The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

When my History teacher began the subject of the Cold War, she came up with a rather creative idea to help us fully understand the constant threat of the nuclear war that was present and how devastating such an event would be. She then gave us a list of sci-fi novels that revolved around this given topic and they included titles such as Taronga by Victor Kelleher, Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells and Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien but the one that really sparked my interest was The Day of the Triffids.
Based in modern day London after a stunning nighttime comet show that left the entire world blind, this story follows the experiences of a man that was spared from the tragedy on his quest to find and then survive with his new found love.
The pair soon find that they'll have to face harder obstacles than the stench of the blind that were left to die, but they'll come up against gangs, food shortages and, more so than anyone thought possible, the triffids.
A freak, mutant plant with unknown origins that people originally thought were rather harmless, when they're stingers were cut off of course, adapt frighteningly fast to the sudden fall of human superiority and begin to seek their revenge. Taking over towns and surrounding the survivors, the triffids seem to "learn" the ways of their victims and make the necessary adjustments.
With the world slowly deteriorating around them, Bill and Josella are left to wonder aimlessly about the "why"s of their situation. Why did this happen? Why now? Why aren't we blind as well? They begin to come to the conclusion that maybe the comets weren't an act of God, but a grotesque accident brought on by their very own mankind. Of course, they'll never know the real reason and they'll never get the answers to their questions but in this hideous new lifestyle that they must face, what else are they to think?
Told with startling clarity and intelligence, The Day of the Triffids is one of the best sci-fis I've ever read which is a rare compliment due to my general dislike of the genre. Definitely something out of this world, the story is worth the read and a must for all fans of scientific mutation.