In the wake of a mysterious sickness that killed the majority of the world’s population, Piper does her best to survive, and to forget she’s alone, almost out of food, and developing a power that is way beyond her control. She waits, hoping for things to change, knowing that they won’t. Starving and lonely, Piper and her dog, Griff, set out to find food. Instead, they find Seth, who barely clings to life after being attacked by the mysterious Reapers – inhuman monsters who feed off human minds. As Seth recovers, it becomes clear that Piper’s days of ignoring reality are over. But the truth is worse than she could have imagined.

Anomaly is the debut of Sydney-based writer Emma Lord and is a welcome new addition to the local dystopian fiction scene. Lord writes confidently into the genre, creating a world that is clearly speculative and yet filled with anxieties and fears grounded in reality. Anomaly is intended as the first in a series, and Lord is clearly laying the groundwork for big reveals and developments in book two. The early embers of romance are clearly flickering between Piper and Seth, but their fear of who they are and grief over what they’ve lost stand between them. Anomaly doesn’t offer any easy answers to its trauma, but it does offer hope that people can grow around it. For ages 12+.