The Wave by Kirsten Spiteri

World War III has left the world as we know it unrecognizable. The United States and the European Union using nuclear and atomic weapons have destroyed most of the earth’s surface, with just a few islands remaining. Survivors name this terrible period in history The Wave. Berk is a young man alone fighting for survival on an island when he is rescued and learns that the world that awaits him is vastly different than the one he knew before.

The society he faces makes Berk feel more imprisoned than safe. While there are no police, everyone around him is willing to spy on one another and report him to the The New World Order in exchange for a few privileges. Only Pirate, an older man who builds boats, sides with him and together they join forces to survive their altered universe.

The Wave, reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s science fiction, brings to light a myriad of societal issues that provides great insight into the human condition and makes for thought-provoking discussion.