Shannon Doleski’s Gabe in the After is a post-apocalyptic upper middle-grade adventure with a first-crush romance, perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Shannon Hale.
It’s 14-year-old Gabe Sweeney’s day to check for survivors . . .
Two years after a global pandemic, 20 survivors (most of them children) have relocated from their coastal Maine island full of sad memories to a mansion on a small, neighboring island where they have school and farm chores. When Gabe and his dog, Mud, find Relle Douglas alone in the woods on the mainland, they take the strange new girl across the channel to live with them.
Relle changes the island with her hopeful attitude. She tells big stories and makes plans for activities like talent shows. Despite a growing crush, Gabe doesn’t quite understand the point of it all; why have a talent show at the end of the world? But when tragedy strikes, Gabe sets out on a dangerous journey to try and find other survivors where the world might be normal. Like Before.
Lightly inspired by Anne of Green Gables, Gabe in the After is a moving and heartfelt story about the end of the world—and what perseveres through it.
“A surprisingly generous and perhaps even realistic look at humanity . . . [Readers will] likely find solace and encouragement as Gabe and Relle move toward a future that offers little safety but plenty of wonder.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (Starred Review)
Praise
**STARRED REVIEW**The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"The post-apocalyptic world Doleski offers up, both on the island and on Gabe’s mainland journey, is a surprisingly generous and perhaps even realistic look at humanity. . .The book’s parallels to current events invite readers to try to find that tender, elusive spot between resigned nihilism and blind hope in a world that is both brutal and beautiful. . .they’ll likely find solace and encouragement as Gabe and Relle move toward a future that offers little safety but plenty of wonder."
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"With occasional nods to Anne of Green Gables, Doleski’s postapocalyptic survival story weaves cozy and romantic elements with a haunting sense of loss, detailing the swift, shattering changes that can come with disaster."Publishers Weekly
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