Gone Dark

Panitch (The Trouble with Good Ideas) paints an apocalyptic psychological thriller as death, faith, love, and friendship collide in a high-stakes battle for survival. Seventeen-year-old Zara Ross, cued as white, has spent almost seven years burying memories of her family’s past. Though her current hobby is gaming with Gabe Ramirez, the older brother of her best friend Estella (who both cue as Latinx), she was raised in a compound, the daughter of an isolationist doomsday prepper, taught to set traps, use a crossbow, and trust no one. When a hacker attack wipes out electric power across the U.S., civilization devolves into chaos, and Zara realizes that her father’s lessons are the only thing keeping her safe. With a ragtag group of teenagers, she treks east to the perceived safety of her father’s compound. Zara must confront not just what has become of humankind but what’s waiting for her at the end of her journey and the impossible choices that thread the needle between death and survival. Though the plot moves a bit slow for the urgent action, Panitch pulls no punches in this evocative portrayal of a modern-day apocalypse. Ages 12–up. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House. (Apr.)