How to Pack for the End of the World: The Teen Drama Novel?

            The title of this book is exceedingly misleading. When I first pulled it from under the Christmas tree and unwrapped it, I had some mixed feelings. The title and cover page seemed to suggest my parents had gotten me a survival guide, were they trying to turn me into a prepper? I decided to give it a try and ended up reading it in every free moment in the next two days. It is not, in fact, a prepper's guide to life but instead a kind of feel-good teen drama story. It takes place at an extremely prestigious high school where a group of teens forms a club structured around their shared fear of the world ending. 

      Whether it be climate change, a political downfall, or disease; each of them thinks the world will end differently. They play games based on their fears and become good friends. Mid-way through the book, things start to go south for the group and they end up with a lot of drama. I'm not going to spoil anything more.

        The book itself is well written and very detailed. It is exciting and does that thing some books do where it traps you until you're done reading. When I was reading it, I literally couldn't stop. I would not say it is superlative in any way but it is well rounded and easy to read. That is the key part, it has all the excitement of a teen drama without sacrificing good writing. 

      It is also surprisingly plot-heavy, there are well thought out backstories and interesting mysteries. The characters are well built and there is none of the awkward writing usually found in similar novels. It feels like it is written by an adult, which is good, and yet is it easy to read and fast-moving.

      Anyway, it is a very quick read if you have time and I would recommend it if you haven't read it already.