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Nubbin lives with her parents and two older brothers in the enclave of Hopelight, one of the few remaining places, all underground, when humans had managed to survive after catastrophic climate changes—and our species stupidity—had ravaged the Earth.

I’ve been looking for a postapocalyptic-like dystopian middle-grade novel for sometime and after reading the blurb of this one I said: Jackpot!

The story doesn’t disappoint, an Earth where days are death (the atmosphere has changed and sunlight burns pretty much everything as soon as day comes) and night is when humans come out of their houses, but never onto the surface of the planet, is a great setup. In this new Earth only a few had seen the surface of the planet, because only a few are allowed to go outside, some to take samples, like Nubbin’s father. And that is how he happens to save a stranger who appears out of nowhere at the start of what seemed like a pretty normal Monday.

From there, we go to discover that all humans had been chipped, with a great but tiny bit of nanotechnology that keeps everybody healthy and sane. The chips are implanted by The Company, the institution on charge of organizing products exchanges between enclaves and also of producing the rain, but which seemingly generic name announces—more like screams—that they are not all what they seem... something that soon enough becomes obvious for Nubbin.

Nubbin is not perfect but her flaws make her relatable and very likable. She swings from one extreme of emotion to the opposite in a few pages, exactly like we all did at fourteen, and that is what makes her such a great character, so life-like. Her parents, her brothers, her classmates and friends, are also well delineated and feel real, so it’s easy to get immerse in the story and start feeling for them.

I liked the book, despite the fact that some of the science sounds more like fantasy (the author could have done a bit more of research to hit the sweet spot of believability) and that at times too many characters are introduce at once, making it hard to remember who is who.

Perhaps, at times some things feel a bit to young adult for a middle grade novel but that doesn’t detract from the story.

I read Secrets of Hopelight. I got this book from netgalley. I liked this book, except for the ending.
Spoiler alert:
It doesn't say what happened to her mom or Desmond or the other ones that were unchipped. And it doesn't mention how Desmond got caught and they got away. I feel like the book was not complete. And that's why I only gave the book 4 stars.

My name is Nubbin, and my family has been forced to keep a secret. We found a man stumbling in the morning heat and discovered he had cut off his own hand! Why would anyone do that? He said he delivered supplies between different enclaves and later revealed a powerful message. The Company is using the enclaves to supply a secret city of elite citizens, and they're using microchips in our brain stems to control us. My friend Piper is suffering from a new disease and may be used to frighten other enclaves. However, her little brother Tug doesn't have a microchip, and the Company will kill him if they find out. My head is spinning from all the secrets I've learned, but how could I be prepared for the secrets within my own family?

This book told a dystopian story of a future Earth. Citizens lived underground due to the hazardous environment above, and the government controlled everything. The microchips monitored everyone's health and kept them from becoming sick. People assumed this control was in their best interest, but Nubbin had reason to question the Company’s motives. It took me awhile to get into the book, as things were happening without a sense of urgency. The government control and secrets were bad, but they didn't feel serious or life-threatening. The first half of the book described threats to freedom but didn't present an overly-engaging adventure. Things picked up once Overseers and another enclave arrived for a cultural exchange and friendly competition. The tension and action definitely leaped a couple levels during the last fourth of the book. The story made me wonder about our own society and the "truths" we're allowed to know. Our beliefs are molded by the information we take in, but who controls our access to information?

Secrets of Hopelight is creative, inventive, and absurd yet entertaining in the way only science fiction can be. The cover needs a polish, but the book itself is well done and fun.

SECRETS OF HOPELIGHT is a character-driven Sci-Fi MG novel with an unusual premise- the Earth has become so hot the people live in caves and only function at night, hiding from the heat as we might a blizzard. A lot of creativity went into descriptions of extreme weather and how to manage/adapt to it. The technology is not fanciful or hard to understand—adaptations of recognizable things in our world.

The world building isn't rushed, which allows us to bond first with the protagonist, Nubbin, and her friends, without being overwhelmed with too much detail. Yet enough is provided to be able to picture this alt-earth clearly.

As I read I tried to picture the ideal reader for this book. It fills a unique niche, in my opinion—either the more mature ten or eleven-year-old, or an older child who is a reluctant reader. Its language and pacing reads for a solid MG reader, but with some dating/kissing content.

It's a great introduction to the Orwellian dystopia that I see so often in adult literature—truly a fun and entertaining read. Blackstone has a rare ability to remember the frustrations of youth and convey them convincingly.