Apocalypse Parenting

A few minutes ago, Meghan Moretti's biggest concern was getting the kids' athletic clothes washed in time for practice. Now, Earth has been forced into participating in high-stakes intergalactic reality television. All electrical wiring has been slagged, combustibles neutralized, and evil space rodents are appearing on the front lawn. Like any parent, Meghan's first instinct is to keep her young kids safely away from the monsters. But an odd stroke of luck brings her advanced information about this dangerous game — including the fact that her kids will have to fight too. What's a mom to do?

Meghan can't afford to take a break. She has food and shelter for her family, but a mysterious and dangerous Challenge is fast approaching, and she must get her kids and community ready to face it. Her oldest is turning into a wizard, her middle boy is some kind of self-healing monkey, and her youngest is accumulating a small army of pets. Some neighbors are ready and willing to pitch in — but others may end up being a bigger problem than the alien monsters.

Meghan has always believed that protecting her kids means making sure they're ready to stand on their own. Applying that philosophy to letting a six-year-old get up close with vicious monsters is another matter entirely. She doesn't have a choice. She must be an expert apocalypse parent while stabilizing her area, handling mysterious new Titans, and dealing with the other nasty twists her alien tormentors have planned.

Meghan and the kids have conquered Challenges, gathered allies, and bought themselves a little breathing room. Pointy thinks she has a way to contact the artificial intelligence controlling the contest — and maybe convince it to tweak the rules. If she can, it could be critical to humanity's survival. But how will the aliens running the contest react?