I loved the start of this book. I even went out and grabbed me a finished copy, because I fell in love with it so much!! But sadly, around the 70% mark the story took a turn and just became stagnate. That love that I had for the story died a horrible death and the story just got so boring I ended up skipping to the end to see what happened.

This reverse Waterworld story will be loved by fans of Mad Max and the like. But fair warning the book slows way down towards the end.

Enjoyed this book! I apologize, I thought I posted my review on NetGalley after finishing. I did post a review on Goodreads!

Immersive world, plot forward, movie worthy!

You would like this book if you like stories like Mad Max and books like The Road and The Dust Land Series (actually VERY similar to this series, which was making frown some)

I find the classic dystopian-apocalyptic-survival formula all kinda irresistible. They are usually so "movie worthy"! So I didn’t mind much that this book was VERY similar to books I read before, because I think it executed the formula well and I was never bored.

The worldbuilding is just so good! The post-apocalyptic imagery is enough to keep you thoroughly entertained: desolated wasteland spotted with remains of the old world and chaotic steampunk settlements of shady communities where families are call "packs" and "bloodlines" that measure the time in moon cycles, read the fortune in the stars and believe in a whole catalogue of goods and their prophesy of a plentiful "promise land".

Then there are all the fantastic plot elements that come the world: drought, famine, human trafficking, slavery, etc., which set an overall mood of constant danger and despair. And, in the midst of this then you can’t help but connect with the main character, Delta, and and root for her as she tries to rescue her “pack” after they were kidnap by riders, her newborn nice on tow.

I recommend the audiobook, the narration makes it even more immersive.

Dust born was a book I went into not really knowing what to expect, but I definitely didn’t expect the story I read, nor could I even imagine it, how by the end of this book I’d be desperate for more and hoping it’s not just a stand-alone. I absolutely loved the world-building in this so much , Bowman clearly knows the world is just as important as the characters , speaking of which Delta such a complex and fantastic character, her flaws aren’t glossed over and her reluctance makes her development over the course of the story so wonderful. The story itself is so rich , interesting and really makes you think.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Not what I expected but great story!

The scene is set pretty decently and you quickly get to know what the world is about and the people that inhabit it. Seemingly, a post-apocalyptic region where water is scarce and survival is everyone’s top priority. We follow Delta as she faces a challenging series of events throughout this land of sand and dust. And we uncover some secrets along the way as well as the truth behind what this place is!

Apart from a few flashbacks that got me confused, the pacing was excellent and kept me motivated to read. I wanted to know what was going to get uncovered next and where things were going. All though slightly predictable, there are some definite surprises in this story! Some that I certainly did not foresee. If there is a sequel, I will certainly find it and read it, however I am also very satisfied with the story ending as it is.

I didn’t feel overly attached to any particular character in this novel, but I had some empathy for the protagonist as she was growing and learning about her world and the people in it.

A good science-fiction novel that I would recommend to the sci-fi fanbase out there! Probably not overly appealing for non-sci-fi readers.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the author, the publishers and the NetGalley team for providing me with an Advanced copy. I cherished this opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

*** Rating system ***
5 * Mind-blown!
4 * Exciting and fun!
3 * Enjoyable enough.
2 * Read it, shelved it.
1 * DNF or pushed through..

Dustborn arrived at a time when I was really itching to read a YA Dystopian novel, and it delivered. I loved everything about this from the main character, Delta, to the post-apocalyptic setting and the intriguing plot.

The setting and worldbuilding are the strongest aspects of Dustborn. Erin Bowman is an excellent writer and she continues to shine with her depiction of a post-apocalyptic world. Her vivid descriptions and imagery makes it very easy for a reader to imagine themselves immersed within the pages.

Delta was a fitting protagonist to take the lead in Dustborn. She's resourceful, quick on her feet, and a survivor. I loved following her journey and her character growth throughout the novel. Her development as the book went on was excellently written and it made it so easy to root for her!

If you're a fan of YA Dystopian books and like a good dose of survivalist tactics, this is definitely the book for you! Dustborn was such a fun, thrilling book to read!

Erin Bowman wrote a real winner here! It was such a great fantasy that dug its nails into you and didn't let go. I had the hardest time putting down this book when I needed to because it was so good.

I'll be honest that Dustborn's cover is what caught my attention. It's pretty awesome. And Mad Max as a comp? Yeah, it had my attention. The pacing is a bit slow earlier on, but the characters help carry the story through that.

Going into my first Erin Bowman story ever, I had no clue what to expect. Truthfully, I'm not a tremendous fan of dystopian books, but they tend to follow such specific atmospheric guidelines that I couldn't have imagined a book executing those same feelings. I was wrong, though; Dustborn literally feels like you've been transported into the dusty apocalypse, from the setting all the way to the manner of speaking the narrator takes on (both in spoken word and her inner monologues).Thoroughly enjoyed this one and I'll definitly be looking out for more books by this author.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel.

Will be posted on Forever Young Adult, initially posted on Instagram.

Cover Story: Science Fiction
BFF Charm: 100% That B
Talky Talk: Survival Mash Up
Bonus Factor: Survival
Anti-Bonus Factors: Dictators, Dust
Relationship Status: Fireside Storyteller

Cover Story: Science Fiction

This doesn’t look like a YA cover, which I know is a twisted kind of compliment (I DO like some of them, but we all know there is a healthy amount of cringe!). I love that it’s proper science fiction-y and looks like some place I would NEVER want to go. I am also making myself giggle by imagining there was some book jacket marketing person out there who briefly contemplated putting Delta in a fancy dress in a dust storm.

The Deal:

Life in the Wastes is hard, y’all. It’s all survival and never having enough of anything, especially water, and constantly dealing with sand in crevices you do NOT want it to be in. Delta’s small clan lives on the Dead River, so named because it’s drying up more and more every year. Half of them, including Delta, want to move to Powder Town for the security, but the others believe that it won’t be long before the gods return from wherever they went after abandoning their people. Things go sideways for Delta after she has to bring her sister to a healer to deliver her baby, and they get progressively worse as Delta returns home from that emotional journey to find some of her clan murdered and the rest kidnapped by raiders.

With her home in ashes and a useless baby in tow (so NOT what you need in a post-apocalyptic wasteland), Delta sets her sights on saving her family, no matter the cost.

BFF Charm: 100% That B

BFF charm with Lizzo's face.
Delta is the kind of practical, world-hardened character that one becomes when your only mode is “survive until tomorrow, then survive some more”. That’s not to say she doesn’t have her weaknesses and she definitely does not win every fight, but, listen, the girl walked all day long pulling her pregnant sister behind her on a sled and didn’t even bat an eye. She’s a BADASS BITCH. I’d be her friend, but I don’t think I’m tough enough to even walk in her dust trail. Delta also has a “Clarke from The 100” complex where she is willing to do anything to “protect her people”, even to the detriment of her own health and safety, but, hey, she also gets shit DONE, so you can’t totally knock it.

Swoonworthy Scale: 4

When Delta was a child, her best friend was a boy named Asher, but she’d heard he was murdered by raiders after their camps had split apart. I think we all know where this is going… Asher pops up again and he’s much different from the boy Delta remembered, but he’s someone familiar in her world that’s been turned upside down. I was okay with Delta being extremely salty about how Asher had been living his life and how they had to work through their differing priorities. I also appreciated that the romance did not overshadow Delta’s goals; she was totally prepared to leave his ass behind at one point to accomplish what she had to do.

Talky Talk: Survival Mash Up

With the focus on female characters, the desert-like setting, and the scarcity of water, this is definitely a Mad Max: Fury Road style adventure, with way less cars and Tom Hardy. But, as I mentioned above, I was also getting The 100 vibes, especially with some of the reveals later on in the book. The people of Delta’s world are hardened, wizened, and beaten down, but there’s also a mystery to solve that could potentially change everything, and it was also just fun to hypothesize what kind of place this was: fantasy or post-apocalyptic Earth? (Based on the geysers, I was guessing maybe Yellowstone area, but I won’t tell you if I was right or wrong.)

I will caution that the book starts off a bit slow, though stuff does happen, but the main crux of the plot doesn’t really start to gain steam until the midway point. I was invested enough in Delta’s predicament that this didn’t really bother me, but I was also forewarned and that may have helped manage my expectations.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Dictators

Graffiti of a dictator's face with the words "OBEY" underneath
If anyone ever really needed a punch to a certain part of their anatomy… it would be the main baddie in this book. He’s awful.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Dust

Brown dust cloud
I am not what you’d call an “outdoorsy” type. Nature is like a Monet; I enjoy its beauty from afar, but up close it’s all dirty, buggy, and—because I live in Florida—sweaty. You would not find me surviving well in a desert land with scare resources. My skin felt itchy just thinking about how often Delta DIDN’T bathe.

Bonus Factor: Survival

While I fully hope I will NEVER need to learn how to filter my pee so I can drink clean water, I love learning little things like this from survival stories. Plus, I’m a bit of a romantic, so even though I kind of wanted to yell at the characters, like, “Just give up and die because your situation sucks!”, I do get a thrill when people cling to that little bit of hope and beat incredible odds.

Relationship Status: Fireside Storyteller

I really, really don’t want to hang out where you are, Book; like, no offense or anything, but I burn really easily. But if we happened to be somewhere sheltered (preferably with AC) and you wanted to sit and tell me about all your adventures, I would gladly hang on every word you say.

I was really into this in the beginning! The descriptions were so vivid, I really felt the barren dusty landscape, the lack of water, The tension was so fucking high. And then stuff happens and its so sad but....then we kind of headed in a direction with the plot that I didn't like so much. There were a lot of super obvious twists and I just lost interest. The pacing got kind of weird? The love interest I didn't like at all? Like I didn't get it at all. The first half very much intrigued me, but I didn't like the direction the book went in after that.

All Delta of Dead River wants is to protect her pack and protect her secret. It is even more important now that Asher, who shared the secret was killed and the pack was diminished by about half. But when her sister dies in childbirth things become even more complicated. When she tries to learn the truth and save her family she ends up putting them more in danger and even finding that Asher is alive and that she has a long lost brother leads to more confusion and a lack of trust rather than assistance and peace. Can Delta discover the truth about the map and find a place where water flows and people can live together in harmony? Is the place even real?

This was a cool dystopian story with lots of twists and turns and some neat characters. A solid choice and edgy enough for older middle grade students.

I love the mix of sci fi and western with a sprinkling of fantasy. Delta is a tough, no-nonsense person who just wants to keep existing. Such a great tale and I hope for more!

Delta, the MC of this YA novel, will bring change. That's clear from her name alone.

This is an interesting mix of Mad Max Fury Road and Waterworld. Delta, needing to protect her pack/herd (why not tribe? are they animals?), has to go looking for the promised land; that land where there's water and lots of plants and no one goes thirsty or hungry. Luckily she has a map on her skin.

Amazing! I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see if there's a sequel. This is a great addition to the dystopian sub-genre.

Dry and dusty.

Honestly, this was a very difficult book for me to get through. It had nothing to do with the authors excellent writing - I think that I just wasn't in the mindset to handle such a...depressing setting? I'm very influenced by what I read and there was just a lot of dryness to this book in my opinion. The setting was dry. The characters were crusty. The romance was a little dry for me as well. And the plot made me thirsty :)

Again, this is ALL just my opinion and I think this author is an excellent writer - I just didn't connect with the story the way I think I should have.

But, I will say that it was VERY creative and the characters (while hard for me to connect to) may be characters you connect with!

I'd give this a try if you like dystopian/wastes type of settings with an intriguing premise and characters that are very real. Just because it didn't hit me 'right' doesn't mean it won't be your next favorite book :)

My rating: 3.5*

I think it’s pretty well known by now, nine books in, that Erin Bowman doesn’t like to hang around in one genre for too long. Her debut Taken trilogy was set against a dystopian backdrop, her incredible Vengeance Road and Retribution Rails set in the wild west, before taking a dip into sci-fi horror with her Contagion duology. And that’s just for her YA releases — 2020 saw Bowman’s first foray into middle grade fantasy with The Girl and the Witch’s Garden.

With Dustborn, we are introduced to the post-apocalyptic Wastes, and while it’s yet another genre departure, it feels for the first time like a return to something we’ve seen before from Erin Bowman, but by no means do I say that in a negative way.

The Wastes of Dustborn harken back to the western setting of Vengeance Road, while some of the overarching plots and themes feel like a return to some of the better aspects of Taken. There’s the familiar aspect of seeing Bowman take on new challenges in her writing and world building through new settings and circumstances for her characters to navigate, but with the added benefit of a what I’d almost describe as a nostalgic homecoming.

In terms of the story, in typical Bowman fashion, the stakes are set high and early on. Delta’s world shifts astronomically, and she doesn’t find much time to rest as she tries to navigate her new circumstances. Along with an enjoyable supporting cast, the story and its twists run smoothly, with enough hooks to keep me invested and reading on.

In the second half of the novel, things begin to ramp up, and they ramp up fast. The pace increases to an almost breakneck speed, with a lot of new information and a slight shift in direction added in as the characters and story race towards the end. At the time, I was wondering if the pace was ramping up too fast, but looking back across the story as a whole, I have to admire the way that Bowman kept the story progressing in the final act.

The pace throughout the book, generally, was a bit up and down, but I think that worked well for the story being told. The Wastes are dangerous and unpredictable; things can change on a dime, and even the reader can’t feel comfortable or like they know what to expect.

It’s the themes running through this book that make Dustborn special, though. Living in the Wastes is unforgiving, with trust difficult to come by, and even more difficult to give out. From the beginning, we know that Delta has been tasked with keeping a branding on her back hidden, only to show it to someone she trusts with her life.

The recurring questions raised about what this branding is, and its symbolic resonance with the overall themes of trust and found family are really at the core of what makes this book something special and to be looked out for. And along with that trust, and family, comes another idea that’s typical in an Erin Bowman book; no matter how bleak things might seem, there’s always a way to find hope. It’s not an entirely new concept, admittedly, but the way which Bowman writes it really makes it a stand out.

The concept of trust and family really ties everything in Dustborn together beautifully. From the main characters to the background characters, the plot to the lore — it all hinges on the brand on Delta’s back and what that truly means for the future of civilisation. This book is a must-read for that, alone.

A unique take on a post apocalyptic novel! I really enjoyed Delta’s perspective and growth. The world building was nice, and as a person who isn’t typically into sci-fi, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Delta is the hope of her family with the map that has been branded onto her back. But when a ruthless dictator takes her family to help grow his empire in a desert world where water is the most precious thing, Delta sets out to rescue them and to try and stop the General. This book is a great read for fans of dystopian adventures, and has a great science fiction twist. Delta figuring out how to change her perspective so that she will be able to save her family is such a great character arc, and I absolutely loved the twists that came along the way. They made it so fantastic and worked perfectly in the story.

It has been awhile since I've read such an original post-apocalyptic novel! Delta of Dead River takes her sister across the Wastes for much needed medical help but upon her return she finds her family missing and many of her village dead. The General is searching for her and the supposed map she has tattooed on her back. Can she locate her family and keep her life? Where is Eden and can people survive there? Teaming up with an old friend, Delta must try to find out and trust that there is a better world for all waiting somewhere. This book is paced really well and the characters are extremely developed as is the world.