The description of this book is The Giver and Farenghight 451, but it is more like The Giver and 1984, and not the good bits.

This is a society, set in the future, where climent change has destroyed the world, except in some places, and the main character is in one of them. She is apprenticed to the keeper of the words that people can use in her society. She knows other words, but the people do not. They speak in stilted sentences. There is a world beyond the arc, but she knows nothing of it.

Wow, sounds like a great book, doesn't it? I thought so too, but it drags, and drags, and nothing happens. It is mostly world building, and the world is not that interesting, so I finally gave up. I couldn't; go back and finish this. Sorry. Perhaps others will love it.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Looking for a gripping, middle-grade, dystopian novel with great male and female characters? Then look no farther than The List. This novel reminds one of The City of Ember, but with the intensity significantly ratcheted up, and a dictator who really is quite psychotic. The heroine, Letta, is determined, courageous, compassionate, and loyal; she begins to question the society she has always accepted when a boy, Marlo, collapses in her store and trouble starts mounting.

The twist to this story (although a little out-there) is that language is being restricted to the extreme in this post-apocalyptic society. The author's love of words and language is felt on every page.; it is thought-provoking to consider their power.

An action-packed climax wraps up this book. Although this is not obviously a set-up for a series, the author leaves the door cracked for that possibility--and that is not a bad thing!

Review of a Digital Advance Copy

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The List, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

While the technical aspect of the writing felt smooth and comfortable to read, the rest of the story really seemed to be lacking. Letta often came across as contrary, it was impossible to pin down overt details about her and the setting, and the most interesting characters were thrust very firmly to the sidelines. Everything seemed to be approached or addressed very tentatively, except for the List itself.

The concept was interesting, but I won't lie - it was really hard for me to suspend disbelief when it came to the use of language in it. Just didn't work for me. As soon as it was mentioned that the Melting swept away all - or most - written language, I just couldn't keep up the pretence.

This one wasn't for me, I'm afraid.

Woah!. I am amazed how much I enjoyed this book. Especially since I was very confused at the beginning and had to start again to straighten myself out. I can certainly see this being used in a middle school class. I think reading both this and The Giver and then comparing and contrasting the two novels would be interesting.

Can you imagine a society in which you can only use 500 words? It’s a scary though, words are freedom and to have that taken away would be crippling. This is the world in which Letta (play on letter I am guessing) has to live in. This book elicited some unwanted emotional responses, most was anger and disgust. I had to put the book down multiple times, read another book then come back to it. Considering this is suppose to be a children’s book (middle school grade) I was a bit shocked at some of what happens, there is multiple mentions of violence some of it a bit graphic, so if your child wants to read this you may want to double check if you are okay with this.

Forde’s writing was extremely easy to read and I really like the creative way she had the chapter titles, which was a list word and it’s definition. I think if I was in a society as this I would need to be a wordsmith, I cannot understand the whole stuttered speaking. I understand why Noa did this too, which sort of freaks me out honestly. I can say that I did not like the ending, although if this is a part of a series that leaving the end open like that is fine, however if this is a one-shot book than it stirs way more questions than it answers. I did like the characters you were obviously suppose to like and of course was disgusted by the ones you are not suppose to like. Maybe if I had read this as a child I wouldn’t have had such a emotional reaction to this book. I will say that the story and where it was going was extremely predictable, but considering what ages this book is aimed at I am completely fine with it.

This book felt like a rehashing of every dystopian novel I've read before, The premise was interesting but the execution fell flat.

Patricia Forde's "The List" is a middle-grade dystopian novel being released in the United States in one week. It was originally published in the UK and Ireland in 2015 under the title "The Wordsmith," and due to popularity, will now be released to those of us in North America (huzzah!). It's billed as "Fahrenheit 451 meets The Giver for tweens," and frankly, I don't think they could have described it better.

WHAT I LIKED:
- I loved the concept of this book. The wordsmith is in charge of keeping track of all of the words, despite the fact that those living in Ark can only use 500 of them (with the list growing shorter as weeks go by due to their psychotic leader). The whimsy of the wordsmith's job combined with the description of the living quarters was really a big pull for me when reading this book.
- The dystopian society Forde has created is quite fun. It's truly a miserable place, though those living in Ark are all under the illusion that it's for the greater good that they suffer.
- I enjoyed Forde's writing for this middle-grade novel. Her language was efficient with a touch of literary, and I think it would be a nice addition to any young reader's library.

WHAT I WISH HAD BEEN DIFFERENT:
- I wish there had more about the Desecrators (those who were against the dystopian system of Ark) and their life. I wanted to know all that they had and what those in Ark were truly missing.
- The plot resolution was a little lackluster to me. I think a young reader would have enjoyed its ending, but I was hoping for more. What happened to Letta exactly? What about the Desecrators? There were allusions to things happening, but instead of it helping to resolve, it only created more questions for me.

Final rating: 3/5 stars. I liked it!
Ultimately, I think this book is one that is best suited for middle-grade readers. It doesn't translate as well to adults. That being said, if the synopsis appeals to you, or you are big fan of "Fahrenheit 451" and/or "The Giver," you should definitely pick it up!

A great middle-grade sci-fi selection. Excellent world-building and character development. An enjoyable read for all ages.

The List is classic YA dystopian. While a new story (the all too powerful leader, John Noa, is trying to make everyone wordless), it didn't seem to have a lot of punch behind it. While I understand the power of words, I don't think it is quite believable that Noa would convince everyone that the conjugations of "to be" would harm everyone... and that they should give up using them.

This book had all the trappings that generally indicate I'm going to eat it up and love every sentence. Instead, I struggled to get through it. Great concept, poor execution.

Honestly, though. This book has everything that attracts me to a story: gorgeous cover art, a dystopian setting with plausible world-building, and a plot revolving around etymology (okay, that's just a nerdy bonus). I may not be the target demographic, but this book felt like it was 110% right up my alley on the surface. Imagine my disappointment when I had difficulties really getting into it, or finishing it for that matter.

The story revolves around Letta, an adolescent apprentice to her community's wordsmith. She's effectively an orphan, her parents having sailed off into the vast unknown when she was a toddler. That's fine. It's cool. Except I assumed it wasn't that big of a deal when it didn't get mentioned for the middle chunk of the story.

That happens a few times, except in reverse, where something probably should've gotten mentioned earlier to provide context and believability for when it comes up later in the story (it's hard to really give an example here without spoiling anything).

Moreover, the world in which Letta lives restricts its citizens to a limited number of words they're allowed to communicate with. There's a reason for this, and that part I bought. So many characters ignored this who weren't technically supposed to, despite the severe government repercussions, which struck me as odd because it was established pretty early on how important 'speaking List' is. The rebels didn't adhere to it for obvious reasons, but neither did the community leaders. It would've been interesting to see the reasoning behind the latter explored more fully.

I suppose that's one of the biggest weaknesses of this book, in my view. There were a lot of ideas, but most were only explored in the most superficial of ways. Same for the development of the vast majority of the characters. They were names and actions, without much beyond that. Even the main character, Letta, felt two-dimensional to me in many respects. I don't feel I really know who she is or what she stands for. She just goes with the flow and is a lot less mistrustful of the outsiders than someone raised in an oppressive community like this probably should be, without a good reason.

The plot itself dragged, which makes me wonder how a true middle grade reader would manage to get through it. I was actually surprised when I saw how many pages this was, and found myself skim-reading some of the longer paragraphs to get back to the action. By the time the plot sped up (around chapter 13), I was already quite frustrated with the story. It got more implausible as it went, with characters (both good and bad) making decisions that just didn't seem to make much sense to me, that either felt myopic or unrealistic given the circumstances. These decisions were reached almost spontaneously in some instances. While Letta spends a lot of time asking internal questions, she doesn't seem all that uncertain when the plot needs to move forward.

I think this was just a matter of trying to cram too much into a story that needed a bit of polishing. It felt like a story that could've benefited from a couple more revisions (which, to be fair, maybe it'll get prior to being officially published). I really wanted to like this more, but the plot felt like a mismatched patchwork, without enough development to make the characters come to life, and too many side-stories to keep the overall story's pacing at a speed that didn't feel like it was outright dragging.

Post-apocalypse., a city of survivors live under the dictatorship of John Noa. Convinced that freedom of expression, art, and 'language [are] what make man ungovernable,' Noa has limited the language of his citizens to words on a list managed by a young wordsmith, Letta.
When Letta encounters a rebel group and sees for herself the dangers in Noa's plan she risks all to try to save her city.
Craftily woven tale of oppression, love, and betrayal with compelling characters placed against a dark, yet easily visualised world.

I am conflicted about this book. I loved the beginning and the set up. The polar ice caps have melted resulting in global flooding. Many of the survivors are fortunate to live in a secure location known as the Ark led by John Noa. Letta is in training to be a wordsmith. Her job is to create and copy the approved list of words that people are allowed to use. This list has just been cut from 700 to 500. John Noa believes that language is what doomed the human race and he wants to limit people's creativity, drive, and future thinking. He believes people should live for today only - just the food they need for the day. He regulates everything in Ark and Letta never questioned it - until her teacher Benjamin disappeared and she met Marlo - a boy who lives outside of Ark and believes in the right of expression. Soon Letta is caught up in finding the truth. What she finds is more horrible than she imagined because Noa wants to get rid of language altogether.

This was quite intriguing - especially at the beginning. I did not, however, like the ending because the struggle did not seem to have any effect and it was still uncertain. Yes Letta saved the people from becoming wordless but someone else was in control who wasn't much better... This was originally published in Ireland with the title The Wordsmith. It doesn't appear that there is a sequel...

A heartfelt and inspiring tale set in a scarily recognisable near future, The List is a wonderful middle-grade tale of the power of words.

Cleverly twining etymology into her dystopian world, Patricia Forde allows us to see the strain that comes within a society where words are controlled by the regime. As a lover of words, and fiction, it was uncomfortable in such a brilliant way to see Letta and her fellow companions in Ark speak only List approved words. It was so intriguing to see how when you get rid of one word, how easy it is to then follow suit with others.

I adored Letta’s character and her love for words leapt from the page. In her battle to find out what happened to her long-lost family and her master, the Wordsmith Benjamin, you will root for her as she forges unexpected alliances and battles for the rights of words.

A really powerful book aimed at a middle-grade audience, this will make the reader think. There is also some set-up for future books in this world, which will give the reader a bit more closure, as I feel the end to this book was quite rushed. Nevertheless, I definitely recommend to readers aged 9-12, who want something that will challenge their thoughts and beliefs.

*Review copy kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Dystopic fiction is one of my favourite genres and this book for middle grade readers will not disappoint.
Themes of censorship, civil disobedience, human greed all intertwine to make a story worth putting in your school library.
Recommended

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the description of the book I just knew I had to read it. I loved The Giver and have always had a special place in my heart for the dystopian genre.

I am not sure if it was due to the high expectations I had since it was compared to an award winning book or what but I wasn't impressed.

Don't get me wrong. It wasn't horrible but I took me forever to get interested in the book. Everything also seemed to play out way too easy for the protagonist.

There is so little information given about the Ark in the beginning that it can be confusing and if I could change one thing about the book, I have more "world building" in the beginning to explain how things work there. I would also love to know why Marlo was shot and why that weapon was never used any other time in the book.

I had to remind myself that this was a middle grade novel and not be so critical.

I would recommend this book to middle grade dystopian lovers.

I regards to comparing it to The Giver. Meh... I would say yes, they are both dystopian novels about the leaders controlling historical and educational information causing a brainwashed society However, The Giver does a far better job at "world building" and the story is more fluid

This middle grade dystopian novel was good. Not fantastic but definitely enjoyable. What carried the story through the most was the very interesting concept and world, but it was very typical and followed the standard dystopian recipe. You know, the heroine with a tragic past who meets some rebels and wants to overthrow the authorities who are limiting the people of their power. Packed with death, action and uncovered secrets of course.

So it was predictable and our heroine Letta wasn’t really a unique or memorable character, but her story was set in a unique world and the book was well paced. I kept turning the pages and it was exciting all the way through.

The ending really disappointed me though and it felt rushed and flat. It left me feeling very unsatisfied.

But.

I am not in middle grade. This book is not targeted for me, so of course I will have issues with it. I am actually convinced that for middle graders this is a great book and it will both be a very exciting and educational read about how important it is with words. As a bookseller I will definitely recommend it to younger readers.

I'd prefer not to review this book publicly as it wasn't a style of writing with which I could connect, though I understand and respect that the writer took a risk, composing her dialogue in the stylized manner that she did.

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this middle-grade sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

the list (Patricia Forde)

Title: the list

Author: Patricia Forde

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Publication Date: TODAY!!! (hardback/e-book)

ISBN: 9781492647966

Source: NetGalley

This book caught me eye because of the premise and the comparisons to the giver and fahrenheit 451. I loved the concept. It takes place in post-apocalyptic America. Climate change has caused the sea levels to rise. The community of Ark is one of the last places where humans survive.

This village is controlled in every way by its founder, John Noa. One of the ways in which the population is controlled is through language. There are 700 sanctioned words on The List. Because if ye can't express a concept then ye can't act on it, right? The only people who have access to more words are the leaders and the local Wordsmith (kind of a living dictionary and the keeper of more complex words). For example, if a person learns a trade, like carpentry, then that person is allowed to learn additional words (like 25 or so) relating specifically to that task. Use words outside The List too often and face banishment or worse.

The story centers around Letta, the Wordsmith's apprentice. The master wordsmith goes off on an errand, leaving Letta in charge. Circumstances ensue which cause Letta to confront everything she has ever believed to be true.

While the concept was fascinating, the execution did not, to me mind, do it justice. It was a far cry from the two favorite books it had been compared to. For one thing, the use of language by Letta just seemed too complex. The List was hardly used at all in the author's writing. Letta's thoughts involve words like cerulean, pineapple, etc. despite having never seen pictures. How can you truly understand the words without a real frame of reference - especially with such a limited List to try and explain them. It would have been more interesting to me if the entire beginning of the novel had been put together only using List and got more complicated as Letta's understanding of Ark grew more complex.

Also the plot was sort of meandering. Letta makes extremely stupid mistakes to set up future plot points. For all of her learning, Letta just seemed helpless, unintelligent, and clueless. There is a type of insta-love connection between her and the non-Ark boy she helps. People sneak in and out of her house so easily that the guards are practically non-existent or just that plain dumb. The flow of the story was just not to me taste. The characters also seemed poorly developed and rather simplistic. Overall I would like to see this concept tackled in another way.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Sourcebooks Jabberwocky!

The author's website has this to say about the novel:

Fahrenheit 451 meets The Giver for tweens in this gripping story about the power of words and the dangers of censorship.

In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world.

On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark’s citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it’s up to her to save not only words, but culture itself.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Patricia Forde - Author

To buy the novel please visit:

the list - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List