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The Territory #1
A Town Called Dust
Stranded in the desert, the last of mankind is kept safe by a large border fence ... Until the fence falls.
Squid is a young orphan living under the oppressive rule of his uncle in the outskirts of the Territory. Lynn is a headstrong girl with an influential father who has spent her entire life within the walled city of Alice.
When the border fence is breached, the Territory is invaded by the largest horde of undead ghouls seen in two hundred years. Squid is soon conscripted into the Diggers—the armed forces of the Territory. And after Lynn finds herself at odds with the Territory's powerful church, she too escapes to join the Diggers.
Together Squid and Lynn form an unlikely friendship as they march to battle against the ghouls. Their journey will take them further than they ever imagined, leading them closer to discovering secrets about themselves, their world, and a conspiracy that may spell the end of the Territory as they know it.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2014
35 people are currently reading
887 people want to read
About the author
Justin Woolley
20 books125 followersJustin Woolley has been writing stories since he could first scrawl with a crayon. When he was six years old he wrote his first book, a 300 word pirate epic in unreadable handwriting called 'The Ghost Ship'. He promptly declared that he was now an author and didn't need to go to school. Despite being informed that this was, in fact, not the case, he continued to make things up and write them down.
Today Justin is the author of the Australian set dystopian trilogy The Territory Series consisting of the novels A Town Called Dust, A City Called Smoke and A World of Ash, the young-adult science fiction adventure We Are Omega, the science-fiction comedy series Shakedowners consisting of the novels Shakedowners, Shakedowners 2: The Vinyl Frontier and Shakedowners 3: Slack to the Future, and is now adding to the darkness of the 41st millennium for Black Library.
Justin lives in Hobart, Australia with his wife and two sons. In his other life he's been an engineer, a teacher and at one stage even a magician. His handwriting has not improved.
Today Justin is the author of the Australian set dystopian trilogy The Territory Series consisting of the novels A Town Called Dust, A City Called Smoke and A World of Ash, the young-adult science fiction adventure We Are Omega, the science-fiction comedy series Shakedowners consisting of the novels Shakedowners, Shakedowners 2: The Vinyl Frontier and Shakedowners 3: Slack to the Future, and is now adding to the darkness of the 41st millennium for Black Library.
Justin lives in Hobart, Australia with his wife and two sons. In his other life he's been an engineer, a teacher and at one stage even a magician. His handwriting has not improved.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 29, 2015
I must be honest and write that when A Town Called Dust was first presented to me, I felt some apprehension.
This sounded a lot like a dystopian young adult zombie movie trailer.
The invitation to read came with an equally ominous entreaty, “Because you liked Wool.” Umm, I didn’t like Wool that much.
My initial misgivings were unfounded, author Justin Woolley has produced a damn fine post-apocalypse novel. True, it is aimed at a young adult crowd and the zombies are called ghouls, but with a somewhat different angle. And though there are some dystopian elements, this is not the central focus of this well written and fun novel, the first in a series.
Set in the Australian outback centuries after The Reckoning, this book’s version of the collapse of a previous civilization, a surviving population of humans survives and takes care of business behind the safety of a great fence in the desert that keeps out the ghouls, a dusty and dry version of zombies. The conflict is a breach of the great fence by a big herd of ghouls and the society’s institutions of power are sorely tested.
Besides the good writing, this made me wonder why I liked it, why did this post-apocalyptic genre fiction work when so many others get on my nerves? Woolley keeps the narrative close, minimalistic and approachable. The characterization is not dynamic and complex, but neither is it flat and one dimensional and overall Woolley has crafted a book and the beginning of a series that should be, deservedly, popular.
This sounded a lot like a dystopian young adult zombie movie trailer.
The invitation to read came with an equally ominous entreaty, “Because you liked Wool.” Umm, I didn’t like Wool that much.
My initial misgivings were unfounded, author Justin Woolley has produced a damn fine post-apocalypse novel. True, it is aimed at a young adult crowd and the zombies are called ghouls, but with a somewhat different angle. And though there are some dystopian elements, this is not the central focus of this well written and fun novel, the first in a series.
Set in the Australian outback centuries after The Reckoning, this book’s version of the collapse of a previous civilization, a surviving population of humans survives and takes care of business behind the safety of a great fence in the desert that keeps out the ghouls, a dusty and dry version of zombies. The conflict is a breach of the great fence by a big herd of ghouls and the society’s institutions of power are sorely tested.
Besides the good writing, this made me wonder why I liked it, why did this post-apocalyptic genre fiction work when so many others get on my nerves? Woolley keeps the narrative close, minimalistic and approachable. The characterization is not dynamic and complex, but neither is it flat and one dimensional and overall Woolley has crafted a book and the beginning of a series that should be, deservedly, popular.
June 29, 2016
Beach Book #3 - this book continues my Australian Authors phase. Except I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with this particular Australian when I was there at SupaNova Con in April. Every time Justin described his book - how it's set in the Outback and how the survivors had hollowed out Uluru to use as a fort and that they are fighting these ghouls - I was intrigued. For all intents and purposes this is a zombie book, as in, the ghouls are turned from living people and are hard to kill - except in this book when a ghoul catches a human, they suck all the moisture from the person's body. Ghouls are these dried out husks that shamble around looking for moisture. I thought a nice twist.
This is Justin's debut novel and there are a few minor newbie problems however it's a fast read and enjoyable.
This is Justin's debut novel and there are a few minor newbie problems however it's a fast read and enjoyable.
August 8, 2015
I read this on the plane from Madeira to Norway and was positively surprised. Since "ghouls" were involved I expected something mediocre, but it's decent. I'm even inclined to read the next in the series.
The ghouls are - aside from being dry - indistinguishable from zombies. At least as far as I could tell. The difference from the usual zombie book is that the apocalypse took place a very long time ago and humanity's been able to ward off the worst. But now fences are falling and there is the usual political scheming found in dystopia novels.
Although there isn't anything spectacularly unique here, it's definitely a decent effort. I wasn't annoyed at any point, and I am easily annoyed.
The ghouls are - aside from being dry - indistinguishable from zombies. At least as far as I could tell. The difference from the usual zombie book is that the apocalypse took place a very long time ago and humanity's been able to ward off the worst. But now fences are falling and there is the usual political scheming found in dystopia novels.
Although there isn't anything spectacularly unique here, it's definitely a decent effort. I wasn't annoyed at any point, and I am easily annoyed.
June 12, 2017
This was actually really really good!! Not perfect but near enough that I'll give it the 4.5 stars. Set in the Australian outback centuries after The Reckoning, this focuses on Lynnette, who wants to be a Digger but can't because she is a girl and Squid, who is recruited into the Diggers.
The world building was great, though I wanted a little more back story on the Reckoning. I loved the setting of this, especially where the Diggers were located. I also loved the spin the author took on the typical Zombies, named Ghouls here!! These ones are dry. They literally suck the moisture from a person and then that person becomes a Ghoul too.
The best thing about the book though, are the characters. I loved both Squid and Lynette. Squid grew up on his uncles farm and was badly treated. He is conscripted to the diggers but starts to shine in certain ways. Lynette meanwhile was awesome. Her dad was in the Diggers and that's all she wants to do, but because she is a girl she can't! But when the fence is breached and the ghouls come through, it's all hands on deck!
In all, this was a well written and developed story. I loved so much about it and devoured the audio. There is so much going on during the book that it's very hard to put down. Plus the ending was intriguing and I can't wait to read it!!
Hannah Engel surprised me!! This seems to be her debut narration and she pretty much nailed it. She showed emotion and really brought the characters to life. I look forward to hearing more from her.
I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
The world building was great, though I wanted a little more back story on the Reckoning. I loved the setting of this, especially where the Diggers were located. I also loved the spin the author took on the typical Zombies, named Ghouls here!! These ones are dry. They literally suck the moisture from a person and then that person becomes a Ghoul too.
The best thing about the book though, are the characters. I loved both Squid and Lynette. Squid grew up on his uncles farm and was badly treated. He is conscripted to the diggers but starts to shine in certain ways. Lynette meanwhile was awesome. Her dad was in the Diggers and that's all she wants to do, but because she is a girl she can't! But when the fence is breached and the ghouls come through, it's all hands on deck!
In all, this was a well written and developed story. I loved so much about it and devoured the audio. There is so much going on during the book that it's very hard to put down. Plus the ending was intriguing and I can't wait to read it!!
Hannah Engel surprised me!! This seems to be her debut narration and she pretty much nailed it. She showed emotion and really brought the characters to life. I look forward to hearing more from her.
I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
December 26, 2015
A Town called Dust: The Territory 1, is a long-winded, Dystopian-esque, Young Adult, zombie adventure story that is accessible to just about any audience.
Let me unpack that sentence for you.
Young Adult: The protagonist, Squid is a young boy (aged 15-16) and the other primary character is Lynnette who also happens to be the same age. One thing that doesn't happen (that seems to happen in a lot of YA/Dystopian stories these days) is a love triangle. Or really, romance of any sort. This was refreshing.
Dystopian: Squid is being raised by his Uncle and Aunt on a dirt farm (yes you read that right) in the red, barren Australian outback in the general area of Alice Springs/Central Australia (I am assuming this based on some of the names in the story). Except, this version of Australia is overrun with ghouls (dried out strobe-moving creatures that thirst to ingest your bodily fluids) and it is jointly run by a parliament of sorts, and the Church (but not our church). These institutions run the world with an iron fist and the consequences of breaking their rules are quite harsh. This of course is a perfect setting for a dystopian story.
Zombie: As I briefly mentioned above, the ghouls are, for all intents and purposes, zombies. Their mannerisms are not all that different from your usual type of zombie. But there is one real difference. Instead of eating brains, these ghouls thirst for liquid because of their perpetual dryness. Their skin flakes off as they move about in the big red outback.
Adventure: Well of course, Squid and Lynnette end up having an adventure. That's pretty much agiven.
Long-winded: Probably the only real negative point for this book is the length of time it takes to see some real action. A great deal of the book is spent in one of two locations. Dust, where Squid's Uncle's dirt farm is, or the walled city of Alice, the major 'town' that Lynnette lives in. There isn't a lot of movement other than that.
The world building was great. The reader is given plenty of opportunity to get to know the ghouls, the protagonist and main characters, Dust, the city of Alice, the Church, the Ambassador who heads the parliament... pretty much everyone. This is where we could probably do with a little bit of a cull. Some of this comes across as being a bit stuck in the minutiae and really could be left to the readers imagination.
I knocked one star off for that.
The second star was dropped off because the villains aren't really villains. What I mean here, is that they aren't dark enough. This could be because of the Young Adult genre, but I've read far more 'evil/bad/crazy' villains in other YA work. The villain/s fell a bit flat for me in A Town Called Dust.
Overall, I think the book is accessible to all readers, with parental guidance recommended for younger readers because of the violence that crops up from time to time.
**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review**
Let me unpack that sentence for you.
Young Adult: The protagonist, Squid is a young boy (aged 15-16) and the other primary character is Lynnette who also happens to be the same age. One thing that doesn't happen (that seems to happen in a lot of YA/Dystopian stories these days) is a love triangle. Or really, romance of any sort. This was refreshing.
Dystopian: Squid is being raised by his Uncle and Aunt on a dirt farm (yes you read that right) in the red, barren Australian outback in the general area of Alice Springs/Central Australia (I am assuming this based on some of the names in the story). Except, this version of Australia is overrun with ghouls (dried out strobe-moving creatures that thirst to ingest your bodily fluids) and it is jointly run by a parliament of sorts, and the Church (but not our church). These institutions run the world with an iron fist and the consequences of breaking their rules are quite harsh. This of course is a perfect setting for a dystopian story.
Zombie: As I briefly mentioned above, the ghouls are, for all intents and purposes, zombies. Their mannerisms are not all that different from your usual type of zombie. But there is one real difference. Instead of eating brains, these ghouls thirst for liquid because of their perpetual dryness. Their skin flakes off as they move about in the big red outback.
Adventure: Well of course, Squid and Lynnette end up having an adventure. That's pretty much agiven.
Long-winded: Probably the only real negative point for this book is the length of time it takes to see some real action. A great deal of the book is spent in one of two locations. Dust, where Squid's Uncle's dirt farm is, or the walled city of Alice, the major 'town' that Lynnette lives in. There isn't a lot of movement other than that.
The world building was great. The reader is given plenty of opportunity to get to know the ghouls, the protagonist and main characters, Dust, the city of Alice, the Church, the Ambassador who heads the parliament... pretty much everyone. This is where we could probably do with a little bit of a cull. Some of this comes across as being a bit stuck in the minutiae and really could be left to the readers imagination.
I knocked one star off for that.
The second star was dropped off because the villains aren't really villains. What I mean here, is that they aren't dark enough. This could be because of the Young Adult genre, but I've read far more 'evil/bad/crazy' villains in other YA work. The villain/s fell a bit flat for me in A Town Called Dust.
Overall, I think the book is accessible to all readers, with parental guidance recommended for younger readers because of the violence that crops up from time to time.
**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review**
August 5, 2015
I will admit that I didn't think I was going to get too much when I was offered the chance to read a book about zombies. Don't get me wrong, I love zombies and they have to be one of my favorite monsters, even though I'm nowhere near caught up on watching The Walking Dead.
I guess it's just that, after a while, you know what to expect. You've basically seen it all. Zombie stories are about survival, and are more about the people trying to survive the zombies than the actual zombies because, well, they're zombies. They have no motivation to kill, no hatred, and no fear. They don't even scream in pain when you cut their arms off or whatever like a good old human slasher might.
So anyway, this book was offered to me as a free read in exchange for a review. It took me a while to get to because of an enormous TBR pile, and to be honest, I wasn't feeling in the mood for it anyway.
Literally, in the first couple of pages, I was hooked. The writing itself pulled me in, along with learning about Squid and his life on a dirt farm, and then having to find out what a dirt farm even was and why they were important to surviving in the territory.
It wasn't even just that. Be warned that there are so many things that are different about these zombies and this world that I might end up spoiling things I didn't realize were meant to be spoilers. I'll try not to do that, but if you don't want to read on and get spoiled, just know that I still give this book 5 stars.
Anyway, one of the sort of spoilers is the way these zombies act. They're not shuffling around calling out for brains, though they do shuffle a bit in the beginning. They're searching for moisture. Any moisture, and that tends to mean humans. Their saliva, their eyes, and their blood and skin. The zombies eat these things not because of a "need to feed" like you'd hear in Resident Evil, but because they're so dry and dead that if you cut their arms and legs off, the fallen limbs might turn into part of the red dust of the land.
Of course, they get faster as they've eaten, which makes sense since their limbs would be a little more fluid, I suppose.
I was up hours past the time when I should've been sleeping trying to read as much as possible. The world building was also wonderful. It was like a teen dystopian set on the backdrop of political and religious corruption.
Speaking out against the church is cause for exile or execution, and the church is very powerful in this book. It's not the same as Catholicism, there wasn't anything as obvious as that, but you could definitely see the similarities with any large religious organization that gets too big and powerful as to think itself above the law and above any morality but its own. This seems to be more of a church that preaches how the sins of the father are to be visited on the son. So not a lot of forgiveness here. It also has something to do with how they believe their ancestors caused the plague of "ghouls" to visit them in the first place.
Then there are the "Diggers." These guys were my favorites. They were like the knights of this book. I assume they are called diggers because everything is dust, and the ghouls themselves can turn into dust if they're dry enough, but either way, the way they fought on horseback, trained and made friends with each other (or enemies) was awesome. There was one character in particular who I nearly cried for when he went, though I won't say who it was ;_;
The Diggers don't usually fight such enormous hordes, but when the gate that keeps them all out breaks down in one spot, it allows the horde inside of the territory, and now they were picking off small towns on their way to the capital, so the Diggers must get ready to march.
So many awesome things to say about this book. Squid is intelligent and pushed around by his aunt and uncle (and I love that trope), something of a coward though, but he has lots of time to grow, and Lynn is a wealthy girl from the capital on the hunt for vengence against the people who killed her father, and will do anything to avoid joining the Sisters, whom she openly hates. This is something that puts her in danger several times since blaspheming is such a sin to them. Then there's Max, who is a pleasant surprise and an apprentice in training, and a good friend to Squid when they meet.
I bought the second book in the series immediately after finishing this one. Can't wait to get to it. This is a zombie story to really watch. I'd recommend this one for sure.
5 Stars
I guess it's just that, after a while, you know what to expect. You've basically seen it all. Zombie stories are about survival, and are more about the people trying to survive the zombies than the actual zombies because, well, they're zombies. They have no motivation to kill, no hatred, and no fear. They don't even scream in pain when you cut their arms off or whatever like a good old human slasher might.
So anyway, this book was offered to me as a free read in exchange for a review. It took me a while to get to because of an enormous TBR pile, and to be honest, I wasn't feeling in the mood for it anyway.
Literally, in the first couple of pages, I was hooked. The writing itself pulled me in, along with learning about Squid and his life on a dirt farm, and then having to find out what a dirt farm even was and why they were important to surviving in the territory.
It wasn't even just that. Be warned that there are so many things that are different about these zombies and this world that I might end up spoiling things I didn't realize were meant to be spoilers. I'll try not to do that, but if you don't want to read on and get spoiled, just know that I still give this book 5 stars.
Anyway, one of the sort of spoilers is the way these zombies act. They're not shuffling around calling out for brains, though they do shuffle a bit in the beginning. They're searching for moisture. Any moisture, and that tends to mean humans. Their saliva, their eyes, and their blood and skin. The zombies eat these things not because of a "need to feed" like you'd hear in Resident Evil, but because they're so dry and dead that if you cut their arms and legs off, the fallen limbs might turn into part of the red dust of the land.
Of course, they get faster as they've eaten, which makes sense since their limbs would be a little more fluid, I suppose.
I was up hours past the time when I should've been sleeping trying to read as much as possible. The world building was also wonderful. It was like a teen dystopian set on the backdrop of political and religious corruption.
Speaking out against the church is cause for exile or execution, and the church is very powerful in this book. It's not the same as Catholicism, there wasn't anything as obvious as that, but you could definitely see the similarities with any large religious organization that gets too big and powerful as to think itself above the law and above any morality but its own. This seems to be more of a church that preaches how the sins of the father are to be visited on the son. So not a lot of forgiveness here. It also has something to do with how they believe their ancestors caused the plague of "ghouls" to visit them in the first place.
Then there are the "Diggers." These guys were my favorites. They were like the knights of this book. I assume they are called diggers because everything is dust, and the ghouls themselves can turn into dust if they're dry enough, but either way, the way they fought on horseback, trained and made friends with each other (or enemies) was awesome. There was one character in particular who I nearly cried for when he went, though I won't say who it was ;_;
The Diggers don't usually fight such enormous hordes, but when the gate that keeps them all out breaks down in one spot, it allows the horde inside of the territory, and now they were picking off small towns on their way to the capital, so the Diggers must get ready to march.
So many awesome things to say about this book. Squid is intelligent and pushed around by his aunt and uncle (and I love that trope), something of a coward though, but he has lots of time to grow, and Lynn is a wealthy girl from the capital on the hunt for vengence against the people who killed her father, and will do anything to avoid joining the Sisters, whom she openly hates. This is something that puts her in danger several times since blaspheming is such a sin to them. Then there's Max, who is a pleasant surprise and an apprentice in training, and a good friend to Squid when they meet.
I bought the second book in the series immediately after finishing this one. Can't wait to get to it. This is a zombie story to really watch. I'd recommend this one for sure.
5 Stars
February 1, 2018
The Territory is protected by a border fence, keeping the ghouls out and people safe inside.
Squid and Lynn are living lives as different as could be imagined, he slaves away on his uncle's farm while she is the beloved daughter of the Colonel. But they both end up in service to The Diggers, starting off at the lowest possible level. When a huge hoard of ghouls break through the fence they cause havoc and demolish any towns they pass through. Squid's hometown of Dust is in danger and the army is sent to destroy the hoard which is coming towards them.
Squid and Lynn are living lives as different as could be imagined, he slaves away on his uncle's farm while she is the beloved daughter of the Colonel. But they both end up in service to The Diggers, starting off at the lowest possible level. When a huge hoard of ghouls break through the fence they cause havoc and demolish any towns they pass through. Squid's hometown of Dust is in danger and the army is sent to destroy the hoard which is coming towards them.
January 28, 2018
I picked this book up because I was excited about the Australian setting and had visited the Alice/Uluru area sereral years ago.
Naturally, I was confused when in the first chapter, a character was looking after 160 miles of boundary fence. Later in the book it mentioned a suit of armour weighing 97 pounds. I don't care how far into the future this story is, there is no logical reason to revert to archaic units of measurement. I came to two conclusions for this: either the author isn't actually Australian, or they are writing for an American audience and assume their potenial reader is too stupid to understand a metric system.
Still on the American thing - why would you use a US narrator for an Australian setting?
The soilders are called diggers in the story (Australian - tick) but the lieutenant is called a 'loo-tenant' instead of the Australian/English pronunciation of 'lef-tenant'. Also is an 'emoo' meant to be some mutant emu/cow hybrid, or did no one proof the audio files?
Issues with the world included the ready supply of wine (where are grapes grown in a mostly desert landscape), a ready supply of horses (not sure why there were no camels, the desert is the reason they were brought to Australia and they run wild in parts of the country), there were other things that seemed odd that they had considering the story location but I can't recall the exact things right now.
On the setting - why would you locate the soilders 500 kms away from the city? The Rock is in the middle of nowhere. Also it's not logical, structurally sound, or energy efficient to hollow out the Rock to house the soilders. Not to mention the fact that it's a sacred site so the traditional owners would probably object to someone coming along and adding a few windows to the Rock.
The whole place is described as dust and desert, but Alice actually sits at the foot of a mountain range that has multiple natural gorges along the length. The other thing I recall from driving through Central Australia was all the 'water over road' signs. Sure all the creeks were dry in December, but the area can see a lot of water.
The main characters were supposedly 16 years old but acted more like they were 13, giving the impression that this author probably shouldn't be writing Young Adult Fiction.
The next rant includes spoilers: There is a battle scene where 2,000 diggers face 10,000 zombies. 5-1 odds. These are the same odds the mostly untrained Aussies faced on the Kokoda Track in WWII. In 1942, the Aussies held off the attack and eventually forced the invaders back. In this story, they all died. They were supposedly trained to face the enemy and yet they displayed less tactics than the guys who were sent in to fight the Emu War of 1932. The outcome was not believable.
I was vaguely interested in the story concepts and wanted to know the answers to some of the questions left hanging at the end of the book however after this book, I don't have enough trust in the author to not disappoint me. After all, the characters are off to find a vaccine that from what I can tell was created 200 years earlier. Why wasn't it used then? It's no good now. It would be well passed its expiry, not to mention the fact that the zombie virus would have mutated over 200 years and a vaccine wouldn't even work. So no, I won't be continuing the story.
Naturally, I was confused when in the first chapter, a character was looking after 160 miles of boundary fence. Later in the book it mentioned a suit of armour weighing 97 pounds. I don't care how far into the future this story is, there is no logical reason to revert to archaic units of measurement. I came to two conclusions for this: either the author isn't actually Australian, or they are writing for an American audience and assume their potenial reader is too stupid to understand a metric system.
Still on the American thing - why would you use a US narrator for an Australian setting?
The soilders are called diggers in the story (Australian - tick) but the lieutenant is called a 'loo-tenant' instead of the Australian/English pronunciation of 'lef-tenant'. Also is an 'emoo' meant to be some mutant emu/cow hybrid, or did no one proof the audio files?
Issues with the world included the ready supply of wine (where are grapes grown in a mostly desert landscape), a ready supply of horses (not sure why there were no camels, the desert is the reason they were brought to Australia and they run wild in parts of the country), there were other things that seemed odd that they had considering the story location but I can't recall the exact things right now.
On the setting - why would you locate the soilders 500 kms away from the city? The Rock is in the middle of nowhere. Also it's not logical, structurally sound, or energy efficient to hollow out the Rock to house the soilders. Not to mention the fact that it's a sacred site so the traditional owners would probably object to someone coming along and adding a few windows to the Rock.
The whole place is described as dust and desert, but Alice actually sits at the foot of a mountain range that has multiple natural gorges along the length. The other thing I recall from driving through Central Australia was all the 'water over road' signs. Sure all the creeks were dry in December, but the area can see a lot of water.
The main characters were supposedly 16 years old but acted more like they were 13, giving the impression that this author probably shouldn't be writing Young Adult Fiction.
The next rant includes spoilers: There is a battle scene where 2,000 diggers face 10,000 zombies. 5-1 odds. These are the same odds the mostly untrained Aussies faced on the Kokoda Track in WWII. In 1942, the Aussies held off the attack and eventually forced the invaders back. In this story, they all died. They were supposedly trained to face the enemy and yet they displayed less tactics than the guys who were sent in to fight the Emu War of 1932. The outcome was not believable.
I was vaguely interested in the story concepts and wanted to know the answers to some of the questions left hanging at the end of the book however after this book, I don't have enough trust in the author to not disappoint me. After all, the characters are off to find a vaccine that from what I can tell was created 200 years earlier. Why wasn't it used then? It's no good now. It would be well passed its expiry, not to mention the fact that the zombie virus would have mutated over 200 years and a vaccine wouldn't even work. So no, I won't be continuing the story.
April 3, 2015
4.5 stars
I won a Kindle version of Dust over at the wonderful Escape Club YA Bookclub – their first giveaway since moving to Goodreads.
This book is written by Justin Woolley, a graphic novelist venturing forth with A Town Called Dust as his debut novel. Nicely done. The story is rich with complex politics and religious structures, but the heart of it centers around two youths. One is a boy named Squid, a timid, maltreated orphan who’s taken in by his aunt and uncle. They have a remote dirt farm (they literally farm dirt!) near the post apocalyptic outback town called Dust. The other half of this heart belongs to Lynn, a girl raised in the comparative comforts and privilege of Alice, the capital of the known world (that we’ve seen so far).
The genre is Speculative Fiction, the sub-category YA Dystopia, the big bad, zombie- like ghouls. These ‘night of the living dead’ creatures lumber around in hordes and the only thing keeping them from devouring the remainder of the human population is the ‘ghoul proof fence’ that runs forever through the territory, and the Diggers, men (only men) trained to keep the threat back should a breach occur. Which it does. At the start of the story, ghouls break through in plague proportions. The narrative hits the ground running from there, and barely pauses to catch its breath.
It’s a page turning, but that’s not all I love about this book. The world building is strong, the mythology intriguing. Woolley very subtly brings up issues of gender, race, privilege, education and religion without distracting the eye from the story itself. It’s not just Rabbit Proof Fence meets World War Z, though there are actually elements of both, and they work. A Town Called Dust has an emotive core, fueled by our heroes Squid and Lynn, whose responses remain consistently believable, as do their growth arcs.
On critique, two things. One is *POV changes, a hallmark in Fantasy that can be a bit jolting. I know I’m forever looking for ways to make these feel seamless so I acutely watch how others do it. There were times I didn’t want to leave the POV I was in; other times the shift felt absolutely natural. Two, a story world where the ultimate threat is a horde of mindless-flesh-eating-machines posses its own problems. Unless you go the way of Isaac Marion, there’s not a lot of room for a growth arc, change or surprise. Because I like my baddies with a touch of good, and my goodies with a touch of bad, it will be interesting to see if the human antagonists become more complex and unpredictable as the series unfolds. Woolley gives us a taste of this in a minor character we meet along the way, and it’s brilliant.
Published by Momentum of Pan Macmillan Australia, this is a fabulous debut novel. I will definitely be reading Woolley’s next installment in the series!
I won a Kindle version of Dust over at the wonderful Escape Club YA Bookclub – their first giveaway since moving to Goodreads.
This book is written by Justin Woolley, a graphic novelist venturing forth with A Town Called Dust as his debut novel. Nicely done. The story is rich with complex politics and religious structures, but the heart of it centers around two youths. One is a boy named Squid, a timid, maltreated orphan who’s taken in by his aunt and uncle. They have a remote dirt farm (they literally farm dirt!) near the post apocalyptic outback town called Dust. The other half of this heart belongs to Lynn, a girl raised in the comparative comforts and privilege of Alice, the capital of the known world (that we’ve seen so far).
The genre is Speculative Fiction, the sub-category YA Dystopia, the big bad, zombie- like ghouls. These ‘night of the living dead’ creatures lumber around in hordes and the only thing keeping them from devouring the remainder of the human population is the ‘ghoul proof fence’ that runs forever through the territory, and the Diggers, men (only men) trained to keep the threat back should a breach occur. Which it does. At the start of the story, ghouls break through in plague proportions. The narrative hits the ground running from there, and barely pauses to catch its breath.
It’s a page turning, but that’s not all I love about this book. The world building is strong, the mythology intriguing. Woolley very subtly brings up issues of gender, race, privilege, education and religion without distracting the eye from the story itself. It’s not just Rabbit Proof Fence meets World War Z, though there are actually elements of both, and they work. A Town Called Dust has an emotive core, fueled by our heroes Squid and Lynn, whose responses remain consistently believable, as do their growth arcs.
On critique, two things. One is *POV changes, a hallmark in Fantasy that can be a bit jolting. I know I’m forever looking for ways to make these feel seamless so I acutely watch how others do it. There were times I didn’t want to leave the POV I was in; other times the shift felt absolutely natural. Two, a story world where the ultimate threat is a horde of mindless-flesh-eating-machines posses its own problems. Unless you go the way of Isaac Marion, there’s not a lot of room for a growth arc, change or surprise. Because I like my baddies with a touch of good, and my goodies with a touch of bad, it will be interesting to see if the human antagonists become more complex and unpredictable as the series unfolds. Woolley gives us a taste of this in a minor character we meet along the way, and it’s brilliant.
Published by Momentum of Pan Macmillan Australia, this is a fabulous debut novel. I will definitely be reading Woolley’s next installment in the series!
November 2, 2014
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for a fair review.
Two misfits find friendship and purpose as they fight prejudices, a corrupt ruling system, and zombies. This is a well written and engaging book. The author developed two protagonists that are worthy of your time -- readers will relate to them and cheer them on throughout. The plot is well planned and paced to lead up to maximum suspense, and the twists are revealed with exceptional timing. There was a lull for me -- it felt like a lot of time was spent introducing the second protagonist, but it picks up again quickly after that. I felt like there was such heart in these characters, and even if you don't like zombie books, I think this can still be an enjoyable read. I love zombie books, and I found these were a well played threat in the book-- readers are given a glimpse at the beginning, but then they are used as an ominous but mostly unseen force for a good chunk of the story. There is a great zombie battle near the end, and I could not put the book down until it played out in full. YA readers of both genders will enjoy this book, especially fans of the Rot and Ruin series or The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy. I will add it to my classroom library wish list because I can think of at least twenty reluctant male readers who would stop everything and read this book. Language and gore are appropriate for all ages.
Two misfits find friendship and purpose as they fight prejudices, a corrupt ruling system, and zombies. This is a well written and engaging book. The author developed two protagonists that are worthy of your time -- readers will relate to them and cheer them on throughout. The plot is well planned and paced to lead up to maximum suspense, and the twists are revealed with exceptional timing. There was a lull for me -- it felt like a lot of time was spent introducing the second protagonist, but it picks up again quickly after that. I felt like there was such heart in these characters, and even if you don't like zombie books, I think this can still be an enjoyable read. I love zombie books, and I found these were a well played threat in the book-- readers are given a glimpse at the beginning, but then they are used as an ominous but mostly unseen force for a good chunk of the story. There is a great zombie battle near the end, and I could not put the book down until it played out in full. YA readers of both genders will enjoy this book, especially fans of the Rot and Ruin series or The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy. I will add it to my classroom library wish list because I can think of at least twenty reluctant male readers who would stop everything and read this book. Language and gore are appropriate for all ages.
November 29, 2014
A Town Called Dust is an enjoyable read. Fast paced narrative, fascinating protagonists, and an interesting setting push the story along effectively.... and hey... it has undead ghouls... need I say more!
Justin Woolley has a great future if he keeps producing stories like this one.
A more detailed review to follow.
Justin Woolley has a great future if he keeps producing stories like this one.
A more detailed review to follow.
December 29, 2017
3.5 stars. Review to come.
June 22, 2015
Thank you to Momentum Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Now America I do love you but oh my goodness, this book is that rare wonder of a dystopian set outside North America!
Yes a Town Called Dust is set in Australia, the end of the world has gone down under and it is such a refreshing change, don't get me wrong most of my favourite dystopian novels are set in America but it is nice to read about somewhere different, somewhere that is barren and inhospitable and that somewhere is the red centre of Oz.
Straight away you get the sense of vastness as we join a pilot in his airship patrolling the fence. The fence protects the population against the ghouls, zombiesque creatures who suck their victims dry.
The fence is all that stands between life and death, the last of mankind needs to make sure it stays intact. Unfortunately the fence is damaged when the pilot loses control of his ship and hits the fence letting through the horde of ghouls on the other side, letting them make their way to the juicy humans on the other side.
Told from the POV's of Squid, an orphan who lives with his relatives outside the town of Dust and Lynn who has lived in the relative safety of the walled city of Alice. The story deals with the journeys from their homes in to the ranks of the diggers, the armed forces who protect the population, Squid is conscripted but Lynn, well she has to resort to pretending to be a boy to join the ranks.
Why are they in the diggers?, well I'll let you read the story to fill in those blanks but together Squid and Lynn face their worst nightmares in the form of the ghouls who are, well I was going to say marching but more like shambling upon them. The horde is coming closer and closer, they are young, unprepared and scared will they survive a fight against them.
This is a good read, the different setting makes all the difference, the depiction of the countryside is perfect, red and dusty, hot and unforgiving full of wide open spaces that the ghouls roam in. The story is good and it is unusual to have a main male character - Squid - who is not macho and an instant love interest. In fact there is not a speck of insta-love in this book. Squid and Lynn have a Harry and Hermione type of friendship.
Dystopian fiction is everywhere, to stand out in my eyes a book needs to give me somthing different, this story has both man vs ghoul, it also has man vs man as of course an end of the world setting always turns people into total megalomaniacs, this is a common theme throughout dystopian books but what makes this different is Australia itself.
My only complaint about this book is that I didn't really find out how this happened and what has happened to the rest of Oz but I am about to start book two in this series and I think it will sort this out for me.
Awarded 4 stars!
Now America I do love you but oh my goodness, this book is that rare wonder of a dystopian set outside North America!
Yes a Town Called Dust is set in Australia, the end of the world has gone down under and it is such a refreshing change, don't get me wrong most of my favourite dystopian novels are set in America but it is nice to read about somewhere different, somewhere that is barren and inhospitable and that somewhere is the red centre of Oz.
Straight away you get the sense of vastness as we join a pilot in his airship patrolling the fence. The fence protects the population against the ghouls, zombiesque creatures who suck their victims dry.
The fence is all that stands between life and death, the last of mankind needs to make sure it stays intact. Unfortunately the fence is damaged when the pilot loses control of his ship and hits the fence letting through the horde of ghouls on the other side, letting them make their way to the juicy humans on the other side.
Told from the POV's of Squid, an orphan who lives with his relatives outside the town of Dust and Lynn who has lived in the relative safety of the walled city of Alice. The story deals with the journeys from their homes in to the ranks of the diggers, the armed forces who protect the population, Squid is conscripted but Lynn, well she has to resort to pretending to be a boy to join the ranks.
Why are they in the diggers?, well I'll let you read the story to fill in those blanks but together Squid and Lynn face their worst nightmares in the form of the ghouls who are, well I was going to say marching but more like shambling upon them. The horde is coming closer and closer, they are young, unprepared and scared will they survive a fight against them.
This is a good read, the different setting makes all the difference, the depiction of the countryside is perfect, red and dusty, hot and unforgiving full of wide open spaces that the ghouls roam in. The story is good and it is unusual to have a main male character - Squid - who is not macho and an instant love interest. In fact there is not a speck of insta-love in this book. Squid and Lynn have a Harry and Hermione type of friendship.
Dystopian fiction is everywhere, to stand out in my eyes a book needs to give me somthing different, this story has both man vs ghoul, it also has man vs man as of course an end of the world setting always turns people into total megalomaniacs, this is a common theme throughout dystopian books but what makes this different is Australia itself.
My only complaint about this book is that I didn't really find out how this happened and what has happened to the rest of Oz but I am about to start book two in this series and I think it will sort this out for me.
Awarded 4 stars!
August 8, 2016
If you asked me three years ago if I was interested in reading a book about zombies, I may have said no. I've never had a fascination with them or been drawn to those kinds of stories. In fact, I even gave up watching The Walking Dead on TV after three seasons because I found it so incredibly boring. The funny thing is when I look at my book shelf labeled 'zombies', I have now read twenty of them and not one was rated less than three stars. I don't seek them out, they somehow find me. Most often, I have picked it up not realizing it was about zombies, which is what happened with A Town Called Dust.
As with any genre, there are sub-genres. I would fully describe this as young-adult, zombie, dystopian and post-apocalyptic (as per the zombies). It was a very easy read and most enjoyable. As per almost all young adult stories being written now, this is part of a series and before you ask, it cannot be read as a stand-alone and I have no idea how many books there will be.
I don't know if the following is really a spoiler since the story left me with so many unanswered questions, but I'll block it just in case
Reading this put me in the same mindset as Rot and Ruin since they are both young-adult zombie tales. I enjoyed reading them equally but I couldn't rate ATCD as high as it wasn't stand-alone (no ending). Forget that this is a zombie book, if you want a fun summer read, this is a great choice.
As with any genre, there are sub-genres. I would fully describe this as young-adult, zombie, dystopian and post-apocalyptic (as per the zombies). It was a very easy read and most enjoyable. As per almost all young adult stories being written now, this is part of a series and before you ask, it cannot be read as a stand-alone and I have no idea how many books there will be.
I don't know if the following is really a spoiler since the story left me with so many unanswered questions, but I'll block it just in case
Reading this put me in the same mindset as Rot and Ruin since they are both young-adult zombie tales. I enjoyed reading them equally but I couldn't rate ATCD as high as it wasn't stand-alone (no ending). Forget that this is a zombie book, if you want a fun summer read, this is a great choice.
November 15, 2014
I received this book from Momentum Books (Pan Macmillan) and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to both of them!
I would probably give this book 2 1/2 stars, but I rounded up to three.
The main problem with this book is that is is full of tropes and cliches. How many times have you heard these before:
-A boy is living with his uncle who doesn't treat him well
-A girl who disguises herself as a boy so she can fight
It was a quick read, and the descriptions of the ghouls was interesting. The design of the ghouls was cool and helped to provide a tie-in to the environment. However, parts of the book were pretty obvious clues as to what was going to happen later, which was a bit disappointing.
This book did a good job of world-building and setting up the background for the later books in the series, but I couldn't help but feel that it was a bit light of the action and was mostly just set-up for later books. However, this is a complaint I've had with a bunch of series that have been published recently, so I'm not sure if I'm just being impatient.
There was some unique concepts in the book, but it was weighed down a bit by predictability and tropes. I hope that the author is able to break free and build on the unique ideas in the rest of the books in this series.
I'd recommend it mainly to tweens and young adults that are interested in dystopian fiction that are fun reads but are not super unique or thought-provoking. If this book had been around when I was a kid, I probably would have enjoyed it.
I would probably give this book 2 1/2 stars, but I rounded up to three.
The main problem with this book is that is is full of tropes and cliches. How many times have you heard these before:
-A boy is living with his uncle who doesn't treat him well
-A girl who disguises herself as a boy so she can fight
It was a quick read, and the descriptions of the ghouls was interesting. The design of the ghouls was cool and helped to provide a tie-in to the environment. However, parts of the book were pretty obvious clues as to what was going to happen later, which was a bit disappointing.
This book did a good job of world-building and setting up the background for the later books in the series, but I couldn't help but feel that it was a bit light of the action and was mostly just set-up for later books. However, this is a complaint I've had with a bunch of series that have been published recently, so I'm not sure if I'm just being impatient.
There was some unique concepts in the book, but it was weighed down a bit by predictability and tropes. I hope that the author is able to break free and build on the unique ideas in the rest of the books in this series.
I'd recommend it mainly to tweens and young adults that are interested in dystopian fiction that are fun reads but are not super unique or thought-provoking. If this book had been around when I was a kid, I probably would have enjoyed it.
May 8, 2015
I read this a few weeks' back in the lead up to Supanova (Justin Woolley was a fellow author at the Gold Coast event, so I figured I should read this before we met - plus it sounded like my kind of book).
A Town Called Dust was a great read. Excellent world building (love the post apocalyptic Australian setting and the structure of the desert wasteland society*), and a clever plot that unfolds like classic epic fantasy.
This first instalment introduces the characters Squid and Lynn, foreshadowing a much bigger role for both in their zombie plagued world.
There's plenty of page-turning action, an epic zombie battle and a clever set up for the next instalment. I'm looking forward to seeing where Woolley takes this new YA series.
(*I thought the idea of 'dirt farmers' was a particularly genius.)
A Town Called Dust was a great read. Excellent world building (love the post apocalyptic Australian setting and the structure of the desert wasteland society*), and a clever plot that unfolds like classic epic fantasy.
This first instalment introduces the characters Squid and Lynn, foreshadowing a much bigger role for both in their zombie plagued world.
There's plenty of page-turning action, an epic zombie battle and a clever set up for the next instalment. I'm looking forward to seeing where Woolley takes this new YA series.
(*I thought the idea of 'dirt farmers' was a particularly genius.)
June 4, 2015
Disclosure - got offered this book for free in exchange for a proper review. So here we go.
I have rage quit a few dystopian tales in my day - behind every Wool are 5 like Matched, or worse. And at first I was on the fence about A Town Called Dust. Then the little details drew me in. Squid's nickname for the trash cans becoming popular among the janitors. The erratic way the ghouls moved. Even Lynn's reaction at the spoon murder weapon.
Some plot twists were obvious though most surprised me. That's not saying much, though.
Interested to see what happens next! I already pre-ordered book 2. Would also love to hear more about the original army and church founders - Steven and...Sarah?
I have rage quit a few dystopian tales in my day - behind every Wool are 5 like Matched, or worse. And at first I was on the fence about A Town Called Dust. Then the little details drew me in. Squid's nickname for the trash cans becoming popular among the janitors. The erratic way the ghouls moved. Even Lynn's reaction at the spoon murder weapon.
Some plot twists were obvious though most surprised me. That's not saying much, though.
Interested to see what happens next! I already pre-ordered book 2. Would also love to hear more about the original army and church founders - Steven and...Sarah?
April 5, 2016
4.5 Stars. This is probably the most underrated thing I've read all year. It's so fun with fantastic characters, a great setting which Justin Woolley establishes without slowing the plot, and an ending that totally means I HAVE to pick up the next book! I can probably do this on the weekend, because I'll be meeting Justin Woolley (and some other rad authors) woo!
June 21, 2015
No words to describe other than AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!!!! If you like ghouls and military themed stuff then this book is right up your alley!! Please check it out because Justin is an amazing writer and deserves more credit than he is given for his series!
April 7, 2016
Really enjoyed this debut novel. Great characters with distinct voices and points of view and excellent world-building and an interesting take on zombies in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Glad the library has book two.
May 6, 2015
Enjoyed this book. Finished it in 2 days. Fast paced story with plenty going on to keep the reader interested. Looking forward to the second book. Just need Justin to write faster... :-)
December 30, 2020
*Listened to audiobook*
A really fun read/listen, with great protagonists. Would recommend.
A really fun read/listen, with great protagonists. Would recommend.
September 18, 2017
3.5 stars
Good start to a series. The story started off a little slow and it took me a while to really be pulled in. Even though it started off slow it actually turned into a very entertaining, enjoyable and interesting story. Once the story and characters were set up and it really started moving I listened every chance I could. By the time it was over I was ready for more. With the way this books ends the next book should be really interesting. I'm looking forward to it.
While it's still an apocalyptic tale about a very changed world and zombies(ghouls), they aren't your typical zombies, they have a creative little twist that makes them a bit different. It added a refreshing and unusual dimension to the story. It went well with the story taking place in Australia.
Even though it's a story involving zombies, death and a vastly changed world, it's less gruesome than most. The story doesn't concentrate on fighting and running from zombie hordes there is much more going on. Secrets, betrayal, deceit, lies and manipulation are just some of the things going on in this very structured and strict society. As if trying to survive in a very harsh and dangerous world isn't enough a power struggle is brewing between the Church and Government. The church has a major amount of control and will do anything to keep it. At whatever cost is necessary.
Lynn and Squid were both great characters. Interesting little twist with Squid.
Hannah Engel does a great job with the narration. She has a pleasant voice that sounded age appropriate for the characters. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Good character voices. Male and female. It was always easy to tell who was speaking. She brought the characters to life, you could feel their emotions through her narration. Very enjoyable.
I was provided this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.
Good start to a series. The story started off a little slow and it took me a while to really be pulled in. Even though it started off slow it actually turned into a very entertaining, enjoyable and interesting story. Once the story and characters were set up and it really started moving I listened every chance I could. By the time it was over I was ready for more. With the way this books ends the next book should be really interesting. I'm looking forward to it.
While it's still an apocalyptic tale about a very changed world and zombies(ghouls), they aren't your typical zombies, they have a creative little twist that makes them a bit different. It added a refreshing and unusual dimension to the story. It went well with the story taking place in Australia.
Even though it's a story involving zombies, death and a vastly changed world, it's less gruesome than most. The story doesn't concentrate on fighting and running from zombie hordes there is much more going on. Secrets, betrayal, deceit, lies and manipulation are just some of the things going on in this very structured and strict society. As if trying to survive in a very harsh and dangerous world isn't enough a power struggle is brewing between the Church and Government. The church has a major amount of control and will do anything to keep it. At whatever cost is necessary.
Lynn and Squid were both great characters. Interesting little twist with Squid.
Hannah Engel does a great job with the narration. She has a pleasant voice that sounded age appropriate for the characters. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Good character voices. Male and female. It was always easy to tell who was speaking. She brought the characters to life, you could feel their emotions through her narration. Very enjoyable.
I was provided this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.
September 10, 2018
A great beginning to a dystopian series! Squid is a young boy of 16, living with Uncle and Aunt, on a dirt farm. He is not abused, but definitely suffers from a lack of love.
Lynette is a young woman whose father is a general in The Diggers, the military tasked with keeping people safe from the Ghouls. All that Lynette wants is to be a Digger, but since she is a girl, there is no hope of that.
This story of how Squid and Lynette meet and become the (possible) saviors of their world is well-written and engaging. It does drag a little at times, but I think most of this is necessary to build up the story.
The descriptions of the battles were a mix of zombie fighting and medieval warfare. The Ghouls were a unique type of Zombie (at least for me) in that they were after moisture from living beings.
There were several villains in the story, including the Administrator who rules the government/military and Priestess Patricia, who is anything but religiously minded. I would have liked to know more about how these two very different despots came into power, but this will probably be addressed further along in the series.
The writing was good and kept my interest and the narration was just right for the story.
Lynette is a young woman whose father is a general in The Diggers, the military tasked with keeping people safe from the Ghouls. All that Lynette wants is to be a Digger, but since she is a girl, there is no hope of that.
This story of how Squid and Lynette meet and become the (possible) saviors of their world is well-written and engaging. It does drag a little at times, but I think most of this is necessary to build up the story.
The descriptions of the battles were a mix of zombie fighting and medieval warfare. The Ghouls were a unique type of Zombie (at least for me) in that they were after moisture from living beings.
There were several villains in the story, including the Administrator who rules the government/military and Priestess Patricia, who is anything but religiously minded. I would have liked to know more about how these two very different despots came into power, but this will probably be addressed further along in the series.
The writing was good and kept my interest and the narration was just right for the story.
November 8, 2016
A Town Called Dust: The Territory 1
By: Justin Woolley
5 out of 5 stars
The story A Town Called Dust: The Territory 1 by Justin Wolley is a YA Zombie/Dystopia book. We are introduced to Squid and Lynn who become friends in their battle against undead ghouls. Their friendship and their journey takes them to uncover secrets about the world they now live in. I really liked the characters of Squid and Lynn. The circumstances and life they are now living lead to their friendship. The story is really interesting as well. It had me reading from cover to cover to find out what happens next. This is the first book in the series so I will be reading the next one. I highly recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
By: Justin Woolley
5 out of 5 stars
The story A Town Called Dust: The Territory 1 by Justin Wolley is a YA Zombie/Dystopia book. We are introduced to Squid and Lynn who become friends in their battle against undead ghouls. Their friendship and their journey takes them to uncover secrets about the world they now live in. I really liked the characters of Squid and Lynn. The circumstances and life they are now living lead to their friendship. The story is really interesting as well. It had me reading from cover to cover to find out what happens next. This is the first book in the series so I will be reading the next one. I highly recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
June 4, 2017
This post apocalyptic tale is set in Australia. We don't know how they started, but ghouls (not zombies or vampires) have taken over much of the Australian landscape. They are dry and dust-like. They seek liquid wherever they can find it - mainly from living beings. Alice is in the center of an area that is fenced in to keep the ghouls out. The armed forces are called Diggers. Part of the fence falls and let in thousands of ghouls into the formerly protected territory. A teen-aged boy and girl from different backgrounds seem to hold the key to the outcome. First of three volumes.
June 8, 2017
My review is based on the Audiobook. I absolutely LOVED this story. I quickly became invested in Lynne and Squid and was hanging on every word. I really enjoyed how the Author went into great detail outlining each of their lives so that the reader understands why they behave the way they do. Lynne & Squid are complete opposites but that's what makes their friendship work. Hannah Engel was phenomenal as narrator bringing the characters to life. This story does have a cliffhanger ending so I am eager to read the next in series.
April 4, 2018
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book. It sounded very dystopian to me, which is not my type of genre. I actually enjoyed it a lot. I listened to an audio version. The narrator was very good as well. I liked the 2 main characters as well as hearing the supporting characters in the book. Lynn/Max was a favorite of mine. I did love Squid too. This is definitely not your normal zombie book. It takes place hundreds of years after the apocalypse happens.
July 27, 2019
This book was just sort of meh for me in that it seemed to be nothing more than part one of a three-act film. The characters didn’t have a lot of depth to them and we never really dove into the mythology of what was happening. I don’t actually understand why most things were the way they were and there were so many questions left unanswered.
I feel as though I’d like to continue the series to get answers but I’m definitely not in any sort of rush to finish it.
I feel as though I’d like to continue the series to get answers but I’m definitely not in any sort of rush to finish it.
March 2, 2023
Why do so many authors make everything YA. I think I would've liked this book much more if it hadn't been written as YA. I liked the story and the world Woolley created is very interesting. It's extremely disappointing because I wanted to enjoy the book. Unfortunately, the author chose the 'MC and friends save the world!' storyline instead of realistic characters acting logically in a fleshed-out world. I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy.
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