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Less Than: Discover the coming of age YA Sci-fi where having an ability isn't special - it's normal.
Longlisted for The Times/Chicken House Broken Binding Prize 2026
Evie Lawson is an anomaly.
Fifteen years old and nearly powerless in a world shaped by four extraordinary abilities known as Docers, she’s ostracised and labelled a Less Than—a class pushed to the margins of society.
Segregated to a special school for those deemed unworthy of a proper education, Evie and her tight-knit group of friends must navigate growing up in a world built to keep them down.
When one of their own dares to rise above their station, they’ll discover that true strength goes beyond what you can do.
Perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven stories, this YA Science Fiction debut explores the limits of friendship, the cost of ambition, and the strength it takes to rise above.
Evie Lawson is an anomaly.
Fifteen years old and nearly powerless in a world shaped by four extraordinary abilities known as Docers, she’s ostracised and labelled a Less Than—a class pushed to the margins of society.
Segregated to a special school for those deemed unworthy of a proper education, Evie and her tight-knit group of friends must navigate growing up in a world built to keep them down.
When one of their own dares to rise above their station, they’ll discover that true strength goes beyond what you can do.
Perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven stories, this YA Science Fiction debut explores the limits of friendship, the cost of ambition, and the strength it takes to rise above.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2026
📚Less Than
✍️Heidi Sinton
⭐️⭐️
Evie is born into a dystopian society, in which most people have an “ability” (I didn’t feel this was very well explained but I hoped I’d get the gist as I read), however Evie doesn’t. Because of this, Evie is the less favoured child in comparison to her brother, and her family don’t seem to understand or care about how not having an ability affects her life chances. Friend Seb meanwhile, has a family with a different outlook, they’d go to great lengths to help him, even obtaining pills to help develop an ability. I felt that real-world references to Pinterest and Instagram weakened the world building, leaving it feeling not like a fully realised world. The dialogue was a huge plus point! Heidi Sinton can write authentic, believable teen dialogue!
✍️Heidi Sinton
⭐️⭐️
Evie is born into a dystopian society, in which most people have an “ability” (I didn’t feel this was very well explained but I hoped I’d get the gist as I read), however Evie doesn’t. Because of this, Evie is the less favoured child in comparison to her brother, and her family don’t seem to understand or care about how not having an ability affects her life chances. Friend Seb meanwhile, has a family with a different outlook, they’d go to great lengths to help him, even obtaining pills to help develop an ability. I felt that real-world references to Pinterest and Instagram weakened the world building, leaving it feeling not like a fully realised world. The dialogue was a huge plus point! Heidi Sinton can write authentic, believable teen dialogue!
August 18, 2025
YA character driven book that actually had me hooked from the first chapter. I read through this in one day and found it a really easy read. I wasn't expecting to have strong emotions from this book but that's exactly how it ended up.
February 19, 2026
Such a page turner I could not put it down! The ending was so unexpected and I just had to keep going. Such an amazing book, loved every moment. Can’t wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews