The First Twenty

Gr 7 Up—Twenty years after the collapse of civilization as we know it, two rival communities are trying to eke out an existence from what's left: the Settlers and the Scavengers. When a raid of the settlement goes wrong and Nixie, a dowser, is left behind, will she be able to escape? And with everything a settlement has to offer, will she even want to? Lavoie has written a not particularly new take on the postapocalyptic genre, without some of the more common dystopian elements seen in contemporary YA. What sets this title apart is its easy and unapologetic incorporation of gay and lesbian characters. The central romance is between two young women, the character whose death kicks off the narrative is gay, and his partner is an important parental figure in the narrative. Those looking for YA read-alikes to Veronica Roth's "Divergent" books (HarperCollins) won't often stumble across gay characters. Fans of Alex London's Proxy (Philomel, 2013) will enjoy.