The year is 2097 and the world is run by women after a plague decimated 97% of the men on Earth. Now that women are in charge, the world is experiencing a renaissance of sorts: no crime, no poverty, no war, no hunger. It is into this world that 14-year-old Kellen struggles to come of age. As one of the few boys in existence, he has few options available to him and even fewer answers to his many questions. When he hears a rumor that the old plague is making a come-back, thus threatening his own life and that of his nomadic father, Kellen mounts a desperate attempt to find his father and warn him. But the end of his journey turns out to be the beginning of a much more terrifying future. Although billed as a young adult novel, Epitaph Road isn’t for children. Its stark apocalyptic setting and social-engineering premise echo some of the best adult novels of the dystopian genre. The novel asks some serious questions, not least of which is the one printed on the front cover: What price would you pay for a perfect world?
Kim Pleticha, Editor Parent:Wise Austin
