Day’s YA: THE PRINCE & THE APOCALYPSE

THE PRINCE & THE APOCALYPSE by Kara McDowell
TP: 9781250873064 | HC: 9781250873040
7/11/23
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Wren Wheeler has been looking forward to her senior-year trip to London for years. And she has a minute-by-minute itinerary planned to prove it. But once she is there, nothing is going as she thought. First it’s the food poisoning that has kept her bedridden, then it’s her best friend checking off all the activities on Wren’s list without her, and then, with a chance to redeem herself, Wren makes her way to the final activity of her schedule only to learn that the restaurant she’s been dreaming of eating at is closed. 

While standing outside the restaurant, Wren runs into a boy who she swears looks just like the British crown prince. As Wren is trying to make her way through the crowd in hopes of catching the flight she is already late for, she learns that she is in fact in the presence of royalty, and this prince is hiding from his family for a chance at some peace and freedom. Wren helps Prince Theo stay incognito, and as a thank you he gives Wren his phone number in case he can ever repay her for her help. And a few short hours later, Wren decides that he can. After missing her flight for real, the world learns that in just eight days a comet will crash into the earth ending it for good. So without any hopes of getting back home to spend her final days with her family instead of at an airport thousands of miles away, Wren uses the prince’s phone number to cash in a favor and help her make it back to America. 

Over the next week, and plenty of detailed plans later, Wren and Theo find themselves traveling through Europe on boats, trains, and cars for the road trip of a lifetime. Wren will do anything to get home, and Theo will do whatever it takes to stay away from his family. But as the two meet some unforgettable friends while trying to make it to the end of the world alive, they also learn what it means to fall in love. 

This hilarious royal romance is an emotional rollercoaster as two teens not only have to make it through the impossible, but also learn truths about themselves along the way. Wren and Theo’s swoony slow-burn romance will have you rooting for them not just to make it to the end of the world, but also to end up together. This is the kind of read-in-one-sitting story that will make readers feel as though they are swimming through oceans and rescuing apocalypse dogs right alongside these two hilarious characters, while also feeling the deep and raw emotions they are going through. Fans of RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE, TOKYO DREAMING, and romances with the “only one bed” trope will find this high-stakes end-of-the-world romcom absolutely addictive. THE PRINCE & THE APOCALYPSE is a page-turning road trip filled with warmth, wit, and craziness, but also touches on mental health, grief, and loss. 

Happy reading!
<3 Samantha

YA Resources:
2023 Books for Teens
Day’s YA Archives
2023 Adult Books for Teens