Chloe just wanted to make sure her family had food, but now she's stuck on a giant mechanical centipede (which she keeps having to fix, by the way) because someone couldn't keep his word, even though he's insisting he did. (She keeps telling him it's the spirit of the thing that matters. He keeps ignoring her.)

But you want to know a secret? Like freaking Beauty and Beast, there's something about his glasses and suit (which makes no sense in the post apocalypse, but he always wears one) and quiet confidence that's really...let's just say she hasn't felt this way in a long time. And that person is dead. Most people are.

There's still time to save her family, as long as she doesn't get distracted by rolled up shirt sleeves and an authoritative manner.

Dread Spring is a post-apocalyptic adventure about love, loyalty, and building the life you want.

You can find detailed content notes on Elizabeth F. Shearly's website.

Dread Spring was written and is set on the unceded land of the Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin), Anishinabewaki, and Kanienʼkehá ka (Mohawk) where Elizabeth is a settler. Colonial place names are used throughout the book due to their ubiquity. Please see the full Land Acknowledgement on Elizabeth F. Shearly's website for more information and recommendations of post-apocalyptic sci-fi books by Indigenous authors from the region.