Dust Girl (The American Fairy, #1)

Nov 23, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a unique story about fairies because this is it!

Shelves: 2011-reads, surprisingly-liked, exceeded-my-expectations, writing-to-which-i-aspire, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, best-characters, best-endings, wowed-me, world-building-worth-noting, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, to-buy-shelf, worth-every-star, soared-above-and-beyond, ultimate-favorites, titles-i-love, reviewed

What makes a five-star read? For some people, a five-star book might mean "near-perfection" in storytelling, characterization, plot, prose, pacing, theme, and enjoyment. For me, however, a five-star read usually must have all of the following: a certain degree of uniqueness to the story's execution, great characters whom I come to love, a high level of enjoyability, and (most important of all) a story that grips me from beginning to end. If a book can grant me all of those things, then said book...more What makes a five-star read? For some people, a five-star book might mean "near-perfection" in storytelling, characterization, plot, prose, pacing, theme, and enjoyment. For me, however, a five-star read usually must have all of the following: a certain degree of uniqueness to the story's execution, great characters whom I come to love, a high level of enjoyability, and (most important of all) a story that grips me from beginning to end. If a book can grant me all of those things, then said book and I will undoubtedly have a wonderful reading courtship.

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel was one such book.

Just a few hours ago, I honestly didn't expect Dust Girl to garner a five-star rating from me. My misgivings were many since fairy-centric books have become a bit of a tired trend in the past few years. How many times can we read about secret fey heritages, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts warring as only light and darkness can, and creatures of fairy tales and legends who are often just as horrific and monstrous as magical and mysterious? Added into the mix were an "American Fairies" spin and a setting of 1930's Kansas, two things that could have been downfalls if not executed properly. In a lesser writer's hands, Dust Girl might have been a disaster, a book full of good ideas that never met their full potential...but Sarah Zettel is definitely not a "lesser writer" since her book soared and broke through the barrier of my expectations.

In dust-ridden Slow Run, Kansas, day-to-day life is a struggle for Callie LeRoux. The dusty air clogs up her lungs and makes breathing nearly impossible at times; her "mad" mother refuses to leave the dying town all because of a long-ago promise that seems unlikely to be fulfilled; and her lack of a father is a detriment as well as a mark of scorn and judgment in society. As more and more people leave Slow Run, desperation clings to Callie. Will both she and her mother die in this abandoned town? But the dust is stirring with a changing wind to come...

Almost all the qualms I held about Dust Girl were thrown away as soon as I began reading. Callie's voice is sympathetic and realistic, tugging at the right heartstrings and making you care about this girl whose struggles are burdens upon her shoulders. The feel of the setting and time period is believable and vibrant as if Zettel had used a time machine to go back in time and take notes on just the right things to make her story's world grounded but not overbearing. Even before I reached the author's note at the end, I knew that a lot of time, care, and research had gone into making the historical aspects to this tale as true and honest as possible.

That's actually what I appreciated most about this story: its truth and honesty. Even with creatures and magic and otherworldliness present in the plot, the story is very grounded in portraying humanity and the struggles many people face while living in "normalcy." Though there are shades of optimism and idealism to the story, many of the characters have faced very real hardships such as poverty, abuse, hunger, ridicule, and judgment. I think it's a trend of our modern materialistic society that many historical fiction novels tend to follow middle- or upper-class people while forgetting or downplaying the great majority who often struggled to survive.

As for the fairies in this story, they are very much a presence (and even a threat) in this first installment, but I think this novel has only just grazed the surface of Zettel's American fairy mythology. Already the mythology feels familiar yet unique, with both light and dark factions of fairies as well as animal-spirit guides and creatures hiding in human skins. I definitely look forward to how the mythology will expand over the series and what the revelations will mean for Callie and her continuing adventures.

Though I know that I may end up being in the minority with my love for this book, I really hope that readers will give Dust Girl a try since it is so much more than a historical fiction novel or another spin on fairy lore. It's a journey, an account of a girl trying to survive and managing against all odds to bear the rough winds that life sends her way, and to me that's definitely the kind of story worth reading.

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, historical-fiction, netgalley-arc, series-ongoing, tales-of-fae-and-faery-tales, young-adult-fiction, 2012-reviews, hf-america, arc, reviewed, read-need-to-buy, inventive-and-original

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"An unexpected delight" were the immediate words to pop into my head upon my all-too-soon completion of this historical remake of America in the Dust Bowl - with fairies! Teaching me once again that assumptions are flawed from the outset, both early and often Dust Girl exceeded my expectations. I got a thoroughly developed and humanly flawed heroine, a likeable rogue for a possible love interest, a fresh envisioning of the oft-used Seelie/Unseelie C...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Nafiza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

It took me half the book to get really invested into the novel and Callie and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Callie reads very differently as a character. I would have said differently than I am used to but really, that is not the case. I can’t quite put my finger on the exact reason why it’s difficult to get immediately immersed into the story but I think it might be because Callie’s “voice” is much younger than what I was expecting. There’s this skein of immaturity running...more It took me half the book to get really invested into the novel and Callie and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Callie reads very differently as a character. I would have said differently than I am used to but really, that is not the case. I can’t quite put my finger on the exact reason why it’s difficult to get immediately immersed into the story but I think it might be because Callie’s “voice” is much younger than what I was expecting. There’s this skein of immaturity running through her observations which, while not unattractive, is a bit jarring. Plus, I think I had a bit of problem with the world building. I would have appreciated some more details about what’s happening, something more exact.

However, once the novel finds its pace and gets comfortable with the story it’s telling, it becomes compelling and the reader (me) is able to make a connection to Callie, her parental issues and her burgeoning feelings for the boy who has become the impetus for the journey she is undertaking. And okay, I have a gripe with the cover of the novel. Callie is clearly African American so why is the model on the cover white? I would understand if the issue remained ambiguous in the novel but her colour is one of the themes of the novel and since it is such a strong theme, I would have appreciated that the cover reflect the protagonist because generally that’s what covers are meant to do, no?

The mythology needs to more work. The thing is, the novels functions very strongly where the characters are concerned, Callie’s voice is distinct, the other characters are solidly developed and the internal conflicts that occur within Callie are well portrayed. The second half of the book is way stronger than the first in terms of plot pacing and development. And it ends on a good note too which makes me have higher hopes for the second book in the trilogy. I just hope there’s more world building (and the cover story is straightened out). Gah, my review is definitely scattered but take this from it if you will: if you can get yourself to read beyond the first half, you will definitely enjoy the book. It’s a different take on the fairies and I actually appreciate the way Zettel has woven in African American culture into her narrative. But what the novel is trying to do is undermined by the cover and…yeah.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Lelia Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: full-reviews

Every now and then, a book comes along that gives a reviewer pause and the reasons can be complicated, perhaps even hard to explain. Such is the case with Dust Girl and what I think of it.

First, the downside. Callie, star of the show, is biracial, being the daughter of a white mother and a black father. Once again, the publishing industry has failed to capitalize on this fairly uncommon element and has put a slightly dark white girl on the cover. The most telling discrepancy is the hair—in the b...more Every now and then, a book comes along that gives a reviewer pause and the reasons can be complicated, perhaps even hard to explain. Such is the case with Dust Girl and what I think of it.

First, the downside. Callie, star of the show, is biracial, being the daughter of a white mother and a black father. Once again, the publishing industry has failed to capitalize on this fairly uncommon element and has put a slightly dark white girl on the cover. The most telling discrepancy is the hair—in the book, Callie talks about what her mother would do to try to hide the texture and curl of her hair, primarily by keeping it tightly braided. The hair on the cover is clearly not as described in the book. The skin also gives a false impression, certainly not “cream colored …with not too many freckles”—there is not a freckle in sight. The cover decisions are not the author’s fault as an author rarely has any say about cover art with major publishing houses but I’m not alone among readers when I wonder why these publishers won’t gladly depict a person of color as just that. Do they really think such a cover would deter sales? Perhaps they do think that and perhaps they would lose a few buyers but I guarantee they’d gain others who are actively looking for more diversity. (By the way, they did get Callie’s eyes right, a “stormy blue-gray…that…turned steel gray”.)

The only other negative I’ll mention is that I thought the story was a bit too slow in the beginning but that is truly a minor quibble and soon forgotten as things pick up speed.

I know about the Dust Bowl, of course, but this book does more to make the reader feel and understand what it was really like since John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Ms. Zettel handily evokes the era with its music and its railroad hobo communities and her spare prose brings the despair and heartache of the time and place to the forefront of the reader’s attention, all the while weaving a faery theme into the reality we know.

By crafting this as a tale of adversarial faery factions, Ms. Zettel has found a way to explore the racial and economic tensions of the 1930′s in an unusual and entertaining manner. The end of Callie LeRoux’s old life comes on April 14, 1935, when one of the worst dust storms recorded hits Slow Run, Kansas, her mother disappears, and Callie learns she isn’t really human. It’s then that very peculiar things begin to happen and she meets a hobo boy named Jack Holland, a boy who will prove to be the companion she needs on the journey that’s about to begin.

Sarah Zettel is a very accomplished writer and one who can be depended upon to tell a good tale. Being a fan of dark fantasy and of young adult fiction, I was hoping to find this an entertaining story that would hold my attention. Dust Girl did not let me down and I’ll be looking forward eagerly to Book Two in the American Fairy Trilogy.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, July 2012.

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Jun 14, 2012 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fairies, best-of-2012, fantasy, still-reading-series, needs-review

It is honestly quite hard to find words to describe how much I adored Dust Girl! I completely devoured this book from the very first page; it gripped me and would not let me go! From the minute I started reading this book, I knew it was exactly my kind of thing and I most definitely enjoyed every single second of it. Dust Girl is a unique book which will certainly stay with me for a long time and I'm sure I'll return to it more than once.

The setting of this book is what made it very special and...more

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May 27, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge, arc, dropped-series-graveyard, fae, fantasy, for-review, historical, magic, music, net-galley, young-adult, kansas

I had pretty much no expectations when it came to reading Dust Girl. I was just hoping it was good. It had an interesting enough summary, but to be honest, there were a lot of things I didn't care for in this book. There was enough good to warrant 3 stars, but I almost feel like I am being too generous with my rating.

Let's talk about the good first. This was a pretty original take on the Fae and fairy mythology. The era that this book was set in was not one I have read in a lot of books. I don'...more I had pretty much no expectations when it came to reading Dust Girl. I was just hoping it was good. It had an interesting enough summary, but to be honest, there were a lot of things I didn't care for in this book. There was enough good to warrant 3 stars, but I almost feel like I am being too generous with my rating.

Let's talk about the good first. This was a pretty original take on the Fae and fairy mythology. The era that this book was set in was not one I have read in a lot of books. I don't know if I have ever read a book set in the Dust Bowl. If I have, it wasn't memorable. And although there were a lot of things that didn't work for me in this book, I do believe it will be memorable. It's full of classic jazz and blues, wonderful imagery, and vivid scenes that tend to stick with the reader for awhile.

I also felt it sort of walked an edgy line between what was acceptable and not acceptable when it comes to writing about different races and minority groups. What I gathered from reading was the Seelie were white people and the Unseelie were black people. The Unseelie are usually known as the "bad" fairies. This is kind of subjective (but still) because in my mind all fairies are mischievous troublemakers. And that kind of ended up being true in this novel too. I say "edgy line" because this is a sensitive topic and it would be fairly easy to become offended by the content in this novel. I wasn't, but I could sort of understand why someone would be. I think the author handled it well, but why go there in the first place? Was it necessary to divide the races like that? I don't know. And that brings me to my next issue.

The protagonist was a girl of mixed descent. So maybe that is why the author divided up the fairy classes the way she did. I will say that the Seelie were portrayed as the more negative group of fairies, which was unusual, but why did the author have to make the Unseelie black in the first place? It is entirely possible that I am reading too much into this, I don't know, and I don't want to offend anyone, but I do feel it is necessary to point this out because it was something I was thinking while reading. So please forgive me if I've said anything wrong. It was entirely unintentional and I tried to research as much as I could before writing this review. Also, the cover looks kind of white-washed to me. She does not look like a girl of mixed race. Just saying.

As for the story itself, I was pretty bored actually. There were some great scenes where the action was nonstop, but overall I just feel it was a bunch of story points that didn't really lead anywhere. It's hard to explain without spoiling anything, but Callie had a quest. She was supposed to do something, something important, and it should not have taken as long as it did to resolve this plot point. But it STILL isn't resolved. It's necessary to now carry this into another book? I don't think so. This could have easily been a stand-alone and it wasn't. A good portion of the time while reading, I was thinking, get to the damn point already! Why did it take 300 pages to resolve nothing and then carry it into another book? This is a case of a book that didn't need to be turned into a series.

And then I get to the ending. And out of nowhere, the book takes a religious turn. I mean, there was no religion mentioned ANYWHERE in this book until the very end and then I was lambasted with it. I'll say that it wasn't offensive or anything, but I just felt it was entirely unnecessary. And on top of that, it was just a sh*tty ending. Really disappointing. The issue that I was hoping would be resolved, wasn't, and now this is going to continue on into a second book. That I won't be reading, I might add. It just didn't pull me in enough to keep going and I felt the ending was just sort of poor and anticlimactic.

The writing was solid, the characters were solid, and so was the world-building (for the most part), I just felt the story itself fell flat. I just don't know if I can recommend this one. In a lot of ways it reminds me of The Peculiars in that it sounded amazing in theory, and some things worked, but not enough to make it as fantastic as it should have been. I'm conflicted. (less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Jaylia3 rated it 4 of 5 stars

An ambitious and mostly successful combination of magical adventure and historical novel, this story of a half fairy girl set during the dust bowl years really brings that era to life with lively jazz clubs, deserted towns, racial inequities, and mountain high clouds of swirling, smothering dust. Though Callie has never known her piano playing father, her mother is sure he will be returning to the formerly fancy hotel they run and call home. Most people in their dust buried community have alread...more

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Apr 02, 2013 The Library Lady rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya-books

As I've often said in recent times,I am sick of vampire/zombie(feh)/ghost/fairy/paranormal books because they are being churned out by the zillion by hip 20-somethings with websites that are mutual admiration societies for other hip 20-something authors creating similar crap.

So when this came in and I saw "The American Fairy" trilogy, I expected more of the same mediocre stuff that makes me long for the days of YA problem novels.

Not so. This book has a fresh setting: Depression Era America in th...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four stars: An interesting tale that blends the days of the Dust Bowl and Depression with the magic and unpredictability of the Fey.

Callie's body spasms with a deep, racking cough. Her lungs are heavy with dust. More than her lungs are plagued by the dirt that has overtaken all of the Midwest. Callie lives in Kansas, and like all the other towns in the area, the violent dust storms have choked all the land and driven away most of the citizens. Callie longs to escape the nightmarish dust, but her...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Gwyneth Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am always looking for new and different takes on magic and fantasy, and this book definitely delivered on that front. Callie is a girl growing up in the small Kansas town of Slow Run during the worst of the dust bowl. Even though Callie suffers from pneumonia from the dust, Callie's mother refuses to leave town because she is hoping that Callie's father will reappear. When Callie's mother disappears during a particularly bad dust storm, Callie discovers that she is more than she ever knew. Her...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Maureen E rated it 3 of 5 stars

And then I read Dust Girl, which is quite different in that it takes place in Kansas in the 1930s. And I love the world that Sarah Zettel created–the sense of the suffocating dust, the creepiness of the monsters. I like the characters too, and the way Zettel interweaves Callie’s different identities. So it’s fast-paced, Midwestern based, with great descriptions and good characters. Why don’t I love it?

I just don’t know. Sometimes that happens with books–I think I ought to love them, but there’s...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Jo Butler rated it 3 of 5 stars

On April 14, 1935, the worst dust storm ever recorded blows across Kansas. That is the day that Calliope LeRoux’s mother disappears. It is also the day that 13-year-old Callie discovers that, although she has never played piano before, when she lays her fingers on the keyboard she can play boogie woogie like a pro.

Just one small problem – whether Callie plays piano or sings, her music pierces the barrier between worlds. Now wishes can become reality, and Callie discovers her true identity. The f...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Vicky rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Sarah Zettel's ever since I picked up Fool's War back in 1997 (I still have my copy). This book reminds me of why I like her so much. There is fantasy, a touch of history, a touch of religious mythology, and more.

In this book, Callie is a young girl of mixed race stuck in dust bowl Kansas in the 1930's. She has never met her father, only knows a name and that he's a jazz pianist. Her mother runs a hotel, but there are no guests and haven't been for a long time. When the mon...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A great recipe of magic, historical fiction, and fantasy. Not your typical Fae story.

Opening Sentence: Once upon a time, I was a girl called Callie.

The Review:

Set in the 1930s, Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel, is about Callie LeRoux. Living in the Dust Bowl in Kansas, Callie is in search for her mother, and father, after the worst dust storm ever. Filled with many twists and unique elements, Dust Girl is a story for the fantasy genre fan. Zettel’s...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yes, there is a new fantasy trilogy to hit the shelves in 2012 and this one is….unique! That is an extremely hard word to use in this day and age, but this is not about the ‘fanged ones’ or the ‘barking wolf’ ones at all.

Callie LeRoux and her mom live in a town called Slow Run, Kansas. Right now they are living through one of the most horrific dust storms that hammered the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s and chased many home owners into other states, seeing as they could not live (and a lot of them did...more Yes, there is a new fantasy trilogy to hit the shelves in 2012 and this one is….unique! That is an extremely hard word to use in this day and age, but this is not about the ‘fanged ones’ or the ‘barking wolf’ ones at all.

Callie LeRoux and her mom live in a town called Slow Run, Kansas. Right now they are living through one of the most horrific dust storms that hammered the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s and chased many home owners into other states, seeing as they could not live (and a lot of them didn’t) through these particular storms. Homes were ruined, crops dried up and nothing the poor people tried to do made it any better.

Running a small hotel in town, Callie and her mom are still there when Callie is taken seriously ill by the dust that constantly flies through their home. She wants out, but her mom is still waiting for Callie’s father to return and will not leave until he arrives. However, when a particularly fierce dust storm hit’s the town, Callie’s mom runs away and no one can find her.

Suddenly a mysterious man called, Baya, turns up and tells Callie a story about what her future life holds; he also unveils the secret that Callie is both half mortal and half fairy. Callie is told that she must follow the path to ‘the golden hills of the west’ in order to find her parents and get a new life for herself.

On her journey she meets Jack, a young boy who has been riding the rails in order to get out of the area, and he decides to go with her to California. In their travels they run into some very odd folks (good and bad) which keep the story going. Among these beings are people who are desperate to kidnap Callie because she is, in fact, quite a ‘star’ in the fairy world. With Callie doing her best to evade the kidnappers who are trying to capture her in order to claim her powers for themselves, this adventure keeps right on going until the last page is turned.

The writing in this novel is very good and unlike any fairy stories on the market today. Not to mention, Callie and her friends will leave a very solid, fun imprint on the imagination. After reading the first in this series, readers will most definitely look forward to seeing what happens next!

Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy

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Jul 24, 2012 Penny rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished this book in a few hours. That fact tells me two things about this book.

1)It's pretty short, indicating that it is likely meant for the younger end of the YA group. (honestly, these labels mean nothing to me because if it sounds interesting I'm going to read it no matter who it was intended for.) The protagonist is 13, so that fits with this assumption as well.

2)It was an interesting book. I'm a bit of a skimmer when it comes to reading. I want to know what's happening more than I wa...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, romance, series, ya

Callie is living in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. She and her mother run a hotel. Her mother refuses to leave, even though almost everyone else has. Callie's mother swears that some day, Callie's father will come back for them, so they're staying right there. Then one day, during a terrible dust storm, Callie's mother disappears, and Callie learns who her father really is.

I'm not ruining anything but saying that Callie realizes she's half fairy. You learn it pretty quickly. Her father never came...more Callie is living in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. She and her mother run a hotel. Her mother refuses to leave, even though almost everyone else has. Callie's mother swears that some day, Callie's father will come back for them, so they're staying right there. Then one day, during a terrible dust storm, Callie's mother disappears, and Callie learns who her father really is.

I'm not ruining anything but saying that Callie realizes she's half fairy. You learn it pretty quickly. Her father never came back because he's a fairy prince being held captive because he wants to return to his mortal wife but his family wants him to marry some princess. As always, there are the good fairies and the bad faeries, but even the good faeries aren't all that good, and everyone speaks in riddles and it's hard to get a straight answer out of anyone.

Callie sets off to find her mother, and she's joined by Jack, a hobo, and we later learn, a Jew, which gets you kicked out of just as many places as being Black does.

It was draggy. There was a lot of exposition and not a lot happening. I just wasn't that interested. There was nothing new or exciting being done with the world of fairies. Callie and Jack are clearly set up to have a romantic relationship somewhere down the line in the series, but they don't have very much chemistry and it just wasn't all that interesting.

Don't really have much else to say about it. It was fine. No need to dash out and get it.

Let's talk about the cover. Callie's father is a black man. Callie describes her skin as being "cream-colored" but gets darker when she's out in the sun (which she is the whole book). There's mention of her hair being "coarse." There's the suggestion that Callie can "pass" for white, but the longer she's on the road, the more she begins to look like her father. She requires glamours to conceal herself and make her look like a white girl so she can get into places. I'm not sure this cover is a great representation of Callie. (less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: This book caught my eye for a few different reasons. First starters, the plot line sounded very unique and it didn’t sound like anything else I have read before. It combined a weird mash-up of genres that I found interesting and it made me really want to read this book. There seemed to be a historical aspect, a paranormal aspect, and a mid-western aspect which seemed very odd, but cool at the same time. With so m...more See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: This book caught my eye for a few different reasons. First starters, the plot line sounded very unique and it didn’t sound like anything else I have read before. It combined a weird mash-up of genres that I found interesting and it made me really want to read this book. There seemed to be a historical aspect, a paranormal aspect, and a mid-western aspect which seemed very odd, but cool at the same time. With so many different aspects this book could have turned out horribly, but I was willing to give it a shot. The cover art of Dust Girl is also neat and I liked the dust effect and the creepy face in the corner. Did I mention fairies yet? This book has fairies and I’m not ashamed to admit that I have a fairy obsession.

First 50 Pages: It’s hard for me to explain the how I felt about the first 50 pages without directly jumping into the plot of this novel. For now I’m going to say that I was completely fascinated with the story’s setting and I liked Callie right away. I also thought that while the beginning was slightly slow, the slow pace didn’t last for very long and the author’s descriptions are really beautiful. I also started to read this book when I was sleepy, so maybe that is why I thought the beginning was slow. Around the third chapter (and after a good night’s sleep) I felt fully invested into the characters and the plot.

I already mentioned that I adore the setting of Dust Girl, but now let me tell you why! First, the story takes place in Slow Run, Kansas during the 1930’s. Why is this cool? Well, I don’t think I’ve read any other books that are set in Kansas besides The Wizard of Oz (which humorously also takes place around the same time period in Kansas). I think this is cool because it is an unlikely place to set a story when you compare it to the hundreds of books that are set in a major metropolitan area. One point for being unique! Second, the plot and setting revolve around the Great American Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. If you have no idea what I’m referring to, here is a brief history lesson courtesy of Wikipedia:

The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands in the 1930s, particularly in 1934 and 1936. The phenomenon was caused by severe drought coupled with decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops or other techniques to prevent wind erosion. Deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains had displaced the natural deep-rooted grasses that normally kept the soil in place and trapped moisture even during periods of drought and high winds.

During the drought of the 1930s, without natural anchors to keep the soil in place, it dried, turned to dust, and blew away eastward and southward in large dark clouds. At times, the clouds blackened the sky, reaching all the way to East Coast cities such as New York and Washington, D.C. Much of the soil ended up deposited in the Atlantic Ocean, carried by prevailing winds, which were in part created by the dry and bare soil conditions. These immense dust storms—given names such as "black blizzards" and "black rollers"—often reduced visibility to a few feet (around a meter). The Dust Bowl affected 100,000,000 acres (400,000 km2), centered on the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, and adjacent parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas.

Millions of acres of farmland were damaged, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes; many of these families (often known as "Okies", since so many came from Oklahoma) migrated to California and other states, where they found economic conditions little better during the Great Depression than those they had left. Owning no land, many became migrant workers who traveled from farm to farm to pick fruit and other crops at starvation wages. Author John Steinbeck later wrote The Grapes of Wrath, which won the Pulitzer Prize, and Of Mice and Men, about such people.

Okay, yes I know I am a total history geek, but this small tidbit had me excited! It was sort of ironic that the Great Dust Bowl was featured in this novel because I had to write a 12-page paper about it for one of my college classes last semester (and no, I didn’t cite Wikipedia for that!). Anyway, enough about the Dust Bowl and let’s get back to the story!

Characters & Plot: This story follows Callie LeRoux in her home of Slow Run, Kansas. The place Callie and her mother live in is all but deserted from the unfavorable conditions of the Dust Bowl and Callie isn’t doing very well there either since the dry and dusty conditions have affected her health. For some odd reason, Callie’s mother won’t leave Slow Run with Callie for a better place to live even though her daughter’s health is started to fade. Callie’s father isn’t in the picture despite his promise to return to his family and Callie doesn’t know him at all. In a terrible dust storm that reminded me of the Dorothy’s tornado from The Wizard of Oz, Callie’s mother up and disappears and Callie has no idea where she could be. Things begin to get even stranger when an odd man shows up in Slow Run and tells Callie that she must leave everything she knows behind and journey to California to find her parents and more about who she is and why she is special. And Callie IS special, she just doesn’t know it yet. When Callie heads out for on her quest, danger seems to be lurking everywhere she goes and her journey isn’t at all a vacation. Very soon, Callie finds out what she really is: half-human and half-fairy. You can imagine how much of a shock that was to find out!

Callie was a neat character! For one, she is of mixed race, not only with her revelation of being half-fairy, but her color is mixed as well. Thank you to the author for adding some diversity! It’s always nice to read a story where the author has the main protagonist a race other than Caucasian. It was especially surprising to find in this particular book considering the time period. Back then, interracial relationships were frowned upon and not nearly as accepted as they are today. This made me happy, can you tell? (NOTE: Now that I know that Callie is of mixed race, I can't say that I particularly like the cover art anymore. It is very white-washed and I really wish publishers would stop doing this to great books!!) But that isn’t the only reason why I enjoyed Callie. She is strong and versatile, she adapted well to the changes she faced, and as her fairy powers grew she took them all in stride. Callie was very easy-going and calm. I don’t think that I would have handled everything as well as she did.

When other fairies come into the picture, it just makes the book so much more entertaining. There are two groups of fairies, the Seelie and the Unseelie, that are both very interested in Callie. Their intentions aren’t totally clear throughout the story, but Callie will need to figure out which group she wants to become aligned with. For the romance lovers, I hate to say that there is no romance in Dust Girl, at least for now. There is a character named Jack who tries to help Callie out and I have a feeling that their relationship will progress in the next book. I’m kind of glad that the author decided to omit romance in this title because not EVERY book NEEDS to have romance in order for it to be a good story. I’m actually happy to see Callie and Jack start out as friends and companions.

Final Thoughts: I loved this book and I will be awaiting the next book in this series. I’m hoping it won’t be a very long wait! I think that is book will appeal to a wide variety of readers including historical fiction fans, fairy fans, and fans of stories with strong and capable female protagonists. The fairy lore and mythology in Dust Girl is top-notch and I think it will only become better over the course of the series. The writing was also top-notch. Pretty much everything about this book was fun and exciting and completely unique. I very highly recommend this book to all readers! (less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Sharon Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel is a young adult novel scheduled for release on June 26 2012. This novel starts the new American Fairy trilogy, which combines historical fiction and a new look at the fairies on American soil. Callie LeRoux lives in the middle of Kansas, where is has not rained in over two years. Her mother and Callie live in Slow Run and run a small hotel while trying not to think about Callie's absent father and the way people would treat Callie if they knew the true color of her ski...more Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel is a young adult novel scheduled for release on June 26 2012. This novel starts the new American Fairy trilogy, which combines historical fiction and a new look at the fairies on American soil. Callie LeRoux lives in the middle of Kansas, where is has not rained in over two years. Her mother and Callie live in Slow Run and run a small hotel while trying not to think about Callie's absent father and the way people would treat Callie if they knew the true color of her skin. The constant dust storms are slowly killing Callie with what the leaving doctor calls the 'dust pneumonia' and she is ready to run. However, Callie's mother has her play the piano a massive dust storm comes and changes everything. Her mother disappears into the storm, but she finds a mysterious man bearing clues to her father and a larger picture. Sudden hotel guests, a young hobo named Jack, and a series of desperate people set off a quest to discover the whole truth and the location of Callie's missing parents. As Callie makes her way she will need to discover who can trust, and if she can even trust in herself.

Dust Girl takes the American fairy tale and brings in new life. Callie is a smart, strong girl who takes charge of her own life. She does not simply sit there waiting for things to fix themselves, she stands up and makes the best of what she is given in life. This includes taking care of her mother in the dust bowl, and going in search of the truth and her future. Not many girls would be able to face off with a family of people sized locust and take in the fact that she is half fairy with so little panic. I am sure I would freak out much more if faced with the Hopper family. Jack is a complicated and intriguing character with his own story and journey to undergo. The other major players in the story; Shimmy, Shake, and Morgan, are all well-defined and fascinating. While I fully expected a twist or two near the end, the turn it took was not entirely expected. My only disappointments is that I felt the final resolution in the book came a little too easily, and that I do not have the sequel in hand.

I highly recommend Dust Girl to fans of modern fairy tales, coming of age stories, and well researched historical fiction. This recommendation is for young adult and adult readers. This book has warring fairy factions, young adults trying to find themselves, and some deeply researched bits of American history. Any one of these elements could have dragged the book down or been an idea that did not meet its potential, but here they support each other perfectly and make for a convincing landscape and gripping story.I had my doubts when starting the book, since the idea of a mysterious fairy or royal heritage has been done so often, but Dust Girl carries the idea to a new level and makes it new again. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. (less)

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May 29, 2012 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairies-or-fae, paranormal-urban-fantasy, ya-or-teen-protagonist

DUST GIRL is a bottom-of-the-YA-age-group novel that impressively combines historical and fantasy elements. It’s set in Kansas during the Dust Bowl, five years into the drought that’s killed crops and forced established families to abandon their homes and seek better fortune elsewhere. Slow Run, where our heroine Callie was born and raised, has slowly turned from an agricultural center into a ghost town.

That’s not all, of course. Callie’s mother is a little crazy. Callie herself is dying of dust...more DUST GIRL is a bottom-of-the-YA-age-group novel that impressively combines historical and fantasy elements. It’s set in Kansas during the Dust Bowl, five years into the drought that’s killed crops and forced established families to abandon their homes and seek better fortune elsewhere. Slow Run, where our heroine Callie was born and raised, has slowly turned from an agricultural center into a ghost town.

That’s not all, of course. Callie’s mother is a little crazy. Callie herself is dying of dust pneumonia, her lungs filling up with dirt that’s slowly suffocating her. And she’s a mixed-race child, with a white mother and a black father, during Segregation.

If you read the book blurb, you know this is a fairy story. That Callie’s absent father is a fairy prince, making Callie a fairy princess. You might think that the fantasy elements would offer an escape from the grim, dry reality of the Kansas Dust Bowl. This is a middle-grade paranormal, after all – surely there will be iridescent wings and silk gowns and marble fountains somewhere along the line? But, no, Sarah Zettel defies expectations.

There’s magic aplenty in DUST GIRL, but all of it is themed. Zettel takes up fairy lore that we all know (the Seelie/Unseelie court, the deadly potency of iron, etc.) and wraps it up with issues like race relations and poverty. For example: the “Unseelie” fairies are dark-skinned, making Callie appear to be mixed race, and one of the court’s primary sources of magic is jazz music. DUST GIRL is, bizarrely, a fairy story that refuses to indulge even the smallest escapist tendency. All of the fantastical elements lead the reader deeper into the history.

My biggest problem with the book was Callie. I had no idea how old she was. The book is narrated from her point of view and sometimes her vocabulary would be very sophisticated but at others very simple. Sometimes her understanding of the world felt very childlike, and at other times more adult. She could have been anywhere from eight to fifteen, and I was never sure. I couldn’t get a really solid bead on her personality, either. Sometimes she was meek and obedient. Sometimes she had gumption. I was never sure what sparked one side of her character to come out over the other and she ended up just plain not making any sense to me.

I think a lot of people are going to love this book. The worldbuilding is a feat in itself. I do recommend it to anyone who’s thrilled at the prospect of a non-escapist book about a fairy princess. Personally, however…because the heroine never grabbed my heart, the book itself didn’t either. I was impressed, but I didn’t fall in love. (less)

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May 22, 2012 Audrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: advanced-reader-s-copy-arc, fairies, historical-fiction, netgalley, series, ya

I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley.

The premise of this book drew me in immediately: Great Depression-era historical fiction paired with the constant clashing of the Fairie Courts in their search for the heir of the Midnight Throne. What a great combination, and one that we've seen in only limited doses (but in exceptionally well-done doses, by authors like Midori Snyder, Patricia Wrede, and Neil Gaiman -- which might be why I set the bar so high here.)

Everything here is adequate...more I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley.

The premise of this book drew me in immediately: Great Depression-era historical fiction paired with the constant clashing of the Fairie Courts in their search for the heir of the Midnight Throne. What a great combination, and one that we've seen in only limited doses (but in exceptionally well-done doses, by authors like Midori Snyder, Patricia Wrede, and Neil Gaiman -- which might be why I set the bar so high here.)

Everything here is adequate, and that's as far as I can go. Adequate writing -- clunky at times, confusing at others, crystal clear in places. Adequate characters -- there are times when I feel myself rooting for Callie, but for the most part I didn't feel connected to her at all. There definitely wasn't any connection with any of the other characters, and their motivation remained murky for much of the novel. The setting is fairly well-done, although there are some historical bobbles that I'm hoping will be fixed before final release (since this is an ARC); otherwise, one of them quite early on almost completely undermined my faith that this author knew what she was talking about.

The author tackles some bigger issues here -- identity is the most obvious one. The main character is searching for her identity, of course, as she discovers that she's not completely human. But there's also the issue of her being a mixed-race child, with a white momma and a (to all appearances) black daddy. And that's one thing that I can't decide how it settles with me: it's never completely clear but I believe, based on what I picked up, that the Midnight Court (or the Unseelie Court) are all black characters. Zettel is deftly playing with the politics of the time period, especially because the Unseelie Court is often thought to be the "bad" court or the "low" court, which would be reinforced by notions of race during the Great Depression. However, there's the question throughout the entire novel about who the good guys are, so that takes the preconceived notion and turns it upside down. The problem is that I'm not sure just how successfully Zettel pulls this off -- obviously we have two more novels in which to decide.(less)

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May 14, 2012 Dawn Vanniman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story centers around Callie LeRoux. Callie's mom is white and her dad is black. But there's more to Callie than the color of her parents. Set in the Dust Bowl era in Kansas, the story really captures the emptiness, starkness and hopelessness of the time period.

Callie's mom refuses to move out of their dying town, no matter what. She says that when her husband returns, she has to be there. The problem? He left years ago and they've never heard from him at all.

During a huge dust storm, Callie...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Rene Kirkpatrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Such an interesting read! You don't think of fairies in America, you know?

Callie and her mom live in a hotel in dust bowl Kansas. Everyone else in their town is leaving but Callie's mom can't go anywhere because she's waiting for her husband to come home. He won't be able to find them if they move on.

There are massive secrets surrounding Callie and music, the old piano in the parlor, and who her dad might really be. Callie isn't all white, very dangerous in the time this book takes place, her...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is nothing that I didn't love about this novel. It seemed to draw on a little bit of all kinds of mythology or lore including having a Native American Spirit Guide come to tell Callie of a story that may or may not be about her parents during the biggest dust storm of all time. One Callie might have called down when she played her father's piano. One where her mother got lost in or was it the Shining People that took her (the Seelie). And did Baya, the Native American Spirit Guide cure her...more
There is nothing that I didn't love about this novel. It seemed to draw on a little bit of all kinds of mythology or lore including having a Native American Spirit Guide come to tell Callie of a story that may or may not be about her parents during the biggest dust storm of all time. One Callie might have called down when she played her father's piano. One where her mother got lost in or was it the Shining People that took her (the Seelie). And did Baya, the Native American Spirit Guide cure her of her dust bowl pneumonia? Because all the sudden she can breathe without hacking. And who are the Midnight People her father came from? All of this mythology plus a little Greek mythology (or Heaven and Hell) are mixed in to it all. It really is American Fairy, a mixing bowl of all the mythologies of the people in our country. (Maybe not all, that would be confusing.) But it's a nice assortment.

Callie has been kept sheltered and gloved so that she can pass for white. Her father was a black jazz musician, or at least that's what she thought. But when times are really low and the last doctor has left town, Callie's mother takes her to her father's piano that's been untouched since he left and let's her play it. She doesn't know how to play. But she's filled with so much anger that she calls down the anger of Mother Nature in the form of the worst Dust Storm ever. Several things happen during this storm. Her mother gets lost during this storm. Baya, a Native American Spirit Guide (she think he's just a Native American at the time) comes to her door seeking shelter, he cures her dust bowl pneumonia, guests come to the hotel and Callie finds Jack. Callie also finds out about the prophecy from the guests, but she and Jack have to flee in the storm b/c the guests aren't what they appear to be.

As often is the case when I read about kids, teens, from harder times, earlier times, they grew up faster and acted a lot more adult than a kid Callie or Jack's age would today. I'm not sure how my 15 yr old would fare in the middle of a dust storm with his whole family gone and people after him. But Callie and Jack just do what they have to until they are safe and then when they have to make hard decisions, they do. These two are tough and because of what they have been through, they forge a bond that isn't easily broken even with magic. And yeah, the first flutterings of romance are there in Callie's stomach.

I didn't know how little I knew about the Midwest, the Dust Bowl until I read about what they had to do to keep the dust out. Not only tape up the windows, but when the storms came, they had to use their precious water to wet towels and sheets and press them into any crevice that could let dust in. The air was in a constant haze. And thousands died of "Dust Bowl Pneumonia." I'd never even heard of that. I never even though much of this time period. I know about the WPA only because my mother grew up during that time and she talks about it from time to time. But I think my history classes kind of skipped over the devastation of the Dust Storms. I didn't know the dust sometimes was like snow in that it piled up at the doors and blocked you in your house. Talk about apocalyptic!

I think Sarah Zettel did such a fantastic job of combining all the different bits of things that mean America and made her own Fairy story, familiar, yet fitting for America. I love it! I can't wait to read the second installment.

This is a clean read. It covers racism, poverty, violence against the poor, the Depression, fairies, magic,Heaven and Hell (it's not called that), families, loyalty, jealousy, and greed. Oh and it's a fairy tale, of sorts. I highly recommend this one for someone that is tired of the same old YA out there. This is definitely different!

I received an E-ARC from the publisher Random House Children's Books through Net Galley. I'd like to thank them for a chance to read this novel. I was in no way compensated for my review.(less)

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May 22, 2012 Miss Amby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dust Girl is unlike any novel I've ever read. It's set in the 1930s in the Dust Bowl in Kansas, and it's about a mixed race fae, Callie, and her need to reach California. While Zettel's descriptions had me feeling as if I was actually in the Dust Bowl with Callie, the world-building itself was lacking. Also, the characters were flawed and believable, but I found them hard to relate to.

Callie's race, which always hovered in the background, was a good reminder of which time period you were in, bu...more Dust Girl is unlike any novel I've ever read. It's set in the 1930s in the Dust Bowl in Kansas, and it's about a mixed race fae, Callie, and her need to reach California. While Zettel's descriptions had me feeling as if I was actually in the Dust Bowl with Callie, the world-building itself was lacking. Also, the characters were flawed and believable, but I found them hard to relate to.

Callie's race, which always hovered in the background, was a good reminder of which time period you were in, but I don't like the incorporation of the random Native American, which seemed rather racist on the part of the author. As an American Indian Studies major (political Anthropology and political History), I am extremely sensitive to how American Indians are portrayed in novels and to what these portrayals do to them politically. When Native American lore is presented in a decolonizing fashion, such as how Bethany Wiggins presented Navajo mythology in Shifting, I simply adore it. Wiggins shot all of the settler colonial ideas straight to hell with her novel and really illustrated how American Indians are very much a part of contemporary society. However, when some random Native American is thrown in and acts all weird and mysterious, simply because that is how Native Americans are viewed much of the time in contemporary society, it irks me. Yes, I know it is supposed to be Coyote, and Coyote is a trickster figure. But Coyote isn't a trickster figure for all American Indian nations, and just throwing Coyote in there to conveniently move the plot along only to have him disappear is a bit depoliticizing. And I'm not even going to go into a literary reading of the whole idea of now that the Indian was helped and he did his part, he'll disappear thing, considering that the mid-1930s was the end of the Assimilation Era when they wanted Native Americans to disappear.

But I digress. *deep breath* Okay. Moving on. I couldn't really connect to Callie, even though she was an extremely mature and strong character. I just didn't feel any emotional connection with her at all.Even though Zettel was good at showing the setting and time period, she did more telling when it came to the emotions. Because of this and the huge political faux pas at the beginning, I really didn't give a big crap if Callie made it to California or not. Also, while she and Jack seemed quite compatible, there was no romance to speak of. Just adolescent crushes and such. I'm not sure I would have cared had there been a romance since I couldn't relate to the characters, but generally that tends to spice up a dragging plot.

This plot was fairly slow moving for me. I mean I know they had insect fae and all of that, which completely grossed me out... I hate bugs, but it still took me forever to get through this book. It took me a long time because I was bored and because the plot was kind of random and didn't really make sense a lot of the time. Things would happen without any lead up whatsoever, which left me thinking, "where did that come from?" Then I would ignore the next chapter or so trying to figure out why this random event occurred. By the time I began to pay attention again, something else random would happen. I like a bit more order to my stories than this.

Overall, I'd say check this book out from the library before you buy it. I know a lot of people have loved it, and the setting is wonderfully done. However, the characters, while believable, are not easy to relate to... at least in my opinion. Also, there are a lot of plot holes. I wouldn't say avoid it completely, but I would say try before you buy. (less)

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Mar 18, 2012 Peggy Martinez rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

I was really excited by the idea behind this book. The American Fae, set in the Dust Bowl Era. However, about a few chapters into the book, and I just wanted it to end. I kept reading though to give the book a fair chance and to see if it'd get any better. For me, the book didn't get better, but worse. I think this book *might* be OK for pre-teens, MAYBE, but I'm not too sure.

The first problem I had with the book, is that I didn't fall in love with the main character, or ANY of the characters...more

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Jun 09, 2012 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya, netgalley, historical-fantasy

Straight up, it took me a long time to warm up to Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel. I felt as though I had been dropped into it with no idea of what was going on. I didn’t immediately feel grounded in the story. Frankly, though, once I had a better sense of place and world, Dust Girl went from being a chore to read to a story that I absolutely wolfed down.
Read the rest of my review here

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Feb 06, 2012 Deborah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1900s-era, american-life, fairies, fantasy-scifi, just-couldn-t-finish-it, new-author-for-me, reviewer-book, ya-novel

This book takes place in the 1930s in Kansas during the Dust Bowl era. Callie, the young adult protagonist, is not actually a human being, but she is part faerie, I suppos. The book is about her finding her father who was a travelling sales man and magical man, and getting to CA, for the most part.

I didn't like the book, though the premise is a good one. The author wasn't able to engender my interest. I found the characters dull and the storyline confusing at best...not well developed and, actu...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Elle! rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1930s, a-surprise, adventure, teens, ya, magic, enjoyable, favorites, great-narration

You know one of those books who just get it? This book does. Sad because I love shredding books! ^_^ anyway….It’s got everything down from the historical detail to magic to the great narration in a slam packed fun fast paced read. I am surprised; this is not your glittery naked fairy boy steals dumb high school girl because he feels like it read. This is a real creative novel with strong narration!

First Sentence: Once upon a time, I was a girl called Callie.
I bet you were!

Summary Anyway, Dust...more

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May 15, 2012 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Callie Leroux has grown up in Kansas, during the height of the Great Depression AND the Dust Bowl. Her Father disappeared before she was born, but promised to come back for them. So her Mother refuses to leave for the city and a better life. Callie has gotten the dust pneumonia, which will eventually kill her if her situation doesn't change. Also, she's forced to hide the fact that she's the product of a white Mother and a black Father in a time when it's considered nigh unto a sin to be biracia...more Callie Leroux has grown up in Kansas, during the height of the Great Depression AND the Dust Bowl. Her Father disappeared before she was born, but promised to come back for them. So her Mother refuses to leave for the city and a better life. Callie has gotten the dust pneumonia, which will eventually kill her if her situation doesn't change. Also, she's forced to hide the fact that she's the product of a white Mother and a black Father in a time when it's considered nigh unto a sin to be biracial. Something else is different about Callie that she only learns after a mysteriously supernatural dust storm carries away her Mother - Callie is half-fairy and royalty on top of that. With the help of Jack Hollander, a young man heading toward California to become a journalist, Callie heads out of town to find her parents. But not everyone she meets is a friend or trying to help her on her quest. All the fairies she meets have their own agendas, including the ones that claim to be family. Can Callie and Jack survive the hunger, racial prejudices and magic that work against them? Will they make it to California and reach their dreams? Callie is a great heroine - strong, with a distinctive voice and very sympathetic. Zettel never overplays the biracial aspect but does a wonderful job of emphasizing all of the prejudices in America at that time working against Callie. Another thing that I enjoyed was the idea that the Seelie Court (the Shining Ones) were white and the Unseelie Court (the Midnight People) were black. This put a new spin on the same old fairy mythology that is usually overused in the same ways. My only real complaint would be the ever-changing reality of who the villain was. Sometimes that's a good thing, but it turned a little schizophrenic in this case. This novel was about two young people trying to find themselves and their places in a changing America. Fantastitcal overtones were there, but not as present as in most fairy books. This was probably the best book dealing with fairies that I've ever read - and I have read A LOT of them. I would highly recommend this one to people who aren't even fans of books dealing with fairies, because at its heart it really is a character centric book.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 26th, 2012.*(less)

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