The Forevers: The YA debut from the 2021 CWA Gold Dagger Winner Chris Whitaker 9781471410956

What would you do if you knew the world was going to be destroyed by a huge asteroid in one month? The mesmerising YA debut from the winner of the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel 2021 and the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End.

They knew the end was coming. They saw it ten years back, when it was far enough away in space and time and meaning.
The changes were gradual, and then sudden.

For Mae and her friends, it means navigating a life where action and consequence are no longer related. Where the popular are both trophies and targets. And where petty grudges turn deadlier with each passing day. So, did Abi Manton jump off the cliff or was she pushed? Her death is just the beginning of the end.

With teachers losing control of their students and themselves, and the end rushing toward all of them, it leaves everyone facing the answer to one, simple question...

What would you do if you could get away with anything?

Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of adult thrillers Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls and We Begin at the End. All three books were published to widespread critical acclaim, with Tall Oaks going on to win the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award. An instant New York Times bestseller, We Begin at the End was picked as a Waterstones Thriller of the Month and is longlisted for both the Gold and the Steel Dagger Awards.

When not writing, Chris works at his local library, where he gets to surround himself with books. A huge fan of teen fiction, The Forevers is his first novel for young adults. Chris lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and three children.

Follow him on Twitter @WhittyAuthor

The Forevers is a YA novel that centres on human civilisation coming to an end. An asteroid is spotted and is set to destroy the world within 30 days. The novel follows a 17-year-old girl, Mae, who grows up during this societal emergency. I found the overall plot to be simple and easy to follow, but the ideas discussed are very complex and interesting.
As the world is coming to an end, consequences are no longer correlated to actions. I loved this concept, as it leads to a world of possibilities and allows the reader to ponder. This book asks the question: "what would you do if you only had 30 days left to live?" This book lets me imagine what I would do if I was in that situation. Sensitive topics such as bullying, abuse and depression are explored briefly.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was the characters. Each one is slowly built up throughout the book, but I especially found the protagonist to be memorable. Mae is portrayed as a weak character who is an orphan, has an abusive grandmother and a young, blind sister.
Overall, this is a novel that is extremely thought-provoking and emotive. There were many humorous scenes which added a lighthearted tone to the story. I would recommend this book to everyone over the age of 12 due to sensitive topics being mentioned.