What do you think?
Rate this book
Dust
"An immediate classic that holds its own alongside the greats of American Literature, Dust brings the haunting echoes of our past to a weather-beaten future. Every word of Dust is as familiar as a childhood friend. You understand—instantly—that you will carry it with you for the rest of your life." – K. Ancrum, award-winning author of The Wicker King
In this haunting, speculative coming-of-age novel about finding your place in an unforgiving environment, a partially deaf teen questions everything she knows about family, love, and her future.
After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends—all due to her parents’ fear of the outside world’s dangerous influence.
But to make ends meet, Thea is allowed to work at the café in town. There, she meets Ray, who is deaf. Thea, who was born hard of hearing, has always been pushed by her parents to pass as someone who can hear. Now, with Ray secretly teaching Thea how to sign, she begins to learn what she’s been missing—not just a new language but a whole community and maybe even a chance at love.
In this haunting, speculative coming-of-age novel about finding your place in an unforgiving environment, a partially deaf teen questions everything she knows about family, love, and her future.
After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends—all due to her parents’ fear of the outside world’s dangerous influence.
But to make ends meet, Thea is allowed to work at the café in town. There, she meets Ray, who is deaf. Thea, who was born hard of hearing, has always been pushed by her parents to pass as someone who can hear. Now, with Ray secretly teaching Thea how to sign, she begins to learn what she’s been missing—not just a new language but a whole community and maybe even a chance at love.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2024
44 people are currently reading
12646 people want to read
About the author
Alison Stine
11 books270 followersAlison Stine grew up in rural Ohio and now lives in Colorado. Her first novel Road Out of Winter won the 2021 Philip K. Dick Award. Recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and National Geographic, she has published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
January 10, 2025
A haunting and harrowing novel about a young woman trying to find her place after her family moves to desolate Colorado.
Thea and her family relocate from Ohio to Colorado after a flood ravages their hometown. Thea's father sees a future for his family without technology or the trappings of modern life. They'll own their own land and grow their own food, school the kids at home, and eschew electricity and running water. But arriving in Colorado, the family finds a half-built house and fields too dusty and parched to grow much of anything. And then the dust storms start.
Wow, this is an amazing story. Thea is deaf in one ear, but told by her parents to hide her inability to hear. She feels disconnected from her family and the world, and Stine writes the text to illustrate the "blanks" in conversation that Thea cannot catch. With her father's reluctance to embrace technology or outside education, the book clearly illustrates Thea's suffocation of being trapped on the hot, dusty farm, unable to hear and struggling with the feeling of being different and "in between." The writing just oozes claustrophobia.
We see how easily a person's world can be narrowed without education or access to the internet or books--Thea works so hard to secretly get to the town's library, for instance, where she meets some kind town members, and Ray, another deaf kid her age, which opens up an entire world for her. Otherwise, she's so isolated, seeing only her little sister, and not even knowing that being deaf is okay. Ray teaches Thea about ASL and she accompanies him and his uncle on journeys around the county to visit other town members, learning about other types of people.
Watching Thea's world broaden is amazing, especially as she tries to learn more about her environment. DUST leans heavily into environmentalism, illustrating the effects of climate change on Colorado, and how the 1930s-era Dust Bowl horrors could so easily happen again. The storms and the climate feel like another character, creating a tense atmosphere that truly comes to life.
This book just has that uncanny ability to make you feel--the tenseness of the storms; the powerlessness Thea feels against her father; the kindness of Thea's boss at the local cafe where she works; and the bit of hope and spark that comes between Thea and Ray. It's so beautifully written, and Thea is a wonderful character. My only issue is the story's ending, which I felt wrapped up too easily. A book this dark and poignant almost deserved a more severe conclusion, as much as I cared for all the characters.
Still, this is an amazing book and so worth the read. 4+ stars (rounded up here).
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in return for an unbiased review.
Thea and her family relocate from Ohio to Colorado after a flood ravages their hometown. Thea's father sees a future for his family without technology or the trappings of modern life. They'll own their own land and grow their own food, school the kids at home, and eschew electricity and running water. But arriving in Colorado, the family finds a half-built house and fields too dusty and parched to grow much of anything. And then the dust storms start.
Wow, this is an amazing story. Thea is deaf in one ear, but told by her parents to hide her inability to hear. She feels disconnected from her family and the world, and Stine writes the text to illustrate the "blanks" in conversation that Thea cannot catch. With her father's reluctance to embrace technology or outside education, the book clearly illustrates Thea's suffocation of being trapped on the hot, dusty farm, unable to hear and struggling with the feeling of being different and "in between." The writing just oozes claustrophobia.
We see how easily a person's world can be narrowed without education or access to the internet or books--Thea works so hard to secretly get to the town's library, for instance, where she meets some kind town members, and Ray, another deaf kid her age, which opens up an entire world for her. Otherwise, she's so isolated, seeing only her little sister, and not even knowing that being deaf is okay. Ray teaches Thea about ASL and she accompanies him and his uncle on journeys around the county to visit other town members, learning about other types of people.
Watching Thea's world broaden is amazing, especially as she tries to learn more about her environment. DUST leans heavily into environmentalism, illustrating the effects of climate change on Colorado, and how the 1930s-era Dust Bowl horrors could so easily happen again. The storms and the climate feel like another character, creating a tense atmosphere that truly comes to life.
This book just has that uncanny ability to make you feel--the tenseness of the storms; the powerlessness Thea feels against her father; the kindness of Thea's boss at the local cafe where she works; and the bit of hope and spark that comes between Thea and Ray. It's so beautifully written, and Thea is a wonderful character. My only issue is the story's ending, which I felt wrapped up too easily. A book this dark and poignant almost deserved a more severe conclusion, as much as I cared for all the characters.
Still, this is an amazing book and so worth the read. 4+ stars (rounded up here).
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in return for an unbiased review.
March 6, 2025
Going into Dust, I had no idea what to expect. The premise intrigued me, but I was unsure how grounded the book would be. It's tagged as a dystopian, but I wasn't sue if I should expect an exaggerated setting, or a brutally honest depiction of our current climate. As I started reading and understanding the setting, I quickly became immersed.
I normally lean towards plot-driven books. However, Dust has a slower plot. It focusses more on themes and setting, and to my surprise, this really worked for me. This is perhaps the most immersed I have ever been while reading a book. Alison Stine does such a stellar job at integrating the reader into Thea's life. The barren desert she lives in, her complicated home life, and her struggles with deafness are captured in such extraordinary detail. I felt like I was stuck in the town alongside her. On that note, I also found that this immersive setting helped to further Thea's character growth. Throughout Dust, Thea, a sheltered, homeschooled, deaf girl, slowly escapes the constraints of her father and the town he's moved their family to. By describing Thea's day-to-day life so vividly at the start of the book, Alison Stine allows the readers to feel the same relief Thea does when she breaks free and escapes to the library, a sanctuary to the teen.
As I previously mentioned, I also loved the way the author incorporated the themes of this book. Patriarchy, capitalism, climate change, loneliness, complex familial relationships and the effects of poverty on them are all discussed with such nuance. I was really blown away by the maturity of the writing. Overall I highly recommend this book if you are looking something relevant to the times we're living through right now.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I normally lean towards plot-driven books. However, Dust has a slower plot. It focusses more on themes and setting, and to my surprise, this really worked for me. This is perhaps the most immersed I have ever been while reading a book. Alison Stine does such a stellar job at integrating the reader into Thea's life. The barren desert she lives in, her complicated home life, and her struggles with deafness are captured in such extraordinary detail. I felt like I was stuck in the town alongside her. On that note, I also found that this immersive setting helped to further Thea's character growth. Throughout Dust, Thea, a sheltered, homeschooled, deaf girl, slowly escapes the constraints of her father and the town he's moved their family to. By describing Thea's day-to-day life so vividly at the start of the book, Alison Stine allows the readers to feel the same relief Thea does when she breaks free and escapes to the library, a sanctuary to the teen.
As I previously mentioned, I also loved the way the author incorporated the themes of this book. Patriarchy, capitalism, climate change, loneliness, complex familial relationships and the effects of poverty on them are all discussed with such nuance. I was really blown away by the maturity of the writing. Overall I highly recommend this book if you are looking something relevant to the times we're living through right now.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
July 13, 2024
Wow! And I mean it in the truest, most sincere definition of the word. Given an ARC of dust via giveaway, I am so very thankful. Even though I’m now in my mid-30s, and this is a YA novel, this book really brought me back to high school and is easily a book I will be FIGHTING for my girls to have in their classrooms doing book reports on when they get there. I wish I had this book in high school!
You’re only in a small period of time in these characters lives, but they live with you long after.
Dare I hope for a sequel? I do. Does it need one? No but I fell in love with all of them, I couldn’t help it. Even the crazy unreasonable father.
Thank you Alison Stine for an utterly (I don’t have sufficient words) work of art in book form. ❤️❤️❤️
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
You’re only in a small period of time in these characters lives, but they live with you long after.
Dare I hope for a sequel? I do. Does it need one? No but I fell in love with all of them, I couldn’t help it. Even the crazy unreasonable father.
Thank you Alison Stine for an utterly (I don’t have sufficient words) work of art in book form. ❤️❤️❤️
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
October 21, 2024
This was a modern-day echo of 'The Grapes of Wrath'. Stine explores the unhospitable environment of the Bloodless Valley in Colorado, which becomes its own main character. This story introduces us to Thea and her family as they try to make a go at running their own homestead in the harsh environment. Despite the challenges of their new home and her hearing impairment, Thea's hopes and dreams become clear to her. With the support of a surprisingly welcoming community, Thea thrives and learns what she really wants from life, even if that is different from her families expectations.
October 7, 2024
4.5 Stars
I adored this book. It was a nice surprise, rounding out my year in new YA releases. The character's voice is so strong, and the setting is so stark and well-written that I could feel the dust while reading. This whole book feels unsettlingly apocalyptic but in an all-too-familiar way. It's a book about hope and community as much as it is about environmental despair and a sort of toxic survivalism. My only qualm is that it ends a little too neatly (it isn't the type of book that should have a neat and tidy ending). At the same time, I can't complain too much because I wanted these characters to have their happy ending, however that ending might come about.
Obviously, there's more to say here, but I'm saving all that for my full review, publishing December 20, 2024 at Gateway Reviews. Stop by if you get the chance!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
I adored this book. It was a nice surprise, rounding out my year in new YA releases. The character's voice is so strong, and the setting is so stark and well-written that I could feel the dust while reading. This whole book feels unsettlingly apocalyptic but in an all-too-familiar way. It's a book about hope and community as much as it is about environmental despair and a sort of toxic survivalism. My only qualm is that it ends a little too neatly (it isn't the type of book that should have a neat and tidy ending). At the same time, I can't complain too much because I wanted these characters to have their happy ending, however that ending might come about.
Obviously, there's more to say here, but I'm saving all that for my full review, publishing December 20, 2024 at Gateway Reviews. Stop by if you get the chance!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
June 17, 2024
3.5 stars, that I'm rounding up to 4 because 'dust' is its very own character. I still have a hard time picturing what a dust storm would be like, but it sounds horrific. At least with a tornado it's there and gone, or an earthquake might last a few minutes...but this, this red bull of a beast, has a mind of its own and heavens forbid anyone in its path. The story itself is truly a YA coming of age featuring a girl who is so very lonely, isolated and not really seen in her own family as she is taught to hide her partial deafness. She meets a boy her age, who is also deaf, and they strike up a friendship. And, as is common in young adults, they fall deeply in love in such a short time. Ahhhh, I remember young love. How consuming and freeing and angst filled. It's just a good story...with scary scary dust.
June 3, 2025
"What made his dreams more important than mine?"
Live together or die alone. This book is a stark reminder that when we fight against environment, we are stronger together.
Thea is half hearing, half deaf. She lives in a world where she misses many of the words said around her and whole conversations. Her father doesn't believe she needs anything special and he wants to make sure she tells very few people that she is deaf on one side. After an unfortunate group of girls are mean to Thea, their parents pull both kids completely from school and decide to 'unschool' and 'homestead' them instead.
This cuts Thea and her little sister off from everyone. Soon after they leave Ohio due to flooding and buy an abandoned farm in Colorado. Thus begins Thea's fight with dust. It covers everything and makes her sister cough. But her father needs no one. He's decided this farm, their land, will bend to him.
This story was so good. I really liked Thea. I loved the author's use of spaces in the dialogue to help us try to see and hear the world through Thea's experiences. But it was also a test in patience. Thea's father is just awful and it was hard to go through each chapter as he cut them off more and more from everything. I loved the sense of community in this story, the reminder that we are stronger together, and the stark reality of us believing that we know better than the land. A good reminder of a story, layered with meaning and insight.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Live together or die alone. This book is a stark reminder that when we fight against environment, we are stronger together.
Thea is half hearing, half deaf. She lives in a world where she misses many of the words said around her and whole conversations. Her father doesn't believe she needs anything special and he wants to make sure she tells very few people that she is deaf on one side. After an unfortunate group of girls are mean to Thea, their parents pull both kids completely from school and decide to 'unschool' and 'homestead' them instead.
This cuts Thea and her little sister off from everyone. Soon after they leave Ohio due to flooding and buy an abandoned farm in Colorado. Thus begins Thea's fight with dust. It covers everything and makes her sister cough. But her father needs no one. He's decided this farm, their land, will bend to him.
This story was so good. I really liked Thea. I loved the author's use of spaces in the dialogue to help us try to see and hear the world through Thea's experiences. But it was also a test in patience. Thea's father is just awful and it was hard to go through each chapter as he cut them off more and more from everything. I loved the sense of community in this story, the reminder that we are stronger together, and the stark reality of us believing that we know better than the land. A good reminder of a story, layered with meaning and insight.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
November 14, 2024
Publishes December 3, 2024
Dust is a YA book with a variety of themes that would work well for a book club discussion or topic driven papers. Thea is born partially Deaf to a family who refuses to believe it, her dad has premonitions causing the family to, stockpile resources, relocate and go off grid outside a community dealing with the reprocussions of corporate farming and the destruction of commodities.
Out of desperation, Thea is allowed to get a job and she slowly builds community, friendships, and a light romance along with the gift of starting to learn ASL without her parents approval.
Being hard of hearing myself I was drawn to this book and to Thea as she navigates her world. I saw similarities to 'How To Survive Everything' (Ewan Morrison). And enjoyed learning the historical context to Black Sunday and dust storms of the past come with connections in modern day farming techniques in a climate changing world.
Dust is a YA book with a variety of themes that would work well for a book club discussion or topic driven papers. Thea is born partially Deaf to a family who refuses to believe it, her dad has premonitions causing the family to, stockpile resources, relocate and go off grid outside a community dealing with the reprocussions of corporate farming and the destruction of commodities.
Out of desperation, Thea is allowed to get a job and she slowly builds community, friendships, and a light romance along with the gift of starting to learn ASL without her parents approval.
Being hard of hearing myself I was drawn to this book and to Thea as she navigates her world. I saw similarities to 'How To Survive Everything' (Ewan Morrison). And enjoyed learning the historical context to Black Sunday and dust storms of the past come with connections in modern day farming techniques in a climate changing world.
November 11, 2024
Dust is a YA speculative fiction novel about a young half deaf girl who is uprooted from her home in Ohio to a desolate, dry, hot, and seemingly dying town in Colorado by her parents. Her parents refuse to acknowledge she struggles with hearing. They have become fearful of progress and have chosen to pull their children from school, deciding to live without help from the outside world, wanting to go back to “simpler” times. All the while, ignoring the strain that it’s putting on their family, on their daughters.
This is a very interesting story, I haven’t read one quite like it before. It was interesting to see parents refusing to acknowledge their daughters disability and to examine how that affected the main character and those around her. It was incredibly heartbreaking to watch the parents slowly break the spirits of their daughters because of the fear that they had. Fear had such a prominent role in this story and controlled the decisions the parents made throughout. It also caused the parents to technically abuse their children by denying them education and socialization. It definitely was difficult to read at times, but that did lead to some heartwarming moments when the main character was able to establish meaningful connections.
I really did struggle with the unschooling part of the story. To be clear, homeschooling, and unschooling are two incredibly different things, and to confuse the two, especially in this kind of format can be detrimental. I understand the point the author was trying to make with regards to fear, misinformation, and unschooling (which has become a trend recently) but several times throughout the story she used homeschooling and unschooling interchangeably, which is inaccurate and can cause a lot of confusion and spreads misinformation. And to be fair, what happened in this story couldn’t even be considered unschooling or homeschooling. It was a complete absence of schooling. Although at times, it was stated that the youngest daughter was getting taught, it was very obvious the oldest one wasn’t getting any education at all. What the author did was absolute misrepresentation and ruined the entire entire story for me as I was angry with the author for portraying both of these potentially legitimate, benign, and useful ways of teaching children in such an inaccurate and damaging light. What would’ve been more accurate and what would’ve been more beneficial to the story would’ve been to show how maybe the parents started off with wanting to homeschool or unschool and due to their fears decided to focus on no schooling. The author could have allowed the obviously intelligent main character to realize that her parents weren’t doing what they originally set out to do. The main character could have pointed out that if she wasn’t going to get homeschooled or unschooled properly, she would prefer to be in public school. Instead, the author chose, in a YA novel that will be read by a younger audience who is more likely less knowledgeable about other forms of schooling, to portray it is something abusive and terrifying.
***Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Alison Stine for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***
This is a very interesting story, I haven’t read one quite like it before. It was interesting to see parents refusing to acknowledge their daughters disability and to examine how that affected the main character and those around her. It was incredibly heartbreaking to watch the parents slowly break the spirits of their daughters because of the fear that they had. Fear had such a prominent role in this story and controlled the decisions the parents made throughout. It also caused the parents to technically abuse their children by denying them education and socialization. It definitely was difficult to read at times, but that did lead to some heartwarming moments when the main character was able to establish meaningful connections.
I really did struggle with the unschooling part of the story. To be clear, homeschooling, and unschooling are two incredibly different things, and to confuse the two, especially in this kind of format can be detrimental. I understand the point the author was trying to make with regards to fear, misinformation, and unschooling (which has become a trend recently) but several times throughout the story she used homeschooling and unschooling interchangeably, which is inaccurate and can cause a lot of confusion and spreads misinformation. And to be fair, what happened in this story couldn’t even be considered unschooling or homeschooling. It was a complete absence of schooling. Although at times, it was stated that the youngest daughter was getting taught, it was very obvious the oldest one wasn’t getting any education at all. What the author did was absolute misrepresentation and ruined the entire entire story for me as I was angry with the author for portraying both of these potentially legitimate, benign, and useful ways of teaching children in such an inaccurate and damaging light. What would’ve been more accurate and what would’ve been more beneficial to the story would’ve been to show how maybe the parents started off with wanting to homeschool or unschool and due to their fears decided to focus on no schooling. The author could have allowed the obviously intelligent main character to realize that her parents weren’t doing what they originally set out to do. The main character could have pointed out that if she wasn’t going to get homeschooled or unschooled properly, she would prefer to be in public school. Instead, the author chose, in a YA novel that will be read by a younger audience who is more likely less knowledgeable about other forms of schooling, to portray it is something abusive and terrifying.
***Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Alison Stine for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***
June 5, 2025
4.25 stars ⭐️
Overall, a great read! Ate this up in like 3 days, and I would for sure recommend it!
My only issue, the whole thing felt a little rushed, particularly the romance. Thea and Ray met, and then the third time they hung out together, they kissed. Just wasn’t realistic to me, so that irked me slightly. Overall, the level of romance was good, it was minor, and private, which I appreciate.
Loved mostly everything else, and the way the family healed over time was probably my favorite part :))
Overall, a great read! Ate this up in like 3 days, and I would for sure recommend it!
My only issue, the whole thing felt a little rushed, particularly the romance. Thea and Ray met, and then the third time they hung out together, they kissed. Just wasn’t realistic to me, so that irked me slightly. Overall, the level of romance was good, it was minor, and private, which I appreciate.
Loved mostly everything else, and the way the family healed over time was probably my favorite part :))
April 11, 2025
Diving into this book with no expectations turned out to be a perfect start to my 2025 reading challenge. The dust itself becoming both a plot device and character was brilliantly executed, weaving through themes that resonate deeply: finding your voice, recovering from poor choices, owning your mistakes, and the power of community.
This YA novel delivers universal truths with extraordinary skill. Its lessons about courage, redemption, and connection speak to readers of any age. The characters pulled me in completely, making their journeys feel personal and meaningful.
Sometimes, the most profound wisdom comes wrapped in unexpected packages, and this book proves that perfectly. Brilliant storytelling that leaves you with lessons you'll carry long after the final page.
This YA novel delivers universal truths with extraordinary skill. Its lessons about courage, redemption, and connection speak to readers of any age. The characters pulled me in completely, making their journeys feel personal and meaningful.
Sometimes, the most profound wisdom comes wrapped in unexpected packages, and this book proves that perfectly. Brilliant storytelling that leaves you with lessons you'll carry long after the final page.
February 13, 2025
4.5, this was wonderful and really compelling!!!
October 23, 2024
Dust is speculative fiction but it feels all too real. The story is set in current day but it also gives us a glimpse of the past and future. We see everything through Thea's eyes. She is the perfect choice to narrate the story. Navigating life in the desert with endless heat and dust is hard enough, but Thea is also hard of hearing and able to hear in only one ear. Her own family treats her like everyone else, but Thea is different and she wants different things. With the family's life on the farm though it might not be possible to be herself. That won't stop her from trying though.
Dust is a wonderful story. Thea is such a strong character. She's kind, smart, and brave. Her inner thoughts are written so well. We are able to understand some of what it's like as she goes through every day missing out on parts of conversations or ordinary daily sounds.
Other characters are also well drawn even those who appear only briefly. The environment is harsh, scary, and somehow beautiful at times. Maybe it's the people that live there. The characters feel like people anyway. Dust is one of those books where you feel like things will continue on even after you stop reading. This will be one of my top reads this year!
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read!
Dust is a wonderful story. Thea is such a strong character. She's kind, smart, and brave. Her inner thoughts are written so well. We are able to understand some of what it's like as she goes through every day missing out on parts of conversations or ordinary daily sounds.
Other characters are also well drawn even those who appear only briefly. The environment is harsh, scary, and somehow beautiful at times. Maybe it's the people that live there. The characters feel like people anyway. Dust is one of those books where you feel like things will continue on even after you stop reading. This will be one of my top reads this year!
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read!
February 18, 2025
Taking place in a present alternate history where farming practices were not changed in the 1930s, this was a much more interesting read than the Grapes of Wrath (sorry lol). I thought this was a very well written book about the dangers of climate change and the dangers of human beings who refuse to listen. I loved that this book showcased the importance of libraries, not just to get information, but to provide services for people who don't have internet or air conditioning or when it needs to be used as a shelter during the dust storms. I liked the conversations about deafness and thought it was interesting that Thea didn't meet another Deaf/HOH person her age until she moved. I felt to sad for Thea for having to deal with a horrible dad and I'm glad that the other adults in the town tried so hard to help her. However, the last 2 chapters really made me mad. Her dad was so awful and crazy and abusive for him to just all of a sudden be like ok sorry!! like NO!!!!! FAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They moved from Ohio to Colorado because he dreamed there would be a flood and then there was one so he was "right" even though the reason why they got caught in that flood was because they didn't use the internet or listen to the radio or watch TV or have phones so they didn't get any of the flood warnings. And I have half a mind to believe that the dad actually did know about the flood in advance and just said he "dreamed it" as an excuse to move them and I will die on that hill.
November 28, 2024
Dust by Alison Stine. Thanks to @wednesdaybooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thea’s father moves his family to Colorado, hoping to live off the land as homesteaders but the river is dry and the crops dying. Thea is lonely and isolated, her parents ignoring that she is hard of hearing and not giving her the support she needs. When she meets Ray, who is deaf, he begins to teach her sign and introduce her to a new community.
I love a good coming of age story, especially when one is dealing with adversity. This was a slower paced book for me but in the end I did enjoy it. I felt very frustrated for the main character given her lack of power and control. The story builds up to an event at the end where it all comes to a head. The story also sheds light on climate change and the affect it has on farming and agriculture.
“In the valley, we had no neighbors. Dust was my company.”
Dust comes out 12/3.
Thea’s father moves his family to Colorado, hoping to live off the land as homesteaders but the river is dry and the crops dying. Thea is lonely and isolated, her parents ignoring that she is hard of hearing and not giving her the support she needs. When she meets Ray, who is deaf, he begins to teach her sign and introduce her to a new community.
I love a good coming of age story, especially when one is dealing with adversity. This was a slower paced book for me but in the end I did enjoy it. I felt very frustrated for the main character given her lack of power and control. The story builds up to an event at the end where it all comes to a head. The story also sheds light on climate change and the affect it has on farming and agriculture.
“In the valley, we had no neighbors. Dust was my company.”
Dust comes out 12/3.
November 25, 2024
This book, WOW. From page one, I was completely captivated by Thea and her story. It’s probably one of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read in my life. There were definitely times I’d pause my reading, go outside and be genuinely surprised I wasn’t in rural Colorado with dust covering everything. This book was a beautiful coming of age story, but it also focuses on the importance of community, education, protecting the environment and communication. The characters in this story were written so incredibly well. I absolutely adored Thea, Amelia and all the townspeople that are committed to helping the girls and their family. There is romance and it’s a beautiful one, but it doesn’t overshadow the story or Thea’s journey. This is a book I think everyone should read. I'm going to be thinking about it for a long time.
Mini spoiler: there are mentions of hunting, but nothing bad happens to any of the dogs, goats or chickens on the farm!
CW: ableism
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Mini spoiler: there are mentions of hunting, but nothing bad happens to any of the dogs, goats or chickens on the farm!
CW: ableism
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2024
I received a free copy of, Dust, by Alison Stine, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thea who is born hard of hearing does not have a very supportive family at all. Moved to a barren wasteland, Thea has to start over, but at least she gets to work, and meet people like herself. Thea is such a strong character, a survivor. being a teenager is hard enough without being hard of hearing and isolated. I savored this book, it is so good.
December 4, 2024
Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for the copy of Dust by Alison Stine. It’s obvious from the first page that Stine is a poet. Her words flow and weave the irresistible story of Thea, a teen whose father has moved the family to Colorado to live off the grid. He doesn’t allow Thea and her sister to go to school, so they are isolated and “learning” from some outdated books. Thea is half deaf, and I loved how when people are talking to her, words are replaced by “ ________ “ to show she can’t always hear everything, something her parents try to ignore. While their father tries unsuccessfully to farm the arid land, Thea and her mother work in town. The hardships were reminiscent of reading The Four Winds, and their life was bleak and sad. I liked how Thea starts to meet and develop relationships with other people who live in town. I wish the ending had been more satisfying and not all wrapped up in a pretty bow. It didn’t feel realistic and left me wanting more of an explanation of how and why it happened that way. This was still an amazing book, though! 4 stars
February 13, 2025
This was a YA book which I enjoyed in some ways, but didn’t love. Firstly the story moved very slowly. Thea, moves with her family to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado. Her father buys a house, sight unseen. They plan to live off the land and somewhat off the grid. What they find when they arrive is an uncompleted house, and land that is too dusty to grow anything. Thea, who is partially deaf, feels completely isolated from the world. This is a coming of age story, where Thea has to fight for herself. Her father is a headstrong man, domineering and strict. He refuses to try to understand Thea’s disability, and instead pretends nothing is wrong. As the book progresses, a major dust storm becomes the beginning of change. Well written, with a look at what climate change could bring, I just wish the story moved a little quicker.
June 27, 2024
***Received ARC as part of Goodreads Giveaway***
I swear I was about to reach in those pages and give Theas dad a what for! This was a great story, full of all the fun stuff that makes growing up fun (sarcasm).
I like Thea, I feel like she was a very relatable character, if a little too passive for me. Fathers can come in all forms, but mine didn't raise me to be 'quiet', and I felt a lot of irritation for him and his treatment of Thea.
Irritation at both parents.
As the story went on, I started to understand, along w Thea, it was more his fear than actually carelessness, and that's the redeeming factor for the parents.
I love a good, happy ending, and I'm glad everyone got theirs in the end.
I swear I was about to reach in those pages and give Theas dad a what for! This was a great story, full of all the fun stuff that makes growing up fun (sarcasm).
I like Thea, I feel like she was a very relatable character, if a little too passive for me. Fathers can come in all forms, but mine didn't raise me to be 'quiet', and I felt a lot of irritation for him and his treatment of Thea.
Irritation at both parents.
As the story went on, I started to understand, along w Thea, it was more his fear than actually carelessness, and that's the redeeming factor for the parents.
I love a good, happy ending, and I'm glad everyone got theirs in the end.
November 30, 2024
4.5 stars
This is an intriguing YA novel with a captivating m.c., poorly behaved parents, a nearly post-apocalyptic environment (probably our reality by the end of next year), and a welcome dash of hope.
Thea, the m.c., is dealing with a number of challenges that are all made worse by her parents' bad decisions. Her father - who gives creeper/prepper/gets his news from YouTube early on type o' dude - decides that the family (his wife, Thea, Thea's younger sister, and he) should become farmsteaders, participate in unschooling, and engage in that kind of "religion" that requires women to stop wearing jeans and start dressing like Duggars. It's scary, to say the least, to see how quickly their imperfect but relatively typical life turns bleak based on the deep misdirection of a patriarch. Again, more to dread!
On top of parental challenges (and there are many), Thea is partially deaf. An absolute highlight of this read was getting to understand her experiences in this area from her perspective. Stine really nails some nuance here in relation to how Thea's disability impacts her interactions, and I think a lot of readers will either feel seen or really build empathy depending on how they connect to Thea's identity.
The relationships are also fulfilling. Thea's mom is obviously facing some shortcomings of her own, and it's so interesting to begin to see the differences between her internal and external thoughts about her deteriorating husband. The relationship between Thea and her younger sister is really moving, and Thea has some great friendships - old and new - that make her character feel round and offer hope in an otherwise dire situation.
It's important to note that the environment is an active character in this novel, too,
There is so much to like about this book, and my one wish for a slight alteration is a good one - I wish there was a bit more of it. I'd have loved to see a bit more development of Thea's relationships with all of these great characters.
I'll definitely recommend this one to students and will look forward to more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is an intriguing YA novel with a captivating m.c., poorly behaved parents, a nearly post-apocalyptic environment (probably our reality by the end of next year), and a welcome dash of hope.
Thea, the m.c., is dealing with a number of challenges that are all made worse by her parents' bad decisions. Her father - who gives creeper/prepper/gets his news from YouTube early on type o' dude - decides that the family (his wife, Thea, Thea's younger sister, and he) should become farmsteaders, participate in unschooling, and engage in that kind of "religion" that requires women to stop wearing jeans and start dressing like Duggars. It's scary, to say the least, to see how quickly their imperfect but relatively typical life turns bleak based on the deep misdirection of a patriarch. Again, more to dread!
On top of parental challenges (and there are many), Thea is partially deaf. An absolute highlight of this read was getting to understand her experiences in this area from her perspective. Stine really nails some nuance here in relation to how Thea's disability impacts her interactions, and I think a lot of readers will either feel seen or really build empathy depending on how they connect to Thea's identity.
The relationships are also fulfilling. Thea's mom is obviously facing some shortcomings of her own, and it's so interesting to begin to see the differences between her internal and external thoughts about her deteriorating husband. The relationship between Thea and her younger sister is really moving, and Thea has some great friendships - old and new - that make her character feel round and offer hope in an otherwise dire situation.
It's important to note that the environment is an active character in this novel, too,
There is so much to like about this book, and my one wish for a slight alteration is a good one - I wish there was a bit more of it. I'd have loved to see a bit more development of Thea's relationships with all of these great characters.
I'll definitely recommend this one to students and will look forward to more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
December 2, 2024
Thea and her family move to the dry and desolate Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado for a fresh start and to get away from everything. Her dad had a premonition and a deep distrust of anything and everything. He's decided that they'll be completely off the grid and his daughters will be unschooled. This means Thea and her little sister not only get no schooling whatsoever, they're also forbidden from any form of media and talking to other people. But they're so poor that Thea and her mom are forced to work outside the home and her world opens up to the possibilities of community and even a boy like her who understands what it's like to be deaf in a hearing world. But dark clouds are gathering on the horizon and Thea is having her own apocalyptic dreams, will she be able to get through to her parents in time to save her family?
I spent the vast majority of the book wanting to rescue Thea and her little sister from the horrid abuse their parents were inflicting upon them. The dad has serious issues and should not be in charge of children, but that is neither here nor there. Knowing that there are poor kids that actually live like this is enough make me angry, so a novel that's all about the damage it does was a little hard at times. Thankfully, it's a piece of fiction that's resolved as only fiction can but with infinite care by Stine to keeps things as grounded in reality as possible. It's that founding that makes everything Thea experiences in the Valley feel real. You can almost smell the dryness and breathe in the dust.
Overall, I found it a bit despondent but powerful in the way it touches on so many emotional topics. There's no way you're reading it and not walking away with a million thoughts to process, which is great every once in a while.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the fascinating read!
I spent the vast majority of the book wanting to rescue Thea and her little sister from the horrid abuse their parents were inflicting upon them. The dad has serious issues and should not be in charge of children, but that is neither here nor there. Knowing that there are poor kids that actually live like this is enough make me angry, so a novel that's all about the damage it does was a little hard at times. Thankfully, it's a piece of fiction that's resolved as only fiction can but with infinite care by Stine to keeps things as grounded in reality as possible. It's that founding that makes everything Thea experiences in the Valley feel real. You can almost smell the dryness and breathe in the dust.
Overall, I found it a bit despondent but powerful in the way it touches on so many emotional topics. There's no way you're reading it and not walking away with a million thoughts to process, which is great every once in a while.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the fascinating read!
March 8, 2025
3.75 rounded up.
I received a copy of this novel in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, what a pleasant and unexpected surprise this novel was! I typically don't love YA novels unless they're written by Ruta Sepytys, but for Stine's first go-around at this genre, there was a lot to love in this one. It was also my second novel in a few short weeks with a deaf main character (True Biz being the other), and while there were many common threads, they were also quite different and I enjoyed this one far more. There were some very big issues explored regarding climate change and the historic dust bowl of the 1930s, with the aftermath presented in an alternative historic way, which was clever and engaging.
Reading almost memoiric at times, this is the story of Thea, her sister Amelia and their parents who have left the flooded valleys of Ohio to pursue a more simplistic, live off the land, remote existence in the dusty Colorado desert. At the helm of the family is their paranoid father, who believes the outside world and its advancements are dangerous and mind poisoning. It is also to "protect" Thea, and make her feel she is the same as everyone else, even though due to her deafness, she is not. The girls are "unschooled," which originally meant homeschooled, but instead progressed to no schooling and not even allowed trips to the library.
My favorite aspect of this novel is the theme and reminder that we are but visitors on this Earth. We do not have the control. The land and weather have control, and we ought to respect that and remain humbled by it. But humans have difficulty with the idea of not having control, most notably represented by Thea's father. The aspect of community in this novel is also great and shows how much better things can be if you work together with others and treat each other kindly. There are also wonderful coming of age themes, dealing with being different and standing up for one's beliefs and sisterhood.
Knocked a star because I wasn't a fan of how quickly some of the characters seemed to change at the end. Felt very abrupt.
Well worth the read. Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy.
I received a copy of this novel in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, what a pleasant and unexpected surprise this novel was! I typically don't love YA novels unless they're written by Ruta Sepytys, but for Stine's first go-around at this genre, there was a lot to love in this one. It was also my second novel in a few short weeks with a deaf main character (True Biz being the other), and while there were many common threads, they were also quite different and I enjoyed this one far more. There were some very big issues explored regarding climate change and the historic dust bowl of the 1930s, with the aftermath presented in an alternative historic way, which was clever and engaging.
Reading almost memoiric at times, this is the story of Thea, her sister Amelia and their parents who have left the flooded valleys of Ohio to pursue a more simplistic, live off the land, remote existence in the dusty Colorado desert. At the helm of the family is their paranoid father, who believes the outside world and its advancements are dangerous and mind poisoning. It is also to "protect" Thea, and make her feel she is the same as everyone else, even though due to her deafness, she is not. The girls are "unschooled," which originally meant homeschooled, but instead progressed to no schooling and not even allowed trips to the library.
My favorite aspect of this novel is the theme and reminder that we are but visitors on this Earth. We do not have the control. The land and weather have control, and we ought to respect that and remain humbled by it. But humans have difficulty with the idea of not having control, most notably represented by Thea's father. The aspect of community in this novel is also great and shows how much better things can be if you work together with others and treat each other kindly. There are also wonderful coming of age themes, dealing with being different and standing up for one's beliefs and sisterhood.
Knocked a star because I wasn't a fan of how quickly some of the characters seemed to change at the end. Felt very abrupt.
Well worth the read. Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy.
April 28, 2025
This was surprisingly good! I don’t know why this book isn’t more popular.
It’s a different take on dystopian fiction. Instead of talking about overbearing governments, this is about natural disasters that shape the way people are forced to live. What happens when dust storms control the land and thus the way society functions?
This is also a story about belonging and family and home. What is home? What is family? What is the role of parents and how do they keep their kids safe? What role does community play?
The characters are very well written. I am so picky about this, but Stine writes them masterfully! That makes it so relatable. As a parent I could understand the desire to protect your kids, even if I completely disagreed with a lot of decisions being made. I would imagine this book would be very relatable to teens and pre-teens also. Overbearing parents, kids wanting to have more independence, not knowing how to talk to your parents about what is important to you, etc…. But what I really liked is that you get insight into why the parents are the way they are. Readers (ahem teenagers) can see that even parents who seem the most strict and unwilling to listen, are doing it out of love, and that maybe, just maybe, they can come around.
There is also a theme of listening- literally, with the deaf characters, and symbolically, with the relationships that need some good heart to hearts. I know teens can relate to the topic of not feeling understood or “heard” and trying to stand up for their own needs.
I think this book I would be a great one to read in a high school or middle school literature class. You could have great discussions (and write some interesting essays 😉). I just recently finished the new Hunger Games prequel and my son finished the first 4 books, so that’s on my mind. I would call that series a modern classic, with lots of literary merit, as well as things worthy of discussing and learning from. This book can hold its own against that. Great read!
ETA: I read a review that says you are immersed in this story, into the world, as if you are stuck in the town with Thea. It’s true. I love that description.
It’s a different take on dystopian fiction. Instead of talking about overbearing governments, this is about natural disasters that shape the way people are forced to live. What happens when dust storms control the land and thus the way society functions?
This is also a story about belonging and family and home. What is home? What is family? What is the role of parents and how do they keep their kids safe? What role does community play?
The characters are very well written. I am so picky about this, but Stine writes them masterfully! That makes it so relatable. As a parent I could understand the desire to protect your kids, even if I completely disagreed with a lot of decisions being made. I would imagine this book would be very relatable to teens and pre-teens also. Overbearing parents, kids wanting to have more independence, not knowing how to talk to your parents about what is important to you, etc…. But what I really liked is that you get insight into why the parents are the way they are. Readers (ahem teenagers) can see that even parents who seem the most strict and unwilling to listen, are doing it out of love, and that maybe, just maybe, they can come around.
There is also a theme of listening- literally, with the deaf characters, and symbolically, with the relationships that need some good heart to hearts. I know teens can relate to the topic of not feeling understood or “heard” and trying to stand up for their own needs.
I think this book I would be a great one to read in a high school or middle school literature class. You could have great discussions (and write some interesting essays 😉). I just recently finished the new Hunger Games prequel and my son finished the first 4 books, so that’s on my mind. I would call that series a modern classic, with lots of literary merit, as well as things worthy of discussing and learning from. This book can hold its own against that. Great read!
ETA: I read a review that says you are immersed in this story, into the world, as if you are stuck in the town with Thea. It’s true. I love that description.
December 16, 2024
Thank you to Wednesday Books for a finished copy of Dust. Here are my thoughts.
Taking place in a dystopian Colorado, Thea and her family have just up and moved hoping for a fresh start. Thea is born hard of hearing, and in the new town she meets Ray, a young man who is deaf and he begins to show Thea sign language. All of this is occurring while terrifying dust storms are picking up and threatening many of the townsfolks’ way of life.
At first glance, this novel can feel like there are a lot of things going on, but I found that each piece of the story was woven together quite beautifully. It was a creative way to explore a coming-of-age story. Thea is very isolated and lonely, so seeing her world open via Ray and some of the other people in town was very heartwarming and sweet.
There is some frustration around her parents and their beliefs in their lifestyle and the sheltering of their children. I felt bad for Thea and her sister as they tried to find out who they were, in some terrifying circumstances. The dystopian piece of this story is kind of subtle. It’s not an end of the world thing, but more of a realistic climate catastrophe and what that has looked like in the past and what it may look like in the future. It added a piece of uncontrollable conflict to this story.
My favourite piece of this story was how the author wrote Thea’s struggles with hearing. Leaving some words vacant or missing in sentences was such a brilliant way to allow people who have normal hearing to understand the significance of struggling with hearing. But Thea didn’t let it bother her too much, I think because she was used to it. It was so smart, and reading the author’s note at the end of the book made it that much more special.
Taking place in a dystopian Colorado, Thea and her family have just up and moved hoping for a fresh start. Thea is born hard of hearing, and in the new town she meets Ray, a young man who is deaf and he begins to show Thea sign language. All of this is occurring while terrifying dust storms are picking up and threatening many of the townsfolks’ way of life.
At first glance, this novel can feel like there are a lot of things going on, but I found that each piece of the story was woven together quite beautifully. It was a creative way to explore a coming-of-age story. Thea is very isolated and lonely, so seeing her world open via Ray and some of the other people in town was very heartwarming and sweet.
There is some frustration around her parents and their beliefs in their lifestyle and the sheltering of their children. I felt bad for Thea and her sister as they tried to find out who they were, in some terrifying circumstances. The dystopian piece of this story is kind of subtle. It’s not an end of the world thing, but more of a realistic climate catastrophe and what that has looked like in the past and what it may look like in the future. It added a piece of uncontrollable conflict to this story.
My favourite piece of this story was how the author wrote Thea’s struggles with hearing. Leaving some words vacant or missing in sentences was such a brilliant way to allow people who have normal hearing to understand the significance of struggling with hearing. But Thea didn’t let it bother her too much, I think because she was used to it. It was so smart, and reading the author’s note at the end of the book made it that much more special.
December 29, 2024
I just finished Dust by Alison Stine and here are my thoughts.
Thea is not your average teen. Her family moved to bloodless valley and the terrain is virtually unliveable but her dad is determined to make homesteading work. The kids are homeschooled barely and she is forbidden from doing anything remotely normal but Thea wants a different life and she’s willing to fight to get it.
Coming of age stories are often a hard sell to me. They tend to follow similar predictable patterns but this one surprised me. It had a slightly refreshing newness to it and that was a win in my book.
It was a bit monotone and the pace was a tad slow but I really enjoyed the characters, Thea especially. She tried to be what her family needed her to be but she had a need for herself too. I like that they included that she was hard of hearing and she meets a boy who is deaf. It was a refreshing change of pace.
I enjoyed the plot and the slightly dystopia feel the last part of the book had.
I actually quite enjoyed it.
4 stars
Thank you @wednesdaybooks for my gifted copy.
Thea is not your average teen. Her family moved to bloodless valley and the terrain is virtually unliveable but her dad is determined to make homesteading work. The kids are homeschooled barely and she is forbidden from doing anything remotely normal but Thea wants a different life and she’s willing to fight to get it.
Coming of age stories are often a hard sell to me. They tend to follow similar predictable patterns but this one surprised me. It had a slightly refreshing newness to it and that was a win in my book.
It was a bit monotone and the pace was a tad slow but I really enjoyed the characters, Thea especially. She tried to be what her family needed her to be but she had a need for herself too. I like that they included that she was hard of hearing and she meets a boy who is deaf. It was a refreshing change of pace.
I enjoyed the plot and the slightly dystopia feel the last part of the book had.
I actually quite enjoyed it.
4 stars
Thank you @wednesdaybooks for my gifted copy.
August 20, 2025
From the first page, as a hard-of-hearing person, I loved it. The use of ___ for words the main character couldn't hear - genius! Being accused of "not paying attention" - yes! The story follows Thea, whose parents moved from flooded Ohio to a failing farm in dry, dusty Colorado, from a neighborhood and school with friends into endless housework and home-schooling ("unschooling"). The father's mistrust and anger keeps Thea and her sister from their community, from friendships, and even from the local library - but eventually Thea breaks free. She becomes friends, and more, with a deaf boy, and learns about the history of the Dustbowl and climate change. Stine writes movingly about the isolation of disability when no accommodations are allowed, and about the need to fight climate change with sensible solutions.
August 22, 2024
The amazing thing about Goodreads is that sometimes you win a book that you would never choose yourself to read. Dust was a perfect example!
I feel like I had a different spin on my interpretation than what Alison Stine meant when she wrote this novel.
To me, it was fringing on a Horror story. Living in Ontario, Canada, yes, we have snow and blizzards but they melt. To be constantly fighting dust and grime seemed terrifying to me!
Thea's Dad was trying to do his best to protect his family in troubled times by insulating her family and I am afraid that that is currently resonating with many parents during these troubled times...
Dust shows us that we are not just insular family units but also a community and that those relationships can be helpful and rise us above a bleak existence if we allow them to.
I would definitely recommend Dust to anyone that enjoys reading about a different life than theirs and that is open to new ideas...It was both interesting and thought provoking.
I feel like I had a different spin on my interpretation than what Alison Stine meant when she wrote this novel.
To me, it was fringing on a Horror story. Living in Ontario, Canada, yes, we have snow and blizzards but they melt. To be constantly fighting dust and grime seemed terrifying to me!
Thea's Dad was trying to do his best to protect his family in troubled times by insulating her family and I am afraid that that is currently resonating with many parents during these troubled times...
Dust shows us that we are not just insular family units but also a community and that those relationships can be helpful and rise us above a bleak existence if we allow them to.
I would definitely recommend Dust to anyone that enjoys reading about a different life than theirs and that is open to new ideas...It was both interesting and thought provoking.
December 1, 2024
4.5 stars.
Dust by Alison Stine is an engaging young adult novel set in Colorado.
Sixteen-year-old Thea Taylor and her family traded one bad situation for another after moving from Ohio to Colorado. Her father decided they needed to leave Ohio following a flood. He bought the farm in Colorado sight unseen and their living conditions are harsh. Under the unrelenting sun and no water source on their property, the family is working hard to grow crops when the dust storms begin.
Thea works in town in a small diner while her mom works in the adjacent store. Thea’s life is immeasurably improved by the opportunity to leave the farm five days a week. Her father is very controlling and she is chafing against his unrealistic worldview. With the help of the diner owner, Louisa, and outreach worker, Sam, Thea begins meeting residents on the outlying ranches in the aftermath of the first dust storm.
Thea and her younger sister’s education is lacking due her parents’ decision to “unschool” them. They are supposed to carve out time to learn, but the work on the farm is too demanding. Through Louisa’s generosity with time off, Thea’s trips to the local library provide her with the chance to learn about historical events that are relevant in the present. Thea’s relationship with Sam’s great nephew Ray leaves her yearning for a better life.
Dust is a captivating young adult novel with true to life themes. Thea’s father is trying to protect his family but he is instead isolating them as he shuns outsiders. His stubbornness hinders Thea’s ability to take advantage of things that could help her with her hearing loss. The dust storms and lack of water show the hazards of ignoring scientific evidence of climate change. While the Bloodless valley is fictional, there are parallels to the real-life area. The unforgiving setting springs vividly to life and the dust is as much a character as the people. Alison Stine brings this compelling novel to a hopeful conclusion.
Dust by Alison Stine is an engaging young adult novel set in Colorado.
Sixteen-year-old Thea Taylor and her family traded one bad situation for another after moving from Ohio to Colorado. Her father decided they needed to leave Ohio following a flood. He bought the farm in Colorado sight unseen and their living conditions are harsh. Under the unrelenting sun and no water source on their property, the family is working hard to grow crops when the dust storms begin.
Thea works in town in a small diner while her mom works in the adjacent store. Thea’s life is immeasurably improved by the opportunity to leave the farm five days a week. Her father is very controlling and she is chafing against his unrealistic worldview. With the help of the diner owner, Louisa, and outreach worker, Sam, Thea begins meeting residents on the outlying ranches in the aftermath of the first dust storm.
Thea and her younger sister’s education is lacking due her parents’ decision to “unschool” them. They are supposed to carve out time to learn, but the work on the farm is too demanding. Through Louisa’s generosity with time off, Thea’s trips to the local library provide her with the chance to learn about historical events that are relevant in the present. Thea’s relationship with Sam’s great nephew Ray leaves her yearning for a better life.
Dust is a captivating young adult novel with true to life themes. Thea’s father is trying to protect his family but he is instead isolating them as he shuns outsiders. His stubbornness hinders Thea’s ability to take advantage of things that could help her with her hearing loss. The dust storms and lack of water show the hazards of ignoring scientific evidence of climate change. While the Bloodless valley is fictional, there are parallels to the real-life area. The unforgiving setting springs vividly to life and the dust is as much a character as the people. Alison Stine brings this compelling novel to a hopeful conclusion.
December 6, 2024
4.5 stars
This was a really intriguing read. We follow a teen who is deaf in one ear, and the way the prose shows her struggle is quite well done. Along with that the environment is told in a way that it becomes another character. I really felt how she went from being alone to the community that embraced her and became close. I did think the end wrapped up a bit too "neatly" for everything that happened in the book. This should be required reading in high school.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form my opinions from.
This was a really intriguing read. We follow a teen who is deaf in one ear, and the way the prose shows her struggle is quite well done. Along with that the environment is told in a way that it becomes another character. I really felt how she went from being alone to the community that embraced her and became close. I did think the end wrapped up a bit too "neatly" for everything that happened in the book. This should be required reading in high school.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form my opinions from.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews