Fallen Nation is a dystopian novel and the first book in the Fallen Nation Trilogy.

Synopsis

In a collapsed city ruled by the merciless Authorities, a woman named Ash struggles to survive, armed with little more than hope. The dangerous, dark city she lives in is surrounded by a looming border wall that no one can get past. No one gets into the city, and no one gets out.

But when Ash meets a young boy, Alex, his fiery determination to escape the city lights a spark in her. Joined by Zach, a man who isn't all he seems, and Scarlett, a fierce young girl with a dark past, they embark on a mission to bring down the Authorities that rule their city, get past the border wall, and find what lies on the other side. Their journey will change them—and the world—forever.

Behind the Scenes

On November 9, 2016, writing of the book began.

On April 1, 2017, the title, genre, and brief synopsis were announced in a blog post. Two chapters had been written.

On June 8, 2017, a Forum post announced that writing had progressed to the ninth chapter.

On August 1, 2017, a blog update was posted. It contained character descriptions for Ash, Zach, Scarlett, Alex, and location descriptions for the factory, abandoned construction site, Ash's house, the fallen bridge, the train tracks, an abandoned weapons testing zone (not seen in the final book), the skyscraper graveyard, the rebel barricades, underground subway system, and the docks (also not seen in the final book). The release date was estimated to be fall or winter 2017. Thirteen chapters had been written, at almost 50,000 words total.

On August 14, 2017, a Forum post announced that writing had progressed to the fourteenth chapter and that the book would likely be finished by the beginning of 2018.

On September 28, 2017, an email update announced that the book had surpassed 60,000 words.

On November 1, 2017, another blog update was posted. It contained an excerpt from Chapter One and the first edition cover. It also announced that Fallen Nation would not be a standalone, but the start of either a duology or a trilogy. It announced and linked to a new Fallen Nation playlist on Spotify. Writing of the first draft was nearly finished, and the release date was expected to be in December.

On November 15, 2017, a Forum post announced a release date of December 1, 2017.

On November 17, 2017, the first draft was finished.

On November 29, 2017, revisions were finished and Fallen Nation was released.

On January 1, 2018, an email update announced the book's release.

On February 26, 2018, a new cover for Fallen Nation was revealed in the Forum.

On August 30, 2020, a new cover with a gradient title and new background image was designed.

On November 23, 2020, the cover was redesigned with a red-tinted background.

On January 28, 2021, the Fallen Nation Trilogy was awarded a Scholastic Gold Key for Novel Writing.

Trivia

Fallen Nation was initially planned to be a standalone novel.

The title of "the President" for the book's totalitarian antagonist was briefly considered instead of "the Sovereign Supreme."

The book took 1 year, 1 week, and 1 day to write.

Appearances