The Gathering

Sam never asked for his freaky dreams—he wants to be a normal kid. So he ignores them. But when he dreams about an earthquake before a cataclysmic quake turns his life upside down, he fears there is more to his dreams than restless sleep. Homeless and orphaned now, his “crazy” grandmother finds him at his friend, Gabe’s house. She whisks him away to her place tucked in a mountain valley in the middle of nowhere, and tells Sam he has special gifts that their dystopic world needs.

Living alone with Grams in a huge house, helping her grow and preserve more food than they need, and having her talk about his gifts and the gathering that is soon to take place, he quickly has enough and wants to leave—even though he meets Leah, a girl who has dreams like his.

Phone coverage is restored and Sam reconnects with Gabe, who helps sneak Sam down to Salt Lake City so they can start high school together. Devastation scars the city and the government has grown even more tyrannical. When Gabe’s cousin is scheduled to die for nonconformity, Sam makes a plan using his gifts to break the cousin out of a Nazi-style prison. But where will they run?

Sam knows—to the mountains, to gather in places of safety prepared by God, through people like Grams and Leah. But will they be able to escape before the government gains complete control over everything?