Swarm

Shur is in civics class, quietly ignoring the teacher and trying to ignore her anxiety, when the first one appears: a giant monarch butterfly. In minutes, the school is on lockdown, and though the teachers insist on treating this like a tornado drill, there's nearly a panic-induced riot. Shur and her brother Keene escape the school with their two best friends, pick up their youngest brother at day care, and, after a fraught drive home, barricade themselves in Shur's house. As the days go on, the news and speculation get worse: Is it aliens? Is it a bio-attack? Is it the fault of climate change? Alone, the teens board up their windows and plan to ration out the food they have. But anxious Shur suspects it's only going to get worse. This is a panic-inducing, adrenaline-raising debut. The descriptions of the killer butterflies and their carnage are truly gross, and the continuous lack of information makes this survival story a dread-inducing read.

A group of teenagers band together to defend themselves against an invasion of terrifyingly large creatures swarming the sky. From the window of her history class, high schooler Shur notices a giant butterfly perched on a nearby rooftop. Despite its size, it looks like a regular monarch butterfly, but moments later, emergency alerts blast through her classmates' cell phones, urging people to stay indoors and away from windows. Shur; her twin brother, Kee her younger brother, Litt and the boys' two friends race to take shelter, on their way witnessing a butterfly latching onto a pedestrian's arm and ripping it off. At Shur's house, they follow news reports and learn that the worldwide appearance of these killer butterflies may be related to climate change. The teens prepare for worst-case scenarios, stocking up on food and supplies, boarding windows, and turning the basement into an emergency refuge while waiting out the horrors. But a series of events rattle their relative peace, testing their bonds as they realize that the butterflies are not the only threat they face. The author delivers a fresh take on a popular genre, weaving in current and relatable topics like climate change, grief, depression, and anxiety while adding depth to the exciting dystopian survival storyline. The character-driven plot brims with heartbreaking scenes, horrifying images, and a bit of romance. Main characters read white; Keene's best friend has brown skin. A page-turner that will keep even the most stoic readers on the edges of their seats. (Dystopian. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.