As you might imagine, four novels of the same theme over the course of less than 2 weeks was a little much. By the last one, I had started to see similarities I probably would have missed if I’d read these books over time with other stories in between.
For example:
· Love story. All of the stories had an element of YA romance involved. (Apparently, love survives even when white bread and hot showers do not!)
· Young heroines play a major role – and they are TOUGH. (‘Nuf said. Girls rock.)
· Boys, after the apocalypse, still have strong arms and chests worth resting your hand on. (If you’re a tough girl who really wants to have a boyfriend in the midst of learning how to survive.)
· Food is really important – and when you’re hungry after a plague or other disaster destroys everything, you’ll eat just about anything.
· Villains don’t all end up dead when the end of the world as we know it comes. Where there are good guys, there are also bad guys.
· A journey must be taken, with very little food or water, over treacherous landscapes (deserts, post-earthquake or post-tsunami wreckage, behind enemy lines, etc.).
In the meantime, I also learned a little bit about technique from each of these authors.


From James Dashner and The Scorch Trials – How to make the second book in a series even faster and riskier than the first. I didn’t think he could live up to the pace and fear-factor of The Maze, but Mr. Dashner ratcheted up the speed, the terror, and the consequences of everyone’s actions in this one. Breakneck pace. I felt like I’d run a footrace through the Mojave Desert by the time I reached the last chapter.

Have you ever picked a “theme” for a week or a month? Ever focused on a specific genre over and over until you see patterns emerge?
Maybe next week, I’ll pick another literary deep dive. What should I choose?
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