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Into a blood-red sky
Harry must follow Home‘s strict rules, set by his grandfather. When he discovers Julie, a refugee of the European Great Drought, looting for food, he disobeys his orders and lets her go. But Home does not allow infringements, and he has to flee with both her and his vulnerable brother, Scott.
When they discover the deadly fate that awaits the refugee caravans, including Julie‘s family, Harry must decide whether to hide or fight - even if fighting means betraying his own people.
When they discover the deadly fate that awaits the refugee caravans, including Julie‘s family, Harry must decide whether to hide or fight - even if fighting means betraying his own people.
200 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2022
About the author
Jo Zebedee
25 books109 followersI write dark sci fi and fantasy with kick-ass pace. Edgy voices and sexy space pilots. And people, conflicted and sometimes half-mad, but always written so closely you could be them.
If you want to keep up to date with what I'm up to, get exclusive short stories and information about launches, sign up at: http://jozebedee.com/newsletter/ (I promise not to spam anyone!)
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If you want to keep up to date with what I'm up to, get exclusive short stories and information about launches, sign up at: http://jozebedee.com/newsletter/ (I promise not to spam anyone!)
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 10, 2022
Excellent, review to follow
Into a Blood-Red Sky is a YA dystopian novel set in the north of Ireland. The world as we know it has collapsed due to climate change; the famine and drought in Africa has travelled north, across Europe and possibly the rest of the world. While Spain, France and other European countries languish in a catastrophic drought, leaving them with nothing, Ireland watches as cities riot for food and water from the climate emergency that imploded.
Soon Ireland is in no better state; climate change has caused destructive storms across the land, with an intense and unbearable heat;” …global warming has turned Ireland into a living pot of steamed cabbage”. Yet thousands of European refugees head to Ireland with the promise of making it to America, a hope of a future for them and their families. The thousands of displaced people passing through Ireland, in organised caravans (ran by gangs), are looked upon with disgust from those lucky enough to live in compounds, with houses and running water. The organised compounds have security from those they name the ‘influx’. They forget that only a decade earlier they all lived the same, with food, water, electricity, Wi-Fi and a roof over their heads; compassion and humanity are out the window when fighting for your own survival and that of your loved ones.
This is a dual narrative story, told by the 2 main protagonists, Harry and Julie. Harry has been shielded in his grandfather’s compound, named ‘Home’, for 4 years, while Julie is one of the influx from France, trying to make her way to America with her family. Their paths cross one night when Julie, is found stealing from them. Shortly before this the camp have been alerted that Will, one of lookouts has gone missing. Had Will not gone missing at the time he did, Julie may never have been caught. Will going missing, Julie being captured, and Harry being accused of letting her go, before others found her, trigger a chain of events that has Harry, Julie and Harry’s older brother Scotty on the run.
Through Harry’s voice we learn how much he despised living at Home, his abusive father, his grandfather – taking pleasure in torturing his family for the tiniest infraction – flaying the skin from their hands and arms. Harry is also looking out for his older brother Scotty, a neurodiverse teenager, taunted by his cousins at the compound. Only Harry and his mother know that Scott needs watching over.
Julie has been on the road for a couple of years, when she escapes the compound and watches Harry and Scott leave the same way not long after, she is amused at their nonchalance, they seem to have no regard for their safety as they walk across an open field. Julie calls for them gesturing for them to stay low. Throughout their journey together she is continually in charge of their safety. Julie doesn’t talk much about her travels; we do learn that she has lost someone very close to her. Julie’s sole purpose after her escape is to find her family that are still among the caravan travelling north. Harry and Scotty are on a mission to find Will and inevitably they want to help Julie find her family.
I’m not usually a fan of dystopia but I loved this book. It is also a great coming of age story, albeit in an almost obliterated world. The characters were fantastic, especially Scotty, I loved the relationship he had with Harry and his growing trust and fondness for Julie as the story progressed. Will is Harry’s older cousin, at the compound they don’t show love or compassion, I actually thought Will was just a worker. I would have liked to have seen more of Will as he was someone Harry looked up to and liked, it would have been great to see more of their relationship and the dynamic that would have created. This book is full of action, at a certain point I couldn’t put the book down. Also, for a dystopian novel I finished reading this with hope and not total despair as I have others! I really can’t say much more without spoilers. A 5* read for me.
Into a Blood-Red Sky is a YA dystopian novel set in the north of Ireland. The world as we know it has collapsed due to climate change; the famine and drought in Africa has travelled north, across Europe and possibly the rest of the world. While Spain, France and other European countries languish in a catastrophic drought, leaving them with nothing, Ireland watches as cities riot for food and water from the climate emergency that imploded.
Soon Ireland is in no better state; climate change has caused destructive storms across the land, with an intense and unbearable heat;” …global warming has turned Ireland into a living pot of steamed cabbage”. Yet thousands of European refugees head to Ireland with the promise of making it to America, a hope of a future for them and their families. The thousands of displaced people passing through Ireland, in organised caravans (ran by gangs), are looked upon with disgust from those lucky enough to live in compounds, with houses and running water. The organised compounds have security from those they name the ‘influx’. They forget that only a decade earlier they all lived the same, with food, water, electricity, Wi-Fi and a roof over their heads; compassion and humanity are out the window when fighting for your own survival and that of your loved ones.
This is a dual narrative story, told by the 2 main protagonists, Harry and Julie. Harry has been shielded in his grandfather’s compound, named ‘Home’, for 4 years, while Julie is one of the influx from France, trying to make her way to America with her family. Their paths cross one night when Julie, is found stealing from them. Shortly before this the camp have been alerted that Will, one of lookouts has gone missing. Had Will not gone missing at the time he did, Julie may never have been caught. Will going missing, Julie being captured, and Harry being accused of letting her go, before others found her, trigger a chain of events that has Harry, Julie and Harry’s older brother Scotty on the run.
Through Harry’s voice we learn how much he despised living at Home, his abusive father, his grandfather – taking pleasure in torturing his family for the tiniest infraction – flaying the skin from their hands and arms. Harry is also looking out for his older brother Scotty, a neurodiverse teenager, taunted by his cousins at the compound. Only Harry and his mother know that Scott needs watching over.
Julie has been on the road for a couple of years, when she escapes the compound and watches Harry and Scott leave the same way not long after, she is amused at their nonchalance, they seem to have no regard for their safety as they walk across an open field. Julie calls for them gesturing for them to stay low. Throughout their journey together she is continually in charge of their safety. Julie doesn’t talk much about her travels; we do learn that she has lost someone very close to her. Julie’s sole purpose after her escape is to find her family that are still among the caravan travelling north. Harry and Scotty are on a mission to find Will and inevitably they want to help Julie find her family.
I’m not usually a fan of dystopia but I loved this book. It is also a great coming of age story, albeit in an almost obliterated world. The characters were fantastic, especially Scotty, I loved the relationship he had with Harry and his growing trust and fondness for Julie as the story progressed. Will is Harry’s older cousin, at the compound they don’t show love or compassion, I actually thought Will was just a worker. I would have liked to have seen more of Will as he was someone Harry looked up to and liked, it would have been great to see more of their relationship and the dynamic that would have created. This book is full of action, at a certain point I couldn’t put the book down. Also, for a dystopian novel I finished reading this with hope and not total despair as I have others! I really can’t say much more without spoilers. A 5* read for me.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review