The Last Bookstore on Earth, by Lily Braun-Arnold

A year ago, a rain fell across the Earth that was so acidic that it dissolved whatever it came in contact with.  Those who survived the Storm had to find a way to stay alive in an anarchic world where almost all of civilization had come to a halt -- finding food and shelter where they could.  But for Liz, survival came through denial.  Ignoring the death of her family, she simply went back to work at the same  independent bookstore where she had been employed before the Storm.  For the past year, she's traded books for essentials with random people who pass through.  It's a quiet life that allows Liz to imagine that nothing has really changed.  She focuses on clearing out her overstocked books rather than worrying about her dwindling food supply.  Liz even ignores the news that another round of acid rain is on its way.  Her grief paralyzes her.

But when a young women named Maeve shows up, she challenges Liz to face the reality around them.  Maeve pushes Liz to take precautions, trying to make her care about the future, their future together.  But for Liz, who cannot accept what has happened, preparing for a repeat is far too difficult of a task to undertake.

Currently an undergraduate, Braun-Arnold seems an extraordinarily young writer to be able to create such a striking debut.  Her youth gives her a fresh insight on the foibles of her protagonists.  There's not much space here for romance, but the relationship between Liz and Maeve is full of grudges and resentments and feels authentically youthful.  She wisely stays away from writing about anyone older than their teens.

The storytelling is smooth and the action is well-paced, including an extended bloody climax full of suspense and a touch of horror.  A few improbable plot points like a bit of field surgery that goes entirely too well will raise eyebrows, but there is nothing that significantly detracts from this exciting post-apocalyptic adventure.