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Little Mice
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26302 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Tara Louise Crowe
1 bookAfter a decade in publishing sales at The Guardian and New Scientist, Tara worked at Ingenious - a company making collagen supplements. She was fascinated by the increasingly clever ways science can trick the body into looking and feeling younger. The inspiration for Little Mice came from a news segment about young blood plasma being used to rejuvenate older people - a concept she found both intriguing and unsettling. The idea lingered. What happens when youth itself becomes a commodity?
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Very topical dystopian story. You can see how this could happen in the future with today's times of growing inequality. I enjoyed the characters and their growth through adversity. Values not tested are just words after all. The story really picks up like a 'whodunit', so you want to keep turning the page. Passing on to my 18 year old next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Finally, I managed to get to read this book! My 18 year old daughter, got her hands on it before I could! So I had to wait...
A brilliant debut novel!
I absolutely loved Little Mice. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked and found it incredibly difficult to put down.
Set in a dystopian future, the world of the novel feels unsettlingly plausible. It’s a society obsessed with youth, where inequality prevails, and the consequences of those values make for a fascinating and thought-provoking backdrop. What makes it particularly compelling is how believable it all feels — it’s dystopian, but not so far removed from our own world that you can’t imagine it happening.
The plot is gripping, with plenty to keep you turning the pages, and the characters are believable and engaging. I was completely pulled along by the story, constantly needing to know what would happen next. It’s one of those books where you tell yourself you’ll read just one more chapter… luckily the chapters are short!!
A fantastic debut from Tara Crowe, and I’m already looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended!
A brilliant debut novel!
I absolutely loved Little Mice. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked and found it incredibly difficult to put down.
Set in a dystopian future, the world of the novel feels unsettlingly plausible. It’s a society obsessed with youth, where inequality prevails, and the consequences of those values make for a fascinating and thought-provoking backdrop. What makes it particularly compelling is how believable it all feels — it’s dystopian, but not so far removed from our own world that you can’t imagine it happening.
The plot is gripping, with plenty to keep you turning the pages, and the characters are believable and engaging. I was completely pulled along by the story, constantly needing to know what would happen next. It’s one of those books where you tell yourself you’ll read just one more chapter… luckily the chapters are short!!
A fantastic debut from Tara Crowe, and I’m already looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an advance copy of Little Mice from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I’m a fully grown adult, but I enjoy a good YA novel, and I loved this. Little Mice is a gripping, dystopian story with a brilliantly imagined world and a premise that feels disturbingly plausible.
It feels particularly current given the Silicon Valley longevity fad involving people undergoing plasma exchanges using blood from their children. The novel takes that kind of extreme pursuit of youth and privilege and develops it into a chilling vision of where such thinking could lead.
I was immediately drawn into Astra’s privileged life in the Canopy, and it was fascinating to watch her beliefs unravel when she is cast out into the Donor Zone. Her journey from sheltered pampered girl to outcast was convincing.
What I particularly enjoyed was the way the book explores inequality, privilege and the uncomfortable human cost of a society built to protect the few at the expense of the many. There are plenty of twists and turns on the way.
A compelling and thoroughly entertaining read. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book!
It feels particularly current given the Silicon Valley longevity fad involving people undergoing plasma exchanges using blood from their children. The novel takes that kind of extreme pursuit of youth and privilege and develops it into a chilling vision of where such thinking could lead.
I was immediately drawn into Astra’s privileged life in the Canopy, and it was fascinating to watch her beliefs unravel when she is cast out into the Donor Zone. Her journey from sheltered pampered girl to outcast was convincing.
What I particularly enjoyed was the way the book explores inequality, privilege and the uncomfortable human cost of a society built to protect the few at the expense of the many. There are plenty of twists and turns on the way.
A compelling and thoroughly entertaining read. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A very impressive debut novel. A wholly original story with an unsettlingly plausible medical-technological central concept. Set in the not too distant future the novel is told from the POV of Astra the pampered, sheltered, yet sympathetic central character. As readers we share her creeping realisation about what is really going on and who makes the sacrifices for some people to live a life of luxury. The author manages to fully develop and keep control of a large cast of characters who introduce adventure, romance, and humour to the story.
It aimed at young adults, but as a middle-aged reader there was still plenty here for me. If you are a fan of dystopian sci-fi and liked The Handmaid’s Tale, Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, or The Hunger Games, this is for you.
It aimed at young adults, but as a middle-aged reader there was still plenty here for me. If you are a fan of dystopian sci-fi and liked The Handmaid’s Tale, Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, or The Hunger Games, this is for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Advanced reader copy supplied by author.
I loved this debut novel by Tara Crowe! The hook is intriguing and disturbingly plausible and the world building is excellent. The contrast between Astra’s life in the canopy and the donor zone makes a stark statement about the way the upper classes can exploit and dehumanise those less fortunate. The characterisation, not just of Astra, but of all the major characters, is excellent: I particularly liked the fierce loyalty of Kass. Full of twists and turns, the plot keeps you guessing right until the end. I devoured the book in one sitting! Looking forward to the sequel.
I loved this debut novel by Tara Crowe! The hook is intriguing and disturbingly plausible and the world building is excellent. The contrast between Astra’s life in the canopy and the donor zone makes a stark statement about the way the upper classes can exploit and dehumanise those less fortunate. The characterisation, not just of Astra, but of all the major characters, is excellent: I particularly liked the fierce loyalty of Kass. Full of twists and turns, the plot keeps you guessing right until the end. I devoured the book in one sitting! Looking forward to the sequel.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Little Mice reminded me exactly why I love YA dystopias - fun, high stakes, romantic tension, and underlying relevance to elements of the increasingly dystopian world in which we currently live.
The world Astra inhabits is beautifully crafted and scarily believable. I loved watching the internal journey she takes as the novel progresses - how she grows as a person - as well as all the twists and turns of the plot which kept me wanting to read just one more chapter.
I could not put it down, and I am so looking forward to the next book!
The world Astra inhabits is beautifully crafted and scarily believable. I loved watching the internal journey she takes as the novel progresses - how she grows as a person - as well as all the twists and turns of the plot which kept me wanting to read just one more chapter.
I could not put it down, and I am so looking forward to the next book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed this book. Thé story grips you from the beginning and reallt keeps you captivated throughout - perfect for a good escapism novel. even with a newborn I finished this book within a week, sneaking in chapters wherever I could since I couldn’t wait to see what happened next! Thé concept of harvesting plasma from the young is such a dark and yet very believable future nowadays - thé world thé author creates feels very real and eerie to explore. À great debut novel that leaves you counting the days for the next book .. I know I am!
Review of advance copy
Review of advance copy received from Publisher.
Read this in two sittings! Little Mice pulled me in fast — from Astra's life in the gleaming Canopy until she crosses into the Donor Zone, and from that point on the plot really thickens. Great characters. Astra is a compelling lead, naive in a believable way but quick to grow, and the supporting cast all feel like real people with their own secrets and motives. Twisty, fast-paced, and delightfully (worryingly!) dystopian.
Read this in two sittings! Little Mice pulled me in fast — from Astra's life in the gleaming Canopy until she crosses into the Donor Zone, and from that point on the plot really thickens. Great characters. Astra is a compelling lead, naive in a believable way but quick to grow, and the supporting cast all feel like real people with their own secrets and motives. Twisty, fast-paced, and delightfully (worryingly!) dystopian.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advance copy
Little Mice spins an intricate web of intrigue and adventure - I couldn’t read it quickly enough and yet also wanted to savour the world it created. By the end of book 1 I felt so connected to the characters - desperate for book 2 to be released soon.
A perfect read for escapism. The plot lines are absorbing and skilfully woven together - the dystopian world and characters pull you in. If you liked Hunger Games or the Twilight books, you’re bound to love this.
Little Mice spins an intricate web of intrigue and adventure - I couldn’t read it quickly enough and yet also wanted to savour the world it created. By the end of book 1 I felt so connected to the characters - desperate for book 2 to be released soon.
A perfect read for escapism. The plot lines are absorbing and skilfully woven together - the dystopian world and characters pull you in. If you liked Hunger Games or the Twilight books, you’re bound to love this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This fast paced novel kept me turning pages!
I love that it dives straight into the action and the tension builds throughout the story.
One of the best things about this novel is the range of strong female characters: of different ages, temperaments, and morals. I enjoyed reading about their capacity to learn and change.
It delivered some great twists towards the end and now I’m left asking, ‘where’s book 2?’
I love that it dives straight into the action and the tension builds throughout the story.
One of the best things about this novel is the range of strong female characters: of different ages, temperaments, and morals. I enjoyed reading about their capacity to learn and change.
It delivered some great twists towards the end and now I’m left asking, ‘where’s book 2?’
Review of advance copy received from Author
The best dystopian novels take reality and push it to its most extreme possibilities, so the story reads as both a fantastical adventure and a warning. This is what Tara Crowe achieves with Little Mice.
A brilliant story, coupled with strong writing, the novel is well-paced and keeps the reader gripped throughout. I couldn’t put it down!
A brilliant story, coupled with strong writing, the novel is well-paced and keeps the reader gripped throughout. I couldn’t put it down!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a gripping read. The storyline, topic and characters were all engaging. The short chapters made it easy to pick up and put down. Also very much enjoyed by my 14 year old son. We look forward to the sequel!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews