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Flicker
Perfect for fans of The Marrow Thieves, Hatchet and The City of Ember, H.E. Edgmon's middle grade debut offers a bittersweet tale of hope and survival, a modern classic for the climate change generation.
One year ago, a solar flare scorched the Earth and destroyed life as we know it.
With their parents gone and supplies running dangerously low, step-sisters Millie and Rose only have one chance at survival: leave home with their infant half-brother and loyal dog Corncob in search of Millie’s grandma, a Seminole elder. As they navigate the burning land with a group of fellow survivors, dodging The Hive, a villainous group that has spent the last year hoarding supplies and living in luxury, the siblings have to learn to rely on each other more than ever, and discover how to build a new life from the ashes.
Expertly balancing heartbreak and hope, The Flicker is both a thrilling survival story and a tender exploration of Indigenous ideas of identity and found family.
One year ago, a solar flare scorched the Earth and destroyed life as we know it.
With their parents gone and supplies running dangerously low, step-sisters Millie and Rose only have one chance at survival: leave home with their infant half-brother and loyal dog Corncob in search of Millie’s grandma, a Seminole elder. As they navigate the burning land with a group of fellow survivors, dodging The Hive, a villainous group that has spent the last year hoarding supplies and living in luxury, the siblings have to learn to rely on each other more than ever, and discover how to build a new life from the ashes.
Expertly balancing heartbreak and hope, The Flicker is both a thrilling survival story and a tender exploration of Indigenous ideas of identity and found family.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2024
34 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Edgmon
12 books853 followersH.E. Edgmon (he/they) is a high school and college dropout, a militant queer, and an author of books both irreverent and radicalizing. His stories will always center the perspective of Indigenous people, trans people, and survivors of trauma. At present, he’s probably biting off more than he can chew, emulating the aesthetic of Dwayne from The Lost Boys (1987), and living out the found family trope in Brooklyn. Online, he can most often be found on Twitter @heedgmon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
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February 8, 202207.02.2022 a middle-grade dystopian where an angst riddled step-siblings pair with a theatre troupe to search for their grandmother — a Native elder who may still be alive. authors says it's a "story about grieving what's been stolen from [Indigenous people]" and i think it's going to make me cry.
August 26, 2024
Husband brought an arc back from ALA
This was so good! I’m very much outside the target audience but it was incredibly compelling even to an adult like me, very much a love letter to chosen family, Appalachia and indigenous people. I thought I didn’t like post apocalyptic but damn trans people are killing this genre
This was so good! I’m very much outside the target audience but it was incredibly compelling even to an adult like me, very much a love letter to chosen family, Appalachia and indigenous people. I thought I didn’t like post apocalyptic but damn trans people are killing this genre
November 8, 2024
I’ll admit, I thought based on the summary that this would be too dark of a middle grade for readers within the target demographic. And while I still think that whoever does read it will have to have some level of maturity(probably within the 10-12 group), there was enough of a hopeful tone to keep this from feeling unpleasant to read. This was an emotional look at loss and community, with the kids acting age-appropriate. (Especially with most of them grappling with being forced to grow up too fast.)
Also, this is the second queer Appalachian book I’ve read that has a central dog character that survives to the end! Hello, Corncob. (Malnourished baby ☹️)
The main characters—Rose and Millie—sometimes made me want to pull my hair out just because of how hostile they were towards each other at the beginning, but their interpretation’s of each other’s actions and coping mechanisms were completely understandable. They knew they were all the other had, yes, but they hated their roles of assumed responsibility and that they had no one else. It made their thoughts and psychology really interesting to read??? I feel like two siblings, realistically, would find it difficult to be around each other in an apocalyptic setting. (Also, I saw some of myself in Millie.)
Are some of the story beats predictable? Absolutely. But the twists were always so much fun, they were so juicy and added a lot to the characters. It’s one of the parts that made me stay up to finish this.
One of the things that made this story stand out to me, though, was that indigenous narratives are incorporated into an apocalypse scenario. Millie might not be as connected to her Seminole heritage as Rose thought she was, but she isn’t disconnected from her experience as an Indigenous kid. There were glimpses of how she viewed different entities (or people?) like The Hive slightly differently because she saw parallels to her ancestors’ history, but the bigger part of that was the overall discussion on colonialism and climate change being intrinsically tied. I think both of those things felt like they were talked about in a way the younger readers could start to grasp, even if they wouldn’t know all of the complexities yet.
On the topic of the kids acting like kids, the scene of Rose accidentally coming out to Olly was hilarious. Very much had the vibes of a middle school recess comeback.
However, I wanted some more substance from the Lost Boys’ group dynamic. There wasn’t as much time for the kids to forge their own bonds with Rose and Millie, so they felt more like a collective than a found family where I could be attached to all the members. Ben, however!!! I loved how his struggle as a caretaker was handled and how that so clearly paralleled Millie. He was such a strong character and his journal entries brought me to tears.
And this is a minor thing, but at the beginning, when the world was still being introduced, the writing somewhat covertly used Rose’s interest in reading as a way to describe it. Books themselves, too, are a motif throughout—usually, to mark privilege and access to resources—and that was such a creative method of worldbuilding???
This might become a favorite of mine. “The Flicker” had the character beats I adore in apocalypse narratives, but with a quarter of the on-page deaths (key words: “on-page”), and almost half of the usual stress. I’m curious to know what younger readers actually within the demographic think, though! (Maybe I’ll find out from a parent’s Bookstagram or if I get the chance to go to an author event, who knows.)
************
pre-review:
Was this a particularly unique post-apocalyptic universe?? By no means. Was I still invested the whole time? Oh absolutely.
RTC
Also, this is the second queer Appalachian book I’ve read that has a central dog character that survives to the end! Hello, Corncob. (Malnourished baby ☹️)
The main characters—Rose and Millie—sometimes made me want to pull my hair out just because of how hostile they were towards each other at the beginning, but their interpretation’s of each other’s actions and coping mechanisms were completely understandable. They knew they were all the other had, yes, but they hated their roles of assumed responsibility and that they had no one else. It made their thoughts and psychology really interesting to read??? I feel like two siblings, realistically, would find it difficult to be around each other in an apocalyptic setting. (Also, I saw some of myself in Millie.)
Are some of the story beats predictable? Absolutely. But the twists were always so much fun, they were so juicy and added a lot to the characters. It’s one of the parts that made me stay up to finish this.
One of the things that made this story stand out to me, though, was that indigenous narratives are incorporated into an apocalypse scenario. Millie might not be as connected to her Seminole heritage as Rose thought she was, but she isn’t disconnected from her experience as an Indigenous kid. There were glimpses of how she viewed different entities (or people?) like The Hive slightly differently because she saw parallels to her ancestors’ history, but the bigger part of that was the overall discussion on colonialism and climate change being intrinsically tied. I think both of those things felt like they were talked about in a way the younger readers could start to grasp, even if they wouldn’t know all of the complexities yet.
On the topic of the kids acting like kids, the scene of Rose accidentally coming out to Olly was hilarious. Very much had the vibes of a middle school recess comeback.
However, I wanted some more substance from the Lost Boys’ group dynamic. There wasn’t as much time for the kids to forge their own bonds with Rose and Millie, so they felt more like a collective than a found family where I could be attached to all the members. Ben, however!!! I loved how his struggle as a caretaker was handled and how that so clearly paralleled Millie. He was such a strong character and his journal entries brought me to tears.
And this is a minor thing, but at the beginning, when the world was still being introduced, the writing somewhat covertly used Rose’s interest in reading as a way to describe it. Books themselves, too, are a motif throughout—usually, to mark privilege and access to resources—and that was such a creative method of worldbuilding???
This might become a favorite of mine. “The Flicker” had the character beats I adore in apocalypse narratives, but with a quarter of the on-page deaths (key words: “on-page”), and almost half of the usual stress. I’m curious to know what younger readers actually within the demographic think, though! (Maybe I’ll find out from a parent’s Bookstagram or if I get the chance to go to an author event, who knows.)
************
pre-review:
Was this a particularly unique post-apocalyptic universe?? By no means. Was I still invested the whole time? Oh absolutely.
RTC
September 11, 2024
Note to self: always read everything H.E. Edgmon writes.
I'm not typically a fan of post-apocalyptic stories, because they make me SO anxious. But I've loved what I've read from H.E. Edgmon previously, so I still wanted to give this a try, and I'm so glad I did.
This is pretty brutal for a middlegrade novel, but it's also full of heart and hope. Millie and Rose were both very different and have very different ways of coping with what's happening to them, which was interesting to read and I think will help middlegrade readers understand that people respond to similar situations differently and that's okay. I absolutely loved the Lost Boys, particularly Ben, and the story became so much more hopeful once Millie and Rose met them.
This isn't quite 5 stars for me, though, because I was honestly expecting a little more from this. I felt like the ending was a little rushed, and this book didn't do much that felt inventive to me - I feel like it's a fairly standard post-apocalyptic story.
I'm not typically a fan of post-apocalyptic stories, because they make me SO anxious. But I've loved what I've read from H.E. Edgmon previously, so I still wanted to give this a try, and I'm so glad I did.
This is pretty brutal for a middlegrade novel, but it's also full of heart and hope. Millie and Rose were both very different and have very different ways of coping with what's happening to them, which was interesting to read and I think will help middlegrade readers understand that people respond to similar situations differently and that's okay. I absolutely loved the Lost Boys, particularly Ben, and the story became so much more hopeful once Millie and Rose met them.
This isn't quite 5 stars for me, though, because I was honestly expecting a little more from this. I felt like the ending was a little rushed, and this book didn't do much that felt inventive to me - I feel like it's a fairly standard post-apocalyptic story.
January 22, 2024
“Millie and Rose grabbed my heart from the first page and refused to let go—even long after finishing their story. Flicker is a brilliant middle-grade debut from Edgmon that’s equal parts unflinching and vulnerable. A beautifully crafted post-apocalyptic tale with a delightful, engaging queer cast, Edgmon’s story world burns bright with nuanced, complex themes of identity, family—both blood and found, and the pursuit of hope, purpose, and love in a hostile and dying world.” —Terry J. Benton-Walker, bestselling author of Alex Wise vs the End of the World and Blood Debts
October 7, 2024
That ending had me crying like a baby. This was full of hope and messages about climate change and capitalism. I loved it. Millie had moments she got on my nerves but I understand her perspective. The relationship between Millie and Rose was so sweet. I’m so glad they were able to grow. And they both loved their brother so much. He was never a burden to them. I love a good sibling/found family dynamic. Middle Grade books have just gotten better and better and this is another one I recommend.
April 10, 2025
Absolutely incredible and shockingly gritty story of survival. Rose's arc in particular really resonated with me, and God, reading this as a former coach made everything with Ben and the Lost Boys hit so close to home. I do think that maybe the number of Lost Boys should have been a little smaller since Tate and Noah never really got much development or page time compared to Zoe, Addison, and Oliver, and the ending did wrap up in a way that felt a bit too perfect compared to how grounded the rest of the book had been, but it's also middle grade and probably couldn't have ended any other way. Besides, . Love how this dealt with grief and righteous anger at the people who should have been protecting us and instead just saved themselves instead. A rare middle grade book that's probably just as gripping to an adult or teen reader and would honestly make for a really good movie.
April 1, 2025
basically cried through the last 15 minutes of this book okay
Read
January 6, 2025loved this! i read All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown january 2022—it was one of my first post-apocalyptic books (i think? or at least in a really long time?) and i was so surprised how much i enjoyed it. this was another engaging end-of-the-world book, this time about climate change, but make it middle grade and trans. it’s more on the serious side but i think i would have loved this as a middle schooler.
April 14, 2025
4.5 rounded up. This was very cute. I ended up listening to the audiobook, but I have a physical copy too. The audiobook was great, with two narrators for the main characters. I don't read a lot of middle grade, but love H.E. Edgmon so I preordered this and am glad I have it on my shelf for future reading with niblings. Overall, a great story of family and found family, identity and representation, and working together to get through hard times. I do think the end was abrupt and wished there was a bit more there, but overall some lovely lessons and themes.
February 19, 2025
Dystopian fiction is one of my most favorite genres, so I'm always seeking new books on the subject out, and I especially love reading ones geared towards teen & middle grade readers becuase I enjoy seeing how they'll adapt the (often frightening) subject matter. My favorite middle grade dystopian book is "Alone" by Megan Freedman, so this book had some high competition to aspire to.
"The Flicker" is about two stepsisters trying to survive not only a solar flare decimating much of the earth's population and resources, but each other as well. Both of their parents are dead, and they only have themselves, their infant brother, and the family dog to contend with. Both girls clash often with their differing personalities, and just like in real life, the sibling squabbling often became annoying. But I know this dynamic will appeal to younger readers. Mille and Rose are both from Appalachia country and their accents remain authentic in this story, which I don't often see in YA literature and really appreciated.
Just like in "Alone", the oft-grim subject matter is toned down for younger readers, so they can get a sense of how desolate and harrowing everything is, but it's not overtly graphic or scary. I also really loved how both sisters are, in the midst of this, trying to come to terms with who they are and how they can express that in the apocolypse (Mille with her Indigenous heritage, Rose with her sexuality).
I felt the ending was a little rushed and tidy, and wished more of The Hive and it's elements could have been explored more-and maybe in a YA book it would have been. But overall this is a solid dystopia book for middle grade readers.
"The Flicker" is about two stepsisters trying to survive not only a solar flare decimating much of the earth's population and resources, but each other as well. Both of their parents are dead, and they only have themselves, their infant brother, and the family dog to contend with. Both girls clash often with their differing personalities, and just like in real life, the sibling squabbling often became annoying. But I know this dynamic will appeal to younger readers. Mille and Rose are both from Appalachia country and their accents remain authentic in this story, which I don't often see in YA literature and really appreciated.
Just like in "Alone", the oft-grim subject matter is toned down for younger readers, so they can get a sense of how desolate and harrowing everything is, but it's not overtly graphic or scary. I also really loved how both sisters are, in the midst of this, trying to come to terms with who they are and how they can express that in the apocolypse (Mille with her Indigenous heritage, Rose with her sexuality).
I felt the ending was a little rushed and tidy, and wished more of The Hive and it's elements could have been explored more-and maybe in a YA book it would have been. But overall this is a solid dystopia book for middle grade readers.
December 31, 2024
The world is destroyed by a solar flare.... in the aftermath people band together to work out a difficult future.
July 8, 2025
Eh, it was interesting enough. The characters, especially the complication of having their infant baby brother with them, were likable and vulnerable, which made for some early intensity. As the story went on, the stakes seemed to calm down, especially as their traveling crew grew. I didn’t like the trans storyline, which felt very awkwardly inserted in the narrative. It added nothing and felt out of place given the post apocalyptic setting. The characters are without hope and surrounded by death and destruction. Not once do they talk about romance or physical attraction, so I find it hard to believe that any person within this framework would be seeking self actualization over their own survival.
November 9, 2024
The only really decent thing abt this book was the plot. Otherwise it was awful. The characters were all pretty whiny and mean to each other. The style of narrative that the book was written in was super duper informal and I honestly didn't like it. The end
April 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. This story is a whirlwind. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it opens with stepsisters Millie and Rose (okay, mostly Millie) burying Rose’s father. They survived this thing called The Flicker that killed off most of the population and rendered most of the world uninhabitable. Millie’s mom died shortly after giving birth to the girls’ half-brother. So anyway, the two set off on foot in hopes of finding Millie’s grandmother, a Cherokee elder who will surely know what to do, though Rose also wants to find a place known as The Sanctuary that she and her father have heard about through clips of radio transmissions. But the land itself is dangerous, and the people they may encounter could be even more so. It does take a minute to get used to the Appalachian vernacular, but it is a story that will keep readers hooked until the end. Recommended for grades 6+. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian #bookstagram
June 12, 2025
I might have a bias toward post-apocalyptic stories with queerness and plucky bands of children (cf. Sweet Tooth, Kipo). But this really blew me away.
Rose and Millie are stepsisters left with the task of surviving and caring for their baby brother after their parents die. They survived the Solar Flare by living in an underground bunker for most of the last year, but now they must venture out in search of a new support system - their food has run out. They each have a different idea of where to go - to Millie's Seminole grandma, a couple of states away, or to find a possibly mythological Sanctuary that Rose has been listening for clues about on the radio. Loved the way the author distinguished the internal lives of the two main characters. Oh, and they have a dog along too.
Loved it, great, amazing. 100% taking it to Middle Schools next time I go.
Rose and Millie are stepsisters left with the task of surviving and caring for their baby brother after their parents die. They survived the Solar Flare by living in an underground bunker for most of the last year, but now they must venture out in search of a new support system - their food has run out. They each have a different idea of where to go - to Millie's Seminole grandma, a couple of states away, or to find a possibly mythological Sanctuary that Rose has been listening for clues about on the radio. Loved the way the author distinguished the internal lives of the two main characters. Oh, and they have a dog along too.
Loved it, great, amazing. 100% taking it to Middle Schools next time I go.
July 4, 2025
This was really good, full of emotion and heart. Things resolved a bit too easily in my opinion, and maybe a bit suddenly, but that's often the case for middle grade books which tend to have a happy ending. This book is surprisingly dark otherwise, though, with lots of injuries and death and a very grim setting. The characters feel like older teenagers, though I think they're maybe 12 and 13? I can't remember if it was specified. I'd say it's more appropriate for older middle grade readers or even high school readers. I overall really enjoyed this book and really appreciated the indigenous, blended family, and queer representations.
June 25, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan/ Feiwel & Friends for the digital arc.
After the first 20% of the book, I felt like the dialogue was dragging down the story and I had every intention of stopping. Then I realized that the dialogue was facilitating the character development, and I had become invested in the characters, the storyline, and the themes. There's a lot going on in this book-devastation of the planet due to climate change, survival, income inequality, gender identity, found and blood families, and the knowledge about the earth which has been passed through the generations of indigenous people. It's been a long time since I've finished a book this quickly, but it developed into a page turner.
After the first 20% of the book, I felt like the dialogue was dragging down the story and I had every intention of stopping. Then I realized that the dialogue was facilitating the character development, and I had become invested in the characters, the storyline, and the themes. There's a lot going on in this book-devastation of the planet due to climate change, survival, income inequality, gender identity, found and blood families, and the knowledge about the earth which has been passed through the generations of indigenous people. It's been a long time since I've finished a book this quickly, but it developed into a page turner.
December 21, 2024
Dystopian / post-apocalyptic is not a theme often seen in middle grade books and so I was interested to see how this was going to play out. I was obviously going to read it because it's written by H.E. Edgmon and I think this book is solid.
It is heavy and dark for middle grade and so I would probably recommend this for older middle grade or young adult even. I wanted a little bit more from the ending even though I liked the ending I think it could have been drawn out a bit more. I usually always would rather a book be longer than shorter and this was another instance of that.
It is heavy and dark for middle grade and so I would probably recommend this for older middle grade or young adult even. I wanted a little bit more from the ending even though I liked the ending I think it could have been drawn out a bit more. I usually always would rather a book be longer than shorter and this was another instance of that.
May 11, 2025
I quite enjoyed this dystopian middle grade set in the ruins of Appalachia. The Flicker refers to a solar flare that burned just about everything, and everyone, on earth that wasn't underground. Millie and Rose are step siblings who can't get along. Their parents have died, and together, they're raising their baby sibling. They're running out of food, and the two can't decide where to go. Millie wants to find her Indigenous grandmother in South Carolina. Rose wants to find a mysterious sanctuary that broadcasts cryptic messages on the radio. The three of them need to avoid The Hive above all, who kill everyone they come across.
There's a dog that survives until the end, great discussions about gender and being trans, and I really enjoyed the character arcs. It is on the dark side, but not without hope.
There's a dog that survives until the end, great discussions about gender and being trans, and I really enjoyed the character arcs. It is on the dark side, but not without hope.
Read
November 4, 2024This middle grade was SO GOOD. I was specifically looking for post-apocalyptic kidlit in which the kids are on a *journey* (for comp / research purposes lol), and THE FLICKER did not disappoint.
Bonus points for an indigenous MC, plenty of queer characters, an Appalachian setting, and a big dose of found family.
10/10 would recommend.
(shout-out to @_perpetualpages_ for putting this one on my radar 😘)
Bonus points for an indigenous MC, plenty of queer characters, an Appalachian setting, and a big dose of found family.
10/10 would recommend.
(shout-out to @_perpetualpages_ for putting this one on my radar 😘)
April 27, 2024
2.5 ✨️
Lovely queer rep but I was missing something more original when it came to plot and the world...
Lovely queer rep but I was missing something more original when it came to plot and the world...
November 14, 2024
Adored this book. Pure magic in the form of kids who don’t give up on each other 😭
January 3, 2025
I really liked having a sci fi / apocalypse book for Middle Grade. This was done well without it being too scary. I wish there had been a bit more about The Hive and about The Flicker, itself.
January 13, 2025
Excellent MG cli-fi!!!!!!
October 8, 2025
Survival story
Found family
Cinematic
Recommended by publisher for ages 8-12
Found family
Cinematic
Recommended by publisher for ages 8-12
August 9, 2025
What a perfect middle grade story. I suffer a lot from the weight of being the eldest sibling, so Millie’s story really resonated with me on a deeply personal level. I also loved, loved Rose’s journey of self discovery. The side-plot/character work with Ben was amazing. I cried at the end.
It’s literally perfect.
It’s literally perfect.
July 27, 2025
I actually didn’t finish this book. The idea of this book is really great. However, throwing in political agendas for a middle grade level book, is NOT!
So disappointed!!
So disappointed!!
August 4, 2024
This book had me emotional! Overall it’s a really beautiful and hopeful message about divesting from capitalism and colonialism to build a better future in community. One of the main themes is how capitalist greed is killing the planet and only LAND BACK will save us; I think it’s so cool to make these concepts accessible for middle grade readers (i.e., our future).
And honestly, this book has so many more beautiful pieces: gender identity exploration and coming out, learning to honor grief, found family (because "blood-family" is a colonizer mindset), staying connected to your roots (and in Millie’s case, Indigenous ancestral knowledge), and dismantling classism and rural stigma. And even when the subject matter is heavy, there’s levity! I laughed out loud a couple times and I think kids will really get a kick out of a few silly bits.
The characters’ inner experiences felt true to their ages and backgrounds, with the Appalachian dialect/accents adding an extra layer of authenticity. I really enjoyed Ben and Alex’s story, and how invested the younger ones were in their queer love.
This would make an excellent gift for any middle-grade kids in your life, especially Native kids, with major life lessons wrapped in an edgy dystopian adventure.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC :)
And honestly, this book has so many more beautiful pieces: gender identity exploration and coming out, learning to honor grief, found family (because "blood-family" is a colonizer mindset), staying connected to your roots (and in Millie’s case, Indigenous ancestral knowledge), and dismantling classism and rural stigma. And even when the subject matter is heavy, there’s levity! I laughed out loud a couple times and I think kids will really get a kick out of a few silly bits.
The characters’ inner experiences felt true to their ages and backgrounds, with the Appalachian dialect/accents adding an extra layer of authenticity. I really enjoyed Ben and Alex’s story, and how invested the younger ones were in their queer love.
This would make an excellent gift for any middle-grade kids in your life, especially Native kids, with major life lessons wrapped in an edgy dystopian adventure.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC :)
April 25, 2025
I picked this book up at the library where I work because sometimes I am drawn to a cover or the back of a book while shelving. This is a “j” book, not YA, and I like reading young adult books, but this was too elementary school. The book is about kids surviving after a solar flare, an apocalyptic type event. But, this book is all over the place, it tries to address being Native American, surviving in a dystopian world, struggling with gender identity, struggling with grief, but it feels like the author is just checking boxes of what a good upper elementary book should have these days. The whole thing gets wrapped up in a bow, and it basically falls flat. It’s no Bridge to Terabithia or Where the Red Fern grows, that’s for sure!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews