Exile From Eden by Andrew Smith

As any of you who have ever read this blog know, I am a HUGE fan of Andrew Smith and everything he writes.  I loved his novel Grasshopper Jungle and have even worked it in to my Senior English class.  I was VERY fortunate that Andrew was kind enough to send me a copy of the sequel, Exile From Eden.  I had been anticipating this book for so long (its release date is September 24), and it was incredible to finally have it my hands.  After finishing last night, it surpassed any and all expectations I may have had for it.  It is simply incredible.

Unlike most sequels, Exile does not take place immediately after the conclusion of Grasshopper Jungle.  Instead, it is 16 years after the terrifying ending of the previous story.  Arek Szczerba has lived the entirety of his 16 years inside the hole of Eden, safe from the giant bugs that have destroyed the world.  When Austin and Robby leave on one of their runs and don't return, Arek is ready to leave the safety of Eden and construct his own world outside of the hole while searching for his missing fathers.  Along for the adventure is Mel, Robby's little sister, and the love of Arek's life.  As these two search for Austin and Robby, they start to discover what the world was like before the tragedy, and maybe decide that it was a world fraught with many flaws.  But this story is told in a dual narrative, also telling the story of Breakfast (a very wild boy) and Olive.  Two friends who are also trying to navigate a new world in search of other survivors, all while trying to maintain their wildness.

This story is fun and funny, heartwarming and sad, all at the same time.  It's a look into the world we are living in and what kind of place we are leaving behind for all the future generations to come.  It is a story about discovery, both of our world and of ourselves.  And maybe most importantly, it is about finding a home while not caring about houses.  


From Amazon: From New York Times bestselling author Andrew Smith comes the stunning, long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking Printz Honor Book Grasshopper Jungle.

It’s been sixteen years since an army of horny, hungry, six-foot-tall praying mantises forced Arek’s family underground and into the hole where he was born; it’s the only home he’s ever known. But now, post-end-of-the-world, the army of horny, hungry praying mantises might finally be dying out, and Arek’s ready to leave the hole for good.

All he has are mysterious letters from Breakfast, a naked, wild boy traveling the countryside with his silent companion, Olive. Together, Arek and his best friend Mel, who stowed away in his van, navigate their way through the ravaged remains of the outside world.

This long-awaited sequel to the irreverent, groundbreaking Printz Honor Book Grasshopper Jungle is stunning, compelling, and even more hilarious and beautifully bizarre than its predecessor.