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marieintheraw's review
3.0
The dystopian parts of this was pretty typical, but the influence by Australian Aboriginal culture makes it worth it.
zoylicious's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
rollforlibrarian's review
4.0
I'm making an effort to read more Australian authors this year, and this book is an excellent example of why I should have been doing so earlier... really enjoyed this :)
caitlinmhp's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
vikingwolf's review
4.0
Ashala and other kids with special abilities avoid state detention by running away to live free in the forest. But Ashala is betrayed by Justin, a new Tribe member that she was in love with and now has to go to the detention centre to face the infamous machine that exposes your memories and secrets. Can she escape or stay strong enough to beat the machine while her betrayer watches on.
I was browsing in WH Smith's 3 for 2 offer when this book cover caught my eye and I picked it off the shelf. Intrigued by the blurb I decided to buy it and I read it in one go last night. This was a dystopian novel that was different from what I thought it would be with strong characters, plot twists, action and tension.
Lets start with the characters. Ashala feels responsible for all the kids in The Tribe that she leads, all the mistakes that she has made and the fate of her sister. There are things that she has done in defence of The Tribe that she isn't proud of as well as secrets meetings with rebel leaders-all of which she must conceal from the machine when she faces it. She still feels a connection to Justin despite his betrayal and you get the sense in the beginning that despite doing his job in turning her in, he doesn't like having betrayed her. Add in the sinister Dr Grey, her machine which has a dog spirit(sounds mad but it works!) and the slimy Neville, and you have mad scientists that enjoy torturing children. I LOVED the invention of the saurs, who were full of personality and reappear at regular intervals. I kind of imagined them like dinosaurs lumbering over the fields...
The plot is really good. We join it after Ashala is captured, where she is about to face the machine, Justin and her own past again. It seems like a straightforward story until the park scene where you get the feeling that there is something else going on. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt that something was a bit off in that scene with the way a few characters were behaving-which got me even more intrigued. We also have the perfect mix of dystopian and paranormal elements with love, friendship and betrayal thrown in for good measure.
Then came Day Three, page 157 and the book was totally turned on its head and I never saw this coming! It was a brilliant plot twist and the flashbacks that followed explained everything perfectly without it turning into a big info dump. This was not a boring catch up, it was excellent storytelling. After that, I had no interest in putting the book down and devoured it to the end. Oh how I want to talk about the exciting events but I will not spoil the book for everyone who reads it. But I will say that the rest of the book was a rollercoaster of action and tension as you wondered what was going to happen next and if Ashala was going to survive.
So what can I say about the book without spoilers? This is a dystopian world that is well described without giving you unnecessary information to make your eyes glaze over. It is fresh and different from what I expected it to be-in a good way. The characters are well developed by their interaction with each other, and you do care about what happens to them. The worldbuilding and storytelling is simple and effective and it moves along at pace from start to finish. Ideal for YA and adult fans of dystopian and paranormal. No sexual scenes or f bombs on every page.
I really recommend this book and look forward to book 2 this summer!
I was browsing in WH Smith's 3 for 2 offer when this book cover caught my eye and I picked it off the shelf. Intrigued by the blurb I decided to buy it and I read it in one go last night. This was a dystopian novel that was different from what I thought it would be with strong characters, plot twists, action and tension.
Lets start with the characters. Ashala feels responsible for all the kids in The Tribe that she leads, all the mistakes that she has made and the fate of her sister. There are things that she has done in defence of The Tribe that she isn't proud of as well as secrets meetings with rebel leaders-all of which she must conceal from the machine when she faces it. She still feels a connection to Justin despite his betrayal and you get the sense in the beginning that despite doing his job in turning her in, he doesn't like having betrayed her. Add in the sinister Dr Grey, her machine which has a dog spirit(sounds mad but it works!) and the slimy Neville, and you have mad scientists that enjoy torturing children. I LOVED the invention of the saurs, who were full of personality and reappear at regular intervals. I kind of imagined them like dinosaurs lumbering over the fields...
The plot is really good. We join it after Ashala is captured, where she is about to face the machine, Justin and her own past again. It seems like a straightforward story until the park scene where you get the feeling that there is something else going on. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt that something was a bit off in that scene with the way a few characters were behaving-which got me even more intrigued. We also have the perfect mix of dystopian and paranormal elements with love, friendship and betrayal thrown in for good measure.
Then came Day Three, page 157 and the book was totally turned on its head and I never saw this coming! It was a brilliant plot twist and the flashbacks that followed explained everything perfectly without it turning into a big info dump. This was not a boring catch up, it was excellent storytelling. After that, I had no interest in putting the book down and devoured it to the end. Oh how I want to talk about the exciting events but I will not spoil the book for everyone who reads it. But I will say that the rest of the book was a rollercoaster of action and tension as you wondered what was going to happen next and if Ashala was going to survive.
So what can I say about the book without spoilers? This is a dystopian world that is well described without giving you unnecessary information to make your eyes glaze over. It is fresh and different from what I expected it to be-in a good way. The characters are well developed by their interaction with each other, and you do care about what happens to them. The worldbuilding and storytelling is simple and effective and it moves along at pace from start to finish. Ideal for YA and adult fans of dystopian and paranormal. No sexual scenes or f bombs on every page.
I really recommend this book and look forward to book 2 this summer!
bingley's review
4.0
Def feels YA-esque in the beginning, but it gets over that naivete with a fantastic plot twist!
(and yes I know they're youngun's, 16 year olds, so I give em some slack, but rn I just need to not be surrounded by that immaturity XD. I've been in an indigenous stories binge, so I didn't let the YA-ness deter me lol)
Characters (all) are strongly developed, well done!
There is a HEA tho the deus ex machina seems a bit like a copout..
World-building is solid even with dream sequences, different worlds/layers, hint of some religious fictional historical event. That's a lot to balance, and it gets sturdier as the story progresses.
Lastly, it was EXCITING!!!
I read this all in 1 sitting! like less than 5 hours! Pace kept rolling and story did not disappoint.
TLDR: defo interested in sequels! (esp since the ending almost seems too peaceful, I wanna see how their rebellion grows!!)
(and yes I know they're youngun's, 16 year olds, so I give em some slack, but rn I just need to not be surrounded by that immaturity XD. I've been in an indigenous stories binge, so I didn't let the YA-ness deter me lol)
Characters (all) are strongly developed, well done!
There is a HEA tho the deus ex machina seems a bit like a copout..
World-building is solid even with dream sequences, different worlds/layers, hint of some religious fictional historical event. That's a lot to balance, and it gets sturdier as the story progresses.
Lastly, it was EXCITING!!!
I read this all in 1 sitting! like less than 5 hours! Pace kept rolling and story did not disappoint.
TLDR: defo interested in sequels! (esp since the ending almost seems too peaceful, I wanna see how their rebellion grows!!)
kmdomboski's review
5.0
A little slow at times but such a different take on the dystopia novels. I loved how the plot unfolded. Definitely recommend!
saidtheraina's review against another edition
4.0
I'm so glad I finally read this!
It was on my potential-booktalk list for years, and by the time I finally got around to reading it, I was worried that my library system might be out of copies of this or the two other books in the series. Luckily, I think I got to it in just in time.
I may have been initially intimidated by the length of this - it's almost 400 pages long. I was reading with middle school booktalks in mind, so I generally try for more general-population-interest, reluctant reader books. This year, I had room, and it ended up being one of my favorite books that I read in 2018.
Dystopia, superpowers, flashbacks, sci-fi, siblings, living-in-the-woods, trees, DINOSAURS, capers, ownvoices...
Honestly, the only thing that might have improved this book for me would have been if they'd all been queer. Maybe the sequels go there?
It was on my potential-booktalk list for years, and by the time I finally got around to reading it, I was worried that my library system might be out of copies of this or the two other books in the series. Luckily, I think I got to it in just in time.
I may have been initially intimidated by the length of this - it's almost 400 pages long. I was reading with middle school booktalks in mind, so I generally try for more general-population-interest, reluctant reader books. This year, I had room, and it ended up being one of my favorite books that I read in 2018.
Dystopia, superpowers, flashbacks, sci-fi, siblings, living-in-the-woods, trees, DINOSAURS, capers, ownvoices...
Honestly, the only thing that might have improved this book for me would have been if they'd all been queer. Maybe the sequels go there?
lairofbooksandboba's review against another edition
3.0
this is an interesting mix of dystopia and fantasy that’s based in Palyku (an aboriginal people of Australia) mythology.
(again, I’m not a dystopian person; this is literally me on the hunt for interesting, accessible, diverse dystopian novels that contain age-appropriate content for the kiddos, so maybe take the 3 stars as my personal enjoyment of this and give this a 3.5 or 4 for the kids)
it’s a narrative that’s told reverse-ish chronological order, with some flashbacks in the middle.
I think it has pretty unique fantasy elements that are framed by the typical dystopian “rules.”
The tone of it is very hopeful compared to other novels in the genre.
(again, I’m not a dystopian person; this is literally me on the hunt for interesting, accessible, diverse dystopian novels that contain age-appropriate content for the kiddos, so maybe take the 3 stars as my personal enjoyment of this and give this a 3.5 or 4 for the kids)
it’s a narrative that’s told reverse-ish chronological order, with some flashbacks in the middle.
I think it has pretty unique fantasy elements that are framed by the typical dystopian “rules.”
The tone of it is very hopeful compared to other novels in the genre.