The best unconventional YA apocalyptic fantasy books that give you heavy end of the world vibes

The premise of a fussy angel and a fast-living demon positions the book with humor, which I absolutely loved. As the plot unfolds, we discover that these two figures have been living on Earth for thousands of years and enjoying it. So when the demon receives word that the Apocalypse is upon them, they conspire together to subvert the ancient prophecy that predicts the world's end. LOL

The ingenuity and cleverness of these authors are top-notch, starting with the character names: The demon character is Crawley. If you recall, Satan was made a snake in the Garden of Eden after tempting Adam and Eve. But it doesn’t stop there. Crawley creates a motorway that emanates evil, with all of the issues associated with that. LOL.

Ee, the author, presents a very different image of angels, which is what I love about it. We usually see angels as protective of humans, willing to help us out of jams. In this series, Ee puts angels in the role of destroyers who hunt humans down to kill them.

I fell in love with the main characters. The story features a courageous girl raised by a “whacko” mother who must rescue her wheelchair-bound sister from angels who have abducted her. She encounters a fallen angel who has had his wings hewn off, and together, they form an unlikely alliance, overcoming their own inner demons on the way to “saving the world.” I loved both of their defiant spirits and unwillingness to quit despite the odds.

Who doesn’t love Katniss Everdeen? Faced with an abysmal life in which the primary concern is making sure those she loves are safe and cared for when her little sister is randomly chosen to compete in the barbaric hunger games, she selflessly substitutes herself despite having no clue what she’ll need to do to survive. 

I love Katniss and her journey to become the brave, selfless heroine. She’s a strong female, smart and cunning, yet benevolent to other competitors, at times, to her own detriment simply because “it’s the right thing to do.” Who can argue against that as a theme?

This is another book with heavy end-of-the-world vibes. I can’t imagine being forced into a faction-like system where only one part of you is highly esteemed. And, of course, Tris, our heroine, ends up being none of the above, which in that society is frowned upon to the point it must be hidden to avoid consequences. I disliked the forced conformity/how inhumane the setting was, but without that, this story could not have been told; Tris had to learn how to confront and cope with being different along with the challenge from others vying to win one of a limited number of spots. 

That said, Tris’s relationship with Four added bright spots and hope to an otherwise despairing high-pressure situation.

Overall, I loved Divergent for the exploration into creating a positive self-image despite how others view, even look down on, someone for being “different.”  

Talk about crazy experiments! Maze Runner is an epic quest combined with a nod to those who love solving puzzles on steroids. This is truly an end-of-the-world scenario, or I surely hope it is. While I can see some mad scientists excited about such an experiment today, it is still frowned upon. Thank goodness. But Maze Runner explores “science” gone rogue.

Indifference again plays a central role in the plot as those outside the experiment use a variety of psychological warfare techniques to keep the participants engaged in the game. The reader feels sorry for them having to overcome everything that’s thrown at them or die. I loved how the group of teens had to work together to figure out what was going on and then face the difficulty of extracting themselves from the maze. Ultimately, I loved that friendship and working together triumphed at the end of the day.