The year is 2088. A virus has killed countless people and the world swelters in a relentless heat wave. In a small, isolated compound in Australia, Olivia Taylor volunteers to search for meat and other humans outside the secure walls of her home. Accompanied by four other teenagers, Olivia sets off from the presence of her changed mother, Grace, and embarks on a trek into the dangerous bush and sun-scorched wilderness outside the Community. As they encounter new lives, face adversaries, find old acquaintances, and run into death, Olivia and her team struggle a triumphant return to their home.
In the latter point of view, Olivia's mother, Mrs Taylor, explains how her family met trouble on their journey in the aftermath of the outbreak. With her two daughters, husband, and the neighboring family, Grace forces herself to swallow heartbreak and pain, and the soldier on for the sake of survival. In the beginning days of the Community's formation, Grace battles with bickering companions, a hardened heart, and a never-ending determination to make it to another day.