I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Young World by Chris Weitz Narrator: Spencer Locke, Jose Julian
Length: 8 Hours 34 Minutes
Series: The Young World Trilogy #1
on July 29th 2014
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Action & Adventure, General, Survival Stories, Dystopian, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Publisher
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"Chris Weitz has made a beautiful transition from writing and directing films to novels. The Young World is populated with characters you won't forget and a story as fresh and urgent as Divergent."--James Patterson, #1 NY Times bestselling author of Maximum Ride. Welcome to New York, a city ruled by teens.After a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he's secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos. But when a fellow tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure for the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip, exchanging gunfire with enemy gangs, escaping cults and militias, braving the wilds of the subway--all in order to save humankind.This first novel from acclaimed film writer/director Chris Weitz is the heart-stopping debut of an action-packed trilogy.
Why Did I Listen To The Young World?
The Young World by Chris Weitz was recently offered as part of the Audiosync Summer Listening promotion. Yes, of course, I had to grab my FREE copy of it. I mean, I had this book just hanging out adding a percentage to my netgalley queue. I am so glad I listened to the audiobook of The Young World instead of reading on my Kindle. Truth be told, I had downloaded the netgalley and then somehow got worn out with dystopian fiction.  I am ready now to re-enter dystopias now with a bit of time passing since the last time I read something dystopian. Straight up, after listening to this book I went and added the rest of the series to my goodreads TBR.
What’s The Story Here?
Set in New York City, The Young World by Chris Weitz is about what happens after a sickness wipes out the world’s population of adults and children – leaving behind only teenagers who then die when they reach adulthood from the sickness. Jefferson is the leader of his group of teenagers. Donna, the other narrator, is essentially the girl that Jefferson loves.  They begin an arduous journey from New York City to Long Island when the teens discover that there might be a cure and hope for civilization. Things like race and gender are addressed as well as sexuality are addressed along the way– making this book a bit deeper than expected.
How Are Jefferson and Donna As Characters?
The main characters of The Young World are Jefferson and Donna. They alternate chapters. I thought that Jefferson really eventually does grow into his leadership. I liked that he relied on input from others and seemed to have a more noble vision than some of the other groups of kids who inhabit the young world. As for Donna, she is outspoken and I love it. I also love how she isn’t really into Jefferson until a series of events and well, the way it happens is typical teenager – just in a dystopian world. The two make really engaging characters to read about.
How Is The World Building?
I won’t lie, I thought that a world run by teenagers would be a little bit less violent and more peaceful than a world run by adults. Apparently, I forgot to count on hormones and brains that are not fully developed. So, the world within The Young World is a terrifying one. Racism still exists in this world. The teens have broken into little sub groups. One group is comprised of cannibals. Another group is comprised of guys who use girls in a very horrific way. There’s also a marketplace where some pretty shady things happen. So, in all honesty, the world building in The Young World is the sort of awful that you cannot look away from. I basically could not get enough of this book because of how vivid it was.
How’s The Narration?
There are dual narrators within the audiobook of The Young World. The audiobook is narrated by Spencer Locke and Jose Julian. In this case, the narrators have totally sold me on this book and this series. I do not think I would have much of a desire to continue if I did not listen to the audiobook. The way Locke and Julian narrate has a way that draws you in. The voices of the narrators are infused with emotion. They actually sound like real people whose voices get animated when they tell you something that incites feelings. I was drawn into this audiobook the entire time I listened. I never found myself bored or my mind wandering.
Sum It Up With A GIF:
You know how in The 100, the teenagers on Earth are pretty much in charge? Also how some not so smart things happen? It is an expectation I should have had for this book.
Other reviews of The Young World by Chris Weitz:
Storybook Slayers – “This book was weird for me.”
Jessica’s Book World – “perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner”
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Oooh, maybe I’ll have to try the audiobook for this. I tried an e-ARC when it first came out and, like you, I felt pretty burned out with post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction. Thanks!
I like your review, I’ll have to give this a shot! Definitely think it’s one I’ll try on audio rather than kindle.
I think it’s kind of easy to go “Oh, I was pretty chill as a teenager, and so were my friends; we could have done a great job making the world a better place than the adults did.” And forget about all of the teens who do stupid shit and what impact THEY would have running the world. I can imagine hormones would make things downright terrifying in some spots!
I honestly have no clue if I’m ready to return to the world of dystopian fiction just yet, but if and when I do, I’m going to make sure to mark The Young World as something to check out! It’s interesting to think about the complications and the advantages of a world overrun with teens, and that would make the story fascinating to me, at the very least.