It’s my theory…

…that if the end of the world had happened all at once, more people would have survived it.

The foundation of Tessa’s world was rocked when she lost her father and brother to the third war that ravaged the world, and it was broken when her mother died of the virulent man-made plague that decimated what was left of the world’s population. All she had left was her sister Hanna.

When Tessa fell victim to the plague, herself, she was one of the very few to recover from an illness that burned out the mind and body of most of its victims. An unlucky few of the victims became scorched shells of their former selves, living, but mindless, violent, and hungry. Tessa’s recovery seemed miraculous, until she realized that she was not completely unscathed by the plague.

When she loses Hanna to one of the Scorched, Tessa’s world ignites, and she must decide if she will allow herself to be consumed by the flames, or if she will rebuild from the ashes.