2025
WISE Score
Amazon
Think The Last of Us but in a soggy, sinking Seattle with a protagonist who proves survival isn't just for the able-bodied.
4.5
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Climate of Chaos is the kind of YA that actually respects its audience's intelligence. It doesn't sugarcoat the apocalypse, but it also doesn't devolve into mindless 'trauma porn.'
By centering a disabled protagonist in a genre that usually ignores them, Cassandra Newbould has written something that feels genuinely fresh in a crowded market. If your kid liked The Hunger Games or Divergent but wants something that feels more relevant to the 2020s, this is a winner.
This is firmly for the 14+ crowd. It's a high school read through and through, both in terms of its complexity and its darker themes.
The core of the story is the bond between sisters Fox and Rabbit, which provides a solid emotional anchor. However, it's a 'depressing' and 'hard-hitting' look at a broken world, so don't expect sunshine and rainbows.
The world-building is top-tier, specifically the tech and the 'Zone 3' setting in a flooded, post-apocalyptic Seattle. It moves beyond the standard dystopian tropes by integrating realistic climate science and disability-centric survival strategies.
It's a YA survival story compared to 'The Last of Us,' so expect some intensity and peril. There's no major red-flag content for its target age group, but it's too heavy for the middle-school crowd.
Excellent representation of a disabled protagonist in a high-stakes setting. It forces readers to think about climate ethics and social stratification without being a preachy lecture.
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