Instructions for the End of the World

Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

December 2015

ISBN: 978-1-250-04786-1

Pages: 224

Contemporary, Young Adult

Sierra Foothills

Nicole Reed’s father prepared his family for every natural disaster that is known to man. The problem is that the one that struck was the one they were not prepared for.  Nicole and her family are forced to move to a remote area in the Sierra Foothills by her father. It is also a place without any modern conveniences.  For her mother it is too much to handle and she abandons them in the middle of the night. Nicole’s father heads out to track down her mother and leaves Nicole in charge of taking care of her younger sister, Izzy, and the care of the house. Nicole is doing fine running things on her own or at least at first she is. Then a forest fire starts to slowly inch closer, the pipes crack and they start to run out of food. From the neighboring community comes a handsome boy named Wolf that offers to help her out at a time when she needs it the most. Soon she must make a decision especially when she starts to have feelings for him. Feelings that she knows she will not be allowed to act on once her father comes back. As her family falls apart she must decide if she is going to start living for today or keep preparing for tomorrow’s disasters.

This is a good book that keeps the reader engrossed in a story that proves to take the reader on an emotional roller coaster. As Nicole tries to keep everything together and do what is expected of her the reader gets a glimpse of what she is dealing with and thinking as she tries to figure out what is best for herself and her younger sister. Both sisters do some growing up as they deal with all that is suddenly happening in their lives.  It proves to be a memorable book. 

I give this one 4 red roses

LRH