After the End

When Juneau returns from a hunt to find her village ravaged and her clan missing, she doesn’t hesitate to strike out on a quest to rescue them. Following clues given to her by a magical connection to the earth, she’s led to a place that she’s been told her whole life no longer existed: the modern world. Having been taught that World War III destroyed everything and that the elders escaped to a remote part of Alaska, Juneau is shocked to discover the truth. She forges on, determined to find her people, but many more surprises await her, including the fact that her entire life may be built on lies.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Juneau and Miles, a boy whose father is after Juneau for reasons Miles doesn’t understand. He’s desperate to be back in his father’s good graces and thinks finding Juneau will do that. He and Juneau have a hard time seeing eye-to-eye; she’s wary of trusting him and he suspects she’s insane. Still, they manage to be curious enough about each other to eventually form a bond. This thrilling story of earthly magic, determination, and a girl rediscovering the world is truly engaging.