The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass
Save your sister, doom the world.
For five years, Zahara Douglass has been haunted by her sister’s impossible disappearance. Now, in December 1999, with the world on the brink of chaos, Zahara sets out to find her sister no matter the cost in this twisty and compelling modern fantasy from Leslye Penelope.
In April 1995, Zahara watched her twin sister, Annica, get hustled into a stranger’s car and disappear—only to return to a world where no one remembers Annica ever existed. Not her mother. Not the police. No one.
Five years later, as the world braces for the looming Y2K crisis, Zahara finds evidence proving her sister is real. Determined to uncover the truth, she hires a private investigator and begins digging into her family’s shadowed past. When the investigation leads to two charismatic men who once served with her father in Vietnam, Zahara realizes she and her sister may be pawns in a dangerous power struggle with unthinkable consequences.
To find Annica, Zahara must face the truth about her family, her memories, and the power lurking within her. But the twins’ reunion comes at a price—one that could unravel reality and bring about the end of the world.
Praise
”Penelope uses the historical setting to its full effect… The novel embraces the messiness of family and sisterhood…This is an inevitable winner.”
“A vivid story of sacrifice as a woman learns to trust herself in order to save her sister—while risking the world’s future.”
"Given we’re all discovering in real time what new technologies can do to a society, I found The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass to be both timely and heartfelt."
"Penelope’s historical scene-setting is on point, and she makes it easy for readers to root for her resilient protagonist. This is a true page-turner."
“An intimate family story crossed with a conspiracy mystery and a wired late-nineties adventure, The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass is exhilarating and full of surprises.”
“Nostalgic and magical, The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass pulled me straight into the late 90s, with endearing sisterly love enmeshed in the Y2K period, and a sweet sprinkle of apocalyptic hues."
"A moving story about sisterhood, lost souls, and our complicated and potentially destructive relationship with technology. Leslye Penelope broke my heart in the best way possible. I can’t remember the last time I loved a book this much or stayed up so late to finish it."
"With big reveals I didn’t see coming, The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass fuses heartfelt characterization with masterful world-building. Kudos to Leslye Penelope for crafting another captivating, unforgettable work of art.”