Our Shouts Echo

July 15, 2024
In Adia's sophomore novel, a 16-year-old Black girl's plan to build a fallout shelter to help manage her depression and complicated family life gets derailed. Syracuse, New York, transplant Niarah Holloway is an antisocial, video game-playing, doomsday prepper who's just trying to make it through the end of sophomore year at her new school in Los Angeles. Her lack of preparation for her end-of-year project leads to her impromptu presentation using items from her Every Day Carry survival kit--and the nickname "Doomsday Girl." Niarah's poor attendance also lands her in the office of the guidance counselor, where she learns she must complete the capstone assignment and gym requirement over the summer to avoid repeating 10th grade. Instead of pursuing her original summer plan to construct Camp Doom, her fortified bunker, she's forced to enroll in Mexican American classmate Marco "Mac" Torres' Color Outside wilderness group, which is anathema to "Indoor Kid" Niarah. Over the summer, conflict with her parents, challenges to her pessimistic mindset, and feelings for Mac shake Niarah up. The emotional tenor of the narrative will resonate with many readers: The author thoroughly examines depression and family trauma, while also weaving poignant moments, cute romantic encounters, and a generous helping of humor into this satisfying story that has appealing leads. An engaging read that contains both the hard realities and beautiful aspects of teen life. (content warning, resources)(Fiction. 13-18)

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August 1, 2024

Gr 10 Up-Sixteen-year-old Niarah is about to fail her sophomore year. Instead of focusing on school, she has spent her time researching the best prepping techniques for the eventual collapse of the world and making summer plans to build her doomsday shelter, Camp Doom. When given the choice between summer school with bullies who exposed her prepper lifestyle on social media and participating in a summer hiking program with cute boy Mac, she chooses the latter. As she spends time outdoors with Mac and his crew, she discovers that life may be worth living instead of prepping for its end. Mac is the antithesis of Niarah in that he focuses on getting the most out of life despite things in his life that are challenging. The supporting group of characters are diverse in race and gender and show Niarah different approaches to life. Mixed media of pages from Niarah's prepper guide, emails, and text messages adds a unique layer of interest and perspective. At times, the amount of topics covered can be overwhelming, much like the emotions Niarah is feeling. Suicidal ideation, first sexual experiences, domestic abuse, and eco-anxiety are just a few of the issues tackled, making this book better suited for older teens. VERDICT When the world seems to be collapsing, living can be the hardest challenge to overcome. A first choice for collections serving older teens.-Ashley Leffel

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2024
For her capstone project on the last day of school, Niarah, who is "walking around life with a full plate of anxiety plus a side of depression and a scoop of OCD for dessert," must present an object that represents where she will be in ten years. But she does not have much hope for the future, so she pulls out a bottle of iodine from her survival kit and explains how it will save her in what she sees as "the inevitable doomsday scenario." Her presentation gains her the name Doomsday Girl and a trip to the guidance counselor's office, where she learns that she is in danger of failing sophomore year if she does not complete her capstone project and PE hours. As an alternative to summer school, Niarah joins a hiking club led by the very handsome Mac Torres. Despite herself, Niarah opens up to Mac, who offers to help her build her fallout shelter and count it toward her hours. Through Niarah's prickly, often darkly humorous, and eventually more vulnerable voice in her survival guide entries, text messages, and interactions with others, readers see a well-realized example of how it feels to be a teenager navigating the world with depression and suicidal thoughts. Mental health and related resources are appended. Nicholl Denice Montgomery

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 13, 2024
At risk of repeating sophomore year, anxious Black 16-year-old Niarah Holloway must spend the summer completing her capstone project and making up PE credits. A doomsday prepper and self-proclaimed weird kid, Niarah decides to use her project as an excuse to work on Camp Doom, the detached garage she plans to convert into a bunker. With her summer plans locked in, she doesn’t anticipate encountering Latinx graduating senior Mac, cofounder of the hiking group Color Outside, which Niarah is forced to join to earn her PE credits. Mac offers to help Niarah with Camp Doom, leading to many spirited debates regarding preparing for the end of the world vs. living in the moment, and as the two grow closer, Niarah becomes more aware of Mac’s imminent move from L.A. for college. Now, she must reckon with the possibility of losing the first glimmer of joy she’s felt in a long time. In a narrative that teems with hope, nihilism, and strong anti-capitalist themes, Adia (There Goes the Neighborhood) pays homage to the “boiling cauldron of terror we live in” via a scorching blend of realistic teenage snark and achingly earnest prose. Sex-positive messaging throughout adds further depth to this already potent romance. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

July 1, 2024
For her capstone project on the last day of school, Niarah, who is "walking around life with a full plate of anxiety plus a side of depression and a scoop of OCD for dessert," must present an object that represents where she will be in ten years. But she does not have much hope for the future, so she pulls out a bottle of iodine from her survival kit and explains how it will save her in what she sees as "the inevitable doomsday scenario." Her presentation gains her the name Doomsday Girl and a trip to the guidance counselor's office, where she learns that she is in danger of failing sophomore year if she does not complete her capstone project and PE hours. As an alternative to summer school, Niarah joins a hiking club led by the very handsome Mac Torres. Despite herself, Niarah opens up to Mac, who offers to help her build her fallout shelter and count it toward her hours. Through Niarah's prickly, often darkly humorous, and eventually more vulnerable voice in her survival guide entries, text messages, and interactions with others, readers see a well-realized example of how it feels to be a teenager navigating the world with depression and suicidal thoughts. Mental health and related resources are appended.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)