74. O'Brien, Robert C. Z for Zachariah. 249 pages. 6.19.09.

Not too long ago we went to the bookstore so I could pick up Nation, and my husband spotted Z for Zachariah on a table of YA classics. He mentioned in passing that he had thought the book was "quite charming" when he was younger - as much as he could remember - and I decided to pick it up.

Z for Zachariah is set in a country literally destroyed by war; modern weaponry (bombs, nerve gas) has killed the population, and radiation poisoning has killed all plant and animal life. That is, save for a strange pocket of land, inhabited by the protagonist of the novel, Anne Burden. After the bombs Anne's family and neighbors (the only residents of the valley) set out to check for survivors, and never returned home. By the time the narrative begins Anne has lived alone in the valley for a year, adapting to a solitary and often primitive life. Then, one day, a traveler comes to the valley.

The conflict of the novel focuses on the introduction of Mr. Loomis, and how he unsettles the balance Anne has found in her life. Anne shows nothing but care and good intentions towards Mr. Loomis, displaying quite a bit of naivety (although she is, of course, only 16).

What really makes O'Briens novel is his successful characterization. From the very beginning Anne is endearing and sympathetic, and I found myself feeling bery concerned about her well-being almost from the start. As a contrast, the reader is lead through a series of emotions as Mr. Loomis is introduced by Anne, although I felt a repugnance towards him as a character long before Anne made her own discoveries. Z for Zachariah is a character-driven story with only two characters, so their successful development is essential for the success of the novel, and I feel O'Brien accomplished just that.

Z for Zachariah is very much so a young adult novel in terms of ideas and structures, but one worth reading.