The Electric Kingdom

Product Description
New York Times bestseller David Arnold's most ambitious novel to date; Station Eleven meets The 5th Wave in a genre-smashing story of survival, hope, and love amid a ravaged earth.
When a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and love in a world gone dark.
The Electric Kingdom is a sweeping exploration of art, storytelling, eternal life, and above all, a testament to the notion that even in an exterminated world, one person might find beauty in another.
From School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-The world has been devastated by Flu Flies, leaving small groups of survivors to make their way without technology or organizing institutions. Nico, an 18-year-old with "watery white skin," lives in a barricaded farmhouse in New Hampshire while Kit, an art-loving 12-year-old with "pale white skin," finds himself living in a theater with his mother and adopted siblings, Lakie and Monty-Black twins left orphaned after a swarm attack. Nico, Kit, Lakie, and Monty hear of a haven safe from the Flies and set out on a journey that will force them to consider the tensions among science, faith, and the nature of time itself. Arnold's fourth novel uses intricate storytelling to explore a postapocalyptic world through the eyes of teens who search for meaning in the midst of loss and disconnection. He weaves together rich language and satisfying plot turns while drawing on elements of science fiction and fantasy. His characters are warm and fully realized, and for anyone who has lived through 2020, the book's themes will feel all too real. VERDICT An absorbing read with well-realized characters and beautiful writing, this novel will appeal to readers of science fantasy such as N.K. Jemisin's "Broken Earth" trilogy.-Talea Anderson, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
Praise for The Electric Kingdom
“This is a story about storytellers, and David Arnold is among the best.
The Electric Kingdom is an epic postapocalyptic tale where humanity is louder than a swarm of Flies, and hope radiates in the bleakest of places. Fearless writing and a remarkable cast of characters will send readers on an unforgettable journey.” —
ADAM SILVERA, New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End
“With luminous compassion and ceaseless invention, Arnold has built a postapocalyptic nesting doll of a tale, full of tricky resonances and moments of grace. All the pieces of this fascinating, ambitious book work together like the chambers of some great heart. I can’t wait for teen readers to discover it and suspect it was written just for them.”—
MELISSA ALBERT, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
“Utterly unique and genre-busting,
The Electric Kingdom is David Arnold at his best. I was left in awe by the stunning prose, the challenging philosophical questions, and the masterful puzzle of a plot. The moment I finished, I immediately wanted to read it again.”—
JASMINE WARGA, Newbery Honor–winning author of Other Words for Home★ "An intricate piece of high-concept sci-fi . . . carried by crystalline prose, which echoes like poetry, towards a genuinely astonishing and moving conclusion. Accessible, sophisticated, and immensely satisfying." —
Booklist (starred review)
★ "An absorbing read with well-realized characters and beautiful writing, this novel will appeal to read