New YA Dystopian literature

 

The Way of the Cicadas

Audrey Henley

ISBN: 9798986187907
Paperback, $15.99
Ebook, $9.99
April, 2023, 358 pp, Monodon Books
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About the Book:

An amnesiac survivor proves the outside's habitability and spurs a group of bunker-borns on a gritty journey through an irradiated wasteland in this tense and poignant post-apocalyptic-perfect for fans of The 100 and Station Eleven.

Ten years after nuclear war devastated the United States, Hayden is bored of the meager rations, recycled air, and sterile light of the bunker he's called home since childhood.

But when Brita, a mysterious woman with no long-term memory, becomes the first outsider to stumble upon the bunker, she proves to the underground city that the surface isn't as hostile as those in power let on. Her arrival sets off a chain reaction that causes Hayden, Brita, and a handful of other residents to emerge.

The outside world is teeming with life, but also with danger they never anticipated. After an outside survivor betrays the group, they're imprisoned by a military faction with the key to Brita's identity. For Hayden to save his friends, he must uncover a past Brita would rather never remember-along with secrets the bunker sheltered them from all these years.

My Review:

Wonderfully imaginative and slightly too-real addition to dystopian fiction. In the near future the worst has come to pass with nuclear war across the planet. Those who planned for it ahead of time include researchers and government agencies who built underground bunkers. The less fortunate took their chances above ground. Ten years pass and one of the underground colonies is reaching the supply limit. Severe rationing doesn't sound appealing to most of the colonists, and for one brave group of teens, it's time to go out scouting...especially when an amnesiac young stranger knocks on the door, lost, proving that some life still exists out there. When the group of brave young people set off for their former home to gather anything useful, they run into a society of devastation, lies, and the depths of depravity in their strange new world. First of a planned series. Excellent world building and characters that will stay with you. Recommended for high school-age and up due to potentially frightening situations, mild sex, violence, and language. Caution for an intense murder. The author includes trigger warnings in the back of the book. Well-written and designed book.

About the Author:

Audrey Henley is an infamous hobby collector, but her favorite has always been writing. A former production assistant at a university press, she now works as a project manager and freelance copywriter and copy editor.

Review childrens fantasy Isasnora Snores

Isasnora Snores
Young Adult Fantasy
Carol L Paur
Black Rose Writing, 2019
178 pp

$5.99 ebook
$17.99 paperback
also available in hardcover

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About the Book

Exiled because of her dangerously loud snoring, Isasnora realizes that living in the forest has its advantages, such as talking animals and flying dragons. When an evil ruler declares war on her former kingdom, Isasnora wants to go into battle for her country.

My Review

Isasnora Snores is a delightful young adult fantastical story ultimately about learning to accept differences and overcome prejudice.

Once upon a time, a baby was born—a most unusual baby with a horrible problem. “We heard monstrous clanging and crashing, and the king’s household couldn’t sleep,” Sir Hybroth said, puffing out his shoulders. “Worse, glass is shattering all over the kingdom, and a strange malady has struck. People can’t stop laughing and scratching! If this all continues, surely the Kingdom of Calelind will disintegrate before our very eyes.”

When the kingdom of Calelind’s knights are sent to root out the source of the trouble, they are baffled. How could a tiny baby, a little girl, cause so much havoc? The king is unmoved and does what he must to save his kingdom. Banished to the forest miles from the glass castled kingdom of Calelind, Isasnora and her family carve out a rustic life in the woods. Isasnora is gifted with the ability to understand the language of creatures large and small, exotic, and the stuff of fairy tales. Her close friend and ally is a giant and her other confidants bugs, mice, and birds. Isasnora is influenced by her wild life in the forest and avoids the  training and manners her mother tries to enforce. It takes another kingdom of the forest, her creature friends, to help Isasnora learn to overcome her feelings of anger and rejection and embrace politeness and kindness. Eventually her parents decide to believe their daughter’s fantastic tales of speaking to the animals, and they meet her friends. Learning to communicate comes with a happy price: “‘You finally have reached an understanding,’ Lovel said. ‘For some, it’s harder, but you have overcome the biggest obstacle.’

‘What is that?’ Sir Callum asked.

‘Doubt,’ the slug replied.”

Along with acceptance and tolerance, Isasnora and her family and friends must also overcome jealousy and learn the value of the truth and obedience. The young son of a neighboring kingdom finds refuge with Isasnora’s family, but when George’s father declares war on Calelind and George, along with Isasnora’s father, go to battle, Isasnora wants to be more than “the girl who snores.” and follows them.

Although written for kids, Paur’s vocabulary is quite fun including words like corpulent, vociferously, malaise, and impudent, and fun phrases like “keep a low profile.” This is the first of a series, and the next quest is introduced at the end of the book. Those who enjoy fantasy tales of queens and kingdoms, giants and dragons; stories that have a feel of Alice in Wonderland, will enjoy this story.

About the Author

Isasnora Snores is Carol L. Paur's first children's book, inspired by her own snoring! She now has a special machine called CPAP that quiets her snoring and helps her sleep soundly. When she's not slumbering, she's writing, cooking, singing, painting, traveling, producing plays, and spending time with her family.

YA Fantasy from Madison author R Chris Reeder

The Changeling’s Daughter

R. Chris Reeder

Young Adult Fantasy

Coming of Age/Quest

December 13, 2018

Black Rose Writing

Paperback $20.95

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About the book

Fourteen-year-old Brynn McAwber discovers a terrible truth about herself and her family and must undergo a perilous quest to another world, to save a friend and redeem her soul.

Unusual things have been happening to Brynn McAwber. A strange little man keeps showing up at her door. She's being watched by a mysterious woman with a sword strapped to her back. And her body keeps...disappearing.

When Brynn discovers the terrible truth about herself and her family, she embarks on a perilous quest, which takes her far from Indiana, far from the world she knows, into the Land of Annwfyn, home of brownies and bwbachods, xanas and zephyrs, goblins and gods.

This is the story of a girl who finds out she's supposed to be the villain, but decides to be the hero anyway.

My review

A most unusual and amazing anti-hero questing fantasy not just for young people has arrived.

Up front caution: although I could watch this story unfolding in epic technicolor and would recommend it to teens with an advanced reading level, I caution parents who care that a fair amount of profanity when a couple of shock value uses would have been enough, some gore, and a generous vocabulary boost this story into a tween/early teen caution level. Some parents may want to check it out first.

For the rest of us, Reeder’s maiden fantasy is a delight. I admit I intended to read enough for a good review, but didn’t look up except for touchdowns during the Packers-Bears football game until I was finished. Using an anti-hero, in this case a typically-misunderstood creature of folklore hiding in plain sight, as a champion certainly isn’t new, but the author’s ability to recombine fantasy elements into a true hero’s journey makes for a fresh, entertaining read.

Brynn’s family secret stems not simply from their traditionally accepted roles but also how they are perceived by others. When Brynn’s best friend Makayla suddenly turns against her, Brynn’s loyalty and character are tested in ways that help her understand and grow into the kind of person she’s meant to become. Makayla’s defection is not the only weird thing happening to Brynn these days. When faced with disaster, Brynn’s options are to do the right thing by her friend no matter the odds, or be the expected generic typecast of her kind. Knowing Makayla would never willingly abandon her gives Brynn the strength to fight not just for physical rescue, but for the decision to live a meaningful, positive family lifestyle.

Told through the eyes of Brynn, the fourteen-year-old main character, The Changeling’s Daughter is a lovely adventure for readers who enjoy a good old-fashioned questing tale with surprising heroes unafraid to challenge even themselves.

About the author

R. Chris Reeder grew up in the Pacific Northwest, attended college in Walla Walla, Washington, and has lived and worked across the country and around the world. 

He has had careers as a Shakespearean actor, an international courier, and a singing activist, but is now perfectly content in his current vocation of stay-at-home father. 

He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife, two children, and a cat named Monster Jack.

www.rchrisreeder.com
www.facebook.com/rchrisreederauthor