Our Shouts Echo

Gr 10 Up–Sixteen-year-old Niarah is about to fail her sophomore year. Instead of focusing on school, she has spent her time researching the best prepping techniques for the eventual collapse of the world and making summer plans to build her doomsday shelter, Camp Doom. When given the choice between summer school with bullies who exposed her prepper lifestyle on social media and participating in a summer hiking program with cute boy Mac, she chooses the latter. As she spends time outdoors with Mac and his crew, she discovers that life may be worth living instead of prepping for its end. Mac is the antithesis of Niarah in that he focuses on getting the most out of life despite things in his life that are challenging. The supporting group of characters are diverse in race and gender and show Niarah different approaches to life. Mixed media of pages from Niarah’s prepper guide, emails, and text messages adds a unique layer of interest and perspective. At times, the amount of topics covered can be overwhelming, much like the emotions Niarah is feeling. Suicidal ideation, first sexual experiences, domestic abuse, and eco-anxiety are just a few of the issues tackled, making this book better suited for older teens.