Families who loved Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teen is grappling with the weight of adult responsibilities or feeling the pressure to protect their family during difficult times. Set in a gritty, alternate-history 1870s Texas, the story follows seventeen-year-old Willie, who must venture into a dangerous wilderness infested with the Shakes, a terrifying plague of the undead, to track down her deadbeat father and save her siblings from financial ruin. It is an intense exploration of grit, the complexity of parental disappointment, and the lengths we go to for the people we love. While the horror elements are visceral, the core of the story is a deeply human look at resilience and the transition from childhood innocence to survival-driven maturity. It is best suited for older teens due to its graphic violence and somber themes of poverty and survival.