Survival:
good example of survival kind of books is lord of the flies or the hunger games.
Characters:
Main character: Smart, brave, clever, good at decision making.
Other Major character: Funny, witty, resourceful.
Antagonists: Individual or group of people with a purpose that harms the interest of the main character and/or others. Cunning, deceptive, manipulative.
Setting:
Somewhere deserted and desolate, not convenient or comfortable, full of perils e.g. a deserted island or even somewhere chaotic like a battlefield or a sinking ship.
The main character and their companions will try to navigate their dangerous surroundings to find safety or complete a mission, while trying to avoid the antagonist's opposition or trying to save the world. Along the way, they will lose some close people and will eventually find safety and shelter, even though society is still broken.
Theme:
Survival is when the characters struggle to survive in a collapsed world with little or no assistance or resources., and beating the odds. It is about perseverance.
Facing a fear:
title: Divergent.
The theme of facing your fears is quite literal in divergent. The character faces and overcomes her fears.
The story illustrates the theme by having the main character undergo a simulation which shows her her fears and she can only overcome it by being brave and facing her fears.