I Hope You Get This Message By Farah Naz Rishi

Seven days until the end of the world. Aliens send a message to earth that the entire human race will be wiped out...in seven days. What do you do with that information? Some people don't believe it's true. Some decide to steal and vandalize. Some make pilgrimages. Others continue on as normal as if nothing has changed.

We meet three teens and follow them through their journey. They come from different parts of the country, but we know they end up tied together before it is over.

First, Cate. She lives in San Francisco with her schizophrenia suffering mother. Cate has never known her father, but Cate's mother asks her to find him and give him a letter. Her father may (or may not) live in Nevada. Having given up most of her social life and extracurriculars to look after her mom, Cate is not going to deny her request. Her friend, Ivy, agrees to drive her. Finding her dad is not on her bucket list, but it becomes Cate's main focus now.

Jesse lives in Roswell, New Mexico. Yes, the place where tourists flock to see cheesy alien museums and buy cheap souvenirs. At least, they did until the real aliens spoke up. Now, the town is quiet with many businesses shut down. Jesse and his mom are barely getting by. She works at a diner, but hardly makes enough for the house payment and food. So Jesse sometimes steals items they need. He knows it is wrong, but it is almost nothing compared to other things he's done. He does not want to be a loser like his absent father, but he can't seem to stay out of trouble. When an opportunity to make some easy money arises, Jesse goes for it in spite of the ethically questionable nature of it.

Adeem lives in Carson City, Nevada. He loves shortwave radio. It his way of reaching out to people beyond his room. His parents and teachers are always telling him to live up to his potential, but he's not that interested. Adeem truly cares about his sister, Leyla, who abruptly left after coming out to her parents. They have not spoken in three years. When Adeem hears a poem one night over the airwaves that sounds like Leyla, he knows he must try to find her. Against his parents wishes, he heads towards Roswell to track her down.

There are aliens in this book (deliberating whether they should destroy humankind), but it is not really about them. This is a story of humans trying to reconnect with things they have lost before time runs out. Can Cate find her dad? Can Adeem find his sister? Can Jesses find a purpose? It is a suspenseful story that had me wondering how the three connected and will the aliens really destroy mankind. This is a worthy read if for nothing else than the three teens who are far from perfect but keep trying.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry

Ellis is prepared for something bad to happen. She knows anything could happen at anytime. Like, getting hit by a car. Or tripping and hitting your head. Or an earthquake. Or solar flare. The world is filled with danger, and Ellis thinks about it all the time. In fact, she has talked about the need to prepare so much that her mom, dad and sister are tired of it.

And maybe that's unfair. Ellis has anxiety (she is seeing a therapist). She can't really control her thoughts (no matter how much her mother wishes she could), so Ellis carries around her emergency preparedness kit ready for something to happen.

So the worst (best?) person to appear in Ellis' life: Hannah. They run into each other at the therapist's office, but they go to the same school. Hannah tells Ellis of her dreams (no, more like visions) where she sees the end of the world. Not easily convinced, Ellis eventually comes to believe Hannah and knows they must warn others. But Hannah is reluctant; she wants to find a person she knows who could help interpret the visions.

Ellis is a well meaning person. The coming doomsday (and it is coming soon) has reinforced her belief in the vulnerability of people. Even though she is always worried about her own well being, her first thoughts are to protect others. Her own intentions only cause her life to become more stressful. Her mom seems to hate her. She is socially awkward at school and church. There are times when Ellis seems to loose a grip on reality. But she is a sympathetic character that I wanted to be wrong and right at the same time. As someone who has anxiety, I could feel her struggle, and I think others will, too.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.