Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2025) Featured Review: Dead Things are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley

Sid Spencer has never worried much about living on a fault line, one of the sites where the world’s magic was sealed away because of its dangerous potential. But everything falls apart when someone opens the fault line, bringing magic back to the town along with zombie-like creatures and apocalyptic circumstances. Sid has to rely on a new group of friends and her own newfound courage to survive.

This is a fast-paced thriller featuring diverse characters. Sid was adopted from Korea as a child, and in the midst of this magical-apocalypse she deals with issues of identity and belonging. Her ornery cat, Chad, is the icing on this end-of-the-world cake.

This is a great fit for teens who enjoy apocalyptic settings or zombie stories. Teens who enjoyed the magic and monsters in Tracey Deonn’s Legendborn will find a similar world in this story, and readers who enjoyed The Fever King by Victoria Lee will find a similar protagonist in Sid Spencer.

– Kameron Morton

The Selected Lists teams read throughout the year in search of the best titles published in their respective categories. Once a book is suggested (either internally or through the title suggestion form), it must pass through a review process to be designated an official nomination.

Each week, the teams feature a review of one of the officially nominated titles. Additional titles to receive this designation are listed as well. At year’s end, the team will curate a final list from all nominated titles and select a Top Ten.
The Best Fiction for Young Adults Committee appreciates teen feedback as members evaluate the nominated titles. Teen librarians are encouraged to share the List of Potential Nominees under consideration with their patrons and solicit feedback using the link: https://bit.ly/BFYA25TeenFB