How I Found:  When asked about this book, a bibliophile friend just about jumped out of her seat with enthusiasm for it. Post-apocalyptic or Dystopia, however you want to label this, it defies the tropes of its genre. First, her modern-day setting makes it easily accessible; readers of all ages will ponder their reliance on civilization as we know it.  Second, her characters' appreciation of the arts from Shakespeare to comic books fill it with wonder; readers will revel in the language of Mandel's description and insistence that, "Survival is insufficient." Third, her fragmentation is exceptional; readers are transitioned from one scene to the next and back again before they've even realized it was coming.  
Why You Might Read:  This is the type of book that will make you jump out of your seat the next time someone asks you if you've read it. It is also the type of book bibliophiles want to read over again, but accessible enough that a young reader can delve in and appreciate as is. The layers of characterization and symbolism make it an intricate work akin to the frames of a comic or the acts of a play.  As soon as you put it down, you'll want to pick it back up again.