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City of Rust

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An out-of-this-world sci-fi adventure for a new generation!

Railey dreams of winning the drone races with her bio-robotic gecko friend, Atti. But when a bounty hunter crashes their biggest race yet, the pair are forced to flee to the feared Junker clans who mine the rubbish orbiting the Earth. Rescued by a couple of Junker kids, they discover a danger bigger than anything they'd imagined - but can three kids, a gecko and an ancient computer save the world against the huge trash bomb (and its power-crazed creator) threatening to destroy the world?

352 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2021

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531 people want to read

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Gemma Fowler

4 books20 followers

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5 stars
34 (14%)
4 stars
88 (38%)
3 stars
85 (36%)
2 stars
20 (8%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Pris.
428 reviews282 followers
August 28, 2021
I enjoyed it! 🖤 But it wasn’t something really all that special for me. Loved Atti! 🦎
Profile Image for Belles Middle Grade Library.
866 reviews
June 23, 2021
Wow! This book was so good! It made my mechanical steampunk loving heart so happy! An amazing sci-fi adventure. Railey dreams of winning the drone races w/her bio-robotic gecko friend, Atti. But when a bounty hunter crashes their biggest race yet, the pair are forced to flee to the feared Junker clans who mine the rubbish orbiting the Earth. Rescued by a couple of Junker kids(Laurie & Care), they discover a danger bigger than anything they'd imagined - but can 3 kids, a gecko & an ancient computer(Tring) save the world against the huge trash bomb(& its power-crazed creator)threatening to destroy the world?

I flew through this! So much action, danger, suspense, adventure, & high stakes..very fast-paced. With the drone races, & just overall vibe, Star Wars fans would love this-I’m not a Star Wars fan & LOVED it too though lol The characters are AMAZING! The 3 kids are tough, sharp tongued, brave, smart, & determined. They’ve each had hard lives in different ways, & destiny(not to mention Railey’s Gram, & Laurie’s dad)have brought them together to save the world. I even loved Tring(who is basically a talking, living computer)so much. Atti has my heart of course though. That arrogant gecko is something special. Care, her taser & jumbled up thoughts/words were pretty special as well. The friendship b/n Railey & Atti was so great to read. They have such a strong bond. All the characters are relatable b/c they are all flawed, & still have a lot of learning & growing to do. But they’re all perfect in my eyes.

There are drones, gyrospheres, runners(creative take on bounty hunters), floating ships, androids, gadgets, mechanics, & a creative futuristic rusty junk yard type world-that will actually make you think hard about our own current issues, & what the future may hold. The writing is so detailed, vivid, & atmospheric I felt like I was there w/them the whole way-so I was nervous, excited, scared, full of adrenaline, & on the edge of my seat the whole time basically lol. In this world junk has overtaken the world so much, it’s had to be taken out to space-which causes some unexpected dangers. Makes you wonder what we will do when there is no more room in the junkyards/dumps/etc. Also, it’s made junk a form of money in a way-so you need it to live, but fear for your life from it at the same time.

This is a warning for our future if I’ve ever seen one-& brilliantly done at that. So impressed. Amazing writing/story telling, & I can’t wait for more from the author. That ending was epic & everything I wanted. Don’t know if this is a stand alone or not, but I would love more w/these amazing characters & story. There’s so much more I could say, but you’re gonna have to read it yourself! Highly recommend. Another gorgeous cover by the amazing Karl James Mountford too!💜
Profile Image for Sasha .
293 reviews281 followers
December 29, 2021
There was nothing wring with the story per se I just felt a bit bored and didn't care enough I think. And as I didn't care enough for the characters, even though the stakes were high, I wasn't scare for them...
But very cute concept, and a very fast read!
Profile Image for cecereads23.
153 reviews39 followers
July 25, 2021
On cawpile this got the highest rating it could get as a 4 star it was very very close to five all I am going to say is that I would die for Atti.
Profile Image for Mindy.
138 reviews3 followers
January 30, 2022
The thing that immediately drew me into this book was the cover. How STUNNING! When I read the synopsis and found out there was a mechanical gecko I was sold! Atti was such an amazing character!

I was drawn to City of Rust right away because of the futuristic steam-punk junk yard vibes.

This story was a non-stop action-filled race to save the world!

This book will hit all the right places for those who enjoy a bit of Star Wars and sci-fi. There are drone races, bounty hunters, androids, and an old spaceship that constantly requires work.
Profile Image for Mel Lenore.
834 reviews1,729 followers
July 30, 2021
6.43 on CAWPILE

This was a super fun, fast paced middle grade. I loved the relationships and like that the parents/grandparents are actually mentioned in this middle grade. I'm just not a huge fan of the metal/dystopian setting.
Profile Image for Dreximgirl.
1,487 reviews25 followers
July 18, 2021
This was really cute, the plotline was actually more complex than I expected it to be but really interesting. Such a unique idea which I think was executed really well. Cute characters and I seriously want my own gecko now.

Great middle grade read.
Profile Image for Rachel Lefever.
48 reviews5 followers
May 31, 2021
Take a floating cargo ship, a drone, a gyrosphere. Or just take a plunge into an abyss… However you travel, hold on tight, because this book is a ride!

I was drawn to City of Rust right away because of the characterful futuristic steam-punk junk yard vibe, and because it’s a sci-fi. I do love a sci-fi. This one is set in a future where land and air are dominated by junk. But when junk is all that is left, it becomes a commodity, a currency, a beast that sustains existence as much as it threatens it… You could say that this vision is a direct consequence of our current-day throw-away lifestyle. But let’s put that to one side and skip to the action. And there is a lot of action!

The adrenalin-filled story tells of a girl called Railey and Atti, her pet tech-mech gecko. They’re best friends, companions, and they love racing drones together in their container-constructed city of Boxville. But their passion for racing isn’t as straight-forward as it seems, and when they clash with the Junkers – space-dwelling junk salvagers – the skills they possess will be required in a life and death fight with a junk bomb and a vengeful mob that would gladly watch it wreak devastation. When I say Railey and Atti were made for this... Well, you’ll see.

This story will hit all the right points for those who love a bit of Star Wars. We have drone races, bounty hunters, androids, and an old trusty spaceship that constantly requires work… There are gadgets galore and oodles of tantalising details for sci-fi and STEM fans alike. But while the tasty old Star Wars flavours are there, tossed together with a few other popular sci-fi morsels (such as the container stacks in Ready Player One), they are tropes we can never get enough of, and besides, the premise of City of Rust is really fresh and exciting. Set between the worlds of Boxville and an orbiting band of a space junk known as The Soup, this is about class struggle and the people on the outside of privilege that must recycle and trade and fight to survive.

The main human characters, Railey, Laurie and Care, are appropriately tough, moulded by their hard environments, all possessing that grit that comes from wanting to live and thrive at all costs. They have sharp tongues. They’re scrappy and self-sufficient, handy with a taser or a kick to the shins. But there are glimpses of the childishness within them all that makes us want to root for them and ‘bring them home’. I say that, because one of the big final scenes – an exhausting attack on the kids and their stamina – doesn’t tread lightly on the grounds of danger and threat. Our common concept of home (comfort and care) suddenly seems a very long way away. There are heart-in-throat moments, and, thanks to Gemma’s incredibly visual writing (I felt like I was watching a film throughout), it feels urgent and real.

What’s wonderful about this is, although it’s a brutally harsh environment it remains a child- (and gecko-)centric story. And it doesn’t go for the easy themes of good versus bad, nice kids versus horrible adults. In fact, all the children are flawed and there’s a lot of growing up to do along the way; there are lessons to be learned.

And perhaps there are lessons for all of us about our addiction to stuff and needing to do something fast if we’re to salvage a future that isn’t a future drowning in salvage. But all in good time. First, I want to put on my MagBoots and try out one of those gyrospheres. They are the bomb.
Profile Image for Amy (Golden Books Girl).
890 reviews17 followers
August 2, 2021
This is a futuristic sci-fi adventure following Railey and her robotic pet gecko Atti, as their dreams of winning a drone race are destroyed and they are instead thrust into an adventure in the skies, where they must stop a gigantic trash bomb from destroying the planet. The worldbuilding in this is so complex and original, and I really liked the concept of it. I especially loved the idea of the drone races, as it reminded me a little of the Jinxed duology, and I felt like the world was really well fleshed out. Railey is a brilliant heroine and I loved her determination and talent for engineering, but her relationship with Atti was what really endeared me to her, because Atti’s wit and cynicism made him my absolute favourite thing in this. Their bickering sibling-like bond was so special, and I even teared up at a few moments because of it! Care was absolutely wonderful as a secondary character, as was Laurie, and I defy anyone not to adore Tring, who is an AI NannyBot. Izmae is a very interesting villain, and as the book goes on, the tension really ramps up and I was very glad I could sit and read it in one day.
Profile Image for Elly.
491 reviews49 followers
August 17, 2023
J’ai commencé ce roman de science-fiction jeunesse pleine d’espoir car ça faisait très longtemps que je voulais le lire et que je n’avais pas lu de SF ! Malheureusement, j’ai abandonné ma lecture à la moitié, parce que je n’arrivais pas à m’attacher à la protagoniste et parce que ça manquait cruellement de background ! On est plongé dans un univers futuriste, sur une planète où les inégalités se sont creusés et où les habitants de la cité de rouille survivent en recyclant les déchets des habitants de la cité de verre. Entre courses de drones, réflexion écologique et rebondissements, impossible de s’ennuyer… mais honnêtement le fait de ne pas avoir plus d’explications sur l’univers m’a totalement sortie de ma lecture. Alors oui, c’est un mix entre Wall-E et Star Wars, mais ça n’a pas suffit pour me donner envie de continuer ma lecture jusqu’au bout.
1,232 reviews5 followers
August 20, 2022
Une histoire qui avait si bien commencée... mais qui se termine sur une note décevante. L'univers est bien formaté entre deux mondes qui ne font que se tolérer. La leçon d'écologie est vraiment peu subtile. Les personnages sont aussi crédibles que des geckos volants : la petite de 9 ans est plus compétente que celle de 16 ans de sait rien faire de ses 10 doigts. Passé le premier tiers, l'intrigue ne se développe pratiquement pas. Les vilains ne le sont pas vraiment et le motif de la guéguerre finale est basique et presque sans intérêt. Aucun personnage ne m'a vraiment été simpathique et c'est bien dommage. Fouilleurs de déchets aurait été un titre plus approprié... Pour des jeunes de 10-12 ans qui aiment la sf de base avec une écriture minimaliste.
Profile Image for Raquel Pilar.
853 reviews5 followers
September 12, 2022
"The world had become resigned to the fact that it was trapped by its own rubbish."

Earth is reconstructed out of rubbish and Railey is a drone racer in this chaotic world. Atti, her robotic Gecko, is the one who actually pilots the drone and he is very good at it! But this routine Railey has with him and her Gran suddenly changes when they are chased by a Runner and the girl realizes that Atti is way more than just a pilot...
This is an interesting sci-fi dystopia adventure with surprising settings and views of this (very possible) future. I got a bit confused at the beginning with Runners, Junkers etc, but eventually things were clarified.
The secondary characters were more likeble than the main ones in my opinion.
I kind of liked it!
Profile Image for Louise.
116 reviews16 followers
Read
April 5, 2021
Book #9 of the year was City of Rust, by Gemma Fowler. Set in a future where junk orbits the Earth and the privileged have moved to a vast Glass City, the book follows Railey and her pet gecko, Atti. Competitors in their junk-constructed town’s drone races, they suddenly find their lives threatened by the terrifying Runners, and that they have an unexpected role to play in saving the world from destruction.

A fast-paced action adventure with themes of family, friendship and the dangers of overproduction and consumption, City of Rust also comes with a beautiful cover from @karljamesmountford. It’s published by @chickenhousebooks in March.
Profile Image for Beata.
300 reviews2 followers
July 31, 2021
Take my review with grain of salt as I am not the intended age group.
I expected to like it more. I didn't vibe with Railey at all, I did like the other characters more. One thing that definitely lowered my enjoyment was the treatment of Welt. I feel like he was villainised for the most part because he was Railey's competitor. Sorry, but I was and am with Welt on their issue, Railey was a cheat and I feel like she never fully understood it was wrong. I will say though that if it was intended I give Gemma Flowler props for writing gray characters.
I agree with what was said in the MGM liveshow, it would've made a great graphic novel.
Profile Image for Wren.
776 reviews53 followers
August 7, 2021
3/5

I read this in one sitting (for Jade and Gavin's reading race) and had such a fun time. I adored Atti and desperately want my own mechanical gecko. The world was so awesome and very much what I expect our future to be, a universe of rubbish. The drone racing was a really cool concept but I wish we got more of it. I wasn't a fan of the secret doom plot, I feel like the idea behind needing a pilot like Atti could have been something really cool instead of evil villainy.

This was a really great book and it kept me entertained but I feel like there was a bit too much going on for it to be really cohesive.
Profile Image for Jayne.
1,191 reviews11 followers
August 21, 2022
Loved the steampunk, junkpile feel of this book, the ingenuity of the characters building with this junk and the message of the importance of waste reduction and taking responsibility for our waste before it engulfs us.
The characters are very true to life. They admit when they are scared and when they cannot understand things. I particularly loved Care and her problems with expressing herself. Atti the gecko was wonderful - the beautiful cover illustration really brought him to life.
An exciting adventure in a future world and space. Brings new meaning to the term 'space junk'.
Profile Image for Debra.
560 reviews3 followers
November 10, 2021
Two brilliant things about this book, the incredible cover and inside illustrations, and Atti the gecko. Otherwise, this is a fun read, lots of chases, escaping the baddies and saving the planet, aimed at middle grade readers. A bit of steampunk thrown into the sci-fi mix will appeal. It would make an incredible graphic novel…just saying. Only three stars as I didn’t really feel strongly enough about the characters.
204 reviews
Read
November 17, 2021
A great adventure tale in a futuristic world and what might happen if people put all the trash into space...Earth is set into 3 classes - the upper class lives in Glass City, the poorest live in Boxville and then there are the Junkers - people who mine the trash in space to trade goods with Boxville and others. Railey and her pet gecko - Atti- find themselves on an adventure they never expected and are on a mission to save the world from a huge trash bomb from space.
Profile Image for Chris.
298 reviews
August 2, 2022
Loved this book - gripped me from start to finish and has an interesting slant on what humans do with their rubbish and what could happen in a dystopian future. I found myself caring about the characters and what was happening to them. I do think perhaps the antagonist could have been developed a little deeper as it was rather surface level, but I think children would like this. I want to read her other book Moondust now.
Profile Image for Maryam ღ.
54 reviews
October 11, 2024
If you're looking for an adventurous science fiction, this book is for you! I'm not keen on sci-fi, so I found it hard to visualize the scenes and the characters, which makes it a bit confusing for me.
Although it is hard to imagine the setting, the storyline is extremely creative and unique and embraces a message to keep your environment clean and prevent pollution.
I think I wasn't that keen on City of Rust due to the lack of description and that I couldn't relate to it at all.
Profile Image for Hannah  Toft .
96 reviews
April 20, 2025
Rating: 3/5

A perfectly good YA novel - I think I would have loved it more when I was twelve, but I enjoyed it enough in an evening at thirty - one.

If it were to be written to more of a NA audience, with greater detail and more hidden twists than so plainly spelt out, I think it would possible be one of those timeless classics - the futuristic junker lifestyle - the mixer of human and robot was fun and exciting.

Perfectly good story, enjoyable if brief for the plot.
Profile Image for Kizzy.
1,192 reviews
July 4, 2021
2,5 ⭐️

Ik denk dat ik beter geen kinderboeken meer lees… Ookal was dit een sci-fi met een gezelschapsdier / robot. Ik kon met momenten mijn gedachten er niet bijhouden.

Ik lees tegenwoordig precies liever horror voor volwassenen dan eens kinderboek sci-fi. Tot een paar maanden geleden zou dit ondenkbaar zijn…
Profile Image for Natalie.
133 reviews2 followers
December 20, 2022
5 stars from the kid. I have to be honest, I'm glad this one is finished up. It took a while to get through and despite his final rating, he had to ask me what was happening a few times and told me he couldn't imagine the world in his head (me too). I'd give it a 3 personally, but I'm not in charge!
Profile Image for Judith Cakelover.
34 reviews8 followers
July 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this book.
No surprise it was an instant love for Atti.🦎❤
I think my son would love to read this book as well, when he is a bit older. Because he doesn't have the attention span for non picturebooks yet. I'm really happy I bought it.❤😁
Profile Image for Bev.
983 reviews14 followers
February 28, 2022
This is a fun read with lots and action. I loved Atti! Some parts were confusing and I felt like a few of the characters could have been fleshed out more (Care) but it's an enjoyable enough story and something I could imagine reading with my daughter in the future. 3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Xan Rooyen.
Author 48 books137 followers
April 17, 2022
3.5/5

Some awesome world-building here, but I had a hard time suspending my disbelief when it came to Atti, who just a read a little too human, but I'm sure younger YA readers will thoroughly enjoy this adventurous, friendship-focused book.
Profile Image for Liam Gardiner.
9 reviews
April 23, 2024
I bought this book when I was in the Falklands. The world building is good, creates a derelict city. But I can't really remember the story it was quite forgettable. I know there's a robot gecko that does a race?
Profile Image for Oda Edvardsen.
1 review
August 2, 2025
Intesankt konsept med søppela til verden har potensiellet til å være slutten av sivilisasjon på en måde men det ble litt repedativt med samme emne hele veien, slutten var interesang og bra da men skulle ønske fler døde for dramatisk effekt. Gran, Atti og Tring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
18 reviews3 followers
February 21, 2021
A bloody exciting sci-fi adventure!

I really hope there's going to be a sequel!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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