Once upon a time, Paige Miller had big plans for her life.  She was going to rock her last year of high school basketball, accept a full-ride athletic scholarship to UConn, then aim for a career in the WNBA.  That was before everyone got sick, before she herself fell ill.  When she wakes up in her bedroom attached to an IV, Paige realizes she's been in a coma and that everything—not just her world, but the entire world—has changed completely.  Not only has her family been wiped out by the lethal flu, but there are few, if any, other people still alive.  Life is no longer about basketball.  Now it's about survival.

When Paige decides to venture out into the empty world, she's ecstatic to encounter another teenager.  Trey Dawson is also an athlete, also alone.  Although he has more answers than Paige, neither knows exactly what's going on.  As they navigate their way through their strange new reality, they make some shocking discoveries about what's happening and why.  Armed with this knowledge, they have a slim chance to save what's left of humanity.  Can they succeed against a threat that's much, much worse than a deadly virus?

I enjoyed Rae Carson's Gold Seer trilogy, so I was excited when I learned she had a new book coming out.  And a YA post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel at that.  Yes, please!  Although as it turns out, there's nothing super original or memorable about Any Sign of Life (available October 12, 2021), I still enjoyed the read.  It's tense, fast-paced, and exciting.  The characters are likable despite not being very complex or fleshed-out.  I definitely wanted them to be victorious, even if they didn't quite feel like real live people.  While I generally prefer realistic doomsday scenarios, this more sci-fi version still appeals.  I assume Any Sign of Life is the beginning of a series and, while I can't say I'm chomping at the bit for the next installment, I'm always here for an entertaining end-of-the-world novel.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Alone by Meghan E. Freeman and of the Partials series by Dan Wells)