Nation by Terry Pratchett

Nation takes place in an alternative universe that is very similar to our own.  It details the events that occur in a small island chain after a large wave destroys everything, leaving only a young man who doesn't have a soul, a British girl traveling and a few others who managed to survive.  They must learn how to now survive and rebuild their nation and all it stood for.

While the reader may think that Nation takes place as an historical fiction novel, subtleties, let the reader know that it may look like the same universe, but it is far different.  In this world, there are tree climbing octopi, a flu that wiped out most of the British royalty and islands that do not actually exist.  Mau is a young man who seems completely lost after the wave.  Not only did he lose his entire Nation, but also he never really became a man.  He questions the gods and why they would allow this to happen, as well as everything else.  Many teens can relate to this need and longing to understand why.  Daphne is a young girl who longs to learn and be different from the requirements of society.  While on the island, she is able to fully come to an understanding of herself and what she is capable of when she is forced to act.  The main characters of the book are merely teens, but they manage to lead several others who come to the island and form a community.  Teens will particularly like the struggle that Mau faces when trying to lead his new group of people and how Daphne also must find out who she really is.  While the most of the book will keep the reader hooked on what will happen next, there is often moments of deep understanding and messages of peace, especially when the two worlds break communication barriers and realize that they are exactly the same.  It is truly an enjoyable and interesting book.