This was a fun and exciting YA apocalyptic novel. Very bingeable read. I’m giving Gone Dark 4 stars.

Zara grew up being trained by her doomsday prepped father, but was removed from their compound as a child by her mother. 7 years later, Zara and her mom are living in Los Angeles, where she’s trying to get through high school, loves computers, and has a crush on her best friend’s older brother. But suddenly the worst happens and Zara’s skills are put to the ultimate test.

I did feel like the story pace stalled a bit in the middle, and the ending felt very rushed. But the characters were fantastic, and I thought the overall concept was very interesting. I’m considering bringing a copy in for my students. ( )

This blends family secrets/intrigue with the dystopian theme of a nationwide power outage, then sprinkles it with friendship and a dash of romance. Zara's memories of growing up in the secret forest survivalist compound built by her father are a mix of forgotten and suppressed, but his stern admonishments run through her mind all too often. She's living in L.A. with her mother when the power starts failing in a random pattern. It doesn't take long before she suspects that the catastrophe her father predicted is about to unfold. When it does, she realizes her best option is to cross the country to New York where her dad still lives, or so she hopes. How she gets there and who comes with her make for one heck of a story. ( )