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Seed Savers #5
Unbroken
Although kidnapped by GRIM in an effort to strike back at her father—escaped former leader of the Seed Savers Movement—Lily quickly escapes with the help of sometime friend Rose. The girls camp out in Forest Park while plans are made for a safe rendezvous. Meanwhile, Jason and Monroe join up with the questionable group Radicle, using their Monitor skills to hack into suppressed information in an effort to topple an overreaching government. Tensions rise amid massive protests as Independence Day approaches. Will lost freedoms such as food rights and an open media be reclaimed? Don’t miss the explosive final installment of Seed Savers!
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2019
3 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 27, 2019
I am admittedly sad to see the series end. I am not a huge fan of reading series books, one after the other, but I found myself wanting to do that with this series. Originally written for children, author Sandra Smith upped the level of interest throughout the series to include a bit of teen interest - intertwined romantic twists, teen rebellion against parental authority, rebellion against political concerns about the wrongs being waged in society. I would consider the books age level appropriate for upper middle-grade through young adult.
The topic is truly relevant in the world today; whether one believes in global warming or not, or whether one believes in the slow acquisition of food sources, and genetic modification of American food by corporate giants or not, these are concerning topics in our world. Sandra Smith's series offers an easy to read "what-if" scenario that takes place in the not to distant future about these very real societal concerns. What if a corporation decided to slowly take over all food production including the very source of food; including harmful pesticides to control unwanted pests and these leeched into the food we grow and eat? What if the government knew about the dangers, yet turned a blind eye for financial gain and better control of the people? What if people were not able to make informed choices about the food they put in their bodies? What if we could not grow our own vegetables, herbs - raise our own meat source? These are things we take for granted every day, and we still count on our government to keep us safe in our choices.
Fictionalized with just enough truth to make the reader question "what-if", this is an eye-opening series, and as a school librarian, I will be sure to promote these books with my peers and get them in the hands of students; children who will one day be affected by some of these very timely topics.
The topic is truly relevant in the world today; whether one believes in global warming or not, or whether one believes in the slow acquisition of food sources, and genetic modification of American food by corporate giants or not, these are concerning topics in our world. Sandra Smith's series offers an easy to read "what-if" scenario that takes place in the not to distant future about these very real societal concerns. What if a corporation decided to slowly take over all food production including the very source of food; including harmful pesticides to control unwanted pests and these leeched into the food we grow and eat? What if the government knew about the dangers, yet turned a blind eye for financial gain and better control of the people? What if people were not able to make informed choices about the food they put in their bodies? What if we could not grow our own vegetables, herbs - raise our own meat source? These are things we take for granted every day, and we still count on our government to keep us safe in our choices.
Fictionalized with just enough truth to make the reader question "what-if", this is an eye-opening series, and as a school librarian, I will be sure to promote these books with my peers and get them in the hands of students; children who will one day be affected by some of these very timely topics.
June 30, 2019
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC to Collabookation for review.
The Seed Savers series grabbed my attention at first because I am an amateur gardener. Then I learned it's about a not-so-distant future in America where the government and corporations have taken over all food sources, and I was hooked.
My first recommendation is that you start at the beginning! Unbroken is the fifth in the series, and there was so much I missed out on. I plan on going back to start at the beginning, but given my TBR shelf at the moment, that'll take some time. So I read, and enjoyed, the fifth in the series. But I know I missed out on so much character development. I felt as though I walked in to the party just as the caterer was starting to clean up.
If you are looking for a series that can help YA readers understand all the control the government can have over it's citizenry, this is an amazing example. It also contains many situations in which the characters have to analyze the intentions of all around them ~ because in this dystopian America, it's hard to know on which side people are on. What I LOVED, as an educator, is how the characters search for information. They know they must work to make things right, and they do that work. Throughout, I was reminded of The Hunger Games: action, corrupt forces, and a quest for justice for all citizens. This series should be in high school classrooms everywhere as a literary example of Margaret Mead's quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
The Seed Savers series grabbed my attention at first because I am an amateur gardener. Then I learned it's about a not-so-distant future in America where the government and corporations have taken over all food sources, and I was hooked.
My first recommendation is that you start at the beginning! Unbroken is the fifth in the series, and there was so much I missed out on. I plan on going back to start at the beginning, but given my TBR shelf at the moment, that'll take some time. So I read, and enjoyed, the fifth in the series. But I know I missed out on so much character development. I felt as though I walked in to the party just as the caterer was starting to clean up.
If you are looking for a series that can help YA readers understand all the control the government can have over it's citizenry, this is an amazing example. It also contains many situations in which the characters have to analyze the intentions of all around them ~ because in this dystopian America, it's hard to know on which side people are on. What I LOVED, as an educator, is how the characters search for information. They know they must work to make things right, and they do that work. Throughout, I was reminded of The Hunger Games: action, corrupt forces, and a quest for justice for all citizens. This series should be in high school classrooms everywhere as a literary example of Margaret Mead's quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
December 18, 2020
Like most series of any length, the final book is not a stand-alone read. In this case, Keeper was pretty much a cliff-hanger, and so Unbroken picks up where it left off. You cannot come to this book cold, although I picked up who was who and what had happened almost immediately. I read Keeper five years ago, so it’s a miracle! This indicates that the author has rounded her characters and given them traits which resound in your brain.
Seed Savers is set in a world where our governments have made growing food illegal. Most people have forgotten that food even comes from plants, and cooking is unknown. But it emerges that this scenario is only for the general populace: the elite have a totally different lifestyle. With some characters hacking government computers, others spreading the information between interested parties, the scene is set for an explosive outcome.
This is an entirely valid future scenario, and it shows in the detail. Our story hackers unearth government memos and papers dating back to the 1980s – ancient history in the arc of the story – and scientific papers from the early 2000s that are factually based. The development from there and the sociological changes are logical and horrifying. Or would be, had not the pace of government iniquity raced ahead and put us in scenarios now that we once thought impossible. In my review of the first book I thought she’d set it a little late. Without our vigilance, this could well be a world we are living in within twenty years.
Seed Savers is not only a great MG series, but essential reading for all citizens of the world. Unbroken brings us to a satisfying end, with plenty of pace, confusion, and danger. Congratulations, Sandra Smith, for an excellent and timely exposition of what could get even worse if we are not vigilant. And all wrapped up in an enjoyable children’s book. She’s a master of allegory.
Seed Savers is set in a world where our governments have made growing food illegal. Most people have forgotten that food even comes from plants, and cooking is unknown. But it emerges that this scenario is only for the general populace: the elite have a totally different lifestyle. With some characters hacking government computers, others spreading the information between interested parties, the scene is set for an explosive outcome.
This is an entirely valid future scenario, and it shows in the detail. Our story hackers unearth government memos and papers dating back to the 1980s – ancient history in the arc of the story – and scientific papers from the early 2000s that are factually based. The development from there and the sociological changes are logical and horrifying. Or would be, had not the pace of government iniquity raced ahead and put us in scenarios now that we once thought impossible. In my review of the first book I thought she’d set it a little late. Without our vigilance, this could well be a world we are living in within twenty years.
Seed Savers is not only a great MG series, but essential reading for all citizens of the world. Unbroken brings us to a satisfying end, with plenty of pace, confusion, and danger. Congratulations, Sandra Smith, for an excellent and timely exposition of what could get even worse if we are not vigilant. And all wrapped up in an enjoyable children’s book. She’s a master of allegory.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews