Climate of Chaos

Ages 14 And Up, Grades 9 And Up

An exhilarating dystopian YA recalling The Last of Us and Divergent—Climate of Chaos is a hard-hitting survival story featuring a disabled protagonist that explores the chilling effects of climate change and medical debt.

In dystopic Seattle, storms have devastated Earth’s population, a new virus is spreading, and the privileged live inside domes controlled by Aegis Corp. Healthcare is earned by hours accrued working in Aegis’s pharmaceutical factories. If you run short on hours, you’re sent to Harvest House for debt collection—a place from which no one returns. 

After a storm killed seventeen-year old Fox LaRosa’s parents and left her disabled, Fox and her younger sister, Rabbit, join their fugitive aunt’s mercenary group Still Alive. Their mission is to restore the imbalance of medical access for post-storm survivors. 

But when a med supply heist goes south, Rabbit is taken captive, and Still Alive refuses to rescue her. Fox must choose between duty and family, and leaves home to infiltrate Aegis’s interior domes where Rabbit is being held hostage. The more Fox learns about life in the domes, though, the more she realizes Still Alive isn’t as altruistic as they claim. In a world where everyone is out for themselves, Fox must rely on those she trusts least in order to reunite with her sister and expose those in power for who they really are. 

The Hunger Games for the next generation, this read stars a disabled protagonist and explores the devastating potential of climate change left unchecked and the all-too-real consequences of outrageously expensive health insurance affecting millions today.

Story Locale:Seattle, Washington

About the Author

Cassandra Newbould is the editor of the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection YA anthology Every Body Shines (Bloomsbury YA) and the author of Things I’ll Never Say and Climate of Chaos (Peachtree Teen). A disabled mom of three who enjoys poker, rainy days, and road trips, she's always on the lookout for her next adventure. Find her on social media @cass_catalano_newbould.

Author Residence: Seattle, Washington

Author Hometown: Jupiter, Florida