The Last Place on Earth

November 30, 2015
Sixteen-year-old Daisy Cruz hasn’t heard from her best friend Henry Hawking for days. She’s worried that an awkward moment they shared has damaged their friendship, but as the days pass, she knows it has to be more. Also, why is everyone at school suddenly falling ill? A note on Henry’s desk leaves Daisy certain that he’s in danger, and additional clues lead her deep into California’s Los Padres National Forest, and finally to an underground bunker. Then things get really weird. Snow (Bubble World) presents a quirky entry into the “Is this it for humanity?” genre, as Daisy is thrust into a potential apocalypse she is ill-equipped to handle. Daisy’s engaging voice and dry wit are a real highlight, especially where her survivalist ineptitude is concerned (“Did you know that straight bleach can actually burn a hole in your clothes? Neither did I!”). Themes of loyalty, friendship, and family bonds are the foundations of a winning story filled with small, poignant moments that, against a background of uncertainty, don’t feel small at all. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephanie Kip Rostan, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.

November 15, 2015
Most of the time, "the world is ending" is a metaphor. But what if it really is ending? At first, Daisy thinks Henry, her best friend, is just playing sick, as he often does. But when he doesn't return her texts, she gets worried--especially when there's no sign of him or his parents in their house. Where is Henry? And does this have anything to do with how he almost kissed her the night before he disappeared? Daisy needs to know, so she breaks into Henry's house and finds a note in his room, a note with only two words: "SAVE ME." And so Daisy sets out on a journey to save the best friend who might be more than just her best friend, a journey that means spending a week in quarantine, discovering a world of doomsday preppers, learning about the Madagascar plague, and asking if this really is the end of the world. But facilely, Daisy and Henry learn that no matter how many things change, "life goes on as before." The doomsday elements of the plot make for a jarring addition to what seems to be an ordinary friends-to-lovers story. Still, the characters, in particular Daisy, are well-drawn, and the topic is certainly of interest. Though the story is not particularly cohesive, its characters carry the day. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2015

Gr 6 Up-This mystery starts with lots of promise. Daisy's best friend and potential love interest, Henry, mysteriously disappears. After following the clues left in her suburban neighborhood, she and her brother trek to his last-known whereabouts deep in the California Redwoods. Here, Daisy finds herself in over her head and has to rely on her wit and courage to survive. Unfortunately, the writing in this book is not convincing. When Daisy is in danger, there is no fear in her voice. When she is panicked, there is no anxiety. The protagonist maintains a flat tone, full of sarcasm and benign pop culture references. Despite this, the mystery is full of twists and turns with teenage jolts of humor and angst that will attract reluctant readers, especially fans of Caroline B. Cooney and Joan Lowery Nixon. VERDICT A secondary purchase for reluctant readers who love mysteries.-Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 Is it the end of the world if you nearly kiss your best friend and then he disappears? That's sure what it feels like for 16-year-old Daisy. The day after they've shared a pivotal moment in their relationship, her best friend, Henry, keeper of all her secrets, vanishes. After Henry and his neurotic parents go missing, Daisy finds a note of Henry's that reads SAVE ME. Prolific author Snow's latest is tricky to summarize without giving away a major plot point, but its original premise and crisp, unpredictable characters are a compelling reason to pick it up. The rest of the story revolves around what happens whenand howDaisy attempts to rescue Henry, deep in the secluded California wilderness. Once Daisy locates him, his whereabouts seem implausible. With a title like The Last Place on Earth, readers might be duped into thinking they've trod into dystopian territory, but instead, Snow weaves a modern teen-crush story into a far-fetched but nonetheless possible (and at points both laughable and tragic) adventure tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)