A fascinating take on a dystopian world where the remaining people are forced to use only 500 words called The List.

I found the premise for the book very interesting and kept reading because I wanted to know more — about how things in this community worked, who was behind the List, why it was being so fiercely enforced, and what was going to be done to change it. It definitely has similarities to The Giver in that there’s one teen who knows more than the other people in the community and the teen starts to question the way society is.

I like Letta because she’s inquisitive, smart, kind, and has a strong moral compass. The only thing was that sometimes she seems like a 12-year-old and sometimes like a 16-year-old, so it felt difficult to “see” her in my mind’s eye. She felt very young at times while at other points she felt too knowledgeable for a kid.

I wanted to like this book more. The writing is very pretty at times, but overall it felt very simplistic and the bad guy a little too one dimensional.

It’s a middle grade book, but some of the themes were very dark (like trauma, violence, and suicide), so it felt more mature. It just felt like a strange balance.

*Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.

This was an enjoyable book that speaks volumes with respect to free speech and climate change. Both are so incredibly relevant right now. Though it is YA, I think this book can enjoyed by people of all ages.

This novel ended up being a 3 star read for me in that it was just ok nothing really to earth shattering happens. In this novel we have a place where the people are limited by the list which is a set of words they are allowed to use. The leader believes that the world was corrupted because man kind was corrupted by language or words. So he limited the new world with sets of lists based on what you do for a living. Our main character is the apprentice to the word smith of the town, they copy lists and distribute them and also go out seeking words that have been forgotten.

Like with all these kind of stories their someone evil out to destroy what in theory was probably a good idea but in reality is not working out so well. In the end i was able to figure out to easily who the bad guy was and what their full intention was. Maybe if the conclusion of how they were going to destroy everything was not so easily deduced early in the novel it might of been better.

Incredible, thought-provoking story. The plot is somewhat predictable but the ideas and concepts of the story are important and worth the time.

If you like dystopian, this book just might be for you. A little bit of Hunger Games, a tiny amount of The Giver, and let's also not forget a dash of The Anthem by Ayn Rand and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. This book hit every need I have when I read (well, almost, I'll explain in a second).

The idea of a society where everyone's lexicon--save for two people, the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta--is limited to 500 words and to venture outside the the lexicon is met with banishment was enthralling. I was asking myself what led to this society? Why is it so extreme? WHAT LED TO THIS? I liked the world Forde put before us. She helped guide us through it and I admired how well she had these characters with limited vocabularies interact. The characters and the situations they were put into felt so real and I was turning, turning, and turning the pages.

However, I will say this: the book--the beginning of a series--front loaded with the questions, answered a few, but then all the problems seemed to be laid out. There wasn't a sprinkling of them throughout the book with some left for the future books. Oh no, they were all right here and (I think) I see exactly where she is going and, well, that is a bit disappointing to not have surprises coming my way. I will read the next book, but I'm not sure if this is a series I will continue until the very end. Crossing my fingers it is.

This is a story that will surely open conversations. How does language function in our lives? What if it was limited, or controlled. How would our world change? What makes a good leader? Who creates a society? Would you defend the arts? Would you go along with the status-quo? Strong characters and quick action.

I wanted to read this one because it was an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic story, and given that it deals with words and I'm a word person, it seemed like a good gamble.

This book is really powerful--more than I expected. The storytelling is decent, the writing is clean, but nothing stellar, however, the message here is one that I haven't heard articulated in a YA/young reader book before. I've always known a society that loses language is one that loses its soul. This story helps to drive that home in an accessible way.

Intriguing novel that plays on similar themes to other young adult dystopian novels. Fans of The Giver will greatly enjoy this novel. It gives the reader a lot to think about in regard to the power of words and self-expression. Great read for middle schoolers as well as older readers.

I ordered this for our library, though I myself struggled with it. I could not get past the missing words - though I understand that was the intent. My students have not had that trouble.

Ironically, I wish the author had been more careful with language in writing this book. For instance, she uses phrases like "There are the things doing something" instead of "The things do something". And she included many unnecessary directional words, such as "stood up" - when "up" is implied.

The cover is beautiful, but I wish the artist had included some of the forbidden words, such as "hope".

Also, it should have had a different title - there are waaaayyy too many books called "List", or with "list" in the title.

Apologies it took me so long to write this review. I was very ill.

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My review:

Most post-apocalyptic novels are full of big, scary, and dire happenings, with the people are doing everything they can to survive, and only that. This book is set quite a ways after the planet-wide catastrophe known as "The Melting", in a sort of idyllic commune called Ark that is ruled over by visionary John Noa. (Here I wish the author had used less obvious names.)

The story is told from the third-person perspective of Letta, a 15-year-old who serves the community as the apprentice wordsmith, under her master Benjamin. It is hard to imagine that such a profession is needed, or what she might do, but as the story unfolds, you feel that she is a vital part. Other professions that are included and make sense include gavvers (their police force), cooks, cobbler, and healer.

The book centers around language, and how words help shape the way we look at things. The wordsmith’s job is to protect language, which they call List, and provide the words that the people are allowed to use. Any deviation from speaking List can lead to banishment. At the start of the story, Noa has given Benjamin a task: to cut the number of words allowed – List – to a mere 400 from the 500 they currently use. And then, Benjamin dies, and Letta has to take over his job.

When she meet a young Desecrator – an enemy of Ark – Letta’s world turns upside down, and everything she has been taught and believes comes into question.

This YA grabs you from the first and never lets go, as Letta grows and learns about her world, and changes. You feel as if you are with Letta as she works and as she goes outside the confines of Ark. However, the ending was abrupt and a let-down.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a good match for me as I am keen on dystopic YA books. The characters were well formed, likeable and complex and it was an interesting take on the future

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Tackling themes about society such as who holds power, how do we prevent power corrupting, the power of words, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it through in one sitting. Thought-provoking and enjoyable with a great female protagonist.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book mostly based on the cover, although the description intrigued me, too. A dystopian society where words and language were limited. As a lover of words, I had to see where the author took this idea. Forde did very well telling the story of Letta, a young wordsmith who curated the words that the society of Ark could use. She embraced the rules and regulations completely at the beginning of the book, but grows to see how power has been corrupted. The citizens of Ark must speak using the List - a list of only approved words (although as wordsmith, she can use all words), so that stilted way of speech took some getting used to. However, the writing was good, and I loved the relationships between the characters.

This book was obviously influenced by The Giver, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that book.

This is the best middle grade I have read to date! Everything about this book was interesting - I was hooked from the first couple of chapters. The concept of words being valuable in a world was so intriguing and made the book so much better than it would have been if the valuable thing was powers or a potion, etc. It also made me ask questions: "What words would I want to use if I only had a 'list' to refer to?"

Connecting to the characters was easy and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them, as well as the world around them. The romances were realistic and also at times heartbreaking.

I really wish this was a series so there could be more suspense and added time to evolve the characters and the world. Highly recommend!

Welcome to the apocalypse. what would you do if you could only say the approved words that some one in charge put on a list . Letta is a wordsmith apprentice who works with the list. She has a quiet life until the day a mysterious boy walks into her room . That's when her adventure starts . She is taken on an adventure where things aren't what they seem . The leader is not what he seems to be . And what the people she loves is doing what might not be the best thing for them at all .
This is a good concept on a dystopian society . What would you do if you could only say a few words . I would think that like the characters you would just stop talking all together . The characters are well written but I had a hard time connecting with Letta . She is a great kid with lots of spunk and wants to do the right thing . Noa is evil totally evil with plans for the ark .
This was a good story with some twists and turns that will keep you reading . Tweens would totally enjoy this book . So if you need a good book for the kids this summer check it out

A world in which words are controlled - you may only use the ones on your list. Sounds like the perfect place for generations growing up in the social media universe where twitter rules. Actually, the world created by Patricia Forde in this novel is not a pleasant one and retribution for using words not permitted is swift and fairly cruel. Letta, an apprentice wordsmith, is one few in the City of Ark who is allowed a somewhat unlimited use of words as she helps to prepare lists of words for the various inhabitants of her community. When disaster strikes and her master appears to have died she must become the new master - it is then that she discovers a more sinister plan is afoot - the removal of all words from her world.
Letta is a likable character and you certainly want her to survive and fight back against the tyranny of those who would render the wider community of Ark speechless. There were times when the pace of the story didn't quite match what was happening within the plot and you wanted to get to the next piece a little faster. It was a fairly convincing story overall that would work for middle school students and would provide room for discussion about potential problems the future may hold in terms of pollution and loss of the arts. I thought it was a well-written story that had a strong central idea.
I received a copy of this book to review through NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

Intriguing plot, captivating characters and I would definitely recommend this book to everyone! It’s a one-in-a-lifetime type of book.

I was transported by this middlegrade adventure. From the ambiance to the story itself, I quickly fell in love with this book.

I found the characters to be profound, complex, in a way I don't find very often in middlegrade. I wish I could have been with them on this adventure, to help them and watch them grow.

This is a great dystopic read. I am a fan of this genre and so are my students. I enjoyed the unique look at the power and purpose of words. There is much to discuss with students and make parrellels to our current world.