The Danger of Small Things

by Caryl Lewis

Set in a world where bees are at risk of extinction, this startling YA dystopia is perfect for fans of Meg Rosoff’s How I live Now and Sarah Crossan, described by the author as a love letter to her daughter. 

Imagine a world where honeybees have died out. It’s a patriarchal world where famines are rife. It’s a world without art, without books, without plays. Girls are sent away from home, forced to pollinate crops by hand with brushes and to marry as soon as they can. Inhabiting this world is Jess and her friends Cass, Deva, and Ruth. But even if one fourteen‑year‑old knows that brushes weren’t invented for pollinating, can she really stoke a revolution?

Caryl Lewis ‘As a beekeeper, I am acutely aware of the interconnectedness of everything and have long been frightened of how we, as humans, set ourselves apart from nature. We do not seem to understand that in destroying nature, we destroy ourselves. My daughter is growing up in what feels like a much more hostile environment facing climate instability, the rise of misogyny and the roll back of women’s bodily rights. I wanted to comfort and empower her and let her see that our greatest weapon in a floundering world is the imagination.'

 

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 24, 2026

About the author

Caryl Lewis is an award winning Welsh language novelist. She was raised in Aberaeron before moving at the age of twelve to her family's farm in the parish of Dihewyd. She is an alumnus of Durham University and University of Wales Aberystwyth. Her first novel, Dal hi!, was published in 2003.

Reviews

[Hannah]

This is one of those books where I have to remind myself that I'm not the target audience. It's a quiet dystopia, not a flashy one with lots of Capital Letters in it, and for an adult who has read more books simply because I've been on earth longer than a teenager, it's not the most revolutionary of ideas, but it makes sense and it's still powerful. The pacing felt a bit off and it was hard to tell whether it had been weeks or months, but otherwise I think this is pretty good.

[Karlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounded up from 4.5 stars on Storygraph

~*ARC Reader*~

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and, of course, Caryl Lewis for letting me access this ARC of The Danger of Small Things! I love a dystopian story, especially one with girl power, and the inciting incident to the downfall being the extinction of bees was a great concept to me. The Danger of Small Things follows Jess, who lives in a future where resources have depleted in the wake of the extinction of honeybees. Without our primary pollinators, the world has turned to its young girls to keep plants going, using them as a workforce to hand pollinate fruit trees and other flowering plants until they reach childbearing age. Jess' mother, however, still held on to the way things were before, and a hope that the world could heal itself back to a better time again; and so she taught her children about art, and how to read, and how to have hope. After all, they cannot take away what they cannot see.

The Danger of Small Things was a great quick read. This is being published as a YA and as such doesn't dive in super deeply on some of the more complex elements of the extinction event of the honeybees, or the time between the now and the "present" of the book, so if you're expecting some of those harder-sci-fi elements, please temper those expectations before diving into this one. The focus, instead, is on emotional turmoil and the strength of spirit in the face of an omnipresent force that wants to disempower you. The girls in this book - and do not be mistaken, they are children - are facing circumstances that should have never been brought to bear on them. It is presented as the consequences of a selfish world before them, and their participation in the pollination program, and eventually in repopulating, is evidence of how they are now being selfless to make the world better. It is clear early on, however, that there is not as much camaraderie between the girls and their superiors as they would like the girls to believe - and Jess uses her rare artistic ability to water that seed of dissent.

While the concepts here are not light, by any means, the approach to them is also not so heavy that it makes the book hard to read. We are given difficult concepts, but are able to digest them pretty palatably within the text, without having to be faced with too much gruesome detail. This would be a great recommendation for a younger reader who is looking for an early start into dystopian lit - ready to examine government overreach and gender issues - but maybe isn't ready for something with too much gritty detail.

[Ash Wild · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a winner of a giveaway for this novel, hence how I got to read it early. I started this book a little apprehensive, mainly because I know the spiral that can come from end of the world thought processes. But this one is a REAL danger we could face. Bees are vital to our world, and we HAVE to protect them.
That being said, this book clearly has multiple meanings, especially towards sexism and the inherent idea that our own disinterest in things that don’t bother us could cause cataclysmic events to happen. We ignore the bee because we’ve always had them, we don’t think about losing them because we think “oh someone will fix that issue, there’s plenty of people who care” but the more people think this way, the more people who do NOTHING to solve the problem grows.
This story depicts a dystopia in a way we don’t often think about, similar to the Hunger Games.
We’ve already seen themes in this book multiple times in history. We’ve already had book burnings before, already had food rationing, already had children in camps.
Charmian is a perfect representation of how we will turn in eachother rather than the real people we should be against. Division of numbers makes for a weaker enemy. Charmian being scared, trying to manipulate her way out, but getting blindsided, is the truest form of how people in power don’t care.
Also, I will readily admit when they said they married off girls at age 16 based on fertility,,, Eugh. That was particularly haunting.
I really REALLY loved the inclusion of LGBT+ in this society, the whole “after they banned the books, anyone who loved the same sex were jailed” because that’s exactly what happened in the holocaust too. It’s happening today even. I’m gay myself, and it was incredibly nice to see homophobia depicted in a dystopia novel. Not many do. And I really like how C (letters to avoid spoilers) loves D, that it’s not a choice. That it was never a choice. Being gay isn’t a choice.
The Little Prince reference was top notch since this stories themes are so similar as well.
It’s extremely harrowing, the idea that in this society once you get your period you are immediately wed. I got my period when I had just turned 10. Not even a month after. The horror I feel that that could’ve been me in such a world,, terrifying. Sorry if this review is a little disjointed, I wrote it all while I was reading it, watching the story unfold. I believe books like this should be taught in schools, similar to how Speak is taught (or at least was taught in my school)
Overall a 10/10 book that I loved reading.

[Terina Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Danger of Small Things
by Caryl Lewis
Pub Date: Mar 24 2026
Whew...where to start?? Loved it while simultaneously hating that this could very well be our future. I would describe this as a Handmaid's Tale for teens.
This dystopian novel takes place in the not-so-distant future (maybe a couple of generations). The rich have gotten richer while leading the government and making decisions that solely benefit them. As a result climate change goes full tilt and the bees have all died. No bees, no pollination. Without pollination, certain plants die out and the world's food chain goes off the rails.
But the powers that be have a solution...the children in our society are pulled from their houses and put to work around age 12. Boys are sent to be trained as soldiers and girls are put to work using paint brushes and pollinating fruit trees (for fruit they never get to taste). Once a girl becomes a woman (gets her period), she is paired with a soldier to start having babies (because that's all women are good for). They are not allowed to be educated or hold jobs of their own (until after they have left baby-making age (because we need to keep creating pollinators/baby makers and soldiers).
Jess's mom is a rebel; she knows the value of education and hide her children while also teaching them how to read as well as encourage Jess's talent for art. They are found out and Jess is sent to girls camp to pollinate while her brother becomes a soldier. The barracks are bare minimum and the food is just enough to ensure the girls are healthy enough to work & one day get their cycle.
Jess knows paintbrushes are used for so much more. One night she sneaks out and in her own act of rebellion, uses her brushes to paint a mural depicting a door to all the opportunities that they should be able to experience in this world. This mural stokes the fire for a rebellion to start spreading through the camp.
Reading this I had to keep checking the news to make sure we weren't there yet. The scale would be so easy to tip in this direction.
This is one of those books that sticks with you and really makes you think. Would be a great book club book for YA
#thedangerofsmallthings
#netgalley

[Lady Bkyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a whim I chose this book because it was available to read on Netgalley.

I am like most book lovers and have a TBR pile that goes forever. However because of time constrants this book claimed my time. I am so glad I read this. I didn't know it but I needed the message this book holds.

I've known the danger of losing our bees for a long time now, but had never sat and thought about what it would be like to live without bees. It was a hard stop in my mind just knowing without bees there would not be enough food. Not just not enough food for some people, but not enough period - famine. I know what that means so I stopped thinking about it.

The author, who no surprise is a bee keeper, who clearly had the time to love her bees enough to tell their story of why they cannot go extinct. The catastrophic possibilities surround you and threaten to break you as the story unfolds. I'm not saying that to deter anyone from reading the book. I believe strongly that this book needed to be written, and it is masterfully told.

If you like post apocalyptic / dystopia books that make you feel like a fly on the wall as the action occurs, and then takes you deep into the depths of what it means to be human, then you will love this book.

I really hope this story goes far and wide. I wish it had been a choice to read 20+ years ago when I was in high-school.

I know I'm not giving you the story in this review, you really must experience it for yourself. It's time well spent.

[Abigail Singrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The world ended years before anyone realized it had, in complete silence."

From the very first page, this book paints a bleak yet riveting picture of a world without honeybees and the survivors struggling with the harsh society built out of the ashes. Jess lives in a government dormitory, pollinating flowers with a paintbrush by day and dreaming of freedom by night. But so far, the only way out is marriage to a genetically compatible husband, with no room for love anymore. But when Jess begins to use those brushes to share her artistic visions of freedom, she stokes a fire in her fellow prisoners.

Jess finds joy in the quiet moments, in her friendship with Cass, her growing interest in Eliot, the guard who smuggles her paint, and in the few stolen moments in the middle of the night when her painting reminds her of her determination to escape the unjust world they are trapped in.

This book is perfectly set up for a sequel, and I can't wait to see what else the author will do with this fascinating world. Eloquent prose, rich characterizations and a tribute to strength of girls everywhere makes this an unforgettable read.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Oola · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an online copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

In our current society, narratives revolving around the abuse of power, receding human rights, and citizen-led resistance are more important than ever. It can be hard to tackle these heavy topics with nuance and emotion, but Caryl Lewis executed it perfectly.

After the last bee on earth dies, a dystopian society emerges from a world without pollinators. Animals go extinct, women are used solely for labor and childbirth, love becomes obsolete, and food is rationed. Teenage girls who are not old enough to give birth are trapped in prison-like facilities, where they must pollinate crops by hand. Jess, a 13-year-old in one of these facilities, is inspired to take a stand after she finds a container of paint, despite the potential consequences, and ends up starting a rebellion.

The Danger of Small Things is quiet but resonant. In a world without love, hope, or choice, Lewis’ characters simultaneously starve for these joys and seek them out in every small action and experience. I ended up growing very attached to Jess, Cass, and Eliot, and thought that they were portrayed with a beautiful mix of desperation and heart. Also, the language was stunning, and I thought the premise was pretty original for a dystopian novel.

OH and I freaking love the cover!! Seriously, that was what drew me to this book in the first place, and I am so insanely glad that the novel itself is just as gorgeous.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy quick read. At 261 pages, it progresses quickly. Thank you to good reads first reads for the chance to get a first peak at Caryl Lewis debut YA novel. Great for fans of books like the "Devil's Arithmetic" and quiet subtle distopian novels.

Jess is a prepubescent girl sent to work in an orchard camp. When bees are no longer available to pollinate plants and food becomes scarce, child labor camps are formed. Boys are sent to the military and girls are sent to camps where they use paint brushes to pollinate trees until they are old enough to reproduce themselves at which point they are biologically matched with a partner to procreate with to further the human race.

For those who believe the stories passed down to them from family, this life is not enough. The spark of rebellion flickers as an artist appears with a mural depicting a better world. For those who value control and order, nothing is more dangerous than a hopeful dreamer.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jess can barely remember the time before the bees went extinct. She remembers living with her mom and her brother, and she remembers trying to escape before being sent to the camps. All she knows now is dusting. She and the other girls at the camp spend their days dusting crops to pollinate them until they are old enough to bear children. But as Jess grows more restless, can she convince the girls at the camp that another type of life is possible?

This was an engaging dystopia that I really enjoyed. The lower rating stems from the rushed ending, which left me feeling like everything wrapped up a little too nicely. I'm hopeful that maybe it is set up for a sequel.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.

[Red Goddess Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! I had not expected that this little book would have such an enormous impact. If you are a fan of dystopian books with characters that will become a part of your heart and soul then this is your gift. From the first page I was drawn into Jess’s world with the other kids living in a sort of commune and being told that they are being kept safe and taken care of by those in charge. But at what point do things get so bad that we forget to question the reality that others have handed is? At what point are we willing to be brave enough to seek the truth and dare to inspire others to instigate change? If I was a teacher, my students would be reading this book right now! Because now is exactly when we need to open our eyes and seek the real truth behind what we are being fed by others.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is supposed to be YA, but it seems more like middle school, based on the character ages and content. I love a good dystopian novel, but this one was a little slow-moving. I wish there had been more world-building. I would read a sequel if the author were to write one. I would like to see more world-building and read about Shey's story. I would also be interested in finding out what happens to some of the other characters, like Cass, Dreya, and the mom.

[Kelly_reads_books22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Danger of Small Things.

In a world where honeybees have gone extinct, young girls are relegated to the fields to "dust" the crops with pollen. Once in the camps, Jess longs for more. She was raised with learning the "arts" painting, reading and writing. Jess will find herself setting off a series of events that will forever change her life.

The book leaves us with a cliffhanger so I hope book 2 is in the works.

[Terina Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Danger of Small Things
by Caryl Lewis
Pub Date: Mar 24 2026
Whew...where to start?? Loved it while simultaneously hating that this could very well be our future. I would describe this as a Handmaid's Tale for teens.
This dystopian novel takes place in the not-so-distant future (maybe a couple of generations). The rich have gotten richer while leading the government and making decisions that solely benefit them. As a result climate change goes full tilt and the bees have all died. No bees, no pollination. Without pollination, certain plants die out and the world's food chain goes off the rails.
But the powers that be have a solution...the children in our society are pulled from their houses and put to work around age 12. Boys are sent to be trained as soldiers and girls are put to work using paint brushes and pollinating fruit trees (for fruit they never get to taste). Once a girl becomes a woman (gets her period), she is paired with a soldier to start having babies (because that's all women are good for). They are not allowed to be educated or hold jobs of their own (until after they have left baby-making age (because we need to keep creating pollinators/baby makers and soldiers).
Jess's mom is a rebel; she knows the value of education and hide her children while also teaching them how to read as well as encourage Jess's talent for art. They are found out and Jess is sent to girls camp to pollinate while her brother becomes a soldier. The barracks are bare minimum and the food is just enough to ensure the girls are healthy enough to work & one day get their cycle.
Jess knows paintbrushes are used for so much more. One night she sneaks out and in her own act of rebellion, uses her brushes to paint a mural depicting a door to all the opportunities that they should be able to experience in this world. This mural stokes the fire for a rebellion to start spreading through the camp.
Reading this I had to keep checking the news to make sure we weren't there yet. The scale would be so easy to tip in this direction.
This is one of those books that sticks with you and really makes you think. Would be a great book club book for a YA book club.

[Quinnell Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC through edelweiss!

This book was a beautiful but tragic reminder of what would really happen if bees and other pollinators were to go extinct, though the ending felt incomplete so I really hope there’s a second one at some point!!

[Jenna W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Slow start for me, but it picked up around 30% of the way in. The characters were realistic and I felt deeply for them as they grappled with their reality. Such brave girls in a terrible situation. I loved the ending, but also would gladly read a sequel with their adventures thereafter.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA dystopian novel that doesn't roar but resonates. What a reminder that it isn't always the big things that can bring about the end, but human negligence on the "small" side. Thought-provoking and necessary.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.