What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Pack for the End of the World: A Timely Coming-of-Age Novel About Young Activists and Survival
If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?
This is the question that haunts Amina as she watches new and horrible stories of discord and crisis flash across the news every day.
But when she starts at prestigious Gardner Academy, Amina finds a group of like-minded peers to join forces with—fast friends who dedicate their year to learning survival skills from each other, before it’s too late.
Still, as their prepper knowledge multiplies, so do their regular high school problems, from relationship drama to family issues to friend blow-ups. Juggling the two parts of their lives forces Amina to ask another vital question: Is it worth living in the hypothetical future if it’s at the expense of your actual present?
This is the question that haunts Amina as she watches new and horrible stories of discord and crisis flash across the news every day.
But when she starts at prestigious Gardner Academy, Amina finds a group of like-minded peers to join forces with—fast friends who dedicate their year to learning survival skills from each other, before it’s too late.
Still, as their prepper knowledge multiplies, so do their regular high school problems, from relationship drama to family issues to friend blow-ups. Juggling the two parts of their lives forces Amina to ask another vital question: Is it worth living in the hypothetical future if it’s at the expense of your actual present?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 10, 2020
38 people are currently reading
2656 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
August 28, 2020
I tried multiple times over the past few months to get this book and I'm so glad I did. But the description doesn't say much about the actual plot, so I guess I'll describe it here.
It's not actually a survival or apocalyptic story, but more of a contemporary with some mystery elements. Which is my favorite type of book. And it's set at a boarding school. Not the usual stuffy, strict kind, but more like the kind from the show "Zoey 101." Amina Hareli is starting her sophomore year there because of the constant anxiety and nightmares she suffers from at home, as well as her obsession with reading about potential impending disasters, that caused her parents to send her away. At the beginning of the year, she is invited to the school's "game night" (which my middle school/high school actually did) where she is introduced to a group that seems to share her obsessions, but all for different reasons: environmental activist Hunter, who tries as hard as possible to distance himself from his dad's oil corporation, fashion-blogger Chloe, who grew up poor in rural Pennsylvania and has a fear of nuclear accidents, tough-girl Jo, an orphan who was once homeless and appears very secretive to most of the school, and athletic Wyatt, a former commune member who was raised by doomsday preppers. They are inspired to start a club after one of them asks the question, "If the world were ending, would you rather die with your family and friends or have to survive on your own and build a completely new life?"
They name themselves the Eucalyptus Society and meet in the school's old bomb shelter, where they take turns challenging themselves to increasingly difficult survival-based games and simulations. Hunter takes the group out into the woods to gather plants and determines who would have the most edible ones, Amina hypothesizes a dramatically split country where money is very scarce, Chloe gets everyone to find an abandoned room and decorate it for a secret end-of-the-world party, and Jo's approach is possibly the most intense of them all: a challenge to see who can go the longest without using electricity.
Meanwhile, someone is targeting the group anonymously by publicly humiliating them one-by-one. It's not likely that someone from the group is involved, but does Amina really know her new friends as well as she thinks she does?
Trigger warning: Anti-Semitic hate crime mentioned towards the beginning, not in too much detail
I related a lot to Amina and her constant "doom-scrolling" as I've struggled with anxiety for the majority of my life and tend to fixate on what could possibly go wrong. There was a part of every Eucalyptus Society member that I loved (such as Jo's nicknaming everyone!) and wanted to keep reading about.
I definitely was hoping that none of them were behind the pranks. That reveal, speaking of, was satisfying.as well. I just wish that there was more closure with how the Eucalyptus Society dealt with the perpetrator.
It's not actually a survival or apocalyptic story, but more of a contemporary with some mystery elements. Which is my favorite type of book. And it's set at a boarding school. Not the usual stuffy, strict kind, but more like the kind from the show "Zoey 101." Amina Hareli is starting her sophomore year there because of the constant anxiety and nightmares she suffers from at home, as well as her obsession with reading about potential impending disasters, that caused her parents to send her away. At the beginning of the year, she is invited to the school's "game night" (which my middle school/high school actually did) where she is introduced to a group that seems to share her obsessions, but all for different reasons: environmental activist Hunter, who tries as hard as possible to distance himself from his dad's oil corporation, fashion-blogger Chloe, who grew up poor in rural Pennsylvania and has a fear of nuclear accidents, tough-girl Jo, an orphan who was once homeless and appears very secretive to most of the school, and athletic Wyatt, a former commune member who was raised by doomsday preppers. They are inspired to start a club after one of them asks the question, "If the world were ending, would you rather die with your family and friends or have to survive on your own and build a completely new life?"
They name themselves the Eucalyptus Society and meet in the school's old bomb shelter, where they take turns challenging themselves to increasingly difficult survival-based games and simulations. Hunter takes the group out into the woods to gather plants and determines who would have the most edible ones, Amina hypothesizes a dramatically split country where money is very scarce, Chloe gets everyone to find an abandoned room and decorate it for a secret end-of-the-world party, and Jo's approach is possibly the most intense of them all: a challenge to see who can go the longest without using electricity.
Meanwhile, someone is targeting the group anonymously by publicly humiliating them one-by-one. It's not likely that someone from the group is involved, but does Amina really know her new friends as well as she thinks she does?
Trigger warning: Anti-Semitic hate crime mentioned towards the beginning, not in too much detail
I related a lot to Amina and her constant "doom-scrolling" as I've struggled with anxiety for the majority of my life and tend to fixate on what could possibly go wrong. There was a part of every Eucalyptus Society member that I loved (such as Jo's nicknaming everyone!) and wanted to keep reading about.
I definitely was hoping that none of them were behind the pranks. That reveal, speaking of, was satisfying.as well. I just wish that there was more closure with how the Eucalyptus Society dealt with the perpetrator.
May 19, 2021
The title of this book is a tad misleading.
The story herein is less about learning to survive an apocalyptic event and more about learning to leave the comfort of your own head in order to make friends in a new school and maybe deal with some of the terror that gives you anxiety attacks. And, of course, experience first love.
It's a quick read and I was entertained while following Amina, a Jewish high schooler who has been sent to a private school by her non-rich parents because they think she needs a change of scenery to keep her from all her doom-related research. Once there, she, along with all the persons listed hereafter, joins a survivalist club, Eucalyptus, started by homeschooled/commune-raised Wyatt; meets and falls in-crush-with rich and cute Hunter; becomes BFFs with Instagram influencer Chloe; and is fascinated but intimidated by the other person who is in the group in order to round it all out, Jo.
Topics addressed: worrying about the state of and the end of the world, environmental activism, race relations in the US and the civil rights movements that have grown in response, poverty, homelessness, religion, shame, trust, compassion, plus many others.
Oddly, however, while Amina runs for a seat on student council and although the reader is introduced to her Hillel group, none of the aforementioned topics are presented through those avenues. Her student council life is barely mentioned, she has one friend in Hillel but we don't see much of her or much of anything other than candles and roast chicken on Friday nights.
Instead, most of the content is delivered through speeches and discoveries during the survival+face-your-fears games the Eucalyptus club members create for each other. Other important lessons are shoehorned in awkwardly, such as Don't Assume You Understand Your Roommate To Whom You Have Only Ever Spoken Once and That Guy You Judged At The Beginning Of The Year Deserves A Second Chance.
I felt the characters were fairly flat, relying on contemporary stereotypes to convey their personalities, so I was never overly invested in any of their stories. On a more personal note, as someone who has worked on campuses and similar institutions, I was highly amused and also disbelieving of the vast amounts of unused and unaccounted for space on the grounds of this school, all of which could be utilized by enterprising students. Like an entire forgotten underground bunker. And storage rooms no longer used for storage or anything at all. And an abandoned student bathroom. I'm assuming there were only 20 students per class and an equal number of staff? Because any other institution would have fully used all those rooms and still been overcrowded.
Overall, it's a fast, light story about some heavy topics that will find its audience.
2.5 stars
The story herein is less about learning to survive an apocalyptic event and more about learning to leave the comfort of your own head in order to make friends in a new school and maybe deal with some of the terror that gives you anxiety attacks. And, of course, experience first love.
It's a quick read and I was entertained while following Amina, a Jewish high schooler who has been sent to a private school by her non-rich parents because they think she needs a change of scenery to keep her from all her doom-related research. Once there, she, along with all the persons listed hereafter, joins a survivalist club, Eucalyptus, started by homeschooled/commune-raised Wyatt; meets and falls in-crush-with rich and cute Hunter; becomes BFFs with Instagram influencer Chloe; and is fascinated but intimidated by the other person who is in the group in order to round it all out, Jo.
Topics addressed: worrying about the state of and the end of the world, environmental activism, race relations in the US and the civil rights movements that have grown in response, poverty, homelessness, religion, shame, trust, compassion, plus many others.
Oddly, however, while Amina runs for a seat on student council and although the reader is introduced to her Hillel group, none of the aforementioned topics are presented through those avenues. Her student council life is barely mentioned, she has one friend in Hillel but we don't see much of her or much of anything other than candles and roast chicken on Friday nights.
Instead, most of the content is delivered through speeches and discoveries during the survival+face-your-fears games the Eucalyptus club members create for each other. Other important lessons are shoehorned in awkwardly, such as Don't Assume You Understand Your Roommate To Whom You Have Only Ever Spoken Once and That Guy You Judged At The Beginning Of The Year Deserves A Second Chance.
I felt the characters were fairly flat, relying on contemporary stereotypes to convey their personalities, so I was never overly invested in any of their stories. On a more personal note, as someone who has worked on campuses and similar institutions, I was highly amused and also disbelieving of the vast amounts of unused and unaccounted for space on the grounds of this school, all of which could be utilized by enterprising students. Like an entire forgotten underground bunker. And storage rooms no longer used for storage or anything at all. And an abandoned student bathroom. I'm assuming there were only 20 students per class and an equal number of staff? Because any other institution would have fully used all those rooms and still been overcrowded.
Overall, it's a fast, light story about some heavy topics that will find its audience.
2.5 stars
March 18, 2021
Be aware that this book is not what you think. Forget apocalyptic scenarios, future worlds and kids trying to survive. And this is actually a thing I would have liked written on the plot (which doesn’t make justice to the book).
This book is basically about a group of boys and girls who decided to gather all together in an old bomb shelter, where they just discuss potential apocalypses. Of course there’s someone who doesn’t let them alone and let me tell you, that’s creepy.
I didn’t like this book as much as I hoped. It was just mediocre. The plot was even original, but the development was just not there. If you like easy readings, a bunch of people who basically play all the time, this is the book for you. Also, I hated all the characters, I just found them annoying and so childish.
Final vote: 3/5
This book is basically about a group of boys and girls who decided to gather all together in an old bomb shelter, where they just discuss potential apocalypses. Of course there’s someone who doesn’t let them alone and let me tell you, that’s creepy.
I didn’t like this book as much as I hoped. It was just mediocre. The plot was even original, but the development was just not there. If you like easy readings, a bunch of people who basically play all the time, this is the book for you. Also, I hated all the characters, I just found them annoying and so childish.
Final vote: 3/5
November 9, 2023
The writing works for me as I totally love reading contemporary fiction style of writing even though this one is supposed to be a dystopian fiction read.
The story is supposedly to be about a teenage girl who has been forced to live in an academy by her parents as the world is going to end soon. However, she meets other teens there and to make life easier to survive they play “games” to see who survives and thrives amongst them.
I say the book could have been more thrilling and more interesting. The characters could have been more convincing. Well… the main character was convincingly annoying and behaved really uninterested while trying to convince everyone that she’s likeable even though she didn’t care much about those around her.
I feel like the plot is all over the place and it feels like so much is happening when nothing much is happening. The ending just felt like the story would still go on forever.
Well, I expect a dystopian fiction to be really engaging with convincing characters.
The story is supposedly to be about a teenage girl who has been forced to live in an academy by her parents as the world is going to end soon. However, she meets other teens there and to make life easier to survive they play “games” to see who survives and thrives amongst them.
I say the book could have been more thrilling and more interesting. The characters could have been more convincing. Well… the main character was convincingly annoying and behaved really uninterested while trying to convince everyone that she’s likeable even though she didn’t care much about those around her.
I feel like the plot is all over the place and it feels like so much is happening when nothing much is happening. The ending just felt like the story would still go on forever.
Well, I expect a dystopian fiction to be really engaging with convincing characters.
November 24, 2020
Thank you Iread Book Tours for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
How To Pack For The End Of The World
By: Michelle Falkoff
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
There is no literal end of the world or apocalypse happening in How To Pack For The End Of The World. The story throws Amina, a new scholarship student suffering from paranoia about the world ending, and a few other boarding school teens with a shared interest in prepping together, and as friends, they face the challenges of teenage life.
Dramatic in true teen fashion with no major surprises, Amina and friends create and enact situations that mimic possible apocalyptic scenarios to determine what the reality of such a situation might be like. Personally, I like this idea for real because it could be tailored to teach survival skills for apocalyptic possibilities. Let's be honest, we live under the constant threat of world ending and/or altering scenarios every single day. But, I digress.
The story strikes me as a sort of metaphorical ending of one stage of life for these teens, and as the hopeful seeds of adulthood are planted, each character must carry on into the unknown grownup world. It's not so different from starting over after the end of the world because it all involves taking chances, having faith in yourself and believing tomorrow will be a better day.
No zombies are present, and no life and death chases or contests are held. Amina grows into a young woman who recognizes the skillset necessary to survive and thrive on any given day is just as vital as prepper knowledge. For the most part, the story is one of character growth, self realization and acceptance of inevitable change. But, Amina knows she need not face the future alone.
How To Pack For The End Of The World is an insightful and clever, contemporary, young adult novel from Michelle Falkoff that works on many levels. It is appropriate for young adults and adults with an interest in dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. I highly recommend this thought provoking story!
How To Pack For The End Of The World
By: Michelle Falkoff
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
There is no literal end of the world or apocalypse happening in How To Pack For The End Of The World. The story throws Amina, a new scholarship student suffering from paranoia about the world ending, and a few other boarding school teens with a shared interest in prepping together, and as friends, they face the challenges of teenage life.
Dramatic in true teen fashion with no major surprises, Amina and friends create and enact situations that mimic possible apocalyptic scenarios to determine what the reality of such a situation might be like. Personally, I like this idea for real because it could be tailored to teach survival skills for apocalyptic possibilities. Let's be honest, we live under the constant threat of world ending and/or altering scenarios every single day. But, I digress.
The story strikes me as a sort of metaphorical ending of one stage of life for these teens, and as the hopeful seeds of adulthood are planted, each character must carry on into the unknown grownup world. It's not so different from starting over after the end of the world because it all involves taking chances, having faith in yourself and believing tomorrow will be a better day.
No zombies are present, and no life and death chases or contests are held. Amina grows into a young woman who recognizes the skillset necessary to survive and thrive on any given day is just as vital as prepper knowledge. For the most part, the story is one of character growth, self realization and acceptance of inevitable change. But, Amina knows she need not face the future alone.
How To Pack For The End Of The World is an insightful and clever, contemporary, young adult novel from Michelle Falkoff that works on many levels. It is appropriate for young adults and adults with an interest in dystopian and apocalyptic fiction. I highly recommend this thought provoking story!
Read
April 7, 2021DNF. Couldn’t get into this one.
June 8, 2022
How to Pack for the End of the World reads very quickly. I really enjoyed the creativity of each of the kids’ games they made up. The friendships between them are interesting and complex like any relationship in life. I thought the end was a little awkward and rushed. The author seemed to really want it all tied up in a nice bow with a very happy ending and I’m not sure that really made sense. With so much of it being like real life, I thought the ending wasn’t really believable, at least not without more explanation added. Otherwise, though, I loved it. I recommend it to anyone teens and up.
February 1, 2021
Amina starts at a new, exclusive school (still haunted by the nightmares of her synagogue burning) and meets a group of people at a games night. Their interest is piqued by the question “if the world was ending would you rather die with your loved ones or survive and rebuild with strangers?”. Thus they form a group “Eucalyptus” and create survivalist style games for each other. The plot thickens when pranks start happening and they need to work out who would do this and why.
This was ok. Enough to keep it interesting for high school kids (this is a ya book) but there’s not a huge amount of meat or grit there and I felt there could have been given the potential of the subject matter.
***I listened to this through Wheelers ePlatform***
This was ok. Enough to keep it interesting for high school kids (this is a ya book) but there’s not a huge amount of meat or grit there and I felt there could have been given the potential of the subject matter.
***I listened to this through Wheelers ePlatform***
August 18, 2020
I got this book as an ARC from Harper Collins.
Amina and her friends at their new school decide to create a survivalist group. Throughout the first half of the school year, they each come up with different games, encompassing things they each think would be important if the world ended. When someone seems to be attacking members of their group, they all have to figure out who and why this is happening to him. There are some twists and surprises along the way.
Overall, I thought this was a good book. I was surprised by several things in the story, which doesn’t happen very often. I’d definitely recommend it to just about everyone.
Amina and her friends at their new school decide to create a survivalist group. Throughout the first half of the school year, they each come up with different games, encompassing things they each think would be important if the world ended. When someone seems to be attacking members of their group, they all have to figure out who and why this is happening to him. There are some twists and surprises along the way.
Overall, I thought this was a good book. I was surprised by several things in the story, which doesn’t happen very often. I’d definitely recommend it to just about everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2021
Actual rating 2.5.
This book was not what I thought it would be. As someone who is focused on preparedness and survivalism, I'm always curious about reading a book with characters interested in prepping. Unfortunately, this one was more about kids at a boarding school. If I had known what this book was going to be a bout then I probably wouldn't have picked it up because I'm pretty picky with my contemporary novels.
This one is just not going to stick in my mind for long. It's not bad, just very forgettable.
This book was not what I thought it would be. As someone who is focused on preparedness and survivalism, I'm always curious about reading a book with characters interested in prepping. Unfortunately, this one was more about kids at a boarding school. If I had known what this book was going to be a bout then I probably wouldn't have picked it up because I'm pretty picky with my contemporary novels.
This one is just not going to stick in my mind for long. It's not bad, just very forgettable.
November 22, 2020
Ever since an attack on her synagogue, Amina becomes obsessed with anti-Semetic behavior and has begun to live in fear with recurring nightmares. When a scholarship position to the prestigious Gardner Academy opens up, Amina's parents send her in order to change her mindset. Amina is very unsure about Gardner, but attends a pre-orientation game night where an interesting question in Would You Rather captures her interest. The question leads to a gathering of five people from the game night: Wyatt, Hunter, Chloe, Jo and Amina. Amina finds that she has plenty in common with the group, they all have fears. Moreso, she finds a group of friends that she is comfortable with. However, someone seems to be targeting their small group with very personalized attacks and Amina has a new set of fears to deal with.
How to Pack for the End of the World is a contemporary Young Adult fiction that deals with a lot of issues in a unique way. None of the issues become too heavy and none of the characters are designed around their fear, social standing, sexuality or mental health. They are all just regular teens dealing with everyday issues. Each character was well developed and unique. While their backstories and challenges weren't all divulged at once, this added another layer of mystery to the story. I loved the idea of the Eucalyptus Group and how each game they played helped them develop more as well as get to know one another. The personal attacks were another added layer that almost seemed like a side story to me but were really more at the heart. It was difficult for me to forget that this story took place at a high school and involved kids that were 16 to 17 years old as some of the situations felt more at a college level and classwork seemed to take a back seat. Overall, an entertaining young adult story with amazing characters.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
How to Pack for the End of the World is a contemporary Young Adult fiction that deals with a lot of issues in a unique way. None of the issues become too heavy and none of the characters are designed around their fear, social standing, sexuality or mental health. They are all just regular teens dealing with everyday issues. Each character was well developed and unique. While their backstories and challenges weren't all divulged at once, this added another layer of mystery to the story. I loved the idea of the Eucalyptus Group and how each game they played helped them develop more as well as get to know one another. The personal attacks were another added layer that almost seemed like a side story to me but were really more at the heart. It was difficult for me to forget that this story took place at a high school and involved kids that were 16 to 17 years old as some of the situations felt more at a college level and classwork seemed to take a back seat. Overall, an entertaining young adult story with amazing characters.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
November 23, 2020
This is a very different book than what I usually read, and though I have a much different viewpoint on what will happen at the end of the world, I did the different aspects of the story the students have kind of interesting.
Amina’s parents sends her to a prestigious boarding school because she is obsessed with the end of the world and they are hoping this will help with the anxiety she has been having. After there a few days at the school she is invited to a mysterious meeting along with four other with somewhat the same anxiety problems and the same reasons for their anxiety. As they discuss their anxieties, they each contribute with their survival skills and help with ways to survive when the day happens.
I liked the students in this group. They were a little weird at times, but they are not the usually boarding school students. It was sometimes difficult for me to keep listening because the story doesn’t have a lot going on except for the survival skills of the group. I would have liked more depth to the story. There wasn’t a lot of wow there.
I have the audio version of this book. I really enjoyed listening to the Narrator, Stacey Glemboski. She has an excellent smooth voice for audiobooks. Her dynamics and expressions are just perfect. I hope to find more books that she is narrating. She is one voice I could listen to all day!
This book is a four star for me. And if I could rate the narration, I would rate it a 5 plus Stars!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Amina’s parents sends her to a prestigious boarding school because she is obsessed with the end of the world and they are hoping this will help with the anxiety she has been having. After there a few days at the school she is invited to a mysterious meeting along with four other with somewhat the same anxiety problems and the same reasons for their anxiety. As they discuss their anxieties, they each contribute with their survival skills and help with ways to survive when the day happens.
I liked the students in this group. They were a little weird at times, but they are not the usually boarding school students. It was sometimes difficult for me to keep listening because the story doesn’t have a lot going on except for the survival skills of the group. I would have liked more depth to the story. There wasn’t a lot of wow there.
I have the audio version of this book. I really enjoyed listening to the Narrator, Stacey Glemboski. She has an excellent smooth voice for audiobooks. Her dynamics and expressions are just perfect. I hope to find more books that she is narrating. She is one voice I could listen to all day!
This book is a four star for me. And if I could rate the narration, I would rate it a 5 plus Stars!
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
November 6, 2020
As soon as I heard the premise of this book I knew I had to read it. The title drew me in immediately and I thought it would be the perfect read, considering everything going on at the moment. The writing made for a fast and enjoyable read. I found the main character Amina to have a very interesting perspective on life, and I completely understood everything she was worried about. It was refreshing to see a contemporary combine important aspects like climate change while also making it fun. I enjoyed learning more about Judaism through Amina as she talks about her customs and about how an attack on her synagogue sparked her fear of chaos around the world. I have definitely found out that I love boarding school settings. It adds another level of closeness to the characters and I think it builds stronger relationships because of it.
There isn't much conflict in this book aside from anonymous pranks being pulled. I found the ending to be a bit predictable concerning that point. However I did like the unique aspect of the group members playing survival games together. Seeing what they came up with was definitely intriguing and I liked how each character made it their own. I would have loved to see more of the characters' backstories in order to get closer to them, and possibly to see more of their growth. The romance was also very cute. I felt that the couple went well together and it was a gradual building to their relationship as opposed to instant love. Overall it was a fun escape from everyday life.
For anyone looking for a fun and engaging story while talking about important world issues, How To Pack For the End of the World is one to consider!
There isn't much conflict in this book aside from anonymous pranks being pulled. I found the ending to be a bit predictable concerning that point. However I did like the unique aspect of the group members playing survival games together. Seeing what they came up with was definitely intriguing and I liked how each character made it their own. I would have loved to see more of the characters' backstories in order to get closer to them, and possibly to see more of their growth. The romance was also very cute. I felt that the couple went well together and it was a gradual building to their relationship as opposed to instant love. Overall it was a fun escape from everyday life.
For anyone looking for a fun and engaging story while talking about important world issues, How To Pack For the End of the World is one to consider!
November 23, 2020
The mention of The Breakfast Club is what sold me on this one right away. The title itself felt like the perfect read considering the current state of everything. I was expecting a sort of dystopian novel, and it definitely isn't, but I think I like it better this way. It was a quick read that I found myself invested in from the start.
The main character, Amina, was relatable, which made it easy to connect with her. I loved Wyatt and Jo, but I had mixed feelings on Hunter and Chloe; they were tolerable at times and frustrating at others. I also liked Brianna, Amina's roommate, but we didn't see too much of her. The two get off on the wrong foot straight away, and though they do reconcile in the end, it felt forced and rushed.
I loved the friendship and romances the group formed over the course of the book. There was constant drama amongst the Eucalyptus group, and it was easy to get swept up in that. The chemistry between the characters, both platonically and romantically, felt natural and realistic. I did guess who would end up together in the beginning, but I'm fairly pleased with it either way.
Though there's not much of a mystery other than the pranks, the idea is still present. It didn't feel like the main focus of the book until the very end, but I often found myself trying to figure it out. The revelation was also pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed the ending.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via iRead Book Tours. This did not influence my opinion in any way.
The main character, Amina, was relatable, which made it easy to connect with her. I loved Wyatt and Jo, but I had mixed feelings on Hunter and Chloe; they were tolerable at times and frustrating at others. I also liked Brianna, Amina's roommate, but we didn't see too much of her. The two get off on the wrong foot straight away, and though they do reconcile in the end, it felt forced and rushed.
I loved the friendship and romances the group formed over the course of the book. There was constant drama amongst the Eucalyptus group, and it was easy to get swept up in that. The chemistry between the characters, both platonically and romantically, felt natural and realistic. I did guess who would end up together in the beginning, but I'm fairly pleased with it either way.
Though there's not much of a mystery other than the pranks, the idea is still present. It didn't feel like the main focus of the book until the very end, but I often found myself trying to figure it out. The revelation was also pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed the ending.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via iRead Book Tours. This did not influence my opinion in any way.
January 29, 2025
3 stars. This book might have been a bit too (non-commitally) progressive for my preferences on YA reading as escapism—highlighting the energy crisis, fears surrounding nuclear warfare, wealth and poverty in America, LGBTQ issues, etc. Also, Amina’s game story was a little too close to home on far left political predictions surrounding Trump being re-elected as president.
Amina often felt like a passive narrator, which made some details of the plot fade into the background since they weren’t important to her. However, it was interesting to read about a Jewish character where her religion and heritage were character features rather than plot. The other characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out either. This book could have used a stronger thread of mystery (giving Amina more care or focus on the happenings with her friends) and a stronger conclusion. Forgiveness was a great belief to feature, but without consequences or directly observing the pain and cost of it on friendship, the storyline fell flat.
An additional note: I’m not sure the cover or title fit the contemporary YA feeling of this book either.
Thanks to Glose for hosting this book.
Amina often felt like a passive narrator, which made some details of the plot fade into the background since they weren’t important to her. However, it was interesting to read about a Jewish character where her religion and heritage were character features rather than plot. The other characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out either. This book could have used a stronger thread of mystery (giving Amina more care or focus on the happenings with her friends) and a stronger conclusion. Forgiveness was a great belief to feature, but without consequences or directly observing the pain and cost of it on friendship, the storyline fell flat.
An additional note: I’m not sure the cover or title fit the contemporary YA feeling of this book either.
Thanks to Glose for hosting this book.
March 21, 2021
Mostly a rather unexceptional teens-at-boarding-school story, with I think some serious themes, rather too much of a mish-mash of every possible teen "problem" to deal really effectively with any one of them. I liked the main character and the way she navigates various relationships. For me, this was distinguished as the first YA novel I have read with a clear setting of the Trump era - "a certain president," clearly identifiable, is presented as the source of one of the doomsday scenarios the group of friends act out in their "what would you do in the apocalypse" game.
November 11, 2020
Michelle Falkoff has written a timely, thoughtful, provocative book that I couldn’t put down. The plot is filled with unexpected, compelling twists, each character is vividly imagined, and Amina’s narrative voice is a beautiful balance of innocence and intellect. HOW TO PACK FOR THE END OF THE WORLD gave me hope that there is a path forward from these precarious times to a place where empathy instead of rancor reigns.
August 26, 2021
I'd hoped for pre-dystopian panic, but instead got a group of mixed up teens in a posh American school who set up a secret club and play games with each other and along the way learn about all those 'coming of age' issues that really didn't interest me at all. The characters all have flaws and issues are slowly revealed, but I didn't care enough about them to want to really find out more as none of the characters felt real. All issues are dealt with from racisim, anti-semitism, social media bullying, sexuality, white priviledge etc. everything is in there! It just felt like every issue you could face is jammed into a story that just didn't keep me interested. And the ending, bah.
November 10, 2020
*This e-arc was given to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
I like this book. It's about Amina joins Gardner Academy and finds a group that is all haunted by worldwide crises. They become fast friends and start learning survival skills together but there is one person targeting them by causing drama and pranks. I enjoyed the author's writing for this book but the plot structure wasn't well. There wasn't really a huge conflict in the book other than that one person pulling pranks but mostly the survival games. The story was unique but also basic. Kind of hard to explain. I haven't read any books like this so it was unique but I think there could have been more to it. I did like how it took place at a boarding school but the pacing of this book was a little off in some places.
This book is in Amina POV. She transfers to Gardner Academy and has questions about surviving the world. She develops a lot throughout the book alongside her new friends. There are 4 other supporting characters in this book. Mysterious Jo who only wears black, Chloe the famous fashion blogger, athletic Hunter, and Wyatt who asks the questions and started the group. Each character plays a role in this book but also develop throughout the story. I loved their friendship in the book and how much they tried to learn more about each other.
This book is mostly about friendship and survival. I enjoyed this book but wish there was more to it and that the plot was well structured. I wished this book had a better ending because I felt that it was just cut off. I recommend this book to those who love survival games!
Mini-blog tour coming on Thindbooks Blog (www.thindbooks.blogspot.com) on the week of the release date.
I like this book. It's about Amina joins Gardner Academy and finds a group that is all haunted by worldwide crises. They become fast friends and start learning survival skills together but there is one person targeting them by causing drama and pranks. I enjoyed the author's writing for this book but the plot structure wasn't well. There wasn't really a huge conflict in the book other than that one person pulling pranks but mostly the survival games. The story was unique but also basic. Kind of hard to explain. I haven't read any books like this so it was unique but I think there could have been more to it. I did like how it took place at a boarding school but the pacing of this book was a little off in some places.
This book is in Amina POV. She transfers to Gardner Academy and has questions about surviving the world. She develops a lot throughout the book alongside her new friends. There are 4 other supporting characters in this book. Mysterious Jo who only wears black, Chloe the famous fashion blogger, athletic Hunter, and Wyatt who asks the questions and started the group. Each character plays a role in this book but also develop throughout the story. I loved their friendship in the book and how much they tried to learn more about each other.
This book is mostly about friendship and survival. I enjoyed this book but wish there was more to it and that the plot was well structured. I wished this book had a better ending because I felt that it was just cut off. I recommend this book to those who love survival games!
Mini-blog tour coming on Thindbooks Blog (www.thindbooks.blogspot.com) on the week of the release date.
March 19, 2022
the title of this book was v misleading but overall i really enjoyed reading it. certainly a booked that explored friendship and family but with a love interest. I like that I didn’t make the romantic relationship the main theme. not too predictable in my opinion so definitely an interesting read.
May 6, 2021
Review on my blog.
https://thecinephileslibrary.wordpres...
https://thecinephileslibrary.wordpres...
April 26, 2021
I headed into this expecting After the Lights Go Out by Lili Wilkinson, a story about doomsday preppers, some survival elements, perhaps something funny but this isn't that story. It's a teen drama where we follow a mix matched group of friends who play hypothetical role play games to quel their anxieties.
It was nice to see some diversity in the cast of characters rather than the usual jocks and geeks that populate teen dramas. This time there are environmentalists, a practicing young Jewish woman and even a self made Instagram star. Each character has a unique back story as to how they ended up at this prestigious college and each survival game they make up helps us to see the world via their viewpoint.
That said it felt a bit like an ethics class or a set of school ice breaker challenges rather than an intriguing narrative. There's all the awkwardness of working on a group project and then reporting back to the class about what you learnt.
A spicy blackmail campaign attempts to add some much needed drama to what is a rather dull narrative, but this almost seems like an after thought. Who is trying to hurt the members of the group? Who has a vendetta against them? Our protagonists are so inoffensive that it's quite perplexing why they are being targeted.
Honestly I just wanted some disaster to befall these teens. Something, anything to really test their survival skills. But I think what I took away was the idea that life can be the challenge and overcoming our anxiety is just as important as having a plan for a nuclear winter or world wide power blackout. Ironically none of the characters feared a global pandemic like Covid 19 which felt like a missed opportunity.
If you want a story about the end of the world then this is clearly not it. If you want a misfit breakfast club style scenario and you don't need too much action to keep you turning pages, then give it a go.
It was nice to see some diversity in the cast of characters rather than the usual jocks and geeks that populate teen dramas. This time there are environmentalists, a practicing young Jewish woman and even a self made Instagram star. Each character has a unique back story as to how they ended up at this prestigious college and each survival game they make up helps us to see the world via their viewpoint.
That said it felt a bit like an ethics class or a set of school ice breaker challenges rather than an intriguing narrative. There's all the awkwardness of working on a group project and then reporting back to the class about what you learnt.
A spicy blackmail campaign attempts to add some much needed drama to what is a rather dull narrative, but this almost seems like an after thought. Who is trying to hurt the members of the group? Who has a vendetta against them? Our protagonists are so inoffensive that it's quite perplexing why they are being targeted.
Honestly I just wanted some disaster to befall these teens. Something, anything to really test their survival skills. But I think what I took away was the idea that life can be the challenge and overcoming our anxiety is just as important as having a plan for a nuclear winter or world wide power blackout. Ironically none of the characters feared a global pandemic like Covid 19 which felt like a missed opportunity.
If you want a story about the end of the world then this is clearly not it. If you want a misfit breakfast club style scenario and you don't need too much action to keep you turning pages, then give it a go.
April 17, 2021
“If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, would you rather die along with your friends and family and everyone you've known, or live among strangers to rebuild civilization?”
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it, partly because I was still hungover from the series finale of The 100. Unfortunately it wasn't out yet and by the time it was published, I was on my way to a fantasy binge. To be fair, reading a war-ridden Empire (AEitA), Terrassen (ToG), Ravka (S&B) is no different than a post-apocalyptic society. Plus, other TV series like Dark, Tribes of Europa, Daybreak, you get where I'm going here. I was in the mood for some bunker and prepper action.
It wasn't anything like that at all.
This book is not dystopian, post-apocalyptic, futuristic, or anything like that. I REPEAT. This is not a dystopian book. This is contemporary with a dash of boarding school mystery.
Am I disappointed? Ngl, a little. But you know what I still read it and finished it immediately. It was not the best book out there but it sure is the first of it's kind that I've read. It has the typical contemporary elements like privileged teens ignored by their parents, a famous girl who is sad deep inside, the mysterious one with lots of secrets, the shy adorable cute guy who is nervous around their crush, not to mention a cringe-inducing corny name for this group of friends *cringing intensifies*. I wouldn't dwell much on how unrealistic some of these are partly because I don't live in America and I don't know how private school works there other than those conveyed by media. I wouldn't bat an eye on teachers being paid to let students off the hook, or a secret underground tunnel and a secret basement floor unlocked to students, or how a kid gets racist gifts and a kid getting nudes leaked and student body candidates were bullied in a school newspaper and yet no administrative actions for all of those. I don't get how they can just form a secret group of their own, without any of the admins knowing, but you know it's okay to list it in college apps. Yeah, let's move past those.
The story is different that what I expected but it was interesting enough to see where all of that was going. It's a little corny and I had to roll my eyes at times but I can get past it. Still, I was hoping that in the middle of things, an apocalypse would happen and that this group of friends would be stuck in a bunker together. I was so hoping for that, how naïve of me. I was hoping it would be more like the comics/Netflix show Daybreak or at least The Society. (If you didn't know Daybreak is set in a post-apocalyptic world where adults are infected with something and the teens rule society as they try to survive whilst divided to the jocks, cheerleaders, and other stereotypes.)
I liked the little tidbits of the importance of family and friendship, mixed with the expected high school crushes. We also got some diversity in the book. I also like how it tackles read world issues and that the characters has their own share of important things to contribute to a healthy debate. I was surprised with the mystery plot of the story. No murders though, despite it being set in a boarding school. But the "mystery" is very predictable. And I don't like how it ended in terms of coming to terms with the person behind the mystery.
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it, partly because I was still hungover from the series finale of The 100. Unfortunately it wasn't out yet and by the time it was published, I was on my way to a fantasy binge. To be fair, reading a war-ridden Empire (AEitA), Terrassen (ToG), Ravka (S&B) is no different than a post-apocalyptic society. Plus, other TV series like Dark, Tribes of Europa, Daybreak, you get where I'm going here. I was in the mood for some bunker and prepper action.
It wasn't anything like that at all.
This book is not dystopian, post-apocalyptic, futuristic, or anything like that. I REPEAT. This is not a dystopian book. This is contemporary with a dash of boarding school mystery.
Am I disappointed? Ngl, a little. But you know what I still read it and finished it immediately. It was not the best book out there but it sure is the first of it's kind that I've read. It has the typical contemporary elements like privileged teens ignored by their parents, a famous girl who is sad deep inside, the mysterious one with lots of secrets, the shy adorable cute guy who is nervous around their crush, not to mention a cringe-inducing corny name for this group of friends *cringing intensifies*. I wouldn't dwell much on how unrealistic some of these are partly because I don't live in America and I don't know how private school works there other than those conveyed by media. I wouldn't bat an eye on teachers being paid to let students off the hook, or a secret underground tunnel and a secret basement floor unlocked to students, or how a kid gets racist gifts and a kid getting nudes leaked and student body candidates were bullied in a school newspaper and yet no administrative actions for all of those. I don't get how they can just form a secret group of their own, without any of the admins knowing, but you know it's okay to list it in college apps. Yeah, let's move past those.
The story is different that what I expected but it was interesting enough to see where all of that was going. It's a little corny and I had to roll my eyes at times but I can get past it. Still, I was hoping that in the middle of things, an apocalypse would happen and that this group of friends would be stuck in a bunker together. I was so hoping for that, how naïve of me. I was hoping it would be more like the comics/Netflix show Daybreak or at least The Society. (If you didn't know Daybreak is set in a post-apocalyptic world where adults are infected with something and the teens rule society as they try to survive whilst divided to the jocks, cheerleaders, and other stereotypes.)
I liked the little tidbits of the importance of family and friendship, mixed with the expected high school crushes. We also got some diversity in the book. I also like how it tackles read world issues and that the characters has their own share of important things to contribute to a healthy debate. I was surprised with the mystery plot of the story. No murders though, despite it being set in a boarding school. But the "mystery" is very predictable. And I don't like how it ended in terms of coming to terms with the person behind the mystery.
November 7, 2020
Prepping is edging into the mainstream, especially after the year we've had. Everyone is starting to see that having a few packs of toilet paper and some cans put by isn't such a bad idea, and more novels are starting to reflect that. Including this odd duck.
If you're reading it looking for survival tips, you won't get any, except maybe during Wyatt's game. This novel isn't actually about survivalism, you see; that's just the hook that drew the characters together. Each character has an interest that's relevant a few times, depending on who they are. Amina's interest is 'being Jewish'. Chloe's is 'being internet famous'. Hunter wants to pretend he isn't his father's son, and Jo and Wyatt are mysteries most of the way through.
It's not an awful read, it's just that nothing seems to have any weight. They go to an oil line protest at Hunter's bequest, but we never find out if they were successful or not ... because, again, the protest wasn't the point, it was just a way for Hunter to get a tiny crumb of information about his brother. Chloe's naked pictures are sent all around the school and apart from her hiding away for a day or two, there's nothing. No investigation, no sideways looks, not even a ribald comment from the jocks. Amina is dead set against going to the school at first, but within two weeks she loves it there and admits ... to herself, not to her parents. ... that they were right to send her. There's no consistency. Even at the very end; the actions of one character should have massive consequences, so everyone splits off, goes for a holiday, promises to think and make a decision afterwards, and on the next page it's a year later and as far as we can tell nothing at all happened to the character.
It's extremely frustrating, because the bones of a great story are there. There's a wonderful moment where Amina talks to her roommate and they realise that they've been seeing the same events through different lenses, lenses which have left them thinking that the other doesn't like them. It's very cleverly written and really made me think.
It's just a shame the whole book wasn't like that.
If you're reading it looking for survival tips, you won't get any, except maybe during Wyatt's game. This novel isn't actually about survivalism, you see; that's just the hook that drew the characters together. Each character has an interest that's relevant a few times, depending on who they are. Amina's interest is 'being Jewish'. Chloe's is 'being internet famous'. Hunter wants to pretend he isn't his father's son, and Jo and Wyatt are mysteries most of the way through.
It's not an awful read, it's just that nothing seems to have any weight. They go to an oil line protest at Hunter's bequest, but we never find out if they were successful or not ... because, again, the protest wasn't the point, it was just a way for Hunter to get a tiny crumb of information about his brother. Chloe's naked pictures are sent all around the school and apart from her hiding away for a day or two, there's nothing. No investigation, no sideways looks, not even a ribald comment from the jocks. Amina is dead set against going to the school at first, but within two weeks she loves it there and admits ... to herself, not to her parents. ... that they were right to send her. There's no consistency. Even at the very end; the actions of one character should have massive consequences, so everyone splits off, goes for a holiday, promises to think and make a decision afterwards, and on the next page it's a year later and as far as we can tell nothing at all happened to the character.
It's extremely frustrating, because the bones of a great story are there. There's a wonderful moment where Amina talks to her roommate and they realise that they've been seeing the same events through different lenses, lenses which have left them thinking that the other doesn't like them. It's very cleverly written and really made me think.
It's just a shame the whole book wasn't like that.
December 30, 2020
Amina has just started a new school due to her anxiety and consistent focus on dooms-day situations. She finds some like-minded friends, and they create a new group where they focus on survivalist techniques. They create increasingly intense and difficult challenges that the group needs to succeed in. Someone is attacking the group one by one on social media though, and the need to figure out who it is.
I really enjoyed this story. I thought the plot was intriguing, and I found myself surprised over and over again by what was going on. It was easy to become invested in what was happening! This wasn’t a stressful read, and I appreciated that. My favorite parts were when the group played their survival games. I thought they were so interesting!
I really enjoyed the main character, Amina. She was relatable, and I understood her continued focus and anxiousness about the what-if scenarios.
Overall, this was a fun, easy read that I would recommend to anyone!
Content Warning:
There is a situation that involves some anti-semitic actions.
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at https://shejustlovesbooks.com/all-boo...
I really enjoyed this story. I thought the plot was intriguing, and I found myself surprised over and over again by what was going on. It was easy to become invested in what was happening! This wasn’t a stressful read, and I appreciated that. My favorite parts were when the group played their survival games. I thought they were so interesting!
I really enjoyed the main character, Amina. She was relatable, and I understood her continued focus and anxiousness about the what-if scenarios.
Overall, this was a fun, easy read that I would recommend to anyone!
Content Warning:
There is a situation that involves some anti-semitic actions.
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at https://shejustlovesbooks.com/all-boo...
January 4, 2021
3.5 stars. I enjoyed 99.9% of this book. The concept was really cool. I loved the club that the characters formed and the games they made up/played. Each person's game revealed a little more about backstory and fears. Amina had a solid character arc as she reevaluated what she thought she knew and reconsidered her perspective on herself and others. The drama, friendships, and relationships were awesome too. The only part I did not like was the very, very end.
June 5, 2020
I liked this book and the different ways that the kids tried living while on campus. I liked the group of friends and how they solved and tried to plan for the end of the world. Slight romance but overall it was a good book.
November 18, 2020
I would like to thank the author Michelle Falkoff, the publisher HarperCollins, and iReads Book Tours for access to an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to iReads for the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for this title. Thank you to Michelle Falkoff for trying your best to get me hooked up with a copy through NetGalley. Thank you to my influencer program contacts at HarperCollins for hooking me up via Edelweiss when we ran into regional troubles with the NetGalley listing. It was an adventure, for sure! This has not swayed my opinion on the review. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
This book is not at all what I thought it would be from the title and official synopsis, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing. I may not have read the book I thought I was going to read, but the book I read was excellent none the less!
Amina is entering 10th grade at Gardner Academy, a private boarding school you generally either attend because you earned a scholarship or because something went wrong and you've been sent away. On the first night Amina attends a "game night" for incoming first years that's full of the typical icebreakers and the predictably gross and scandalous teenage questions in "Would you rather?" until someone asks the group about the end of the world. If the world were to end tomorrow and no one you knew and loved would survive, would you choose to die with them or survive and rebuild? In the coming days, Amina and four other students (including Wyatt, the boy who posed the question) form the Eucalyptus Society, a club that I like to think of as "Doomsday Preppers Lite." Over the course of their first two quarters, each of the club's five members holds a "game" to determine who would be best prepared for their end of the world scenario.
This book tackles non-Christian religion in a Christian dominated setting (specifically Judaism,) BIPOC issues and inter-racial relationships, LGBTQIA issues, and characters learning to trust and how to deal with betrayal. Content warnings for building fire linked to a hate crime (remembered event pre-book timeline), character recalling sexual and physical assault, racism, bullying, protests, and various reasons that some characters have "run away" in various degrees from their families and previous environments to this school. This book also features characters experiencing symptoms of PTSD and depression.
If I were any of the teenage club members in this book I would be Jo, the closed-off and mysterious tough girl with rainbow boot laces and an obviously tragic back story that she doesn't care to share. I adored optimistic and genuinely kind Wyatt. I was occasionally frustrated with Amina for how socially blind she was about her friends and classmates, but it did make sense as a character flaw for a 16 (15?) year old girl from a secure and unbroken family. The nativity of youth! The hate crime that drove her to anxious doomsday research is the only smudge on her rose-coloured glasses so far, and it shows. She's afraid of the system imploding in on itself, but trusts individuals implicitly. The other two cub members are Hunter, the climate activist born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and Chloe, the Instagram model who's all about influence.
What holds me back from rating this book a full five stars is that this book almost seems to forget that these are high school students attending school. Classes hardly factor into the story at all, and once Amina has won the student council election we don't see or hear what her meetings and duties are like. Her Jewish club meetings only come up when she's campaigning for student council, when Eucalyptus Society might interfere, and when the plot requires that she talk to a friend who isn't in the Eucalyptus Society. Her roommate is relevant three times, despite this taking place over half a school year. I understand that this book is about the Eucalyptus Society games and social unit, but like other YA titles I've read that take place in a boarding school setting that don't remind the reader about classes and roommates and such, it starts to feel more like college kids on a college campus. These are 15/16-year-old teens making age-appropriate snap decisions. It's important to remember how young they are.
I expected a book with outdoorsy events and actual survival situations. I got a book about troubled teens at a boarding school learning how to thrive in a found family, and I loved it! I read it in one day and really enjoyed the experience. It was well-paced (despite the lack of class & student council interludes I would have liked for the high school feel reminders) and the characters were all relatable in different ways. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for novels by Michelle Falkoff in the future!
--
Note: I wrote this review for a blog tour. If you're interested in the full post and quick access to the rest of the tour, visit: westveilpublishing.com/?p=3597
This book is not at all what I thought it would be from the title and official synopsis, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing. I may not have read the book I thought I was going to read, but the book I read was excellent none the less!
Amina is entering 10th grade at Gardner Academy, a private boarding school you generally either attend because you earned a scholarship or because something went wrong and you've been sent away. On the first night Amina attends a "game night" for incoming first years that's full of the typical icebreakers and the predictably gross and scandalous teenage questions in "Would you rather?" until someone asks the group about the end of the world. If the world were to end tomorrow and no one you knew and loved would survive, would you choose to die with them or survive and rebuild? In the coming days, Amina and four other students (including Wyatt, the boy who posed the question) form the Eucalyptus Society, a club that I like to think of as "Doomsday Preppers Lite." Over the course of their first two quarters, each of the club's five members holds a "game" to determine who would be best prepared for their end of the world scenario.
This book tackles non-Christian religion in a Christian dominated setting (specifically Judaism,) BIPOC issues and inter-racial relationships, LGBTQIA issues, and characters learning to trust and how to deal with betrayal. Content warnings for building fire linked to a hate crime (remembered event pre-book timeline), character recalling sexual and physical assault, racism, bullying, protests, and various reasons that some characters have "run away" in various degrees from their families and previous environments to this school. This book also features characters experiencing symptoms of PTSD and depression.
If I were any of the teenage club members in this book I would be Jo, the closed-off and mysterious tough girl with rainbow boot laces and an obviously tragic back story that she doesn't care to share. I adored optimistic and genuinely kind Wyatt. I was occasionally frustrated with Amina for how socially blind she was about her friends and classmates, but it did make sense as a character flaw for a 16 (15?) year old girl from a secure and unbroken family. The nativity of youth! The hate crime that drove her to anxious doomsday research is the only smudge on her rose-coloured glasses so far, and it shows. She's afraid of the system imploding in on itself, but trusts individuals implicitly. The other two cub members are Hunter, the climate activist born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and Chloe, the Instagram model who's all about influence.
What holds me back from rating this book a full five stars is that this book almost seems to forget that these are high school students attending school. Classes hardly factor into the story at all, and once Amina has won the student council election we don't see or hear what her meetings and duties are like. Her Jewish club meetings only come up when she's campaigning for student council, when Eucalyptus Society might interfere, and when the plot requires that she talk to a friend who isn't in the Eucalyptus Society. Her roommate is relevant three times, despite this taking place over half a school year. I understand that this book is about the Eucalyptus Society games and social unit, but like other YA titles I've read that take place in a boarding school setting that don't remind the reader about classes and roommates and such, it starts to feel more like college kids on a college campus. These are 15/16-year-old teens making age-appropriate snap decisions. It's important to remember how young they are.
I expected a book with outdoorsy events and actual survival situations. I got a book about troubled teens at a boarding school learning how to thrive in a found family, and I loved it! I read it in one day and really enjoyed the experience. It was well-paced (despite the lack of class & student council interludes I would have liked for the high school feel reminders) and the characters were all relatable in different ways. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for novels by Michelle Falkoff in the future!
--
Note: I wrote this review for a blog tour. If you're interested in the full post and quick access to the rest of the tour, visit: westveilpublishing.com/?p=3597
January 17, 2021
YA and clever, engaging premise. Amina has become obsessed with tragedy and global fascism and disasters after her hometown synagogue was firebombed. No one was hurt, but at age 15/16 it has made a huge impression and has kept her from feeling safe. In an effort to give her some remove from the situation, her parents send her to Darden Academy, (maybe not the best plan) and she is furious. Darden is a pretentious school that fell prey to scandal, so now admits both rich kids no one else will take due to bad behavior and scholarship kids who can only go with a full ride the school offers. Interesting combo. Amina falls in the second group and that gives her a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but to her credit, she puts herself out there by attending Game Night at first-year orientation and there she meets her posse. After the various scheduled activities have finished, a boy, Wyatt stands up and asks: "If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, would you rather die along with your friends and family and everyone you've ever known, or live among strangers to rebuild civilization?" The few who answer his question seriously, Amina, Hunter, Chloe, and Jo also get a mysterious invite to meet at the 'safest place on campus' a week later, and through some sleuthing this group finds the school bomb shelter and start a survival club (not prepper, but a little more thoughtful and intelligent as they take on some of the issues in our times) Each gets to design a "game" that requires some kind of strategy, knowledge and action that the others must play. They call themselves Eucalyptus because of the plant's hardiness and multiple uses. And the group becomes fast friends, despite Jo's prickliness and aura of mystery. She is the least known. Chloe is an Insta fashion influencer with multiple sponsorships and a savvy world view, Wyatt lived on a commune and is probably the best equipped for survival, Hunter is an athlete who comes from money, but wants to distance himself from his father's oil industry and find his underground activist brother. They all have various talents and secrets that are rudely exposed through the semester -but they don't know who the perpetrator is: Wyatt is baited because he is black, Amina's journal is poached and made public (to Wyatt, her love interest), Hunter's family ties are outed, Chloe has incriminating pictures circulated and Jo's hidden history is revealed. So in addition to doing their survival game, trying to keep up with studies at the demanding school, and figuring out who is targeting them, they have a lot on their plate. Some usual teenage drama, but nothing to eye-rolling, and an endearing message of hope for the next generation to tackle some of the mess left to them by their elders, as well as learn the proper attitude to apply to it. Instead of competition, maybe they need teamwork, forgiveness, community values. Great ending message without being too heavy-handed and moralistic.
July 14, 2020
How to Pack for the End of the World
by Michelle Falkoff
Pub Date: 10 Nov 2020
read courtesy of http://netgalley.com
Put five different competitive high schoolers together to see who can survive hypothetical apocalyptic disasters, and you get five unique interesting challenges. Falkoff crafted an entertaining story that expertly incorporated five different characterizations into the survival scenarios. I found some fairly profound truths in this story that resonated with me: (1) "I hated that I tended to assume people were straight unless they indicated otherwise." (2) "Funny how different it felt, having a crush versus liking someone who liked you back. I'd had butterflies with Hunter, but they'd made me feel a little bit sick. Wyatt made me feel nothing but happy." (3) "We'd been so fixated on managing big-picture problems that we hadn't yet learned how to deal with the day-to-day complexities of being ourselves..."
Unfortunately, the author used some standard YA story formulas that I tend to dislike. For example the characters don't tell others how they feel but then expect others to be mind readers and act a certain way. In addition, this author actually comes out and has a character articulate another overused plot line "...where we need to help ourselves because the adults weren't going to be of much use."
Throughout the book, the lead character Amina frequently claims she doesn't know her friends as well as they know her. The purpose of this characterization is so she can eventually prove she does end up knowing one her friends better than her other friends do. The repetitive self-deprecation, however, is annoyingly tedious.
Nonetheless, I like the ending in which the characters learn to be " ...less concerned with what we put in our go-bags and more about how to use cooperation and empathy to prevent the things we were so scared of from happening." I only wish that Falkoff had listened to her own advice. Why was it necessary for her to call out 'Republican' vs. 'Democrat' in a doomsday scenario in which a Republican was so "unpopular" that he got elected for a third and fourth term?
Since the good messages outweigh the trite precepts, I will enjoy putting this book into the hands of my high schoolers.
by Michelle Falkoff
Pub Date: 10 Nov 2020
read courtesy of http://netgalley.com
Put five different competitive high schoolers together to see who can survive hypothetical apocalyptic disasters, and you get five unique interesting challenges. Falkoff crafted an entertaining story that expertly incorporated five different characterizations into the survival scenarios. I found some fairly profound truths in this story that resonated with me: (1) "I hated that I tended to assume people were straight unless they indicated otherwise." (2) "Funny how different it felt, having a crush versus liking someone who liked you back. I'd had butterflies with Hunter, but they'd made me feel a little bit sick. Wyatt made me feel nothing but happy." (3) "We'd been so fixated on managing big-picture problems that we hadn't yet learned how to deal with the day-to-day complexities of being ourselves..."
Unfortunately, the author used some standard YA story formulas that I tend to dislike. For example the characters don't tell others how they feel but then expect others to be mind readers and act a certain way. In addition, this author actually comes out and has a character articulate another overused plot line "...where we need to help ourselves because the adults weren't going to be of much use."
Throughout the book, the lead character Amina frequently claims she doesn't know her friends as well as they know her. The purpose of this characterization is so she can eventually prove she does end up knowing one her friends better than her other friends do. The repetitive self-deprecation, however, is annoyingly tedious.
Nonetheless, I like the ending in which the characters learn to be " ...less concerned with what we put in our go-bags and more about how to use cooperation and empathy to prevent the things we were so scared of from happening." I only wish that Falkoff had listened to her own advice. Why was it necessary for her to call out 'Republican' vs. 'Democrat' in a doomsday scenario in which a Republican was so "unpopular" that he got elected for a third and fourth term?
Since the good messages outweigh the trite precepts, I will enjoy putting this book into the hands of my high schoolers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews