Gone by Michael Grant is a gripping dystopian novel in which everyone over the age of fifteen suddenly disappears from a small California town, leaving the kids to survive on their own inside a mysterious barrier. As food runs out and strange powers begin to emerge, the remaining children must confront fear, chaos, and the struggle for control in a world with no adults.

Fiona Fenn is an author of fantasy novels that put complicated “heroes” front and center. A fan of villains, redemption arcs, and intense explorations of healing in all its forms, her debut novel,

The Crack at the Heart of Everything, is a love letter to every villain who wanted to do better but never got the chance. The City that Shattered the World is the second book in the series and will be coming out in October 2026!

Drink Blackberry Survival Smash

Ingredients

2 oz bourbon or dark rum

¾ oz fresh lemon juice

½ oz honey syrup

4–5 blackberries (muddled)

2–3 mint leaves

Splash of soda water

Instructions

Muddle blackberries, mint, and honey syrup in a shaker.

Add bourbon and lemon juice with ice.

Shake well and strain into a rocks glass over ice.

Top with a splash of soda and garnish with a blackberry.

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