How to Survive Everything    by Ewan Morrison Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2022 (2022) Softcover, CD, e-Book     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Ewan Morrison's How to Survive Everything is a near future dystopian - or is it? That's what teen Haley wonders after she and her small brother Ben are abducted by their ex-journalist/mad inventor Deadbeat-Dad Ed Crowe and imprisoned in a compound in a remote location with a bunch of very strange characters who idolize Ed. One of them, teen Danny, is very attractive to Haley. Haley - who describes herself as 'indecisive, choice-averse, two-faced, sarcastic, passive aggressive, asthmatic, whining, overthinking, ADHD, Hamlet-ish' - narrates, filling in events with detailed survivalist plans and tips. Since their parents divorced, Haley and Ben have lived with Mother. They are on a scheduled visit to their dad, when he wakes them very early and drives them to an ancient, abandoned farmhouse. He later tells Haley of reports from China of a new viral disease that turns lungs into puree, spreading exponentially. He prevents them from calling Mother, who has called him 'paranoid obsessive'. Haley wonders if her dad is a cult leader or is the threat real? After Ed leaves the compound to find and bring back his wife, he is badly injured. Though he's out of commission for some time, his recorded guidance keeps them all going - but is it needed? Haley wrestles with this and what to tell the others, until a shocking development changes her world view. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews