Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Dustborn” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Dustborn

Erin Bowman (Goodreads Author)

3.87 · Rating details · 71 ratings · 57 reviews

Delta of Dead River sets out to rescue her family from a ruthless dictator rising to power in the Wastes and discovers a secret that will reshape her world in this postapocalyptic Western mashup for fans of Mad Max and Gunslinger Girl.

Delta of Dead River has always been told to hide her back, where a map is branded on her skin to a rumored paradise called the Verdant. In ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 432 pages

Expected publication: April 20th 2021 by HMH Books for Young Readers

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Dustborn, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

YA Novels of 2021

735 books — 1,613 voters

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

YA Releases of April, 2021

50 books — 162 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.87 ·

Rating details

· 71 ratings · 57 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Dustborn

Jun 01, 2020 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read

Shelves: edelweiss, netgalley

Mad Max . . . The 100 . . . western vibes . . .

this author knows which spots to hit me right ALSO LOOK AT THAT COVER IT GIVES ME SO MANY FURY ROAD VIBES AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2020 Fanna marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2021-releases

September 24, 2020: OH, i love mad max so much, i expect a lot from this one ahh

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2021 kaylie rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Fans of The 100

Shelves: arc, z-april-releases

3.5 Stars

☆ advanced reader copy from edelweiss ☆

This is a wonderful post-apocalyptic standalone and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This is pitched for fans of The 100, and I definitely agree with it. More specifically, season 2 and season 5 of The 100.

I loved the unforgiving atmosphere/setting of the story. The title does not lie, it is indeed very dusty. The world is truly harrowing and what's more harrowing is that this future could be plausible.

Plotwise, this novel isn't the strongest. It takes t ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2021 Celia McMahon rated it it was amazing

Thank you, NetGalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for the arc.

Yea so, when I was approved for the same book days apart on two different sites, I took that as a sign to read this bad boy ASAP. Erin Bowman has solidified herself as one of my favorites authors, and I was so excited to see what this book had to offer. I was not let down whatsoever.

First, let's focus on the cover. I get Dune/Mad Max/Waterworld vibes and save for Waterworld, I was in like a chicken wing. The story starts off with De ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2020 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] marked it as to-read

Shelves: review-copies, owned-ebooks, owned-tbr

AHHHHHH I NEED IT NOW 😍 I loved the Contagion and Vengeance Road duologies SO much!

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2021 Melissasfandomworld rated it liked it

Shelves: e-books, read-in-2021, 2021-releases

I received an e-arc of this book, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for me leaving an honest review.

3/3,5 stars
Dustborn was overall a fun and fast paced read from beginning till end. I really enjoyed everything I’ve read, but I also feel that this is a story that could’ve been developed more on some parts, in my honest opinion, especially seeing it’s a standalone. I remain hopeful that the author decides to venture out more into this world by writing a sequel or maybe a spin-off I received an e-arc of this book, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for me leaving an honest review.

3/3,5 stars
Dustborn was overall a fun and fast paced read from beginning till end. I really enjoyed everything I’ve read, but I also feel that this is a story that could’ve been developed more on some parts, in my honest opinion, especially seeing it’s a standalone. I remain hopeful that the author decides to venture out more into this world by writing a sequel or maybe a spin-off sometime in the future, because it has so much more promise and I feel like this was just the tip of the iceberg. I wish for more development on basically every front and it just doesn’t feel finished yet.

That having said… The main character reminds me a bit of Rey from Star Wars and I loved that so much. She’s feisty, fierce, brave and loyal; fighting for everything and everyone she loves. The minor characters were a fun addition but again; a lot of characters remained too superficial to my taste and I think it would’ve been better if the book was thicker (and with over 400 pages it's not like it's a slim book, but it does feel that way when looking at how some elements remain a bit underdeveloped) or if it would’ve become a duology or something like that. It now made me not As attached to most characters as I would’ve liked.

The dystopian setting is really interesting. Nothing you haven’t seen before, but the author still created a uniquely ‘vibe’ to it all and I loved exploring it all alongside Delta.

There’s enough story present to keep you wanting to finish the book, there’s enough action present, a bit of romance and a writing style that makes this book a fast paced read. It was a fun book to read in between, but not one that really stands out to me. That’s not a bad thing perse of course, seeing it was still enjoyable.

Conclusion: It was a fun read, but I do think a lot of elements remain too superficial/underdeveloped and that’s just a shame with a story that has a lot of promise. I think it’s a fun one to pick up if you like dystopian stories that have interesting settings, a set of characters that has much promise, and a fair bit of action and adventure. If the synopsis speaks to you, I’d definitely recommend to give this one a go and find out what you’ll think of it yourself. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 04, 2020 Emmy Neal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: quarantine-reads

I really did enjoy this immensely, our main is a slightly more revenge oriented Rey (Star Wars) which was not a bad thing at all, imo. Erin's worldbuilding is a masterclass in raising stakes and layering plot. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 18, 2020 megs_bookrack marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-releases, arcs-to-read, ya-science-fiction-to-read

ARC received!!!

Thank you so much to HMH Teen!!!

I have really enjoyed Bowman's work before and I have a feeling this will be more of the same. I think the premise of this sounds incredible. Right up my alley. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2021 Kendra Cusworth rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021-reads, arcs

3 stars

Dustborn is a fast-paced YA post-apocalyptic standalone. The story is unique and fun and has loads of Mad Max vibes.

Water is extremely limited and there are dust storms and our protagonists mentions never having seen a tree before. Everyone is hoping to one day find The Verdant, a city said to be a lush and green paradise. In order to one day find their way to this paradise, Delta is branded on her back with a map to The Verdant at a young age. The only problem is that no one knows how t ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2020 Thindbooks rated it it was amazing

*this e arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was such a fantastic read. It’s about Delta who discovers that her family/pack is kidnapped when she returned from her nieces’s birth. She goes out to find them in the wasteland with the newborn but realized that she can’t trust no one and that she is on her own. This was a really well written book with an amazing plot. I loved the pacing and the world building for this one. The ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 19, 2020 ChillwithJill rated it really liked it

Well this book was certainly a little how-do-you-do of vengeful post-apocalyptic YA Novels. I was promised Mad Max and I was fed exactly that and more. This is a book that is most certainly going to sweep across the young adult world and take them by storm.

Dustborn follows Delta of Dead River; dead being the operating term because everything in this vast landscape has blown away into dust. Delta has just returned from journeying in an attempt to save her sister and sister’s newborn baby’s life. Well this book was certainly a little how-do-you-do of vengeful post-apocalyptic YA Novels. I was promised Mad Max and I was fed exactly that and more. This is a book that is most certainly going to sweep across the young adult world and take them by storm.

Dustborn follows Delta of Dead River; dead being the operating term because everything in this vast landscape has blown away into dust. Delta has just returned from journeying in an attempt to save her sister and sister’s newborn baby’s life. When she returns to her home, she’s found that most of her “pack” has been taken hostage by the fascist leader of the land. Armed with her wits, the help of a long-lost friend, and the mysterious brands on her back that may act as a map to greener pastures, Delta embarks on a mission across the wastelands to save everyone she loves.

This world is vivid in its description of ruin. From the sand storms that pop up when you least expect them to the crusted salt beds that offer no hope of clean water, the world that Erin Bowman paints is hopeless, helpless, and eerie. I could almost taste the sand in my mouth as Delta ventured through storms, rubbing grit from her eyes as if it were normal. And in this landscape it is. There is no thriving here, just survival.

The world is not only built through descriptions of the barrens however; it’s built through small mentions, like dug out cellars that hide you from the worst of the kicked-up rocks, and a refusal to shy away from the nitty gritty of desperate survival attempts. Oftentimes, it feels like YA novels attempt to shield their readers from the realities of starvation and dehydration, but not this one. Delta has grown up doing what she must to survive and that is something that remains prevalent throughout the book. There is no coddling here.

The characters presented in the novel were for the most part, interesting and mature, though I do sorely wish the author would have delved a little bit deeper into the psyches and motivations of some of our supporting characters. It did occasionally ride the line between archetypal villains and heroes and I wish it could have erred on the positive side 100% of the time.

Delta, as mentioned above, was a take no prisoners protagonist that you love to see. She is cold, but spirited and truly does everything she can for those she loves; even when it seems prudent to let things go.

There was certainly no shorting of action in any of the four parts in which the book was split up. Wind-wagons, falcons, hybrid “Old World” guns and new, this book had a wide variety of tools to pull you in.

My only real fault of the book is its length. This is a long book and while it never truly falls into the category of “lagging,” I’m almost certain that certain parts could have been shortened without any real pitfalls.

But overall, Dustborn everything it was promised to be: wacky, brutal, and an adventure across a dusty, and yet somehow beautiful, world.

4/5
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2020 Evie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020, young-adult, 3-stars, dystopian

3.5/5 stars. - To Be Released in April 2021.
Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

To quickly sum up the premise, Dustborn is Waterworld + Mad Max. Water is limited, dust storms are constant, and the everyone lives with the hope of finding the Verdant - a lush, green, and prosperous area of the earth. Delta of Dead River has been branded with a map to the Verdant on her back as a child and told never to show it to a ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2020 Amber (The Book Bratz) marked it as to-read

I’m a huge Erin Bowman fan so I’m so excited that HMH approved me for an eGalley if DUSTBORN! 😭 Who do I thank for this 😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺🥺

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 29, 2020 Andria Sedig rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was action packed with a unique setting and characters that were engaging. I loved how gruesome and unflinching Delta was. I loved learning about the lore and the "world building" of this solar-flair riddled Earth. I loved reading the descriptions of objects that were foreign to Delta and being like, oh that's a pair of binoculars or a bunker. The story was surprising and kept me guessing as I was reading as well. I will say that the one small drawback of this bo ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2020 Emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, read-in-2020, teen-fiction, post-apocalyptic, dystopia, science-fiction, girl-power, edelweiss

I loved this book! I thought it was original - not nearly as trope-y as most. The setting was different - almost more of a 1980s version of post-apocalyptic. There was sort of a love triangle, but not really, so yay. And there was a bit of a twist that I wasn't expecting. I also appreciate the fact that it is a stand-alone. The description reminded me a little of the Dust Lands series (which I adored) by Moira Young, but the book itself is actually quite different from that series.
I received an ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2020 Alex rated it liked it

Shelves: 10-and-11

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Dustborn in exchange for an honest review.

Dustborn was good! Honestly the only way I think it could have been improved was if it was longer. There were so many characters I wanted to explore (particularly the antagonist & the two most dominant male characters in Delta's life) and I honestly think this could have been a duology with a whole separate book after the plot twist (if you've read this, you know the part I'm talking about) but I still rea ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2021 Lindsey rated it really liked it

Dustborn is a young adult post-apocalyptic story where clans scrape for survival in a water-starved world.

Delta of Dead River is supposed to hold the key to locating a water-filled paradise that will lead to salvation. Powerful people want to use her for their own ends but she's most concerned with saving her clan at any cost. The secret of paradise isn't actually what anyone had expected.

The world itself is probably the shining light of this book; it's well developed and easy to visualize. The ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2020 Madeline (The Bookish Mutant) rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, science-fiction, jaw-dropper, cover-love, earc, dystopia

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HMH Books for Young Readers for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Goodreads synopsis describes this novel as a mashup of Mad Max and Gunslinger Girl, and even though I’ve never seen/read either of those, I definitely see where the vibe comes from. Dustborn is a tense and twisty dystopian novel, with notes of classic Westerns.

First, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW PRETTY THIS COVER IS? The color scheme. The art. The typeface. THE REY VIBES. Even though thi Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HMH Books for Young Readers for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Goodreads synopsis describes this novel as a mashup of Mad Max and Gunslinger Girl, and even though I’ve never seen/read either of those, I definitely see where the vibe comes from. Dustborn is a tense and twisty dystopian novel, with notes of classic Westerns.

First, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW PRETTY THIS COVER IS? The color scheme. The art. The typeface. THE REY VIBES. Even though this definitely wasn’t my favorite novel, I wouldn’t say no to a poster of this for my room.

Now…[ahem] I should probably talk about the book now, shouldn’t I?

Let’s start off with Delta. I wasn’t a huge fan of her character–she was that classic, dystopian teenager who’s been hardened by all of the horrific things she’s seen and done, and has built up this impenetrably tough skin as a result. She’s closed off, and she thinks she knows everything, even though she’s…what, 17? I get it, living as a semi-nomad in a barren wasteland does some nasty stuff to the brain, but it didn’t make for a very likable character. It did, however, make her a nice guinea pig for some well-needed character development. Plus, that kind of character is the perfect kind of character to interact with a baby…because she KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CHILDREN, AND IT’S HILARIOUS.

As far as the other characters went, I wasn’t super attached to any of them. I felt ambivalent about most of them–I didn’t hate anybody, but I didn’t want to die for anybody, either. Delta and Asher’s friends-to-lovers dynamic was cute, even though the romance felt a bit like it was needlessly shoehorned in there to appease the Teenage™️ audience, but it wasn’t egregiously bad, or anything.

The plot itself was easily the most enjoyable part of the novel for me. Filled with rich imagery and no shortage of fascinating plot twists, Dustborn definitely kept me guessing in the best ways. Still not my ideal novel, but Bowman is the master of tense sci-fi, where it be in a lifeless wasteland (this one) or on an alien planet with the dangers of a deadly virus (Contagion). I liked the latter better (even though book 2 wasn’t as good), but this was still entertaining.

Overall, a bleak dystopia that was lacking in likable characters, but made up for it with its imagery and plot twists. 3 stars! ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2020 Angel rated it really liked it

I always love reading a good dystopian and this one is good!! If you live the Divergent series, you have got to read Dustborn! It has a similar but also VERY different storyline that I enjoyed reading and couldn't stop reading! ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2020 Jackie added it

Shelves: galleys-read, hmh

Cinematic and sprawling, this post apocalyptic western serves up everything I hoped it would. 🙌

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2021 Alyson Kent rated it really liked it

Action packed, brutal, hopeful, filled with amazing characters, Erin Bowman’s newest never stops from the first page. Thank you, Edelweiss, for the ARC.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 27, 2020 roxi Net rated it really liked it

Shelves: roxiown

I enjoyed reading Dustborn; a good dystopian book with a strong female character. It put me in the mind of Blood Red Road, as well as Gunslinger Girl and Bullet Catcher (all of which I'd recommend!). Delta of Dead River is a survivor and fierce lover of her tribe. When her tribe is captured and threatened with execution, Delta leaves on a search for answers that will save not just her family, but possibly all human life in a world (planet?) with dwindling water. Delta is not necessarily that eas ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 07, 2020 Story Eater marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc-2021

This sounds exactly like Waterworld but with sand.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2021 Heather rated it liked it

This for me was an ok read, it did feel slow in bits and I think possibly not the right audience for it.

The world the book inhabits certainly was interesting but I did struggle connecting with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2020 Katie Steele rated it it was amazing

This was absolutely stellar. A must-read for 2021. Erin Bowman has solidly placed herself among my favorites.

~~~
FULL REVIEW-

This book was beautiful. The Mandalorian meets Finnikin of the Rock, I absolutely couldn't put it down.

I've read a bunch of Erin Bowman's books recently, and obviously love her writing. There was something special about Dustborn though. It was a full story, all packed into one book. I never grew bored reading, but it wasn't all action. There was so much character focus, and ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 26, 2020 Taylor Hansen rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, ya, action-adventure-thriller, read-in-2020

Oooh this one was so close to being a 5 Star for me. It's a sort of Mad Max/Waterworld (without the Water) Mash-up with those Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian vibes I love. There's great world-building here, and the writing is on point. This was a "hooked me from the start, couldn’t put it down, and stayed up all night reading" read for me.

Welcome to a barren waste, where dust and magnetic storms reign supreme. Across this dry and desolate landscape you'll find scavengers, settlers, shanty towns, rai Oooh this one was so close to being a 5 Star for me. It's a sort of Mad Max/Waterworld (without the Water) Mash-up with those Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian vibes I love. There's great world-building here, and the writing is on point. This was a "hooked me from the start, couldn’t put it down, and stayed up all night reading" read for me.

Welcome to a barren waste, where dust and magnetic storms reign supreme. Across this dry and desolate landscape you'll find scavengers, settlers, shanty towns, raiders, half buried oil tankers, kidnapping, slavery, evil Generals, Oracles, Wind Ships, and more! So many great settings and scenarios in this story, I loved all of them.

Enter our protagonist Delta who's back is branded with a map (that no one can read) to the Verdant (a legendary Green and thriving Eden), making her a target of all the above. After her settlement is destroyed and her family taken prisoner (while she is elsewhere) Delta must cross the wastes to try and save them. Of course nothing goes as planned and through various adventures, captures, and escapes she eventually determines to find a way to read the map on her back and locate the legendary Verdant (and save her people). The eventual "revelation" of Verdant is not totally unpredictable, but it's still definitely one of the cool factors and major pivot points of the story.

All in all this has a bit of a dark vibe, and like its ruthless environment, is harsh it's characters outlooks and actions, but she does do a good job of balancing that with sentimental moments. However, without being too spoilery I really did not like the death of Rune, and it separated me from Delta a bit. I get it, but I can't help it from a relational standpoint, I stopped rooting for her so hard. I really liked the interplay between Asher and Delta, even if her stubborn refusal to acknowledge things was a bit trying at times. Reed started out so interesting and then just sort of fell flat, despite all his duplicitous action and interesting plot points.

Basically I loved it, but was a little disappointed in the ending. For all that happened in the first 3/4 of this book, this could have easily wrapped up after the discovery of Verdant, and left the big endgame for a part two duology or even a trilogy. As it was the last 1/4 felt too fast and the big finale ended too quickly in my opinion. I wanted more from this book, and rarely do I say that, it's a good thing. Love this world, hope the author decides to maybe explore a sequel;-)

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for proving me with the eARC of this book in return for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2020 Holly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, arc-edelweiss

Erin Bowman NEVER disappoints.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2020 Carina Olsen rated it really liked it

This was a book I needed the moment I heard about it. As I am a huge fan of Fury Road. And a bigger fan of Erin and her books. I knew this new one by her would be amazing. So I could not help but request it the moment that I could. And very thrilled that I got accepted to read it early. Very much worth it. Giving it four stars.

Pretty much perfect to me. The writing was so stunning. Had no problems at all with connecting with the characters and the story. The world building was amazing. I loved t This was a book I needed the moment I heard about it. As I am a huge fan of Fury Road. And a bigger fan of Erin and her books. I knew this new one by her would be amazing. So I could not help but request it the moment that I could. And very thrilled that I got accepted to read it early. Very much worth it. Giving it four stars.

Pretty much perfect to me. The writing was so stunning. Had no problems at all with connecting with the characters and the story. The world building was amazing. I loved the setting so much. It was awful and depressing and I loved every moment of it, haha. This book was filled with hope while they all lived in a bad place.

And I enjoyed reading every moment of this book. It takes place in a world like ours, set far in the future. The place in this book is all desert. Barely any water left to find. No green anywhere they know of. This is the world Delta lives in. And oh, how I loved it. It was a horrible life. A life I would not have survived living in. But Delta and her pack did. She lives with about fourteen others. Her mother and sister. They are doing their best to stay alive. While hearing stories about other people getting raided and killed. Hoping it will never happen to them. Knowing they will have to move from their homes soon, as their water is almost gone. Their home is in the desert. And though it was a very hard life most of the time, it was their life, and they were as happy as they could.

For a while. Until another short desert storm arrived, and her sister got into labor. Where things went wrong and Delta had to travel with her to get help when the storm passed. She wants her sister saved more than anything. It is a days journey of walking to find what passes for a doctor in their world. Delta makes it there with her sister. But her sister dies and her baby lives. Delta wants nothing to do with this baby. Yet she takes it with her, to bring to her mother. But when she arrives back home, no one is there.

Which is what starts this journey. Delta and this tiny newborn journey to try finding her mother and their pack. To get them back from this general person, whom she had never heard of before. It is a hard and difficult journey. And so much happens in this book. Gosh. I shall not write much more about it. Just a few things. It was such an interesting and exciting book to read. So great reading about the desert and how much Delta had to travel through it. How she was always thirsty. I could never have lived like this. Gosh.

There is so much going on in this book. I loved how much we got to know Delta. How she has a secret brand on her back, which her pack put on her when she was a child. How this is included in this book. How they are searching for a better place to live. How that search ends. Sigh. This book was awesome. And I liked it so very much. There is also a boy. Asher. And he and Delta shares a past. They were best friends until they turned nine. When Asher and half the pack stayed behind while the rest moved away.

I loved reading about Delta and Asher. I loved learning more about their past. When they meet again in this book it was not a good first meeting. Ha. And I loved it very much. They have some issues to work through. And I liked that very much. There is some small romance too. And it was so very sweet. Sigh. There is a villain in this book. I wish there had been more about him, as he was very in the background. Yet so interesting too. Not sharing much more about this. You all need to read it. It was very good. Eee.

I'm giving it four stars, because even though I loved it, I was still hoping for a little bit more. A little darker. A bit happier conclusion. A bigger battle at the end. Yet this was such a stunning book and I loved every moment of it, despite wishing for more at certain times. Because this book was also enough. Characters were awesome. And I very much enjoyed reading about this world. I just wanted even more of it all, haha. I wanted to feel more connected to the other characters. I only really cared about Delta and Asher. Oops.

But even so. Dustborn was everything I wanted it to be. Fully exciting with characters I adored. Such a stunning yet horrible world. It was a book filled with hope for a future that seemed lost. There were some awesome twists along the way and I enjoyed them very much. Made me a little sad too, haha, as these twists were rude. But so well written. So glad I read this lovely book. Huge thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for accepting my request to read it early via Edelweiss. You all need this great book too.

---

This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020... ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 10, 2021 Yolanda rated it really liked it

*Review will be posted to my blog on 4/5/21*

I Liked:
*When it takes me days to read a book it usually means I’m not into it. This isn’t the case with Dustborn ~ I think I’ve been so immersed in fantasy worlds that coming back to dystopian takes some getting used to, but really I enjoyed how cutthroat and no F’s given is this world that Delta lives in. I would not survive…at all.

*Aesthetic ~ the cover made me request the book! Love how fiery it looks.

*World Building ~ you get a sense right away, l *Review will be posted to my blog on 4/5/21*

I Liked:
*When it takes me days to read a book it usually means I’m not into it. This isn’t the case with Dustborn ~ I think I’ve been so immersed in fantasy worlds that coming back to dystopian takes some getting used to, but really I enjoyed how cutthroat and no F’s given is this world that Delta lives in. I would not survive…at all.

*Aesthetic ~ the cover made me request the book! Love how fiery it looks.

*World Building ~ you get a sense right away, life is tough in this world where water is scarce, and dust storms rage often. Think Mad Max, where people live in small groups or packs. I could really feel Delta’s despair from the first chapter when she needs to get her sister some help. From there everything went downhill for Delta. I think it was unique, especially parts where they described how to make water in desperate times and vehicles they use with old tech/parts that they find.

*Characters ~ Delta is strong because she’s had to be in able to survive. The Wastes coddle to no one. Asher is Delta’s friend from long ago and when they meet again, she’s not sure if she can trust him. We meet other characters like the General who runs Bedrock and his people are loyal to him. The General has something Delta has and will do anything to get the information he seeks. Then there is the Prime who runs Powder Town, Delta gets caught in between trying to figure out who to trust in order to free her pack.

*Romance ~ yes…I mean how can romance bloom in a world like this? But something grows between Delta and Asher, not that it takes over the story at all, this one is all about survival and truth.

Random Notes:
*I didn’t totally connect to Delta and Asher, but that’s not a bad thing and seriously…reading this made me feel like I would die on day one without barely any water! Haha, you know how in reality we always say to hydrate? How do you do that when you have to turn your pee into water and you are dehydrated?! Ugh…I’m so grateful to have water right now haha. I was really intrigued by the characters in Powder Town though. Loved that they had a female ruler and soldiers.

*The twist in the end was good, we get to find out more history and what really happened in the early days.

*Triggers: violence, death

Final Thoughts:
If you like dystopian stories set in basically a desert world, then you will enjoy this one. Delta is practically alone in the world and has to save her pack. She has to do the impossible to do it. But when people come along can she trust them to help her reach her goal? Dustborn is a gritty dystopian story filled with adventure, desperation and even a little romance in the desert. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 16, 2021 Ellie ↟ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reminiscent of Mad Max and Star Wars; The Force Awakens, Dustborn is a epic adventure set in the backdrop of towering mesa, sand storms, and the blistering sun.

With an ancient map to a fabled paradise branded on her back, Dustborn tells the story of Delta, a girl trying to survive in the desolate desert wasteland she calls home. That is until the general discovers Delta may hold the key to the parad Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reminiscent of Mad Max and Star Wars; The Force Awakens, Dustborn is a epic adventure set in the backdrop of towering mesa, sand storms, and the blistering sun.

With an ancient map to a fabled paradise branded on her back, Dustborn tells the story of Delta, a girl trying to survive in the desolate desert wasteland she calls home. That is until the general discovers Delta may hold the key to the paradise he so desperately yearns for he takes her family and pack hostage and gives Delta an ultimatum. Learn how to read the map and lead me to it’s paradise, or your whole pack will die. With the lives of others on her shoulders, Delta sets off on her adventure across the wastes to try and discover a secret that has marked her skin her whole life and may be the only way to save those she loves.

I really enjoyed reading this one so let’s start with what I enjoyed about this. What I loved most about this book and what I think really leaves a lasting impression is the setting. Erin Bowman has really gone all out to bring this desert land to life. From all the different locations we visit in the book, each one jumps off the page and really feels alive. I could visualise so clearly the natural landscapes of sun bleached rock formations, sand dunes and ramshackle towns. The concept of this story was also really good. I loved the idea of what we think of as modern day technology is actually old relics to our characters within this novel. I loved following Delta on her mission to find out the secret to the fabled paradise and having to cross such a barren and dangerous landscape.

The book started out with really good pacing and I was really along for the ride in the first 100 pages or so. But once I hit the romance it really started to slow down for me as I feel like the romance halted the story just so it could be fitted into the plot line. I actually found Delta a much more engaging character at the start of the book when she was really adrift on her own. I think her character held more presence compared to when more characters kept getting introduced which is where hers seemed to take a back seat. That brings me to the point of that I wish we had more character development which I guess could happen in a sequel if there is one planned. I also did find the ending a bit disappointing after going on such an adventure to get an end result that just didn’t pay off for me.

Overall though I really did enjoy reading this. It was a fun, quick read that really immerses into a different and daring world. If you are looking for an adventure book with a strong female lead, this is definitely worth a go. ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

27 users

Science Fiction > Dystopia

20 users

Science Fiction

12 users

Fantasy

9 users

Apocalyptic > Post Apocalyptic

7 users

Westerns

3 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Science Fiction

2 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

2 users

Adventure

2 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves…

About Erin Bowman

Erin Bowman

1,799 followers

Erin Bowman is the critically acclaimed author of numerous books for children and teens, including the Taken Trilogy, Vengeance Road, Retribution Rails, the Edgar Award-nominated Contagion duology, The Girl and the Witch’s Garden, and the forthcoming Dustborn. A web designer turned author, Erin has always been invested in telling stories—both visually and with words. Erin lives in New Hampshire wi ...more