The Prince and The Apocalypse has an extremely strong narrative voice and a wonderful sense of adventure. That’s what helps make it stand out in the YA field, and makes it such a delight to read. Teens will have fun with our heroes’ race against time, and they’ll root for their survival against seemingly impossible odds.

Wren Wheeler is on her senior trip to London, and it is not going well. She gets air-sick, and it turns out she’s not exactly great at traveling about. The trip is not conducive to her dream itinerary, either. When a restaurant she’s come thousands of miles to eat at proves to be closed, that’s the cherry atop her ruined sundae. She’s shocked to bump into Prince Theo, who’s making international headlines by escaping from the palace and his mother’s overbearing influence. She helps him escape from a group of weirdo tourists, and he requests a kiss, leaving her with his number and the promise of a favor returned. Wren’s vacation plunges from dream into nightmare when she goes to the airport and meets with chaos. She looks at her phone and learns that the world is going to end in eight days.

Wren and Theo forge a pact to get her home before a comet strikes Earth. She’ll help him get to his family’s compound in Santorini (Greece), and from there he’ll charter her a flight back to Chicago. Along the way, Wren emerges from the shadow of her perfect older sister, and she and Theo begin to forge a new relationship. Are they both toast, or will there be a surprise waiting for them at the end of the line?

The Prince and the Apocalypse lets its young protagonists get to know one another as they try to make it to Greece, and their romance flows as naturally as ouzo. It’s easy to like the pair of them, and the trip they go on is packed with danger, charming diversions and lovely moments of bonding.

Wren is a smart, brave girl who comes into her own on the journey, and for Theo, it’s also something of a coming-of-age experience. Along the way, you can feel the scope of the world they inhabit, the weight of the adventure; but it never becomes too overwhelmingly gloomy. It’s about young love and doing outlandish things because time is short.

The book’s ending is its weakest aspect. It relies somewhat on a deus ex machina plot device and concludes with an unsatisfying open-ended conclusion, that clearly sets the stage for a sequel. It is the book’s one true weakness.

Nevertheless, the strength of The Prince and the Apocalypse lies in its compelling journey across the sea and by train. The inclusion of an apocalypse dog named Comet adds a charming touch, and the story highlights the idea that even in the face of impending doom, having the right company can make even the most terrible fate bearable. Overall, The Prince and the Apocalypse is an engaging, thrilling, and emotionally rewarding adventure that is well worth the read.