Category Archives: Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic

Review: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

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Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry cover shows a girl's face in the top left corner and silhouettes of trees across the bottom. Unspooled threads are scattered across the whole cover.

Gathering Blue (The Giver Quartet #2)
Lois Lowry
HMH Books for Young Readers
Published September 25, 2000

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About Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry’s Gathering Blue continues the quartet beginning with the quintessential dystopian novel, The Giver, followed by Messenger and Son.

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given … Continue reading →

Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

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The Giver by Lois Lowry cover shows the face of an older, bearded man in top right and a young man in profile on the bottom left. Bare branches of trees extend toward the center from the left side.

The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)
Lois Lowry
Clarion Books
Published April 26, 1993

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About The Giver

In Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning classic, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who … Continue reading →

Review: The Architect by Jonathan Starrett

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The Architect by Jonathan Starrett

The Architect
Jonathan Starrett
Tyndale House
Published February 7, 2023

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About The Architect

There’s a golden rule in Phantom City: “No one about when the Zeppelin is out.” But one night, twelve-year-old Charlie Crane comes face-to-face with the Zeppelin, and instead of finding trouble, she is awakened.

Determined to find the truth in a city plagued with lies, Charlie, along with a quirky band of unlikely heroes, works to free the people of Phantom City from the clutches of a shadowy, evil villain. Helped by a mysterious Architect who only communicates over radio and telephone, Charlie wrestles with two big questions: Can she trust a guide … Continue reading →

Review: Rebel, Brave and Brutal by Shannon Dittemore

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Rebel, Brave and Brutal by Shannon Dittemore

Rebel, Brave and Brutal (Winter, White and Wicked #2)
Shannon Dittemore
Amulet Books
Published January 10, 2023

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About Rebel, Brave and Brutal

The gripping sequel to Winter, White and Wicked that boasts the thrills of Mad Max: Fury Road and the icy magic of Frozen

Sylvi Quine, the best rig driver on Layce, has braved the dangers of the Shiv Road to save her friend and learned the truth of her power over Winter. Now, she’s joined the rebels working to take down the Majority. Her magic could change the course of their fight, and she agrees to meet the king of Paradyia to offer an exchange: the healing powers … Continue reading →

Review: Breakup From Hell by Ann Davila Cardinal

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Breakup from Hell by Ann Davila Cardinal

Breakup From Hell
Ann Davila Cardinal
HarperTeen
Published January 3, 2023

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About Breakup From Hell

Miguela Angeles is tired. Tired of her abuela keeping secrets, especially about her heritage. Tired of her small Vermont town and hanging out at the same places with the same friends she’s known forever. So when another boring Sunday trip to church turns into a run-in with Sam, a mysterious hottie in town on vacation, Mica seizes the opportunity to get closer to him.

It’s not long before she is under Sam’s spell and doing things she’s never done before, like winning all her martial arts sparring matches—and lying … Continue reading →

Review: A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Earnshaw

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A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Earnshaw

A Wilderness of Stars
Shea Earnshaw
Simon & Schuster
Published November 29, 2022

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About A Wilderness of Stars

In this magical romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep, a mysterious illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the stars’ message that will, hopefully, save them all.

If magic lives anywhere, it’s in the stars…

​Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, Vega begins to … Continue reading →