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A Single Stone
In an isolated society, one girl makes a discovery that will change everything — and learns that a single stone, once set in motion, can bring down a mountain.Jena — strong, respected, reliable — is the leader of the line, a job every girl in the village dreams of. Watched over by the Mothers as one of the chosen seven, Jena's years spent denying herself food and wrapping her limbs have paid off. She is small enough to squeeze through the tunnels of the mountain and gather the harvest, risking her life with each mission. No work is more important. This has always been the way of things, even if it isn’t easy. But as her suspicions mount and Jena begins to question the life she’s always known, the cracks in her world become impossible to ignore. Thought-provoking and quietly complex, Meg McKinlay’s novel unfolds into a harshly beautiful tale of belief, survival, and resilience stronger than stone.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2015
36 people are currently reading
1570 people want to read
About the author
Meg McKinlay
25 books68 followersMeg McKinlay is a children's writer and poet living in Fremantle, Western Australia.
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
June 15, 2017
Reread for spec fic talk. Just as disturbing.
This is deliberate, clever, writing, which reflects the themes and the style of novel. I like a book I can't slot easily into a genre or category. A book that defies classification is well worth it.
The cool, silent rocks that rule Jena's world is reflected back in every precise and deft sentence. The village's survival is extremely clearly depicted, through dispassionate tones. It's very effective.
McKinlay never overplays her dramatic moments, allowing readers to confront some awful realities of this society through a thoughtful and measured lens.
Really beautiful, really powerful, really strong.
This is deliberate, clever, writing, which reflects the themes and the style of novel. I like a book I can't slot easily into a genre or category. A book that defies classification is well worth it.
The cool, silent rocks that rule Jena's world is reflected back in every precise and deft sentence. The village's survival is extremely clearly depicted, through dispassionate tones. It's very effective.
McKinlay never overplays her dramatic moments, allowing readers to confront some awful realities of this society through a thoughtful and measured lens.
Really beautiful, really powerful, really strong.
January 3, 2017
I enjoyed the concept, a quick and entertaining read but sadly, not for me. I felt the emphasis on emaciated bodies and malnourished young women should have been addressed, especially given the intended age of readers.
Review to come.
Review to come.
March 24, 2017
While this had an interesting premise, I thought the execution was thin, thin, thin. (Pun intended.) I never fully got a sense of any of the characters or setting, and the plot was a bit weak. I didn’t even feel a claustrophobic atmosphere, which disappointed me.
I think perhaps a sparse story/writing was the author’s intent, but that just personally rarely works for me. I needed the story and the characters to be more fleshed out, because as it is, this felt rushed. I actually think this premise would have been fantastic as a short story. For a full-length novel, it doesn’t hold up.
(It’s curious that even in a matriarchy, young girls are still encouraged/forced to physically shape and change and starve their bodies to fit certain standards. This aspect of the story is, unfortunately, skimmed over. I would have liked a more in-depth look here because I think that could be a really insightful comment how harmful and pervasive the patriarchy is in the real world.)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley.
I think perhaps a sparse story/writing was the author’s intent, but that just personally rarely works for me. I needed the story and the characters to be more fleshed out, because as it is, this felt rushed. I actually think this premise would have been fantastic as a short story. For a full-length novel, it doesn’t hold up.
(It’s curious that even in a matriarchy, young girls are still encouraged/forced to physically shape and change and starve their bodies to fit certain standards. This aspect of the story is, unfortunately, skimmed over. I would have liked a more in-depth look here because I think that could be a really insightful comment how harmful and pervasive the patriarchy is in the real world.)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley.
June 5, 2018
What first drew me to A Single Stone was the fact that this is essentially a younger version of the YA and Adult dystopian novels that I love. I was so excited to see how Meg McKinlay would bring Jena's sheltered world to life, and how she would address the society as a whole. I won't lie, I had pretty high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it failed to reach quite as high as my expectations were set.
To start with the positives, I can say that Jena's society is fairly well laid out in this book. The reader quickly understands that the mountain, and the harvest, are the focal point of life in this small society. Status in Jena's world is based on how much one is able to contribute to the community, and that means that the girls who can descend into the mountain are the elite. I loved this concept, and especially loved the fact that Jena's backstory didn't allow her to be too proud. Her life hasn't been an easy one, and so Jena takes nothing for granted. Which is important in this story.
What I missed, mainly the further I got into the book, was real character development. Although Jena definitely learns the dark secrets that her society hides, she never really grows as a person. I think, and this is completely my opinion, that the lack of real dialogue in this book is really what sets it back. We see what Jena thinks. We see what she does. We never see her really stand up for herself, or her beliefs, though. It made really falling in love with her as a character, and therefore with the characters around her, a lot more difficult.
In fact, I think what this book really needed was just more time. More pages to bring Jena into her own. More opportunity for interactions with her fellow community members and, especially, more time for adventure in the mountain. The book flew by, but I was left at the end feeling like something was missing. I loved the concepts presented in this book, but I feel like they weren't as fleshed out as they could be. So I'm sitting at a three star rating.
To start with the positives, I can say that Jena's society is fairly well laid out in this book. The reader quickly understands that the mountain, and the harvest, are the focal point of life in this small society. Status in Jena's world is based on how much one is able to contribute to the community, and that means that the girls who can descend into the mountain are the elite. I loved this concept, and especially loved the fact that Jena's backstory didn't allow her to be too proud. Her life hasn't been an easy one, and so Jena takes nothing for granted. Which is important in this story.
What I missed, mainly the further I got into the book, was real character development. Although Jena definitely learns the dark secrets that her society hides, she never really grows as a person. I think, and this is completely my opinion, that the lack of real dialogue in this book is really what sets it back. We see what Jena thinks. We see what she does. We never see her really stand up for herself, or her beliefs, though. It made really falling in love with her as a character, and therefore with the characters around her, a lot more difficult.
In fact, I think what this book really needed was just more time. More pages to bring Jena into her own. More opportunity for interactions with her fellow community members and, especially, more time for adventure in the mountain. The book flew by, but I was left at the end feeling like something was missing. I loved the concepts presented in this book, but I feel like they weren't as fleshed out as they could be. So I'm sitting at a three star rating.
December 25, 2024
This book was just too boring and nothing interesting happens.
March 28, 2016
Meg McKinley, A Single Stone. 2015
So interesting to see how a group of people can be over protected and controlled. Not unlike a cult. Jena is an important girl, bred to be slim so she can work in the mines. The whole community relies on her but she discovers a horrifying secret.
Beautifully written; some may call it a slow burner but events do unfold and we grow to love the characters.
I enjoyed the flashbacks in different font which gave Jena’s backstory. Also the introduction of a mystery character – it doesn’t matter that we know who it is, as we wonder how it will finally resolve. I also enjoyed the writing style: ‘She didn’t reply. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, her voice a shifty thing, unreliable’ (p. 200).
‘It felt like she was unravelling. Things she had thought long forgotten were all of a sudden right ‘there’, bright fibres of memory unspooling. And she had seen how this worked, how it began with one frayed corner, a single loose thread’ (p. 104).
Innovative. Marketed as children's yet is more of a crossover into the lower end of YA - middle school.
So interesting to see how a group of people can be over protected and controlled. Not unlike a cult. Jena is an important girl, bred to be slim so she can work in the mines. The whole community relies on her but she discovers a horrifying secret.
Beautifully written; some may call it a slow burner but events do unfold and we grow to love the characters.
I enjoyed the flashbacks in different font which gave Jena’s backstory. Also the introduction of a mystery character – it doesn’t matter that we know who it is, as we wonder how it will finally resolve. I also enjoyed the writing style: ‘She didn’t reply. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, her voice a shifty thing, unreliable’ (p. 200).
‘It felt like she was unravelling. Things she had thought long forgotten were all of a sudden right ‘there’, bright fibres of memory unspooling. And she had seen how this worked, how it began with one frayed corner, a single loose thread’ (p. 104).
Innovative. Marketed as children's yet is more of a crossover into the lower end of YA - middle school.
August 3, 2022
this book shook me to my absolute core. it helped me find mysef and wehre i stand in the rock climbing business. i alwys wanted to start a mining business but my technique was a little shabby. thid has really helped me and given me advice on who to get in the caves and how to get the rocks out easily. all i now need is an enclosed community and a couple of mountains. if you know anyone that provides this hmu :) i am also very passionate about rocks and different species. i have one called sarah and she is pregnant, expecting pebbles. this has helped me consider baby names. anyways, thank you so much. you are an angel sent from the mountains ;) i will keep this on my bookshelf for centuries to come.
ciao! - from your biggest fans in Germny!! sopie and bala
ciao! - from your biggest fans in Germny!! sopie and bala
August 22, 2017
Weird.
I wasn't a fan of the writing. Kept having to reread. Not sure many Middle School students will stay with the book. Dystopian Middle School meets Atwood. Interesting concept. Not sure it hits its target audience.
I wasn't a fan of the writing. Kept having to reread. Not sure many Middle School students will stay with the book. Dystopian Middle School meets Atwood. Interesting concept. Not sure it hits its target audience.
September 18, 2023
An original dystopian novel where a village is trapped by a sinister and secretive powerlessness. Was it the mountain that kept them isolated or the ruling mothers?
12+ Years
12+ Years
August 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this little story. The characters were great, the storyline was really interesting, and the setting was fascinating!
For an easy, comfort middle grade read, A Single Stone is perfect!
For an easy, comfort middle grade read, A Single Stone is perfect!
April 14, 2016
Not bad, same problem as a lot of kids' fiction where the entire plot and everything is resolved in <20 pages, but not a bad quick read.
August 15, 2017
For all of Jena’s young life, her village has lived at the mercy of the mountain that surrounds them. The Mothers have instilled in all of them a reverential worship of the rocks that have surrounded and trapped them to a life of hardship. All things are “if the rock allows it.”
The winters are so severe that it’s every family for itself and not everyone survives the deathly cold of the deep snow drifts that bury the valley. Jena is lucky because she is the leader of the line--the group of seven girls that traverse the narrow, winding paths deep into the mountain searching for the harvest of mica--blue stones that emit heat when struck. Mica is their only winter heat source and is more precious than gold. Her family gets extra rations of food and mica for Jena’s service.
Life wasn’t always like this. Years ago, they lived beyond the mountain ridges and lived a good life where food was plentiful. Men had carved their own paths through the mountain to steal its shiny plunder until one day the mountain’s wrath was so strong it shook the ground and threw huge boulders down among the people until only a small group remained that was trapped in a small valley with no way out. It was a miracle when seven women crawled out from the rubble. The Mothers determined this was an important lesson and decreed that only girls (7 at a time) could enter the mountain for mica and they could only travel where paths existed naturally within the mountain--no more carving out of rock or taking the men’s paths.
In this society, babies are valued for the smallness of their size and their bodies are wrapped tightly at birth to restrict growth and keep bones flexible to increase the likelihood of a girl being able to work the line. When babies are born earlier and earlier, Jena suspects that something isn’t right and starts investigating the cause--especially since her own mother died during childbirth after being given special medicine.
Then when a girl in the line dies mysteriously, Jena finds an unusual stone that has her questioning everything around her. Teens and tweens who have loved other dystopian books that present an unkind ruling body, like Birthmarked or The City of Ember, will like this one too. It’s full of mystery, action, and suspense that will keep kids reading to the satisfying conclusion.
The winters are so severe that it’s every family for itself and not everyone survives the deathly cold of the deep snow drifts that bury the valley. Jena is lucky because she is the leader of the line--the group of seven girls that traverse the narrow, winding paths deep into the mountain searching for the harvest of mica--blue stones that emit heat when struck. Mica is their only winter heat source and is more precious than gold. Her family gets extra rations of food and mica for Jena’s service.
Life wasn’t always like this. Years ago, they lived beyond the mountain ridges and lived a good life where food was plentiful. Men had carved their own paths through the mountain to steal its shiny plunder until one day the mountain’s wrath was so strong it shook the ground and threw huge boulders down among the people until only a small group remained that was trapped in a small valley with no way out. It was a miracle when seven women crawled out from the rubble. The Mothers determined this was an important lesson and decreed that only girls (7 at a time) could enter the mountain for mica and they could only travel where paths existed naturally within the mountain--no more carving out of rock or taking the men’s paths.
In this society, babies are valued for the smallness of their size and their bodies are wrapped tightly at birth to restrict growth and keep bones flexible to increase the likelihood of a girl being able to work the line. When babies are born earlier and earlier, Jena suspects that something isn’t right and starts investigating the cause--especially since her own mother died during childbirth after being given special medicine.
Then when a girl in the line dies mysteriously, Jena finds an unusual stone that has her questioning everything around her. Teens and tweens who have loved other dystopian books that present an unkind ruling body, like Birthmarked or The City of Ember, will like this one too. It’s full of mystery, action, and suspense that will keep kids reading to the satisfying conclusion.
March 13, 2017
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
Yikes. Just, yikes. This book has some serious grit in it. We're talking dystopian, cult-like, surgically-alter-your-daughters-to-make-them-thinner grit.
I know, when I say that your thoughts immediately leap to eating disorders and low self-esteem. But in Jena's world, the "Mothers" who run the village encourage girls to be as small as possible so they can crawl deep into the heart of the mountain that surrounds them and harvest the mica that provides them with fuel. It's a cruel world, this closed-off little village that has been completely isolated for generations because of a landslide that closed off the pass leading outside the mountain. This really weird semi-religious cult society has risen from the ashes of the villages that lived there before the landslide, and everyone is taught from birth to worship the mountain (which is seen as the giver of all life, since it holds the mica they need for survival). It's a dog-eat-dog world, one where life-giving mica is allocated to families in proportion to their usefulness, and where parents willingly bind their baby daughters from birth to force them to grow up small. It's like a more practical version of the Chinese foot-binding custom: they bind the whole body, to make suitable seekers of fuel, and then they actually use surgical procedures to alter girls whose bones are becoming too big. It's gruesome and horrible, but it also makes sense in a sick sort of way. After all, I suppose I'd rather be tiny than dead.
But the trouble is that all too often the girls become both. Because the mountain is treacherous, and maneuvering through its crevices a nightmare. I can't say much about specific instances of this, because I don't want to spoil the story, but some horrible things happen on and inside the mountain. It's painful and gruesome to read, but so fascinating at the same time that I devoured the entire book in one sitting.
Unfortunately, I can't talk much more about the plot, because even the most basic aspects of the story's set-up are teased out throughout the book. The story of Jena's past, for example, comes in bits and pieces: we learn that she's living with her best friend's family very early on, but the exact reason for this isn't fully revealed through flashbacks until over halfway through. I always love this sort of narrative technique, so I'm honestly not complaining, but that does make reviewing it a little trickier.
Actually, I think I'll just stop here. I really enjoyed reading A Single Stone and that others will, too. Have you read it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section down below!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Yikes. Just, yikes. This book has some serious grit in it. We're talking dystopian, cult-like, surgically-alter-your-daughters-to-make-them-thinner grit.
I know, when I say that your thoughts immediately leap to eating disorders and low self-esteem. But in Jena's world, the "Mothers" who run the village encourage girls to be as small as possible so they can crawl deep into the heart of the mountain that surrounds them and harvest the mica that provides them with fuel. It's a cruel world, this closed-off little village that has been completely isolated for generations because of a landslide that closed off the pass leading outside the mountain. This really weird semi-religious cult society has risen from the ashes of the villages that lived there before the landslide, and everyone is taught from birth to worship the mountain (which is seen as the giver of all life, since it holds the mica they need for survival). It's a dog-eat-dog world, one where life-giving mica is allocated to families in proportion to their usefulness, and where parents willingly bind their baby daughters from birth to force them to grow up small. It's like a more practical version of the Chinese foot-binding custom: they bind the whole body, to make suitable seekers of fuel, and then they actually use surgical procedures to alter girls whose bones are becoming too big. It's gruesome and horrible, but it also makes sense in a sick sort of way. After all, I suppose I'd rather be tiny than dead.
But the trouble is that all too often the girls become both. Because the mountain is treacherous, and maneuvering through its crevices a nightmare. I can't say much about specific instances of this, because I don't want to spoil the story, but some horrible things happen on and inside the mountain. It's painful and gruesome to read, but so fascinating at the same time that I devoured the entire book in one sitting.
Unfortunately, I can't talk much more about the plot, because even the most basic aspects of the story's set-up are teased out throughout the book. The story of Jena's past, for example, comes in bits and pieces: we learn that she's living with her best friend's family very early on, but the exact reason for this isn't fully revealed through flashbacks until over halfway through. I always love this sort of narrative technique, so I'm honestly not complaining, but that does make reviewing it a little trickier.
Actually, I think I'll just stop here. I really enjoyed reading A Single Stone and that others will, too. Have you read it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section down below!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2018
I read the first chapter of this book to a bunch of classes at the beginning of the school year and have wanted to read it ever since. I finally did, and it was worth the wait. Great story, plot, character development. Wonderful, subtle world-building. McKinlay is able to reveal so much without overtly stating things. I never felt like someone was dumping information on me, rather it was a peeling back of the layers, with each new reveal making more clear.
Long ago, Jena's village was locked into a valley by a rockfall. They are literally buried in snow each winter, and to survive, they harvest a rock called mica as a heat source. Not enough mica to last the winter equals sure death. The problem is, the mica is locked deep within the mountain. A group of seven girls, called "The Line," follows the cracks and tunnels into the mountain every day, looking for fresh sources. Their entire society and culture revolves around this harvest. The catch? To squeeze through the tunnels, one must be slender, so the village comes to prize smaller and smaller girls, leading to a host of societal and health issues. As we follow Jena's current experience, we gradually come to understand the circumstances that have lead her to be living with an adoptive family.
In the meantime, we are introduced to another character name Lia, someone who is not of their village, but who becomes the key to solving the riddle of Jena's past, and her future.
Really, a wonderful, wonderful book that would bring about so many talking points in a book group or classroom. Loved it.
Long ago, Jena's village was locked into a valley by a rockfall. They are literally buried in snow each winter, and to survive, they harvest a rock called mica as a heat source. Not enough mica to last the winter equals sure death. The problem is, the mica is locked deep within the mountain. A group of seven girls, called "The Line," follows the cracks and tunnels into the mountain every day, looking for fresh sources. Their entire society and culture revolves around this harvest. The catch? To squeeze through the tunnels, one must be slender, so the village comes to prize smaller and smaller girls, leading to a host of societal and health issues. As we follow Jena's current experience, we gradually come to understand the circumstances that have lead her to be living with an adoptive family.
In the meantime, we are introduced to another character name Lia, someone who is not of their village, but who becomes the key to solving the riddle of Jena's past, and her future.
Really, a wonderful, wonderful book that would bring about so many talking points in a book group or classroom. Loved it.
May 6, 2019
I enjoyed the isolationism of this book. The mystery of a small community who are struggling to survive. The secrets in that community that could tear it apart. The minimal dialogue as there is something unspeakable that holds the society together.
Then there is the theme of exploitation. How prepubescent girls are used for dangerous tasks and how puberty robs them of their function in this society. The elders keep secrets and also endanger the community in ways that they don't realise themselves.
I enjoyed the writing style, the sense of doom that the main character has while she tries to work things out and the fight against oppression she faces. There are a lot of good things in this book and it is one that could spark sequels.
What I didn't like was the ending. There was no punishment or consequences for the ones who deserved them. You get a feeling that the society will not change. The elders will still risk the lives of women and children after the conclusion. It was a disappointment and one a sequel could explore.
Overall, this book was something different and it was mostly executed better than a lot of books. It just wasn't perfect and the ending definitely was weaker than the conception.
Then there is the theme of exploitation. How prepubescent girls are used for dangerous tasks and how puberty robs them of their function in this society. The elders keep secrets and also endanger the community in ways that they don't realise themselves.
I enjoyed the writing style, the sense of doom that the main character has while she tries to work things out and the fight against oppression she faces. There are a lot of good things in this book and it is one that could spark sequels.
What I didn't like was the ending. There was no punishment or consequences for the ones who deserved them. You get a feeling that the society will not change. The elders will still risk the lives of women and children after the conclusion. It was a disappointment and one a sequel could explore.
Overall, this book was something different and it was mostly executed better than a lot of books. It just wasn't perfect and the ending definitely was weaker than the conception.
June 13, 2018
Oh my geez-a-loo! Wow! Wow! Wow! I cannot yet fully process how amazing this book was. As I was reading it, I kept thinking "Students will analyze this book in colleges in the future". It is so rich, so well-written. I truly could not put it down. I read a lot of amazing books. However, this one is special. As far as I am concerned, this book is the definition of a page-turner. Yet every word is evocative, purposeful, and elegant. It is a masterpiece. I am so impressed by the tapestry Meg McKinlay wove together here—and so grateful to have been along on the journey. I look forward to rereading this book in the future.
Note: Despite being a strong reader, I felt myself confused at the beginning of the book. During those opening pages, I felt myself wanting to abandon the book. How foolish I was! From the very start, Meg McKinlay transports the reader into this other world. She surrounds the reader with this new reality so thoroughly that, at first, it can be a little impenetrable. However, keep the faith. Keep reading! You will be richly rewarded!
Note: Despite being a strong reader, I felt myself confused at the beginning of the book. During those opening pages, I felt myself wanting to abandon the book. How foolish I was! From the very start, Meg McKinlay transports the reader into this other world. She surrounds the reader with this new reality so thoroughly that, at first, it can be a little impenetrable. However, keep the faith. Keep reading! You will be richly rewarded!
June 2, 2021
So read-alikes that come to the top of my mind are going to be The Giver, Running Out of Time, and The City of Ember. And tbh they did it better. Interesting take with the matriarchal society tho.
February 7, 2017
Sort-of dystopian spec fic, but not in a overly complicated / technobabbly way. Beautifully evocative prose, exploring an original premise. Loved it
Sorry - not feeling overly loquacious tonight... might post further thoughts later, but in many ways, this felt like a close-to-perfect novel. An effortless yet thought-provoking pleasure to read.
Sorry - not feeling overly loquacious tonight... might post further thoughts later, but in many ways, this felt like a close-to-perfect novel. An effortless yet thought-provoking pleasure to read.
August 12, 2021
I liked this book enough, but there was something missing through it. I feel like there were all the elements of a good story, but i almost wanted a little more in some areas. It felt like some bits were really rushed, and glossed over, and other bits thrown in without much detail. Made me think of 'the knife of never letting go' throughout with the way the story progressed.
December 27, 2023
An interesting story with some excellent descriptive passages. There are thought-provoking ideas about control that borders on cults, the superior role of women in society, the impact of destruction of the environment, sharing resources and various ways people are manipulated and controlled.
May 13, 2025
Only book I’ve read for school and properly enjoyed
November 29, 2019
Trigger warnings: death of a parent, death of a child, death of a friend, animal death, avalanche, creepy weird medical procedures on pregnant women.
It took me a really long time to get into this book. There wasn't really any worldbuilding in the first third of the story, and so I wasn't quite sure if it was fantasy or dystopian or some combination of the two. It honestly reminded me of a weird YA version of The Village but with more shady shit happening to pregnant women.
Basically, this book left me with a lot of questions and essentially no answers to any of them. Sigh.
It took me a really long time to get into this book. There wasn't really any worldbuilding in the first third of the story, and so I wasn't quite sure if it was fantasy or dystopian or some combination of the two. It honestly reminded me of a weird YA version of The Village but with more shady shit happening to pregnant women.
Basically, this book left me with a lot of questions and essentially no answers to any of them. Sigh.
April 16, 2023
4.5 stars.
This book first grabbed my attention when sorting through books for the library I work at occasionally. The premise just seemed so interesting and different that so couldn’t get it out of my head, so I borrowed the book immediately.
For a shorter novel than what I am used to reading, it really set up the world well and gave an interesting main character. Of course, not all characters were fleshed out so deeply but the plot was so suspenseful that I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the pacing and the two perspectives from which the story was told. It just felt so different to “dystopian” fiction, which I know probably isn’t it’s genre but it seems close enough.
Really worth the read if you can find it.
This book first grabbed my attention when sorting through books for the library I work at occasionally. The premise just seemed so interesting and different that so couldn’t get it out of my head, so I borrowed the book immediately.
For a shorter novel than what I am used to reading, it really set up the world well and gave an interesting main character. Of course, not all characters were fleshed out so deeply but the plot was so suspenseful that I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the pacing and the two perspectives from which the story was told. It just felt so different to “dystopian” fiction, which I know probably isn’t it’s genre but it seems close enough.
Really worth the read if you can find it.
March 5, 2017
Great YA fiction. thought-provoking and gripping.
June 1, 2017
I'm always amazed at how little time I have to read since I've had a baby. I wouldn't change being a mother, but it's been an interesting transition. My feelings regarding babies and birth are also much stronger than they were before I had my own child. I get an empty feeling in my stomach anytime I hear or read about miscarriages or stillborns, which is why I was surprised to encounter this topic in a young adult book.
There were many elements in this book that made me a little uncomfortable, i.e. the wrappings, bone adjustments, anorexia, etc. Jena's world was interesting, but it took me a while to adjust to the setting. The culture created by the author was very archaic and grim. I also couldn't help but hate the Mothers and their impartiality.
I was left with more questions than answers at the conclusion of this book. For example:
The climax felt a little rushed, which is probably why I felt as though not all my questions were answered.
Overall, this was a well-written story. The premise was interesting and certainly piqued my imagination. I just wish it was a little more fleshed out.
There were many elements in this book that made me a little uncomfortable, i.e. the wrappings, bone adjustments, anorexia, etc. Jena's world was interesting, but it took me a while to adjust to the setting. The culture created by the author was very archaic and grim. I also couldn't help but hate the Mothers and their impartiality.
I was left with more questions than answers at the conclusion of this book. For example:
The climax felt a little rushed, which is probably why I felt as though not all my questions were answered.
Overall, this was a well-written story. The premise was interesting and certainly piqued my imagination. I just wish it was a little more fleshed out.
September 28, 2024
This book was traumatizing, and not at all what I expected. Severe claustrophobia trigger warning for the whole thing, and a forced body modification warning as well for good measure.
This book is going to stay in my brain for a while.
The visceral descriptions of both the girls crawling and tearing through rocks, and the 'mothers' wrapping and binding them in the goal of making the smallest human possible via abuse is terrifying, and never lets up until the very end which will make you feel so many emotions. There's a palpable sadness and desperation to the society that exceeds even some of the best dystopian novels.
I would say that it's very close to torture porn, but the leaders manipulating everyone into thinking that they want it and that it's for the good of the community is worse.
Great writing that assumes intelligence from the reader, good mystery and plenty of things to analyze and think about after finishing it. The main character, worldbuilding and story are a little underdeveloped, but the descriptions and atmosphere do well to make up for it. A sequel would have plenty to explore.
I would not recommend this to a younger reader unless they are mature beyond their years.
Y11
This book is going to stay in my brain for a while.
The visceral descriptions of both the girls crawling and tearing through rocks, and the 'mothers' wrapping and binding them in the goal of making the smallest human possible via abuse is terrifying, and never lets up until the very end which will make you feel so many emotions. There's a palpable sadness and desperation to the society that exceeds even some of the best dystopian novels.
I would say that it's very close to torture porn, but the leaders manipulating everyone into thinking that they want it and that it's for the good of the community is worse.
Great writing that assumes intelligence from the reader, good mystery and plenty of things to analyze and think about after finishing it. The main character, worldbuilding and story are a little underdeveloped, but the descriptions and atmosphere do well to make up for it. A sequel would have plenty to explore.
I would not recommend this to a younger reader unless they are mature beyond their years.
Y11
March 17, 2016
This is an original young adult novel and hard to categorize. Although the setting could be described as dystopian, I hesitate to label it as such as I don't want to put off any prospective readers. Jena is a leader in her community. She is committed to their way of life without question - until one incident starts a chain reaction that makes her question everything she holds dear.
The story is well paced, the characters believable, and the plot an original.
I highly recommend this book to readers from Years 6+.
The story is well paced, the characters believable, and the plot an original.
I highly recommend this book to readers from Years 6+.
October 3, 2016
Very unusual book - chosen for our older readers (upper elementary) but I'd put it more towards YA. What do we do when we make assumptions about how the world is and how it will be. What do we do with dissenters and free thinkers. How do we bind ourselves to beliefs.
February 12, 2015
A beautifully written, quiet adventure that takes you spelunking into questions of gender and power. Wonderful.
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