relationship.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise around Young World is unique; after going viral online Benton Young becomes the President of the United States and inspiring a global youth movement named Revolting Youth. The plot centers around an island off the coast of Alaska with enough natural resources and oil to infuse a load of money into the economy of whichever country stakes it's claim. A G8 summit filled with backhanded deals and two faced world leaders proves to Benton that being the leader of the free world is a bit more than it's cracked up to be.

Overall I think the premise of Young World is fresh and unique, but I struggled with the execution. First, the plot for Benton's pathway to the Presidency felt very thin. Next, the dialogue between the characters became caricature-like in that it jumped from trying to sound too modern to too old in a short timeframe; the overall layout of the book also has a lot of breaks which I didn't find to be a benefit.

Once Benton is at the G8 Summit, I found that the characters within each country didn't seem to stand out and each county then became a caricature of itself. Eventually a murder mystery, the plot felt like it was doing too much when it could have explored the actual concept of leading a country.

When it came to side characters there was simply too many and even those closest to Benton didn't seem to have much personality beyond high school and video games. I also didn't enjoy the dynamic between Benton and his teacher; in 2026, the teens reading these stories aren't really in the "hot for teacher" mode like prior generations were. It just felt very unnecessary.

I mean really, if it was all going to boil down to a murder mystery then Benton didn't need to be the President at all. I guess I'm saying the story was disjointed. I wanted to like it more than I did.

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted copy.

[Jesse Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does one craft a book that can thrill a young audience that has been fed a steady diet of screens and social media? Soman Chainani has experimented and delivered. Great writers of 100 years ago, like Tolkien and Lewis, wrote for the youth fantastic worlds with simple and clear divisions: good and evil, and while the characters may have been fooled, the reader always knew who was good and who was evil. Mr. Chainani has found exciting and beautiful ways of reminding the youth of our day, and indeed all of us, that the world is no longer so easily categorized. In his latest book, Young World, he brings fantasy one step closer to possibility in a way that entertains, surprises, and leaves young and old with something to contemplate after the heart rate returns to normal.

I found Young World visually engaging, crazy, inspiring, informative and thought provoking. The premise is offered that the youth likely cannot escape the classic challenges precipitated by the misuse of power, sex and money, but perhaps they could deal with these challenges differently and in surprising ways that could break the current destructive cycles. My teenage friend also read it and reported he loved it, feeling that he was living the story as he read. He had not experienced anything like it before. Reading Young World has since changed the way he listens to the news of the day and leaves him pondering, “how might I make a different choice if it were up to me?”

Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC for review. It is a thriller.

[Cristy Ramadani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young World is one of those books that immediately pulls you in with its energy and concept. I found myself bingeing a big portion at the start, completely caught up in the fast-paced, chaotic momentum. It does slow down in the middle, but eventually picks back up again enough to keep things engaging.

The storytelling style is one of its strongest elements. While much of the book is written in first-person prose, the inclusion of images, mixed media, and alternative formats adds a really interesting extra layer to the narrative. It makes the story feel immersive and very in tune with how teens interact with information today.

That said, the prose and tone didn’t always land for me. At times it felt like it was trying a bit too hard to sound “Gen Z,” which might work for some readers but could also push others out of the story. The pacing and structure were uneven as well, especially in the middle section where things began to drag.

I also found myself questioning the YA classification. Because of the language and sexual content, I would personally recommend this for older teens, around 17+. Some elements, including a controversial relationship dynamic, felt at odds with the intended audience and made me pause.

Overall, this is an ambitious and very unique YA political thriller with a lot of creative ideas and strong visual storytelling. It does not fully come together in execution, but it is still an interesting and engaging read.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.