Postscript, Cory McCarthy
Postscript, Cory McCarthy
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Postscript

Author: Cory McCarthy

Narrator: William Alexander

Unabridged: 3 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/17/2026

Synopsis

From Stonewall Honoree Cory McCarthy, a joyful, affectionate, read-in-one-sitting post-apocolyptic novel about letting go of the things we can’t change and holding on to the passion of our instincts.

★ “Simultaneously tragic, existentially terrifying, heartwarming, and sensual."—Kirkus, starred review

On the far side of a swift and unknowable apocalypse, a few sapiens are surviving off the last scraps of humanity. No longer recognizable as Cape Cod, the dunes of their archipelago are empty apart from regrets and ruins—until West blows in like a storm.

West is a prophet of instinct, the last amateur anthropologist, ever aware of being present in life. He can’t help but move through Ani’s rage, Karen’s anxiety, and Emil’s immense longing with curiosity and care. West’s unbridled love and grief challenge the survivors to defy extinction with the most beautifully human thing imaginable: a family.

He may even impress Death.

★ "Evokes Francesca Lia Block.... Give this to fans of Marcus Sedgwick, Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy, and The Last of Us."—SLJ, starred review

About The Author

Cory McCarthy is the author of many award-winning and bestselling books, including Man o' War, a Stonewall Honor Book.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Andrea on February 24, 2026

A really lovely story of found family and joy in the face of devastation that I think is more adult literary fiction than YA. Publishers Weekly called it "luminous" and they're not wrong, though it's also heartbreaking and philosophical. A couple of explicit scenes place it at the upper bound of YA,......more

Goodreads review by Dustin on December 28, 2025

This book was short but filled with emotion, each of the characters were so well written. The ending was rough, but it kind of tied everything together.......more

Goodreads review by Alex on September 26, 2025

I am so entirely lucky to have a friend who got me an eARC of this book sent to my email. I am so entirely lucky to be the first person to leave a review of this book on here. My heart has latched onto this story so thoroughly. Postscript is found family. Postscript is humanity facing consequences. P......more

Goodreads review by Pam on February 16, 2026

I received a copy of this book as an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest review. This book is very different from anything I've read in awhile. West is the main character - a teenage boy who was about 11 or 12 when the apocalypse happened, so he's about 18 now. He has been living......more

Goodreads review by Mary on January 24, 2026

Years ago, a mass extinction event threw the world into chaos, with only a limited number of human survivors attempting to rebuild a life in the aftermath. West was only twelve when disaster struck, so he remains boundlessly curious about the world even as he is passed from one caregiver to another.......more

Quotes

"Extraordinary in both senses of the word—Postscript is a startling, loving, devastating story for us all. I hope it's not too late."—David Levithan, New York Times bestselling author of Every Day

"Postscript is wholly original, gorgeously rendered, and so full of passion and pathos, it left me aching. It’s an actual tour de force."—Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

"An incandescent work of art and a glorious coda for humanity. This is the most cathartic book I’ve ever read. It’s also a stunning masterpiece of humor, feeling, philosophy, and no-holds-barred romance. Above all, it’s an ode to instinct. Postscript has the power to realign your life. You should let it."—A. R. Capetta, Lambda-Award winning author of The Heartbreak Bakery
★ "Simultaneously tragic, existentially terrifying, heartwarming, and sensual, the narrative blends these contradictions into a compact, beautiful, and well-wrought whole.... McCarthy’s striking black-and-white illustrations adorn the text and offer more content for readers to ponder. A deep story to read on an overcast afternoon while contemplating existence."—Kirkus, starred review

★ "Evokes Francesca Lia Block.... Give this to fans of Marcus Sedgwick, Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy, and The Last of Us."—SLJ, starred review

"Deeply meditative.... A beautiful exploration of humanity."—Booklist

"A radical and defiant celebration of bliss in a time and place where that should be impossible."—BCCB

"Luminous . . . a poetic apocalypse narrative that explores grief, found family, and healing through community."—Publishers Weekly

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