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Dust Girl

(The American Fairy #1)

Sarah Zettel (Goodreads Author)

3.46 · Rating details · 1,517 ratings · 319 reviews

Callie LeRoux is choking on dust. It seeps through the cracks in the hotel that Callie and her mother run in Kansas. It’s slowly filling her lungs. Callie’s begged her mother to leave their town, like their neighbors have already done, but her mother refuses. She’s waiting for Callie’s long-gone father to return.

Just as the biggest dust storm in history sweeps through the ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by Random House Books for Young Readers

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Nov 16, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a unique story about fairies because this is it!

Shelves: 2011-reads, best-characters, best-endings, writing-to-which-i-aspire, titles-i-love, soared-above-and-beyond, surprisingly-liked, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, wowed-me, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire

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 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. ...more

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May 26, 2014 Tamora Pierce rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-ya-yr

A splendidly well-written book, set in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Callie's mom has gone missing, but a mysterious stranger points her to the golden country around Hollywood, if she can get there somehow. Traveling with her is Jack, a hobo boy who knows how to survive in the cruel world of the Great Depression and who doesn't mind that Callie obviously has Negro blood--or is it blood from a people far more outside human experience even than the blacks of the 1930s?

Callie and Jack have embarked o ...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Nafiza rated it liked it

Shelves: source-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 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. ...more

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Aug 13, 2014 Eilonwy rated it liked it

Shelves: fast-and-enjoyable, good-mythology

Maybe 3-1/2 stars. It did keep me zooming along.

Callie LeRoux and her mother operate a hotel in Slow Run, Kansas in 1935 ... or at least they did until the Dust Bowl came and the guests dried up right along with everything else. Now they just go through the motions while their town dies around them. One day, Callie's mother demands that she call her long-missing father for help -- by playing his piano. But when Callie does, her mother disappears and a string of mysterious strangers begin arrivi

...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-arc, 2011-reads, reviews-2012, tales-of-fae-and-faery-tales, ya-fiction, read-need-to-buy, arc, reviewed, historical-fiction, series-ongoing

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

"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 Court ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Arie rated it liked it

Shelves: faerytales, bipoc-rep, fantasy-unusual, young-adult

Far from perfect, and some of the languaging was a little uncomfortable (just in terms of cultural depictions etc) but some really creative ideas. By the end the plot had lost control a little but I would happily read the sequel!

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Jun 10, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it really liked it

Shelves: galleys, read-in-2012

Faerie lore purists will probably hate Dust Girl for the same reason I love it. This novel takes the ancient faerie stories, seelie and unseelie courts, and bastardizes it as only Americans can. It's unique and compelling, weaving in American history and some of our own legends.

Callie LeRoux has spent her whole life living in the small town of Slow Run. Her mother operates an old empty hotel. Their town is a dying community, stuck in the middle of the Kansas dust bowl. To make matters worse, her ...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Heidi rated it liked it

Originally reviewed here.

Before I start my review, let’s have a word about the cover. Initially, I really liked it. And then I cracked the book and realized that our main character, Callie, is half-black. To me, this makes the cover of Dust Girl the latest offender of whitewashing, a practice that needs to stop.

My papa was a black man. That made me a black girl. That meant there was a whole world of things I couldn’t do, and places I couldn’t go. I couldn’t sit in the Moonlight Room, or go to th ...more

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May 21, 2012 Amber at Fall Into Books rated it it was ok

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 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. ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Kat Heckenbach rated it it was ok

This book started off amazing. The vividness of the setting, the character of Callie, the originality of the concept. Set in 1935, a time of severe drought in the dustbowl of Kansas, amid a time of racism with a biracial protagonist.

But it quickly started going downhill.

For much of the story, Callie and her new friend Jack are running from strange things, including bugs disguised as people, after Callie's mom disappears in a dust storm. In the process, Callie discovers she's half fairy and her f This book started off amazing. The vividness of the setting, the character of Callie, the originality of the concept. Set in 1935, a time of severe drought in the dustbowl of Kansas, amid a time of racism with a biracial protagonist.

But it quickly started going downhill.

For much of the story, Callie and her new friend Jack are running from strange things, including bugs disguised as people, after Callie's mom disappears in a dust storm. In the process, Callie discovers she's half fairy and her father is a fairy prince (who left before she was born). This put me off--it's a trope used over and over in teen fiction and is getting rather tiring.

What really bothered me, though, was that despite solid writing, lots of action and some pretty creative magic and story world elements, no progress was really made in the plot. I knew half-way through there'd be no resolution in the end. YET AGAIN, we have a "book one" that is nothing more than a set-up for a series.

Also, even though Callie started off a pretty fully-fleshed character, she was the only one, and she even lost some of her appeal partway through the book. I just didn't much care about her or the other characters for most of the story. It was only my curiosity about the author's take on the fairy world that kept me reading. And then...

*****SPOILER!!! BIG TIME! AS IN, I'M TELLING YOU HOW IT ENDS!*****

(view spoiler) ...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Tracey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 1901-1950

This was very nearly a one-sitting book (from Netgalley, thank you). I wandered off from what I was already reading, dipped into a couple of other stories, and realized with a kind of guilty start that I'd had Dust Girl for quite a while and needed to see if I wanted to commit to it. Three hours later I was 80% of the way through it and had to turn off the light because of my stupid job. Note: As usual, the Kindle galley was a bit funky – erratic indentations and line breaks, and randomly placed This was very nearly a one-sitting book (from Netgalley, thank you). I wandered off from what I was already reading, dipped into a couple of other stories, and realized with a kind of guilty start that I'd had Dust Girl for quite a while and needed to see if I wanted to commit to it. Three hours later I was 80% of the way through it and had to turn off the light because of my stupid job. Note: As usual, the Kindle galley was a bit funky – erratic indentations and line breaks, and randomly placed pagination and whatnot – but not nearly as bad as some.

I'm thisclose to giving it five stars. I think I was put off as long as I was because of the introduction, featuring incredibly creepy voices and magic-by-angry-piano – which combined with the creepy, creepy face on the cover to give the wrong impression of the book. It's not a horror novel. There are some absolutely horripilating things in it – the Hoppers were some of the … creepiest (note to self: need new word) characters I've read in a while, and as for the Sheriff … yeah. Creepy.

But the primary genre is not horror: it is, in fact, a fairy tale of sorts, in keeping with the name of the projected series: The American Fairy Trilogy. By which I mean not an adaptation of a classic, but something new and different and fresh which fits with a click into the classic mold. It makes use of the classic tropes of faery in much the same way Emma Bull did in War for the Oaks, revealing how the Seelie and Unseelie Courts rub up against and coexist with the mundane world, but this take on the relationship is beautifully unique.

I think part of this was the only real drawback to the book, and that may have been more my own expectations rather than the storytelling: I still don't know what makes one Court Seelie while the other is Un. Not to spoil anything, but there didn't seem to be much to choose between them. Still, that might be explored in the rest of the trilogy. And the fae who are encountered in the course of this book are excellent characters – they're slippery, shifting shape and surroundings and the truth as suits their whim, until nothing – not their words nor their actions nor even their surroundings – can be trusted. Oh, and they can create zombies.

There was one other place that gave me pause, now that I think of it: as the book description says, Callie's mother goes missing in a dust storm – which, by the way, was one of the scariest things I've read in a while. But Callie fetches back up in the house, having rescued a strange and mysterious man who can't seem to hold a shape, and loses all track of her mother … and hares off on a kind of half-cocked search with no solid reason for her destination. I wouldn't have wanted to read page after page about her moping or panicking, but she seemed to accept the new bizarreness in her world as well as the disappearance of her mother with more aplomb than I might expect from anyone, much less a teenager.

The setting is different – the Dust Bowl, 1930's Kansas to start out – and well-drawn. I love that this is placed in the 30's in the Midwest, which seems an under-utilized time and place, and is well-suited to the action. Jack Hollander fits right in as the young man Callie encounters before setting off on her search, with whom she forms the kind of quick bond that does tend to happen when two people help each other survive a horrific experience. That he and Callie do not immediately fall in Teenage Love is both refreshing and believable. That Callie has the intelligence to keep in mind that, like everyone else in her world after her mother disappears, his motives are not transparent and her trust has to be carefully placed – this is even more refreshing and welcome. Callie is not a cuddly protagonist, but she is sharp and self-sufficient and good company for a few hours' reading. Just block out a space for it that won't take you past your bedtime. ...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it really liked it

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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Feb 08, 2012 Lelia Taylor rated it really liked it

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 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.

...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Mel (Daily Prophecy) rated it really liked it

Shelves: gave-away, read-2013, incoming-2013

On http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com

“I thought maybe I could just get away from everything. But you can't get away from a thing that's your own fault.”

From the beginning I was sucked into the story of Callie. She lives in Slow Run with her mother in a small hotel. The constant storms are causing health problems for Callie, but her mother refuses to leave. Year ago their father left them, but he promised to return one day and her mother is holding tight to that promise.

When one of the worst du ...more

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Feb 18, 2012 ExLibris_Kate rated it really liked it

Right from the start you get a real sense of the dry, dusty existence that Callie and her mother live in their isolated Kansas town. Times are already tough because of the depression, but Callie's past is mysterious. Her mother still holds a torch for her father, who disappeared long ago. Callie is bi-racial, which is hard enough in this time and place, but with a father whose identity is shrouded in mystery, things get even worse. The story is intricately woven, as many faerie stories are, and ...more

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Mar 03, 2012 April rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, for-review, 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 ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Heidi rated it really liked it

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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Nov 14, 2019 Katharine Ott rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya, series

"Dust Girl" - written by Sarah Zettel and published in 2012 by Random House Children's Books. Callie is living with her mother in their shuttered hotel in Kansas in 1935, Dust Bowl times, watching their town slowly close down. She is of mixed-race - her black father was a piano player who left before she was born and her mother takes care to hide this heritage from others. When a huge dust storm moves in, things take a turn for the worse, while Callie's latent powers inherited from her fairy fat ...more

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Nov 13, 2021 Eden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-young-adult, time-1920-1938, science-fiction, paranormal

2021 bk 341. WOW! This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and held on through the end. Seriously - I missed 2 meals while reading it. From its dust bowl setting to its mixture of not one but two folklore traditions with the blues thrown in, what is there not to love. Our heroine is existing and very ill from the dust when her mother finally reveals the name of her father and then disappears. Her rescue of Coyote, the trickster, disguised as a man named Baya, results in her healing and ...more

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Aug 19, 2020 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

The beginning of this book was full of fantastic descriptive words that really shared (for me at least) what it was like in the dust bowl of the Midwest. I had always wondered what it was like during that time and this answered so much about that. I enjoyed learning about Callie and her experiences. I cringed with her and felt the worry she experienced because of who she was. I didn't realize it was a series when I started it, so was disappointed in the end. Since then I learned that there are t ...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it it was ok

Shelves: series-not-finishing, netgalley

Originally posted here.

Guys, this book was weird. Like one of the weirdest books I've read this side of my college course on counterculture where we read things like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Much like the books in that course, I definitely felt like I was on some sort of substance-assisted journey as I read through Dust Girl. So yeah, that was interesting.

Though it was pretty evident from the opening that this was perhaps not the book for me, I persisted on and didn't DNF, because there w Originally posted here.

Guys, this book was weird. Like one of the weirdest books I've read this side of my college course on counterculture where we read things like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Much like the books in that course, I definitely felt like I was on some sort of substance-assisted journey as I read through Dust Girl. So yeah, that was interesting.

Though it was pretty evident from the opening that this was perhaps not the book for me, I persisted on and didn't DNF, because there were some good things about the book. For one thing, I was seriously impressed by Zettel's writing. Dust Girl manages to be very southern without being obnoxious to me at all. Zettel keeps her dialect to a minimum, using it subtly. Even her non-dialect language has a rather southern feel to it, accomplishing the precise mood and tone without making me want to attempt a lobotomy upon myself.

The only thing about the writing I wasn't sure about was a stylistic choice. Zettel chose to write the story in the past tense, occasionally interjecting a monologue from future Callie into the story. There would be an analysis of how Callie felt in a situation, followed by something to the effect of 'but I didn't know that at the time.' This always left me feeling as though Zettel was trying to explain concepts and motivations to me she felt I wasn't clever to grasp without her heavy-handed assistance. I generally find this method of story-telling to be tricky and a bit overdone, and I thought it was especially clunky here, although perhaps this was fixed in the final version.

The other awesome thing about this story was how unlike anything else I've read it was. There might be moments where I thought of some other fiction, but the compilation of these moments and all of the other moments were something brand new. These faeries are familiar, but they are Zettel's own. Oh, and, adding to the originality, is the diversity in the book. I feel like I shouldn't have to issue mad props everytime I read a book with a non-white main character, but I do. Callie is a mixed race child (whatever we ultimately decide her race to be).

However, the big drawback for the book, the aspect that left me constantly going "WTF!!!!!" as I read, was the fact that I never had a freaking clue what was happening. There are books that surprise me, that do unexpected things, but I have rarely felt as completely lost in a narrative as I did in Dust Girl. Things would happen, and then some more things. I never felt like I had any sense of a direction the story was heading in or like that was an issue with me as a reader. There just wasn't a feeling of a story arc. Mostly, it felt like I was being pulled along for the ride, bumping roughly and suddenly over obstacles I couldn't possibly have seen coming.

I really can't recommend or condemn this book. Some readers will no doubt love it, because it was in pretty much every way a wholly unique reading experience. Others, though, will be entirely frustrated by that adrift feeling that it leaves you with. I didn't dislike the book, but I'm also not invested enough to continue on with the series. ...more

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Mar 02, 2012 ☕️Kimberly rated it liked it · review of another edition

This tale takes place in Slow Run Kansas during the time of the great Dust Bowl. Zettel offers us an interesting tale of dark and light fairies, danger and discovery. Fans of folk lore, history and fairies will delight in this tale.

We meet protagonist Callie LeRoux at her home, a grand hotel in Slow Run. The town is all but deserted due to the dry conditions. Sand and dust have affected her health but her mother refuses to leave. Callie’s father, a man she has never met promised he’d return. Whe This tale takes place in Slow Run Kansas during the time of the great Dust Bowl. Zettel offers us an interesting tale of dark and light fairies, danger and discovery. Fans of folk lore, history and fairies will delight in this tale.

We meet protagonist Callie LeRoux at her home, a grand hotel in Slow Run. The town is all but deserted due to the dry conditions. Sand and dust have affected her health but her mother refuses to leave. Callie’s father, a man she has never met promised he’d return. When a horrific dust storm occurs and Callie’s mother goes missing, a mysterious man appears. He tells Callie she must head west to California to find her parents. The tale and the journey offer Callie insight about herself, her parents and her destiny. The journey is difficult as Callie must determine who to trust and who to run from. Filled with twists, murder and strange creatures this tale was entertaining.

Callie is unique in more ways than one. She is of mixed color at a time when society had strict rules regarding race.(although the cover in no way reflects this) In a lot of ways Callie has had to be an adult, since her mother has obvious issues. Callie quickly learns that she is only half-human and watching her discover her powers was fun. She is tough, smart and surprisingly level-headed, despite all that is occurring. I loved some of her kick-butt action scenes. Jack is street-wise and sensitive. He cares for Callie and tries to help her. He knows the streets and every con imaginable. He is also welled versed in lore and is able to offer Callie clues about the parties involved and her role in it. At one point I disliked his actions, but he did redeemed himself. The Fae bring us an odd mix of colorful characters. There are two groups The Seelie and the Unseelie. Both want Callie in their court and ultimately she will need to decide.

The world building was fascinating. Zettel swept us back in time and I felt like I was there. Her depiction of the period was breathtaking and I could taste the dust. Callie is the center of a prophecy and both Fae kingdoms are vying for her. This created a lot of twists, turns and heart-palpitating moments. Mixed into this fantasy, Zettel touches on the topic of prejudice. She focuses on race as well as social classes. A scene towards the end is steeped in religion and I had to reread to understand exactly what happened. This was the only bump in an otherwise evenly paced tale. At this time there is no romance, and I am curious to see what happens next.
I want to thank Random House and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
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Jun 18, 2012 Alanna (The Flashlight Reader) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, ya, 2012

I’m going to go ahead and admit that I am not a fan of fairy books. I like them about as much as I like vampires and zombies. Knowing that, I was a little apprehensive about reading Dust Girl because it was marketed as a Fae story. While that was true, there were other elements that kept this from feeling like a stale fairy tale (no pun intended).
One of the things I noticed right away was the original setting. I can only recall reading one other book set in the Dust Bowl during the early 1900s. I’m going to go ahead and admit that I am not a fan of fairy books. I like them about as much as I like vampires and zombies. Knowing that, I was a little apprehensive about reading Dust Girl because it was marketed as a Fae story. While that was true, there were other elements that kept this from feeling like a stale fairy tale (no pun intended).
One of the things I noticed right away was the original setting. I can only recall reading one other book set in the Dust Bowl during the early 1900s. I think this is partly because of the difficulty with describing the setting in historically accurate detail. Now, take that insanely challenging setting and imagine adding a paranormal twist. That is a pretty hefty challenge for an author. Did the author pull it off? I think so. There were many subtle details that I recalled learning from my history classes and other historical books along the way (yeah, I’m a nerd like that). There were also new details that I had never heard about before. I had fun learning something new from a fictional story. (You know I looked those details up to check the accuracy! That’s the teacher in me.)
I also enjoyed the characters. Callie is bi-racial during a time when that was not socially acceptable. Her father was a black Jazz musician, or so she thought, while her mother was a white hotel worker. What Callie doesn’t realize is that the term “bi-racial” takes on a whole new meaning for her because her father is actually a Fae prince. Dun dun dun… Cue the drama. I can’t mention much of the role her father and his people have in the story because that is the majority of the conflict, but I can say how much I enjoyed that slowly developing conflict. I had the chance to meet many interesting characters in this story. I just wish I could have spent more time with some of them. (I guess that’s what book 2 is for.)
Finally, I really enjoyed the subtle mythology in this story. I think Native American mythology is not represented enough. So when a character that resembled Coyote made an appearance, I was instantly intrigued. The only thing I wondered about was that Coyote is typically described as a trickster, but the character that represented Coyote did not appear to fit that mold. Makes me wonder what will happen as this story develops more.
If you want a book that wraps up tightly and leaves you well satisfied, you should probably skip this one. There is a cliff hanger ending that left me with a lot of questions. I enjoyed my time reading through this story because the author has a great writing style. It’s very conversational in tone, which made it a smooth read.
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Sep 20, 2013 Kelesea rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, food-porn, diya

Title: Dust Girl

Author: Sarah Zettel

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Series: The American Fairy, book one

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The bottom line: An enchanting debut about a young half-fairy coming of age, Dust Girl was just a triumph of a little book--I thoroughly enjoyed it! Highly recommended for fans of both genres!

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Callie LeRoux is a girl who is well-versed in survival. As a half-black ...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: teen

Slow Run, Kansas is a backwater barely-town suffering greatly in the wake of the Great Depression. Dust storms rage and businesses are drying up. Callie and her mother live in and run the old Imperial Hotel. While it was once glamorous and busy, the Hotel is now crumbling and failing. But Callie and her mother have stayed in spite of it all. In spite of the dust that has settled in Callie's lungs. In spite of the lack of money and the struggle to keep the place running. And in spite of the fact Slow Run, Kansas is a backwater barely-town suffering greatly in the wake of the Great Depression. Dust storms rage and businesses are drying up. Callie and her mother live in and run the old Imperial Hotel. While it was once glamorous and busy, the Hotel is now crumbling and failing. But Callie and her mother have stayed in spite of it all. In spite of the dust that has settled in Callie's lungs. In spite of the lack of money and the struggle to keep the place running. And in spite of the fact that almost no one stops in Slow Run these days. They trudge along in hopes that Callie's father will keep his promise and return to them. Then, in a fit of desperation, Callie's mother calls on her to attempt to reach out to her father through means Callie doesn't even understand. Rather than bring her father home, Callie instead loses her mother as well. In order to get her back, Callie must travel West to California. But along the way, Callie will learn that everything she's come to believe may indeed be wrong. For Callie is far from normal and her life will soon be filled with magic and creatures beyond belief.

One thing everyone seems to agree on with Sarah Zettel's Dust Girl is that it's strange. I found it wonderfully imaginative! It brought to mind the magic of The Wizard of Oz and The Odyssey a la Oh, Brother Where Art Though. What's more, I found the setting to be completely unique and fabulous!

Fairies in Dust Bowl, Kansas. Oh, my! DUST GIRL is a YA fantasy and the first in the American Fairy Trilogy. Zettel does draw on some other inspirations that I'm sure many readers in the target audience will not be familiar with. The most blatantly obvious (and I caught it but it was also mentioned in the Author's Note) is THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY. I've not read Horace McCoy's book but I did randomly come across the film one evening. It's a truly strange and dark story. It sprang to mind the instant Callie comes across the flier for the dance marathon and I was pleased as punch that I recognized it.

My point in all this is that DUST GIRL, as odd a story as it is, worked for me. It was different from anything else I'd come across and I found it highly entertaining. But I kind of like weird.

This is Zettel's first official teen release. She is the author of a number of previous fantasy novels but this is my first read by her. ...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Erica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres, but it is one of the most difficult ones to get right if you ask me - and Sarah Zettel manages to nearly nail it with Dust Girl. It has the perfect amount of intrigue, adventure, and great story that features a budding friendship.

I don't know how I didn't read this one earlier. I heard about it and was excited, but somehow it just slipped down my TBR pile and boy am I regretting it. I love how different Sarah Zettel's fairies are. While there are ...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Anna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, young-adult, mid-20th-century

This is such a rich and intriguing read, suitable for ages 10 on up I think. As long as the 10 year old can cope with violence, death and subtle, tricksy fae. [spoilers removed]The world building is outstanding, Zettel takes us right back to the dustbowl, Kansas 1935, and introduces us to Callie, a girl who is about to learn that not only is she biracial-passing-as-white she is also a halfling-passing-as-human. But this isn't something she can focus on right now, because she is living through t ...more

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Apr 02, 2013 The Library Lady rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-books, fantasy

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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Nov 21, 2011 Mickey rated it liked it

Man, was I ever intrigued by Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel. Give me a good ole' Dust Bowl/Great Depression story any day. Give me a new twist on faerie lore any day. Wait...I get BOTH?! Ms. Zettel took a unique approach with her novel that totally caught me off-guard. I am ashamed that I thought she'd "girly out" on the faerie end of things...but the first encounter of the faerie kind wiped that idea out. There were a lot of tidbits that I wanted more information on, and I know that this book is int ...more

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Jun 24, 2015 Xena Elektra rated it did not like it

Shelves: adventure, young-adult, fantasy, did-not-finish, fae

DNF 57%

This book was weird and seemed to take forever to get anywhere. Halfway through the book and I know only a little more than when I started.

I also struggled with the small detail of Callie being half-black but not really looking it on the cover and none of the people in her life could tell. Supposedly it was because she stayed out of the sun. I can't think of any half-black people I've met that didn't look mixed! They couldn't pass for white people. Considering Callie's hair is stated to ...more

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About Sarah Zettel

Sarah Zettel

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Sarah Zettel is the critically acclaimed author of more than twenty novels, spanning the full range of genre fiction. Her debut novel, Reclamation, won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her second release, Fool’s War, was a 1997 New York Times Notable Book, and the American Library Association named Playing God one of the Best Books for Young Adults of 1999. Her novel Bitter Angels won the Phi ...more

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The American Fairy (3 books)

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Quotes from Dust Girl

“Mama took me in her arms and held me tight. Her embrace was hot and she smelled like sweat, dust, and grease, but I wanted her. I wanted to crawl inside her mind to find that place that let her smile and sing through the worst dust storms. If I had to be crazy, I wanted my mama's kind of crazy, because she was never afraid.” — 20 likes

“They were beautiful beyond words, beautiful beyond understanding. So beautiful, I wanted to tear out my heart and hand it over, because after seeing them, I surely wouldn't have any more use for it.” — 7 likes

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