Patricia Forde’s debut young adult novel is a love note to art and literature set in a world devastated by global warming.
A coming-of-age tale set in a dystopian society where all but a few words of the English language are banned, it’s the story of Letta, a young wordsmith, whose world is changed forever when she learns of a world outside the highly censored Ark.
Like a tween version of Fahrenheit 451, adult readers will be familiar with the overarching theme, but it's a snappy paced story with likeable characters and ideas.
One gripe would be that the characters seem to find solutions a little too easily, particularly towards the end, which after a lot of build up feels rushed. Still, it’s an enjoyable read that will appeal to a young teen audience.

"The List" was described as "The Giver" meets 1984 -- and in many ways that rings true. Individuals are assigned roles (per The Giver) and there are attempts at censorship from the "powers that be" (1984esque). The List is labeled as a middle-grades book so it is not as indepth as most of the YA books I've read. However, it is a nice "light" version on some hefty topics.

The end lends itself to a sequel, which I would likely read if it were published.

Great read for anyone who values language, science, and freedom. The List could be on school reading lists in the near future.

It was a great read. I feel the character development was good and I would recommend to friends.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this one - one girl standing virtually alone in a post-apocalyptic world, in which words are realized for the power they are, and therefore limited in availability and use to "protect" the world... It's a slightly different take on the young adult version of the "day after" concept, with great cover art, and I was so excited to dive into it.

But...

I just couldn't really lose myself in the story. While the premise was great and an original take, the story itself felt rehashed. The characters were rather flatter than I expected - the heroes less heroic, the villains less villainous, than I would have liked to see in a good versus evil tale such as this. The pace was uneven - I'd feel really engaged for a chapter/so, then find myself slogging through numerous pages and suddenly realize I had no idea what I'd just read. And while the premise of a controlled vocabulary is still, I think, a great and interesting one - it makes for difficult reading. The portions of the dialogue conducted in List were difficult to get through. It's ironic, since the Noa List is intended to simplify life and thought, that it winds up making comprehension more difficult and disengaging for the reader. I'm sure there's a great analytic interpretive graduate thesis in that idea, but it didn't exactly lend itself to engrossing reading...

There's nothing bad or wrong, it just didn't feel new or original. And unfortunately, in the current - crowded - reading marketplace, that's a big strike against you in my book...

I got a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley!

This young adult novel was fast-paced with likable characters and surprising plot twists. There was such immersive detail that, while reading it, I felt as though I was present in this community, on the beach, and in the forest. However, the amount of detail was not so overwhelming as to be extraneous or annoying.

The book was also highly thought-provoking. The concept of limiting language in an attempt to control people and create a "better" world was intriguing (but obviously misguided). I tried to "speak List" myself on a few occasions (or what I imagine it would be) and found it challenging and limiting, but also requiring greater precision than I typically give my words. If you only have a 500 permissible words to choose from, each of those words must be identified and selected carefully. Moreover, limiting spoken word is incongruous with the way our minds process thought and ideas at present -- limiting our words might very well lead to limitations in one's own imagination and abilities, not just interpersonal interactions.

The idea of different subsets of words for different subsets of people, as required by one's job for example, was interesting and reflective of our real lives. The statement that writers have always stood between the people and their rulers was so timely for America! As I read the novel, I paid close attention to the words selected by the author, and became more aware of the words we as a society are using right now. This book inspired me to try to use language more eloquently and persuasively.

A highly recommended read for both young and older adults alike!

Forde, Patricia The List, 384 pages. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, AUGUST 2017. $17. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.

Letta loves her job as the apprentice to the wordsmith in her village of Ark. Especially because when with her master she is allowed to speak off List, the official List of the seven hundred approved words for communication in Ark. Then John Noa, the ruler of Ark orders them to cut the List to only five hundred. Immediately after, the Wordsmith leaves on a trip. Then a mysterious, injured boy stumbles into the shop. Events start piling up quickly and dramatically around Letta, leading her towards defiance and rebellion against her narrower and narrower community. But defiance always brings attention and blowback from those in power. Is Letta ready for the consequences of her actions?

I was surprised to learn that this book is slated to be 384 pages. It didn’t feel like it had the depth of narrative to occupy so many pages. But I read this as an ebook and I rarely connect with the ebook as I do with a printed copy. Reminiscent of The Giver, it doesn’t quite hit that high mark, but it is still another good dystopian book. It would make a great added selection to literature circles.

MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher

This was a little bit difficult to follow at first, as there is an element of this story that takes some adjustment to get past. Still, that element is essential to the plot of the story. This is a post-environmental disaster story wherein the leader of the surviving city of Ark believes that heart of all evil steams from humanity's ability to speak. Therefore, he has limited all human speech to a hundred or so words that everyone refers to as List, and some large piece of the text is written in that very limited speech. That's hard to get used to, but it gets easier with time.

Once you get past the distraction of that difficult element, you'll realize that this is a story about recognizing and valuing humanity's ability to appreciate and create beauty through the arts. Though the leader of this community, John Noah, is well-intended, he has lost perspective and honestly believes that humanity needs to lose the elements of their personality that separate them from all the other animals. He wants people to be like all other animals, and he thinks that can be achieved by taking away creative expression, and ultimately, the human ability to speak.

The main character, Letta, begins the story as the apprentice to the word collector. She believes her master's job is to collect words for a time in the future when humans are ready to use the full breadth of human language again. She slowly discovers that her job isn't what she believes. There are pieces of this story that you would expect, such as the resistance movement that Letta is introduced to by a mysterious young man that she rather predictably develops a romantic attraction toward. Of course, she eventually joins the resistance and readers will be carried along in her fight against Noah. It's a good example of the genre. Readers who like this sort of writing will be pleased with the results, provided then can acclimate the use of List speech throughout much of the story.

This book has been compared to Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver and I can certainly see the resemblance. I'm not blown away but I was impressed with the story line. It was a bit predictable but did not end exactly how I assumed it would. The main character was brave but showed fear, which I admire.

This suffered from 'Divergent' Syndrome: An interesting concept that didn't really follow through with sustainable, believable reasons for its main plot device. Despite there being some interesting use of language and an important call for children to improve their vocabulary, the characters weren't interesting or deep enough to sustain my interest.

“The List” Book Review
By Kevin D. Cordi, Ph.D.



Imagine trying to live life with only 500 sanctioned words. This is what happens to the civilization that is fighting to survive from the effects of global warming. This makes the book timely because not only the attention it pays to the climate disaster but also the restriction of talk. (Does this sound like a current administration?)

In the book The List, there is a city called the Ark, and in this city, there are rules. Break them and face banishment and one of the major ones is to abide by the word list. One of them is that you must use the words that are handed to everyone on the List by the Wordsmith. Initially Benjamin, the Wordsmith tackles in intimate detail printing out the words and providing these words to among other places, the schools. However, Benjamin shows up missing and his apprentice Letta has to take over. Letta, however suspects that there is more to her job than providing words. In fact, she questions and soon discovers why restricting words is part of a great plan. Letta befriends someone who has been ostracized from the Arc. These people are left to survive with no hope to doing so.


Ford playfully shows how people of the Arc can survive with the base words. It is a rich delight to read how this limits their range but forces the people to be direct. In fact, I wanted to see more play with the limited language.

For those of us who work with words, librarians, storytellers, educators and all of us, we see the power and abuse that can come from language. I recommend this to those of who love to play with words and wrestle with them. Patricia Forde is clearly a word admirer and it reflects in this new work.

For more information, you can order this book at

Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky ISBN 97814926447966

This will be posted at www.kevincordi.com/blog This will be added this week.

I liked this book as it had similarities to some of my favorites in the YA post apocalyptic genre like The Giver, but the downside of that is there is very little that is new or unique in this book. The one thing I would say was a new aspect was the view that language was man's downfall and the plan that Noa had for his people. I did enjoy seeing his twisted thoughts on how to fix human kind's problems, but we also see so very little about what led Noa to think and be who he is in this book. I would have liked to see more about his life, and Amelia's and Benjamin's, etc. And we learn very little about what happened in "the Melting".

I liked Letta as a character. She is brave, strong, smart, and willing to examine her own prejudice and biases. I wanted to learn more about Marlo, and I loved Finn more and more with every scene he is in.

With a little deepening of certain characters and more background and history, this book would have been nearly perfect. As it is, it is an enjoyable read and an interesting look at humanity and what people can endure.

“The List” is a middle-grade dystopian book that takes place in the future after the world has been destroyed by global warming/melting of the ice caps. Letta is a young girl who is apprenticed to the Wordsmith in Ark. Ark is ruled by John Noa, who has imposed strict rules to make people more easily ruled and to prevent the events of the past again. One such rule is the use of “List” a new language composed of a select few words citizens are allowed to use and only to use.

The Wordsmith keeps all the words and regulates those that compose List, e.g. copying List words onto cards for children in schools. The enforcers are the gavvers, who act like police, marking when people do not use List and/or arresting them. Desecrators live outside of society and speak the old language (ours). The story begins when Benjamin, the current wordsmith, leaves to go on a word finding mission and leaves Letta in charge. A sick young boy named Marlo comes to the shop and instead of turning him in, Letta hides and helps him. Marlo is a Desecrator. As Letta questions the society and the choices Noa has made, she realizes the importance of language to humanity.

I think this is a good dystopian novel for middle grade readers, as it is intended. There are some scarier ideas here (e.g. prisoners are tortured and it is mentioned that one has had all his fingernails pulled off), so this should be considered in terms of the ages which should read it. The ideas are rather simple and not as complex as the YA dystopian books, which makes it better for a younger audience. For older readers, this might seem a little nonsensical (e.g. Noa talks about the scientists having warned people but they didn’t listen- but he also banished all the scientists from Ark. Also, words are associated with politicians who spoke too much and prevented people from realizing the depth of global warming, but words were also used as warnings, so this doesn’t necessarily follow).

Additionally, List seems unclear as sometimes it includes prepositions and other times it does not- without, it is definitely more simplistic and less clear, but the sometimes inclusion makes you wonder if they are actually on List. Of course, some people are allowed to speak the old language (Wordsmiths and the government), which helps to make the story very readable- if it was all in List, it would be impossible. The writing is good and the length is relatively short, making it good for the middle grade audience.

I think this is a win for middle grade (but probably not older) audiences and is a good introduction to the dystopian category. I can definitely see this being a great book to spark discussion about humanity and the development of language/its significance. The end is not final, which makes me think there will be a sequel, and I would be curious to see how this series might evolve.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for an opportunity to read this book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would give it 3.5 start. I found the story interesting, albeit a bit predictable. I did quite enjoy that for once this was a YA dystopian fiction that wasn't centred on violence and fighting, and that the main story line was around words, language and communication. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the writing. I do wish we found out a bit more about Letta's parents and her aunts.
Also, just a personal preference but I do like the title/cover for the List, better than the Wordsmith which I believe how this book was originally published.
Thanks again for the opportunity.

Dystopian fiction with plot holes

Patricia Forde's post-apocalyptic novel for middle schoolers and teenagers raises questions about the human condition and the importance of language.
After a natural disaster, Noa and his followers try to survive and build a utopian society in Ark, thus evoking the idea of his biblical namesake. Noa regards words as the source of all evil which led to discord, conflict, war and the eventual breakdown of society. Therefore, he has banned certain words in Ark. Those who manage List, a rudimentary form of language based on a permitted word list, are called wordsmiths. Young Letta is such a wordsmith. She is a supporter of the regime and loathes de Desecrators, outcasts who fight against Noa and his List. But when Letta's master disappears, she starts to question Noa, Ark and her own family history. The mysterious Marlo promises help and a future abundant with words, art, and imagination.

I have to say I had some difficulties with this novel. Although the premise was great, I did not love this book. The plot was somewhat incoherent, jumping between scenes, and leaving out important details. I was particularly disappointed by the lack of world building. I would have loved to learn more about the past, the details of the flood, Letta's family and how she became a wordsmith. Even though the author gives some appealing descriptions of Ark, we never feel what it is really like to live in this world; everything is kept at a distance. This is why the reader cannot live through the story. I would rather compare the reading process to looking at a pretty picture from a distance. You don't get to see what lurks below the surface, and neither the plot nor the characters are fully fleshed out. Unfortunately, I could not bring myself to sympathise with Letta (and her lame name) and her cause. She certainly lacked fervor and depth, almost as much as the minor characters. Moreover, I found it hard to concentrate on the story and often caught myself letting my mind wander.

Overall, I would say the concept was quite intriguing, and despite the plot holes and the affinity for overobvious names, I wanted to find out if Letta can topple the system. If this book featured more world building, complex characters, and better transitions, it would have the potential to be a success. Especially these days the value of language and free speech cannot be overstated.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky).

When I was in elementary school, my favorite teacher Mrs. Ohonion had the class read a little book called The Giver. The first time I read it I was stunned, awed by a discussion of humanity I had never pondered prior. The List has thus impacted me further.

This novel brought back some of my fondest memories and made me feel like a child once more. It reminded me of some of the moments that shaped the way I decided to view the world, humanity, and how we connect to one another. I loved it. The writing was beautiful. The characters thoughtfully crafted. The message, the words, were the most powerful parts of all.

Letta is a young apprentice to The Wordsmith an older man named Benjamin. Letta in my eyes, represents humanity. Her beliefs molded by her upbringing she at first only knows what are called the Desecraters as terrorists, mauraders, and a people of destruction. Yet, like all humans she possesses an Independent mind that allowed her to see her situation in a new light, and that is the beauty of being human.

Letta is the kind of person I aspire to be. She does not let her bias affect what she knows to be right or wrong. She does not look at people and see them as anything less then what they are, human. When she is given a place of power she does not belittle others, she does all she can to help them, to be there for them, and that is the kind of person I wish to be. It’s hard to think that I could ever choose to do so many of the things she did. Society as she lives in has deteriorated and she is one of the many voices hoping for the future.

Inside this story, the world was destroyed by climate change a radical mind named Noa built up an eden called Arch. In this eden, the only words spoken are from the list. A minuscule amount of 500 words allowed to be spoken. The result is a society conditioned to give in and forget the beauty of words. All controlled by a man who knows their power better than anyone else.

The most imperitive part of this novel is words. What does it mean to limit them. What happens when it becomes extinct? What would we ever do if we were wordless? I love pondering words. The way we use them tailor the way we see the world and how the world in turn sees us. Without them, we would be nothing and could aspire to nothing, we could only be. This point is the cornerstone of what this novel stands for as well as what made me come to love it so much.

A novel not so far removed from what society could be, it is one that challenges you to think about the type of world we live in and the type of world you would want create and to give you the incentive to do something about it. The world is ours. What has happened has past, but the future is created by our design.

The List has a "The Giver " feel but I frankly enjoyed this more than The Giver . The writing and plot are solid however there was no 'wow' factor for me. The world building was well done but it still left me wanting a bit more since we were limited to only what Letta knew.Unfortunately the overall story is pretty slow until the end. I did like the little easter eggs here and there though; eg. Noa & Ark, Letta & Letter.

The characters were raw for me; I didn't really feel them and connect with them at all. I liked how there was very little romance for Letta. I'm conflicted with how Letta gets sucked into Deserters; It just didn't seem realistic to me and it happened quite fast.

In one way I was pleased with the ending and on the flip side I was not. I was dissatisfied with the open ending because I have so many unanswered questions; I'm not sure if this is a standalone or if Forde will have a sequel. But on the other end I'm happy because I know the fight continues on.

While I get the concept.. The List just isn't a book that I could enjoy. A population that limits how many words you can speak.. A community that would ban a child for stealing a potato.. I just could not get into the book. I tried. I fast forwarded to the end to see if it would get any better.. and it didn't.

A powerful middle grades novel about the dangers of limiting language and speech.

Letta is a wordsmith in the city of Ark, a community created after the apocalyptic Melting. As the wordsmith, Letta and her master Benjamin control the List, the 500 words approved for use. While other are constrained to the List, as wordsmiths Letta and Benjamin also help archive all known and found words to ensure they are not used.

While the city of Ark is a safe-haven from the wild forest beyond, some known as the Desecrators aim to destroy it. When Benjamin suddenly dies, Letta is launched into the position of head wordsmith and runs into a plot to suppress the language of Ark even more. Letta must fight to save language and communication as we know it.

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

Letta is the wordsmith's apprentice, charged with maintaining the List - the words the people in Ark and the surrounding area are allowed to use. There are 700 at the beginning of the book, but by the end of the first chapter that's being trimmed down to 500. Letta and Benjamin, the wordsmith, are allowed to speak non-List ("the old language"), or full sentences, when they are alone. But in public, everyone speaks like halfwits. They leave out articles, and simply say things like "Go get food. No harm. Go walk?" If it wasn't so irritating, it would be comical.

The wordsmith is also charged with going out into what's left of the world (after a great flood event, from which was built the city Ark by John Noa (yes, really), who rules the place and keeps people talking stupid) and finding words that have been forgotten. Letta thinks that it is to preserve them and keep them for the future, when mankind can be trusted with them again. She finds out later that this is not at all what their purpose as wordsmiths is.

In the first couple of chapters, after Benjamin leaves for a word finding expedition, we see Letta take in a strange boy who turns out to be a "Desecrator," basically someone who lives outside of Ark and likes to create art and music and other types of things that aren't allowed because God forbid people think for themselves. That's the whole point of Ark, by the way - humanity isn't allowed to think for itself because when they do they inevitably lead to the destruction of the whole world (the flood). Desecrators are "bad" people, but Noa just unflinchingly takes Marlo (the Desecrator) in, shelters him, and takes care of his gunshot wound. She lies to pretty much everyone around her, hides Marlo, acts all shifty and expects no one to notice, and then helps him return to his people. She's really bad at acting shifty, by the way. I'm surprised half the town didn't turn her in a hell of a lot sooner. I'm also super surprised that Noa never suspected her until the end. He seems to be smarter than that, considering how much power he holds over the town, but whatever.

When Benjamin "dies" (we all know he's not dead because it's made so obvious from the moment it's said), Letta refuses to believe it, and then starts doing her own bad shifty investigation trying to find him. Of course, being the sheltered girl she is, she can't quite seem to manage without Marlo's help. And somewhere in there, she and Marlo fall in love (because of course they do). Did I mention that everyone keeps calling her "child"? And I couldn't find anywhere that her age was mentioned. So in the beginning I'm picturing a girl of like 12 or 13. I'm starting to think by the end that she's more like 16, but it's never said. How old is this kid?! Her age is important here, since she goes on a seriously adult adventure, but continues to act and talk like a child.

This book was OK. I didn't particularly enjoy the characters - a lot of them fell flat - and I felt it was trying too hard to be a copycat of The Giver. I don't think it was successful in that way. And the ending was completely unbelievable in the context of the rest of the story. I just can't see it happening the way it did.

I don't see myself recommending this to anyone, really. It's not bad (a lot obvious but not awful), but I didn't enjoy it. I loved the cover, so I was hoping for a bit more out of it. Instead, I couldn't connect with the characters or the story, and I don't have the desire to pick up the second book to find out what happens.