Steve Augarde

This is a dark book. Dark enough, in fact, that it's probably the darkest YA dystopian I've read once all of the factors are added up, and there were some moments when I wondered how likely I'd ever be to tell a teenager about it. That said, it's also a good read, and compelling once it gets going.

On one hand, this is a sort of elevated version of Lord of the Flies--though this is a far better book, and much better written, in my opinion. On the other hand, there's some injustice in even show more saying that because Augarde creates such a complete and horrific world here. Maybe if Charles Dickens had come forward to write a dystopian, having thought of something like Lord of the Flies... that may be the better description. Because as dark as the situation is, as dark as some of the characters and horrors are... it's all sort of frightfully believable, and the descriptions, threats, and twists are turned around in such a way as to feel more adult... just like teens put into this book would feel far more adult and tortured than would be desired.

All told, I'm not sure I'd hand this book to a young reader, although the tone and characters and situations are exactly what one might expect from a YA Dystopian. Instead, I'd say this is more in line for adult fans of the genre, and perhaps mature young adults who'll have the patience for a book that takes as many cues from adult science fiction as from YA. Still, this book unsettled me, and I sometimes didn't want to turn the page to see what was coming, compelling as the read was... and that rarely happens when I read YA anything, so there's something to be said for that.

Recommended, with the above warnings in mind. This is darker than expected for this genre, and sometimes difficult to read. show less

This YA post-apocalyptic novel is certainly compelling reading. The world has been devastated by floods and the survivors eke out a living scavenging and trading. At the start of the story a mob of people wait on the shore hoping that there is room on the island for some of their children. On the island there is food and shelter, the boys work at cleaning and labelling the cans of food recovered from the drowned supermarkets, but it is thought of as a better life than the struggle to live on show more the mainland. We follow two boys as they take the journey, what they find on the island and how their lives change.

Steve Augarde has created a world that seems all too likely in the wake of a global catastrophe. Memories of the days before, what people have to do to survive and the need for hope. I am a bit wary of the YA tag as this is violent and disturbing; containing religious mania and prostitution. Having said that this is a brilliant novel. The characters are interesting and the story fascinating. I scarcely wanted to put the book down as I needed to know how the story would end. show less

I felt this had a slow start but after that I was entirely hooked - have all three books on hand because once you get started you won't want to stop!
Augarde builds a beautiful, very real, location that you strongly want to visit with strong male, female and fairy characters! Midge and Celandine are really the centre of the trilogy which should engage the female interest yet there are battle scenes and adventure for boys too.
Unlike Pullman's His Dark Materials (also published by Fickling show more books), this isn't about saving the world but saving a tribe of fairy people, The Various, and giving them back a future after the world has been overrun by humans. Naturally, it's our children who help but they are allowed to age and develop over the three books, especially Celandine of the second book who we meet later in book 3 as a very old lady. This almost time travel aspect, jumping back and forward through the generations, makes these books more unusual than your average children's "save the fairies" story. show less

Took me a few pages to get into, as it has been so long since I read the first two (The Various and Celandine), but it was wonderful - sustains the same magic as the previous books, and brings it all to a satisfying conclusion.

"I was upon this earth before, though never in this place." (p. 53)