About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is looking for a high stakes story about survival, leadership, and the complexities of human nature under extreme pressure. Set in a world where a mysterious disease has turned all adults into predatory monsters, this series explores how young people build their own society from the ground up. It is an intense exploration of resilience and loyalty that doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of a crumbling world. While the setting is a terrifying dystopian London, the heart of the story lies in the deep bonds between the survivors as they seek a cure. Parents should be aware that this is a gritty horror-thriller with significant violence and peril, making it best suited for mature middle schoolers and high school students. It offers a powerful jumping off point for discussing ethics, the necessity of rules in society, and how people change when they are forced to fight for their lives.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
DISTRESS: The book contains visceral horror elements, including descriptions of 'sickos' (decomposing adults) hunting and eating children. There are scenes of intense physical violence, significant blood, and the deaths of young characters. The psychological weight of being hunted and the constant threat of infection create a sustained atmosphere of dread. CONVERSATION: Be prepared to discuss the ethics of survival. There is a specific scene involving a character who must decide whether to save a friend or complete a mission for the greater good. You may also need to discuss the breakdown of social order and why some groups in the book resort to cult-like behavior or authoritarianism in times of crisis.
Ideal Reader
A 13 to 16 year old reader who enjoys survival horror, fast paced action, and complex ensemble casts. It is perfect for fans of The Walking Dead who prefer a youth-centric perspective.
Parent Prep
This is book five in a series: reading the previous titles is essential for context. Parents may want to skim the chapters involving the 'St. Mark's' group to understand the darker social dynamics being introduced. A parent might see their child reading a scene involving the graphic injury or death of a child character, or a scene where the 'sickos' are described in grotesque, rotting detail.
Age Experience
Younger readers (11-12) may focus on the action and the 'gross-out' horror elements. Older teens (14+) will likely pick up on the political allegories and the psychological toll of leadership and loss.
What Makes It Special
Higson's series stands out for its uncompromising approach to the horror genre within YA; it treats the threat as genuinely lethal and explores the breakdown of childhood innocence with more grit than typical dystopian fiction.
Read plot summary
In the fifth installment of The Enemy series, the Holloway crew has reached the Natural History Museum. While some children attempt to use scientific methods to find a cure for the disease that turns adults into mindless cannibals, others must venture back into the deadly streets of London for medical supplies. They soon discover that the 'sickos' are evolving and that rival groups of children may be just as dangerous as the infected adults.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The kids at the museum are trying to find a scientific cure while others are just focused on fighting. Which approach do you think is more important for long-term survival?
2
How does the behavior of the groups change when they have a leader like Justin versus a leader like Small Sam?
3
The book suggests that the 'sickos' are starting to change and organize. How does this change the children's strategy for staying safe?
4
In a world without adults, the children have to create their own laws. Which rules from our world do you think are most important for them to keep, and which ones are useless?
5
If you were part of the Holloway crew, would you volunteer to go on the dangerous run for medical supplies or stay to defend the museum?
