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Reek
Climate catastrophe leaves the people of Earth fighting for oxygen in this gripping dystopian thriller from bestselling sci-fi author Alastair Chisholm.
Sparrow lives in the world after the Reek. The atmosphere is toxically polluted, and Axel Brodie, the tech billionaire behind Zephyr Industries, is cashing in as the only supplier of clean air. Sparrow is struggling to help her family survive until her brilliant inventor friend, Miriam Fenn, comes up with a new form of technology that could break Zephyr’s stranglehold on the air supply. But men like Brodie are hard to defeat, and he will do everything in his power to stop Miriam and Sparrow. Who will triumph in this battle to breathe?
Sparrow lives in the world after the Reek. The atmosphere is toxically polluted, and Axel Brodie, the tech billionaire behind Zephyr Industries, is cashing in as the only supplier of clean air. Sparrow is struggling to help her family survive until her brilliant inventor friend, Miriam Fenn, comes up with a new form of technology that could break Zephyr’s stranglehold on the air supply. But men like Brodie are hard to defeat, and he will do everything in his power to stop Miriam and Sparrow. Who will triumph in this battle to breathe?
104 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2024
4 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Alastair Chisholm
84 books85 followersAlastair is an award-winning children's author and puzzle creator. He's the author of the sci-fi middle-grade adventures ORION LOST and ADAM-2 , and children's picture books THE PRINCE AND THE WITCH AND THE THIEF AND THE BEARS and INCH AND GRUB, as well as books of Sudoku, Kakuro and other puzzles, including the Kids' Book of Sudoku and Kids' Book of Kakuro series.
Alastair lives in Edinburgh with his wife (who is lovely), two children (who are lovely but very loud), and a cat who is yowling at him even though there is clearly food in her bowl, look, it’s right there, *look*.
You can follow him on Twitter at @alastair_ch
Alastair lives in Edinburgh with his wife (who is lovely), two children (who are lovely but very loud), and a cat who is yowling at him even though there is clearly food in her bowl, look, it’s right there, *look*.
You can follow him on Twitter at @alastair_ch
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 8, 2025
This is a brilliant short book with a lot packed in. It takes place in the future, after an algal bloom created fumes (the Reek) which made the air toxic. At first it was ignored, as only birds were affected, but it rapidly grew until the whole planet was suffering. An internet billionaire, Axel Brodie, came up with a way to purify the air which allowed the human race to survive. Clean air is purchased from his company, Zephyr, a huge conglomerate which now pretty much controls everything: security, transport, housing and education as well as access to the air needed to breathe.
Surep (who likes to go by Sparrow) had to leave school at the age of 12 after not getting the results needed to continue her education. Since then, she has been working long hours as a courier to earn enough credits for her family to survive. Her younger sister is still at school and her only other family is her grandad who isn't fit enough to work. They live in a two room apartment with leaky seals which allow the Reek in and they often wake up coughing. Both Sparrow and her grandad eke out the treated air as much as they can to save enough credits for food and rent.
A brightness amongst the gloom of their situation is the way Sparrow carries out her job. She uses skates to get around but they are hover skates. She also has a magnetic tether which allows her to swing around the place like Spiderman. There are some thrilling scenes of her in action with these as she takes risks to make the deliveries on time. She can't afford to get a bad review and not be paid.
The tether was made by Sparrow's friend, Miriam, an old lady who lives in a junkyard. She invents a new way to purify the air and this leads to someone trying to silence her. She tasks Sparrow with making a delivery to Axel Brodie and it will be the most difficult Sparrow has ever made.
I particularly enjoyed that the story is set in Edinburgh, a real-life place. It definitely made it seem more like it was something that could be taking place in our near future rather than being a far off possibility. I also liked the intergenerational friendship between Sparrow and Miriam.
As well as looking at what might happen to the world because of climate change the book touches on several other issues. There's the huge conglomerate controlling everything. A rigged system where only the wealthy have any chance of a decent life. Friends becoming divided because of their different situations. The difficulties of working as a courier when so much weight is given to your rating. Corrupt law enforcement. The book is only a bit over 100 pages so there isn't the opportunity to go into any of it indepth but it's there and has the potential to get readers thinking.
It's printed in a dyslexic-friendly format and I think it will most appeal to readers aged 9-11. Older or more experienced readers may find it a little simplistic but it's still exciting. It could also be good for weak readers aged 11-13.
Surep (who likes to go by Sparrow) had to leave school at the age of 12 after not getting the results needed to continue her education. Since then, she has been working long hours as a courier to earn enough credits for her family to survive. Her younger sister is still at school and her only other family is her grandad who isn't fit enough to work. They live in a two room apartment with leaky seals which allow the Reek in and they often wake up coughing. Both Sparrow and her grandad eke out the treated air as much as they can to save enough credits for food and rent.
A brightness amongst the gloom of their situation is the way Sparrow carries out her job. She uses skates to get around but they are hover skates. She also has a magnetic tether which allows her to swing around the place like Spiderman. There are some thrilling scenes of her in action with these as she takes risks to make the deliveries on time. She can't afford to get a bad review and not be paid.
The tether was made by Sparrow's friend, Miriam, an old lady who lives in a junkyard. She invents a new way to purify the air and this leads to someone trying to silence her. She tasks Sparrow with making a delivery to Axel Brodie and it will be the most difficult Sparrow has ever made.
I particularly enjoyed that the story is set in Edinburgh, a real-life place. It definitely made it seem more like it was something that could be taking place in our near future rather than being a far off possibility. I also liked the intergenerational friendship between Sparrow and Miriam.
As well as looking at what might happen to the world because of climate change the book touches on several other issues. There's the huge conglomerate controlling everything. A rigged system where only the wealthy have any chance of a decent life. Friends becoming divided because of their different situations. The difficulties of working as a courier when so much weight is given to your rating. Corrupt law enforcement. The book is only a bit over 100 pages so there isn't the opportunity to go into any of it indepth but it's there and has the potential to get readers thinking.
It's printed in a dyslexic-friendly format and I think it will most appeal to readers aged 9-11. Older or more experienced readers may find it a little simplistic but it's still exciting. It could also be good for weak readers aged 11-13.
July 5, 2024
A gripping dystopian thriller set in a future where the Earth's atmosphere has been toxically polluted by a deadly mist known as the Reek. In this dire world, only tech billionaire Axel Brodie has the means to produce clean air, making oxygen a precious commodity that must be purchased.
The story centres on Sparrow, a determined young girl living in Reek-swamped Edinburgh. Sparrow works tirelessly to support her family, delivering packages while navigating the perils of a society suffocated by pollution. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her friend, inventor Miriam Fenn, discovers a revolutionary way to produce clean air independently of Brodie's monopoly. This discovery puts them both in grave danger as powerful forces seek to maintain control over the vital resource.
Reek combines thrilling action with a poignant exploration of environmental issues and corporate greed. The narrative is fast-paced and filled with suspense: a little is packed into such a short story. Caltsoudas's illustrations vividly bring the dystopian world to life. The book not only entertains but provokes thought about our current environmental challenges and the consequences of unchecked corporate power.
The story centres on Sparrow, a determined young girl living in Reek-swamped Edinburgh. Sparrow works tirelessly to support her family, delivering packages while navigating the perils of a society suffocated by pollution. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her friend, inventor Miriam Fenn, discovers a revolutionary way to produce clean air independently of Brodie's monopoly. This discovery puts them both in grave danger as powerful forces seek to maintain control over the vital resource.
Reek combines thrilling action with a poignant exploration of environmental issues and corporate greed. The narrative is fast-paced and filled with suspense: a little is packed into such a short story. Caltsoudas's illustrations vividly bring the dystopian world to life. The book not only entertains but provokes thought about our current environmental challenges and the consequences of unchecked corporate power.
June 11, 2024
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was great! While short, it still managed to drive home the desperation of the situation and the struggle for air and money both. It doesn’t make environmentalism itself the main story even though it’s a cli-fi book, and I think it handles the topic brilliantly - you’d end up looking into what changes you can make now if you weren’t already.
Sparrow is a great main character. She’s feisty, tired and brave. I also like that she’s a different sort of hero (you’ll understand if you read it, I don’t want to spoil).
As always, Barrington Stoke have picked a great story! I definitely recommend giving it a go. 4.5 stars.
This was great! While short, it still managed to drive home the desperation of the situation and the struggle for air and money both. It doesn’t make environmentalism itself the main story even though it’s a cli-fi book, and I think it handles the topic brilliantly - you’d end up looking into what changes you can make now if you weren’t already.
Sparrow is a great main character. She’s feisty, tired and brave. I also like that she’s a different sort of hero (you’ll understand if you read it, I don’t want to spoil).
As always, Barrington Stoke have picked a great story! I definitely recommend giving it a go. 4.5 stars.
July 16, 2025
This book shot up my reading list after a recommendation from a friend.
I adore Barrington Stoke texts, the colouring on the page and the font make them accessible to more which is always a positive.
This is a great sci fi story (which Alastair Chisholm is a master of.) Sparrow lives in a not to far away future where the air we breath is chargeable - all due to REEK. This pollution means that noone can breathe the air without a special suit, which of course comes at a cost.
A brilliant way to look at a potential future and the place that multi billionaires have on research. What happens when there is one big super power with control over the air we breathe?
I adore Barrington Stoke texts, the colouring on the page and the font make them accessible to more which is always a positive.
This is a great sci fi story (which Alastair Chisholm is a master of.) Sparrow lives in a not to far away future where the air we breath is chargeable - all due to REEK. This pollution means that noone can breathe the air without a special suit, which of course comes at a cost.
A brilliant way to look at a potential future and the place that multi billionaires have on research. What happens when there is one big super power with control over the air we breathe?
September 11, 2024
I struggled with this one. The setting and illustrations were fantastic, but the protagonist/narrator Sparrow was extremely difficult to believe and root for. It's like the character was struggling to balance the role of narrator with the role of protagonist and the mask would occasionally slip to reveal a moralistic omniscient narrator behind the child character.
November 6, 2025
Great quick read dyslexia friendly Barrington Stoke.
Legitimatly a fantastic read. High stakes adventure with realistic and highly likeable characters, a great acheivment in 144 pages.
A dystopian story of a world that has been destroyed and you have to pay to breathe, a scary parelell to the stuggles with inflation in our current world.
Legitimatly a fantastic read. High stakes adventure with realistic and highly likeable characters, a great acheivment in 144 pages.
A dystopian story of a world that has been destroyed and you have to pay to breathe, a scary parelell to the stuggles with inflation in our current world.
June 23, 2024
I enjoyed this sci-fi, dystopian land where clean air is a luxury being ring-fenced by one man. I thought the characters were great! This is really fast-paced and as ever @BarringtonStoke are publishing readable, accessible stories! This will be perfect in my class!
October 25, 2024
I enjoyed this, but after reading Adam-2 I was expecting a book for older children. I got it from the library to share with my children, and it's a great book for them to introduce themes of environmentalism and capitalism.
September 13, 2024
Solid kids novel! I liked it a lot.
October 7, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
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November 10, 2024Read with my son as part of a Scottish Book Trust initiative 🙂
February 1, 2025
What a great little audio book! I was shocked how much it covered in a mere 2 hours 😁
October 1, 2025
Great little 2 hour audiobook.
October 9, 2025
4.5*
CW:
- Lang - For G*d's sake, heck, what the hell, good L*rd
- mc nearly suffocates as the authorities cut off her air supply
- Sparrow mentions that she wants to flick someone her own hand signal in frustration
- a man attacks a young girl and has his hands around her throat trying to strangle her, illustrated
- bit of a stealing from the rich to give to the poor at the end with the bad guy's finances
CW:
- Lang - For G*d's sake, heck, what the hell, good L*rd
- mc nearly suffocates as the authorities cut off her air supply
- Sparrow mentions that she wants to flick someone her own hand signal in frustration
- a man attacks a young girl and has his hands around her throat trying to strangle her, illustrated
- bit of a stealing from the rich to give to the poor at the end with the bad guy's finances
September 30, 2024
This short novel is a glance into an eerily realistic dystopian future where residents must buy air to breathe in a corrupted world. Reek pairs a fascinatingly daunting world with a brilliantly daring protagonist determined to protect her family at all costs to create an impactful tale of hope and courage.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews