Young World by Chris Weitz (review)

The adults and kids are dead, and just the teens remain, at least until they stop producing the right protective hormones and succumb as well. The illness is harsh and fast moving, and there is no known cure, though one small group of teens is determined to follow a faint lead in hopes of saving the world. They quickly discover that leaving their relatively peaceful enclave in a New York park brings even more risk than they anticipated as they encounter cannibals, polar bears, teens manufacturing weapons with 3-D printers, and a fabled single old man known to still be alive, who is terrifyingly dangerous even while he offers insight into a cure. The group of protagonists defy heroic stereotypes even while they are clearly the best people for this mission; their determination and keen interest in survival trumps their relative inexperience, and and their shared strong sense of ethics keeps them from raping and pillaging their way through the world, which would certainly be an easier approach. Their natural inclination toward decency in a world where plenty have dropped many of the societal guidelines for morality makes for powerful philosophical conflicts within the larger action-packed adventure plot. The rush up to a climactic conclusion is effective, given the narrative build-up through New York and toward the one location where a cure, the literal solution to saving the whole world, might be discovered. It’s also a pretty irresistible spot to end, guaranteeing interest in the remaining two novels of this promised trilogy.