From the Publisher
The end of the world has never been this mesmerizing. I couldn’t look away from Farah Naz Rishi’s stunning debut that shows humanity in all its many shades of truth.” — Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End
“A stunning and bold debut, the kind of sweeping story that is devoured in a single sitting. Part Arrival, part They Both Die at the End, this is an emotional tale of three kids who face their own demise with hope, courage, and a whole lot of bad decisions.” — Mark Oshiro, Schneider Award-winning author of Anger Is a Gift
“Heart-wrenching, absorbingly clever, and beautifully written. Rishi deftly balances a tale of global consequences with riveting, intimate, and deeply personal stories. I Hope You Get This Message is one of the best and freshest YA stories I’ve seen in a long time.” — R.F. Kuang, author of The Poppy War
“Thought-provoking and full of heart, I Hope You Get This Message reminds us how fragile and fleeting time can be. One of the best debut novels I’ve read in a long time!” — Akemi Dawn Bowman, author of Starfish, a William C. Morris Award Finalist
“If aliens were to read Rishi’s beautifully written book, they would discover that human beings are gloriously weighed down by gravity—the gravity of love, of memory, and most of all of our connections to each other. This is a vital debut with a big, beating heart.” — Abdi Nazemian, author of Like a Love Story
“Imaginative, funny, and frank, I Hope You Get This Message is a must-read debut about love, loss, hope, and the real-world choices we make in our final days.” — Sona Charaipotra, author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and coauthor of the Tiny Pretty Things series
“For Adeem, Cate, Jesse and readers alike, the end of the world might turn out to be the beginning of hope.” — BookPage.com (starred review)
“Tautly plotted, with realistic characters and situations, this debut will please enthusiasts of both science fiction and realistic fiction.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Rishi’s debut consistently tugs heartstrings, and the multiple perspectives allow an intimate look into each character—their brand of pain may vary, but it hurts just the same.” — ALA Booklist
“Part road trip story and part tale of human resilience, this debut examines human nature and how people react in the most desperate of times.” — Publishers Weekly
“An entertaining, well-written coming-of-age story set during the end of the world.” — School Library Journal
“Rishi’s debut novel skillfully addresses complex contemporary issues on both the global (environmental damage, war, greed) and personal (identity, mental health) scales.” — Horn Book Magazine
“Rishi is to be commended for taking a plot that sounds like a summer action blockbuster movie and . . . infusing it all along the way with oodles of heart.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Adam Silvera
The end of the world has never been this mesmerizing. I couldn’t look away from Farah Naz Rishi’s stunning debut that shows humanity in all its many shades of truth.
Akemi Dawn Bowman
Thought-provoking and full of heart, I Hope You Get This Message reminds us how fragile and fleeting time can be. One of the best debut novels I’ve read in a long time!
Abdi Nazemian
If aliens were to read Rishi’s beautifully written book, they would discover that human beings are gloriously weighed down by gravity—the gravity of love, of memory, and most of all of our connections to each other. This is a vital debut with a big, beating heart.
Mark Oshiro
A stunning and bold debut, the kind of sweeping story that is devoured in a single sitting. Part Arrival, part They Both Die at the End, this is an emotional tale of three kids who face their own demise with hope, courage, and a whole lot of bad decisions.
R.F. Kuang
Heart-wrenching, absorbingly clever, and beautifully written. Rishi deftly balances a tale of global consequences with riveting, intimate, and deeply personal stories. I Hope You Get This Message is one of the best and freshest YA stories I’ve seen in a long time.
Sona Charaipotra
Imaginative, funny, and frank, I Hope You Get This Message is a must-read debut about love, loss, hope, and the real-world choices we make in our final days.
ALA Booklist
Rishi’s debut consistently tugs heartstrings, and the multiple perspectives allow an intimate look into each character—their brand of pain may vary, but it hurts just the same.
BookPage.com (starred review)
For Adeem, Cate, Jesse and readers alike, the end of the world might turn out to be the beginning of hope.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Rishi is to be commended for taking a plot that sounds like a summer action blockbuster movie and . . . infusing it all along the way with oodles of heart.”
Horn Book Magazine
Rishi’s debut novel skillfully addresses complex contemporary issues on both the global (environmental damage, war, greed) and personal (identity, mental health) scales.
Kirkus Reviews
2019-07-26
NASA has intercepted information revealing that an alien race will be deciding Earth's fate in one week.
Against this doomsday backdrop, three teens must decide what to do with their remaining days. Adeem, a Pakistani American Muslim, lives in Carson City, Nevada, and misses his big sister, Leyla, who disappeared from his life two years ago after coming out as gay. Cate, a white San Francisco girl living with her mentally ill mother, wants to find the father who abandoned them. Jesse, who is gay and white, lives with his widowed mother in Roswell, New Mexico. Once word spreads that the aliens of the planet Alma are sitting in judgment, worldwide chaos ensues. Adeem, a ham radio enthusiast, hears a message from Leyla and sets out for Roswell, where the message originated. Cate goes on a quest to find her father. Jesse discovers a machine created by his father and starts a lucrative scam "sending" messages to Alma. The three teens' compelling stories overlap and intertwine. Transcripts from Alma's Interplanetary Affairs Committee offer clever insight into the moral dilemma faced by the 13 alien jurors who must weigh the value of human life against our species' violence, cruelty, and environmental destruction. The inclusion of details of Adeem's Muslim background and the understated acceptance of the gay characters are strengths.
Tautly plotted, with realistic characters and situations, this debut will please enthusiasts of both science fiction and realistic fiction. (Science fiction. 13-18)
