The Lastling

Reach for this book when your teenager begins questioning the ethics of our relationship with the natural world or expresses frustration with the commodification of life. It is an ideal pick for readers who feel a deep responsibility toward the environment and are navigating the tension between scientific curiosity and the right of nature to remain undisturbed. The story follows Paris, a girl visiting a remote Himalayan research station, who discovers the Lastling: a creature from legend that is perhaps the last of its kind. As corporate and scientific interests converge on this discovery, Paris must decide whether to help capture the creature for study or protect its freedom. It is a sophisticated, tense exploration of conservation ethics, corporate greed, and the weight of making adult decisions in a complex world. Parents will appreciate its intellectual depth and its refusal to offer easy, black and white answers to environmental dilemmas.