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In this novel, the first of Justin Woolley’s new YA fantasy series, Australia is a very changed place. The cities have been overrun by ghouls and humankind has retreated inward to the Red Centre – the last place most of us would want to have to survive in. The epicentre of this last stand of civilisation is the walled township of Alice, which governs and protects the surrounding farms and smaller townships. Protection comes in the form of a ghoul-busting army – the Diggers – and the care and maintenance of a twelve foot, ghoul-proof fence. Those of you who are grinning already at the twist on some well-known references will enjoy what else is in store.

Dust is one of a few townships that lie on the very edges of this boundary. Like outback towns of old, it functions as a marketplace for the outlying farmers to visit once a month and sell their produce. What sort of produce, apart from livestock, would you be likely to get from a farm in the middle of a desert? Well… dirt, mostly. Enriched dirt, that is and has become a very precious commodity.

Once again proving the tenacity of the human race, the Dirt Farmers of Alice have managed to scrape a viable living from enriching the soil itself with fertiliser and selling it in volume to crop growers. It is on one such farm that we meet Squid Blanchflower, a timid orphan boy who has grown to the age of sixteen under the ‘care’ of his Aunt and Uncle on their dirt farm. Squid has known nothing but hard work and hard treatment since he can first remember. Despite this, he is a thoughtful young man with a hunger for knowledge, whose largest dream is to be allowed to study at the local school.

Back in the bustling centre of Alice, Lynnette is also struggling with unreachable dreams for her future. But where Squid has nothing, Lynn has it all. The only daughter of Colonel Hermannsburg, chief military advisor to the Administration and a widower, she has all of the education, food and comforts she could ever want. And yet all she craves is a life in the army, the one doorway permanently closed to her by the rules of society. To add to her frustration, her adopted brother has just been sworn in to the Diggers after graduating from training with distinction. After spending every spare moment secretly teaching herself swordcraft and tactics, the injustice is nearly more than she can bear. But girls do not become Diggers, just as dirt farmers do not become scholars.

Fortunately for Lynn, she has inherited a headstrong, stubborn nature from her mother. Fortunately for Squid, he has the gift of intelligence because a tidal wave of events are about to shatter his small world and lift him to heights he could never have imagined.

A breach has been made in the ghoul-proof fence and a horde of thirsty monsters are lurching across the desert towards humanity. Alice is prepared – they have been training generations of Diggers to defend against just such a threat – but a power struggle between Church and State leads to rash decisions. Some see this crisis as an opportunity for personal glory, others as a chance to seize absolute power.

In Dust, Justin Woolley has given readers a grand old tale with a distinctly modern twist. It’s a very entertaining mash-up of an adventure, an epic fantasy with a Wild West/Steampunk flair, and also zombies. I really liked the frontier-town styling of Alice, and the idea of central Australia as a last bastion of humanity. The addition of medieval religious zealotry and hint at historic human folly having been the root of this battle for survival, make it all the more interesting. There is some very imaginative and successful world-building here and more than a few enjoyable surprises.

I found this to be one of those stories that sneaks up on you. It begins fairly simply down a well-trodden path, introducing original elements along the way, and it would be easy to say it was going to be straightforward and predictable. The story may hold familiar elements for readers of the genre, but that is far from all that there is here. The author has done a great job of gradually layering his story, extending it downwards and outwards until there is a very complex structure on which to hang the adventures of Squid and Lynn. He has achieved this also with an economy of words, great chapter length, and pacing that really rips along.

Both of the central characters were engaging, and their personalities complemented each other without being too obvious. Their back-stories were intriguing and the revelations were well-paced right up to the end. The ghouls were appropriately repulsive and frightening. The violence was gruesome where sensible, for a zombie story, but not excessive. I honestly can’t tell anymore what is considered age-appropriate levels of violence. As a guide, though, I consider this to be mid-level in terms of graphic descriptions.

I was genuinely disappointed when this story ended because the clever devil had gotten me in, and I am looking forward to the next instalment, ‘A Town Called Smoke’.

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Zachary, Poppy and Alice are best friends and spend their afternoons making up elaborate worlds for their dolls and action figures to play in: a world ruled by a creepy and ancient Queen – a terrifying doll that is locked inside Poppy’s mother’s cabinet. For Zach and Alice, it’s an escape from the demands their families make on them while; for Poppy, it’s a good outlet for her imagination. Everything changes when Zach’s father decides that he’s too old to be playing with toys and throws them all out.

Zach doesn’t want to tell his friends what has happened, deciding to quit the game instead. He hadn’t reckoned on the Queen. When she starts invading Poppy’s dreams, claiming to be made from the bones of a murdered girl, the three children must take up a quest to set her to rest.

Doll Bones is an epic fantasy quest in the guise of middle-school urban fantasy. It is aimed at a younger age group than the Tale of Modern Faerie or Curse Workers books; but slightly older than the Spiderwick Chronicles.

While the fantasy element of Doll Bones is fascinating, as always, it is the wider social politics that kept my interest. All three children are on the quest to prove something in their real lives. Each of them has their own character arc and as the story unfurls the tensions between them rise. Zachary is hanging on to childhood while his father tries to force him out of it. Alice is struggling against her grandmother who, while her sole guardian, hails from a different generation and background. All of them are keeping secrets and, as with any good quest, those secrets will come out.

With its twelve-year-old protagonists and their interest in toys, Doll Bones is entrenched in middle-grade literature, but it has enough elements that surpass that to appeal to teens and adults. Rather than the often explored dynamic of adults who don’t understand the children – or adults having the answer to everything – the parents and guardians in Doll Bones are just as lost as their kids.

Doll Bones perfectly captures the imaginative fantasy realms that children create while addressing more mature issues like family dysfunction and growing up. It is a deliciously creepy read with characters that you can root for, even when they are in the wrong.

 

Doll Bones – Holly Black

Doubleday (May 7, 2013)

ISBN: 9780552568111

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Frozen is the first in a new dystopian fantasy series, co-written by the hugely popular Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston. It’s a bit of a genre-splice, featuring a blend of dystopia, fantasy, and dragons with a drop of mysticism thrown in for good measure. Fans of any of these themes will find something to entertain them here.

This story takes place in a future America, ravaged by wars and an ecological disaster that has left the land masses of earth blanketed in ice. Heat and food have become the chief commodities and survival is managed by martial law. The citizens have carved out a harsh and meagre life in what is left of the cities, sequestered from the rest of the country by perimeter barriers and armed guards. The wastelands beyond are frozen garbage dumps populated by scavengers, hungry wildlife and monsters.

Nat is living incognito in New Vegas, which has survived to become a frontier town with all of the associated vice and violence. To the casual observer, she is just another croupier in one of the larger casinos but beneath the disguise she belongs to a small percentage of people who carry the ‘mark’, a physical indicator which has led to persecution and flight. This genetic abnormality is much more than a mark on the skin, carrying with it strange abilities which link the group to a mysterious higher power. Nat experiences this as a voice in her head that guides her actions, urging her to embark on a journey that will unite them.

It was this voice that enabled her escape from prison and directed her to her current employment. The owner of this particular casino has something the voice wants, something that will aid her in the journey to find her people. Once Nat acquires it, she is advised to hire a group of mercenaries who keep themselves from starvation by performing dubious services. Together, led in secret by Nat’s inner guide, they set out on a perilous voyage to find ‘The Blue’, a legendary place of salvation which many pilgrims seek but none have so far found. It is here that Nat will discover that her destiny holds implications for the human race, earth and much more.

Readers of fantasy adventure should feel right at home with Frozen. Despite the weighty-sounding subject matter, I found it to be a light, easy to read story that just skims the surface. A ‘don’t think too hard’ book where everything makes sense, sort of, and follows a path of exposition without delving too deeply into anything.

I must admit that I found it difficult to care much about any of the characters. For my taste, they were a bit stereotyped. Of course, stereotypes and archetypes serve their purpose, but I prefer new slants on, and explorations of, characters. I was disappointed that I found exactly the same people here as I would in many long-running sci-fi adventure series: the damaged and special heroine, the tough guy with a sensitive interior, the rag-tag group of mercenaries – a couple with hearts of gold, a red shirt and a couple who are beyond redemption. Having said that, some readers will find this comforting and enjoy it all the more for that familiarity; or maybe, they’ll be discovering these character types for the first time.

Frozen is certainly appropriate for a YA readership but probably not for the Middle Reader edge of that range, and I am certain that there will be an instant audience for the series. I have not read any other of Melissa de la Cruz’s books, but I see that they are many and all of the supernatural variety, so this new series will not disappoint her many fans and probably win her some more.

Look out for the follow-up, ‘Stolen’, which is being released in the Northern Hemisphere in Spring 2015.

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They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you’ve ever seen.
And They won’t stop chasing you…until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

Hardcover, 455 pages  Published June 25th 2013 by HarperTeen  ISBN   0062105450 (ISBN13: 9780062105455)

Amy finds herself alone after the invasion that decimated all living things on the planet. Fortunately, her home is protected by an electric gate because dangerous creatures with enhanced hearing abilities are attracted to noise. This is Amy’s concern when she has to leave her house for supplies, and plays a role in bringing home Baby, the child she finds still alive in a grocery story. Baby is extremely quiet and has somehow been able to survive on her own. They soon make up their own hand signs for communication.

Amy learns how to survive, as well as the basics of how the creatures work, so she can stay alive. After several years of no contact with other humans and scavenging to survive, they are picked up and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors. Yet this new situation, living with other people, may lead to Amy to run back to her previous life of hiding from the creatures. She had always focused daily on survival, but when they are rescued, it seems that all her years of hiding and fear should be put aside and forgotten. That is not so easy.

There is the constant feeling of paranoia and not knowing what they will find while out scavenging. There is always danger, not only with the creatures, but other survivors too. Amy is patient and cautious—intuitive enough to stay alive. What I enjoyed most about this story is the atmosphere: a lingering feeling that hovers over the story and fills you with anticipation until the end. It’s good that this is just book one of the series. Before, life was considered normal, but after…there is no normal anymore.

I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to continuing this series. If you like invasion stories, post-apocalyptic settings, and strong female leads, I believe you will like this too.

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Krista:

Cover

Pretty plain cover. I appreciate it because it’s one that doesn’t have a girl in a dress on the cover, even though it could with this story. It’s nice to see something simple.

Characters

There are actually a lot more characters than I was thinking there would be when starting the story. Not only do we meet those people most important in Kitty’s life, but all of the Hart family and their closely trusted circle.

Favourite

By the end of the book my favourite character was Benjy. If I were stuck in this situation, I would want him as my sidekick: dependable, honest, and trustworthy.

Least Favourite

There were more people I didn’t like than I liked in this one! It was very surprising that the further I read, the more dislike I had for each member of the family and their actions. This took me off guard. I would have to say the most hated from the first time we were introduced to her was Augusta, the oldest surviving member  of the family line.

Beginning

Kitty has just taken her test and rated lower than she expected in the cast system her world so depends on. She has just turned 17 and feels that her life has just plummeted to nothing and she would rather die. Her boyfriend Benjy and her “mother” encourage her to live and convince her that she is destined to help the population fight the unfair ranking system.

Storyline

Kitty is picked up off the streets because of her similar look to Lila Hart. Given no reasonable choice, she is forced into pretending to be Lila after being “Masked” to look exactly like her. As she stands in for Lila, the family slowly begins revealing secrets of how they really rule the land and the operate the ranking system. She soon gets caught up with the political labyrinth players and the rebellion.

Ending

You thought you could see what was coming, but I never expected things to go the way they did! It was like being on a roller coaster where you were expecting to drop downwards but it pulled you sideways instead.

Thoughts

I can honestly say that I have not read a teen book with so many twists. I think there were so many big revelations throughout the story that I could actually feel my head spin. I am usually a huge fan of books that are just as fast paced and action packed as this one, but at the end I felt pounded with so much to take in. I felt out of whack, needing to still take it all in. It was a pretty dark and powerful read if you look at it in a more critical way — politically and socially.

Quote

“But the world is out there, and it understands that the illusion of knowledge and freedom is not the same as the real thing. Eventually, it will fade, and there are those who will do whatever it takes to make that happen sooner rather than later.”

 

 

Bel:

Cover

I borrowed the audio book from the Brisbane City Council Library and Bolinda Online audio books. The cover art is a round maze with an eye visible though most of the paths. A blue chess piece sits in the top right hand corner of the slate grey background. The book is read by Lamecce Issaq.

 Characters

There are so many characters to hate in this book. The lovable ones are certainly a catalyst to continue reading the series.

Favourite

Kitty. Kick ass, and brainy. Some of her decisions are a little questionable but her motivations make sense.

Least Favourite

Hmmm. Augusta. Again you can understand her motives, but that doesn’t make them right, or forgivable in any way.

Beginning

Kitty is given a really low score on the standardised test to see where she will fit into society, which means a menial job and having to move away from the love of her life Benji.

Storyline

Kitty takes an offer to go from a 3 to a 7 with the intention of being able to stay with Benji. Strings are attached however, and what would a good dystopian book be without some totally corrupt political themes.

Ending

I didn’t pick it, and I am desperate to read on.

Thoughts

With the standardised testing in Aussie schools becoming such a focus, the thought that a single exam determines the rest of your life is just a little too close to home.

I was a little weirded out by the masking process and how easily it seemed to be to recover from such dramatic procedures. Anyone who’s ever seen that gosh awful make over TV show The Swan… that’s what I pictured through this section of the book. EWWW!

I was a little perplexed about the lack of reaction from the character Celia over Kitty’s new circumstance. As a Mum, if this happened to me, I’d be beyond not okay with it.

I did LOVE the book. I’ll be looking to read on throughout 2015.

Quote

I picked this quote because it is pretty much the pivotal argument through the whole book, and I would hazard a guess as to the inspiration for the title of the book.

“They may be weak when the game begins, but their potential is remarkable. Most of the time, they’ll be taken by the other side and held captive until the end of the game. But if you’re careful—if you keep your eyes open and pay attention to what your opponent is doing, if you protect your pawns and they reach the other side of the board, do you know what happens then?”
I shook my head, and she smiled.
“Your pawn becomes a queen.” ~ Kitty having a conversation with Celia about chess.

 

Joelene:

Cover

A brilliantly blue eye framed by something that resembles machinery. Fits the futuristic dystopian theme.

 

Characters

The cast of characters isn’t huge in Pawn, so it’s easy to keep track of who everyone is. The Prime Minister’s family make up most of the players and it ends up seeming a bit like a political family drama.

Favourite

Greyson. He’s probably the smartest guy in the book. Trying to sort out that mess of family is way too complicated. He’s also more empathetic than the others; accepting people as they are rather than forcing them into what he wants them to be.

Least Favourite

Kitty. She really does live up to the book title. She never risks herself; she just lets the larger players push her to where they need her to be.

 Beginning

When Kitty scores low on the test that will decide her future, she thinks that any chance of a good life is forfeit. Then the Prime Minister makes her an offer that she can’t refuse.

Storyline

In a futuristic dystopia, Kitty is an unwanted extra child. When the Prime Minister offers her a chance at more than she could have dreamed, she takes it. What she doesn’t realise is that taking the offer might mean losing herself and becoming someone else – specifically the Prime Minister’s niece, Lila Hart.

 Ending

There’s more upheaval in the end of Pawn than I was expecting. The game is going to change drastically in book two!

Thoughts

Carter took a lot of the issues with growth and technology that worry us today and incorporated them into Pawn. What if technology existed that meant we could replace one figurehead with another without anyone knowing? If humans don’t regulate the population now, what will it mean in the future?

There are also some truths in the novel. Even now the world is told to believe that if a person works hard enough – wants something desperately enough – they will achieve it. We believe the lie, and don’t question the ugliness beneath it. Pawn builds its foundation on that unpleasant notion with the idea that a test given to the poor and rich alike is not equal.

Quote

“On my birthday, you gave me a present,” I said. “It was a purple flower from a vendor selling perfumes. A violet. You said – you said they never gave up, like me.”

 

 

Lisa:

Cover

I absolutely love this cover. If you have the US hardback version, the book jacket slips off, and reveals something even more beautiful. Looking at this cover before indulging in the book, it completely suckers you in. It’s mysterious, different, and bold in a strange way. After reading Pawn and looking back at the cover, you find a whole new meaning to it and each of its elements. Gorgeous!

Characters

There are quite a few characters in Pawn, but each and every one of them is unique and interesting. Obviously, some are meant for you to hate, but I can appreciate an amazing villain!

Favourite

Of course my favourite character would be Kitty, and I’m sure many of you will agree with me. She’s totally kick butt and doesn’t let anything scare her. She’s the perfect character for this role; she’s someone strong who won’t back down on her beliefs.

Least Favourite

As I said before, I can appreciate an amazing villain. When I think of my least favourite character, my mind automatically goes to Augusta or Daxton, simply because the reader is made to despise them. But looking back at them, they are perfect. Daxton is crazy in the head, and does some really messed up stuff, while Augusta is the older lady, who thinks she can still rule a modern world in the old ways.

Overall, I LOVED these two characters, but if I had to choose my “least favourite” it would be them.

Beginning

Pawn follows the story of a teenage girl named Kitty Doe. Anyone with the last name “Doe” is the child that was illegally born, because there is a one child minimum law. While most Does are sent to a place called Elsewhere, some are lucky enough to go to local group homes.

Once teenagers turn seventeen years old, they take an aptitude test, that determines what their ranks are in society. Ones and twos are usually sent to Elsewhere, while threes do the dirty work, fours and fives live comfortable while sixes and sevens are royalty.

After taking her test, Kitty scores low, and is tattooed a three on the back of her neck. She knows she will spend the rest of life working in the underground sewers, or renting out her body to disgusting men for money.

Middle

But when Kitty is approached by a man, who she later discovers is part of the royal family, with an offer to become a seven, Kitty can’t turn it down. She doesn’t know what the catch is, or what he expects of her, but becoming a seven is much better than staying a three, or being sent to Denver, or Elsewhere.

End

While I wish I could give you as much detail about the end, as I did with the beginning, I can’t. I want you to feel the same excitement, nervousness, and anxiety I felt with I was completely wrapped up in Pawn.

All I can tell you is that this story was absolutely amazing! And I’m dying to go out and buy myself a copy of the second book in The Black Coat Rebellion series: Captive.

Overall

I love Aimee Carter and have read all of her books, so this month’s read was a very exciting one for me!

When I first started Pawn, it reminded me of The Selection. Obviously, there are thirty-five girls standing here, to fight for the position that Kitty is in, but the general idea of a poor girl comes into the kingdom and starts to change this in their society is the same. Pawn also had different rankings in society. In The Selection, the higher numbers where lower ranking, in Pawn the lower numbers where lower ranking.

Overall, I enjoyed Pawn, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed The Selection series as well as The Chemical Garden trilogy.

 

 

Discussion Questions

Kitty has dyslexia and it has an affect on her test results. How do you feel about the very generalized way of ranking people this book has
Would you sacrifice yourself for the greater good?

How does the book compare to Kiera Cass’s The Selection?

Do our other club members use audio books often, and out of the three formats (ebook, physical book, audio book) which did they use for this month’s pick?

How close are we, as a global society, to using standardised testing to ‘match’ people to their ideal jobs?

Feel free to take the discussion to out GoodReads home.

 

 

 

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