First published 2011
June 12, 2030 begins as an ordinary day in an America transformed by medical progress. Cancer was eliminated fifteen years earlier, creating an unexpected crisis. Millions of baby boomers now live well into their eighties, draining benefit systems never designed for such longevity. Young Americans burn with resentment toward "the olds" whose entitlement programs consume resources while the younger generation struggles on an endless treadmill of support payments. Then a catastrophic earthquake levels Los Angeles. The federal government, already balanced on the knife edge of insolvency, cannot mount a rescue operation. This disaster becomes the spark that ignites simmering generational tensions across the nation. Brooks follows refugees fleeing the devastation, billionaires maneuvering for advantage, presidents grappling with impossible choices, and revolutionaries seizing their moment. Each character must navigate between the country's fading promises and its uncertain future. The story explores how today's policy decisions could reshape tomorrow's America in ways no one anticipates.
Genres: fiction, dystopia, contemporary, 21st-century, political-thriller, apocalyptic
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-commentary
Setting: America, Los Angeles
Period: 2030
375 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press