Not Alone -- Sarah K. Jackson, Hardcover

An exhilarating debut novel, tracing the harrowing journey of a mother and son fighting for survival and a future in a world ravaged by environmental disaster - "Not Alone kept me breathless with tension... [A] gripping adventure story." --Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of Room and Haven

Five years ago, a microplastic storm wiped out most of the population. No infrastructure. No safe havens. No goodbyes.

Since then, Katie and Harry have lived in isolation in their small flat outside London. Katie forages, hunts the surviving animal population, and provides for Harry, who was born after the storm, and who has never left their little home. After years without human contact, Katie and Harry are shocked by the arrival of a threatening newcomer, just as Katie's persistent cough seems to have taken a turn for the worse. But this proof of life beyond their familiar environment spurs Katie to undertake a previously unthinkable journey, in search of her fiancé, Jack, who never came home the day of the storm, and a different kind of life for Harry.

Outside of their protected bubble, Katie and Harry encounter an altered world, full of new dangers, other survivors--both friend and foe--and many surprises. Katie's resources, energy, and parenting abilities are pushed to the brink, as Harry's life and safety waver in the balance, knowing that the further they get from their flat, the harder it will be to return if things go wrong. Sarah K. Jackson combines beautiful language, palm-sweating adventure, and a deep, true-to-life parent-child bond that transcends its post-apocalyptic setting, in a debut that emphasizes the importance of resilience, hope, and sustainability today.

Author: Sarah K. Jackson
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Published: 05/02/2023
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.40w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9780385548434

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 12/01/2022 pg. 14
Library Journal 03/01/2023 pg. 126
Publishers Weekly 03/13/2023
Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2023

About the Author
SARAH K. JACKSON is an ecologist specializing in botany and has a keen interest in human-wildlife coexistence, conservation, climate change, and microplastics pollution. Her job has taken her all around the UK, scrambling through woodland, paddling up rivers, squelching through mountain bogs, and also sometimes overseas. She studied psychology and criminology at Cardiff University, before doing a masters in conservation ecology at Oxford Brookes University.