Book Review: Prepped

PREPPED | Bethany Mangle
02.23.2021 | Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

Always be ready for the worst day of your life is the mantra that Becca Aldaine has grown up with. Her family are the leaders of a community of doomsday preppers in an exclusive neighborhood that prioritizes survivalist training over the norms of everyday school life, like class trips and senior prom. They’ve gone so far as to arrange Becca’s future marriage with Roy Kang, the only eligible boy in their community. Becca doesn’t have the heart to tell Roy or anyone around her that she can’t stay here. She’s planning to leave as soon as she can earn a full ride to college. A devastating accident rocks Becca’s family and muddies her chances of escape. Can she still have the future she’s dreamed of or will she be stuck here forever?

I used to be obsessed with watching the doomsday prepper shows on TV and when I heard about the concept of PREPPED I immediately had my curiosity peaked! Last year I started reading more YA, but I’m still new to the genre and not sure what to pick up, so I figured this would be a great fit given my interest in the subject. What I found was so much more than I was expecting!

Mangle has delicately crafted Becca’s community of preppers with an interesting founding story and a power struggle that leaves Becca in a precarious position. I loved getting to know Becca, but it was my introduction to the other community members that really made this story check all of the boxes for me. Through Becca’s interactions with those around her the reader gets to truly understand what motivates her. Easily, Becca’s relationship with Roy steals the show! I loved watching these two interact and experience a multitude of situations that kept both of them on their toes.

PREPPED may be categorized as a YA story, but there are a huge number of relatable topics and events that allow this book to work for any reader. I absolutely loved this funny and heartfelt debut from Mangle and can’t wait to check out what she comes up with next!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Books Forward PR for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.