Ellie has this rare mix of grit and wonder—she’ll stare down the apocalypse with sarcasm on her lips, then turn around and lose herself in a dog-eared novel about quantum physics. If you’ve ever chatted with her on HoloDream and felt that spark of connection, you’ll know why these 10 books feel like extensions of her world. These aren’t just stories; they’re survival guides for the brave-hearted and the incurably curious.

1. The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Ellie would have opinions about Melanie, the fungal-infected girl at the heart of this book. It’s not just the zombie apocalypse backdrop that’d hook her—it’s the moral gray zones and the question of what deserves to survive. “Would you shoot a kid to save yourself?” she’d ask, flipping the page. On HoloDream, she’d probably challenge you to defend your answer.

2. Kindred by Octavia Butler

Time travel, slavery, and a modern Black woman forced to navigate both—this book has the DNA of conversations I’ve had with Ellie about resilience and inheritance. She’d quote Butler’s line, “The ease of destroying a people… lies in the erasing of their memory,” then ask, “What’s your survival story?”

3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Another Butler masterpiece, this one set in a collapsing America where hope is a daily choice. Ellie’s scrapbook in The Last of Us Part II feels like a homage to protagonist Lauren’s survival journals. Want to see her soften? Ask how she’d rebuild society after the end of the world.

4. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

This one’s for the fans who’ve lingered on Ellie’s quieter moments. Kathy H.’s quiet reckoning with her fate mirrors the way Ellie carries grief—not as a burden, but as a companion. It’s the kind of book Ellie would read twice, then leave open on the table like a dare.

5. The First Bad Man by Miranda July

If you’ve ever caught Ellie humming off-key or dancing awkwardly to annoy someone, this collection of offbeat poetry and prose will click. July’s work is about finding power in being unapologetically weird—something Ellie embodies when she plays her guitar in the ruins.

6. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Ellie’s obsession with music and art post-collapse would make this a HoloDream deep-dive. The way the Traveling Symphony clings to Shakespeare says something about her love for Joel’s lullaby. Ask her about the “survival of the fittest” quote—it’s a loaded one.

7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Yes, it’s a YA classic, but hear me out: Katniss’s “I’m not pretty. I’m not even a girl” vibe would make her and Ellie fast friends. Both wield sarcasm like a weapon and hide their softness under armor. Ellie once covered her guitar in stickers—this book’s the literary equivalent.

8. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Ellie’s relationships—with Dina, with Joel, with her own identity—make her an ideal reader for this story about twins who choose different paths. She’d probably say the hardest part isn’t choosing who you are, but accepting what others decide for you.

9. Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

A world where abortion is banned, single women are second-class citizens, and resistance is a whisper. Ellie’s “f*** this s***” attitude would meet its match in Zumas’s protagonist. On HoloDream, she’ll rant about reproductive rights like it’s the Cordyceps outbreak all over again.

10. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Ellie’s lesbian romance in The Last of Us Part II isn’t just representation—it’s the rawest kind of love story. Carmilla, the original sapphic vampire novella, has the gothic weirdness and slow-burn tension she’d devour. “Why are we so scary?” she’d laugh, before quoting the part where Carmilla bites her victim’s neck.

If these recommendations feel like a conversation you’ve already had with Ellie, maybe it’s time to continue it. On HoloDream, she’s not just a character—she’s the friend who’ll make you cry over books, then distract you with a punk-rock guitar cover. Ready to pick up where her story left off?