Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
One year ago, a devastating plague called Strain 7 killed three quarters of the human race. Around the world, power systems failed and supply chains screeched to a halt. The surviving population of the United States has been relocated to the coasts; the heartland is now a wasteland called The Big Empty. But seven teens trying to put their lives back together will learn that the abandoned zone holds danger, secrets, and above all, hope.
Is The Big Empty appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
Teens face a post-apocalyptic America after a devastating plague kills most of humanity. Expect themes of death, loss, and survival, but the focus is on hope and rebuilding rather than graphic violence.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death, mass death, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Seven teens explore the dangerous abandoned heartland of America, discovering secrets and hope in a world destroyed by plague.