Together in a Broken World

By: Mariah Nicole

Together in a Broken World is Paul Michael Winters’ debut novel. It unravels a story of teenage queer love in a post-apocalyptic world. In many ways this adds new layers to the popular post-apocalyptic road-trip story. Not only does it become an adventure with the hope to reunite with loved ones, but new love is found along the way. I enjoy how the reader is immediately dropped into this world. We see everything from both lead characters Aiden and Zach’s point of view interchangeably. There was a nostalgia to what I loved about teen fiction as it is a genre I have not visited in a while. I could see my teenage self sneaking chapters in between classes.

“It is hard to get over how desolate the world is now.” This is the line that starts off this story. Together in a Broken World breaks down the complexities of seeking normalcy in a changed world. Zach and Aiden, who both are on different paths in this post-apocalyptic world, cope with life after an infectious breakout. Meeting Aiden, we discover him to be very adaptable and proactive to this new way of living. He has an important task at hand, and it quickly turns to mystery and deception to keep his mission a secret. Zach finds himself alone after this infection takes out the entire town he was residing in. He desires to return home to reconnect with his family, but deep down believes they are deceased. His fear keeps him shut inside this town while never attempting to truly leave. This is the state they are in when they meet and embark on this journey west.

In light of the looming darkness over the world, I really enjoyed the simple moments we that take place between the two boys – developing crushes, movie nights, their ability to remain teenagers and not let their circumstances change them too much. In between those moments of solace, we also get glimpses of the past and just how much they have endured. Touching on the LGBTQA aspect of the book, I loved how the boys just happen to be gay. It is a part of them and, while important to the story, isn’t the center of it. Author Winters does a fantastic job at balancing all of the different elements within this world. The reader gets to know these two main characters from their individual povs. Additionally, we learn of their complex feelings towards each other as this journey continues. While all of this is occurring, we also jump to the past for more context on what happened and how our main characters got to this point.

When all is said and done, I personally find myself wanting more of this story and hope for a sequel of Together in a Broken World. If you are someone who enjoys this genre, this is a great easy read. Even if you aren’t necessarily a fan of apocalyptic stories, this one brings you so deep into the tale that your focus is solely on the lives of these characters.