New Atlantis is a post-apocalyptic coming-of-age novel told through a series of deeply personal journal entries and dual first-person perspectives. Set on a fictional island that survived a cataclysmic asteroid impact, the story follows Genna Grey and Parker Scott, teenagers born into a carefully controlled utopian society called New Atlantis. As their world begins to crack under the weight of secrets, surveillance, and forbidden curiosity, they’re forced to confront who they are, who they love, and what they believe about the world outside their island home. It’s a story about love, loss, trust, rebellion, and ultimately, awakening.

I was swept away by the voice of this book. Genna’s writing is raw, sharp, and full of heartache and wit. Parker’s entries, on the other hand, reveal a steady unraveling, both in himself and in his beliefs. Mannien doesn’t just write about teens navigating oppression; she makes it feel achingly real. The characters’ emotions are messy and painfully human. What struck me most was how grounded their inner worlds felt against the surreal backdrop of a “perfect” society built on ash and silence. There’s a quiet heartbreak in the way Genna longs to be seen and Parker longs to break free. The love story is tangled, subtle, sometimes maddening, but that’s what made it hit so hard.

While the writing was intimate and lyrical, the plot had slow stretches, especially early on. Also, some of the futuristic aspects, like the lack of resistance until now, or the strangely antiquated gender dynamics in an otherwise intellectual society, felt inconsistent. That said, these issues didn’t ruin the experience for me. If anything, they made the story more like the world it depicts.

I would recommend New Atlantis to anyone who loves dystopian fiction that doesn’t scream in your face but instead whispers its unease into your heart. It’s perfect for fans of The Giver or Station Eleven, or anyone who’s ever wondered what it means to grow up in a place that claims to know what’s best for you. I left this book feeling both crushed and hopeful, and I think that’s exactly what it wanted.

Pages: 371 | ASIN : B0CW1C98FY