This is a story about surviving in a world trying to kill you.

This was definitely the most realistic (and therefore unnerving) dystopian I’ve read recently- I could sense the possibility in every added detail. I also loved the humor that was threaded throughout, because it kept this from being hopelessly bleak. I would’ve loved for this to be longer & I’m hoping for a sequel!

Thank you so much Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire for the eArc!

‘Survive the Dome’ 2 stars
The book is about Jamal, queer journalist, who goes to this Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest for another murdered black boy but he ends up in the Dome. The Dome is this safety protocol forcing the people inside to stay inside without being able to send any information. He ends up meeting new people to help him get out.
I didn’t like this book. The concept was good but its execution wasn’t enjoyable. The villains lacked reality, it was like they were babies who were racist .None the less, the romance and the storyline kept on interfering with each other. One minute, it is all about the actions, the racisms, the antagonist, next minute it seems like, all of that disappears and it’s all about romance. The best part of the book was the ending even though it was unrealistic.
Thanks netgalley for the arc.

The pacing for this is so fast that I managed to finish it one sitting. Although this has a dystopian storyline, there is also a harsh reality to it as there are themes of corrupted government, power play and protests.

This story follows Jamal, a budding journalist in school, wanted to take some pictures for a protest of injustice killing. He knows that it will be dangerous and was mentally prepared but what he didn’t anticipate was being trapped in the city. A giant dome organized by the police and government dropped on the entire city with no way of escape. There, Jamal met Marco, a hacker for Nemesis who knows more than he lets on and together, they plot ways to escape and try their best to survive.

I appreciated the queer romance and I love that Jackson portrayed their instant connection due to the circumstances they are in and it feels like a gradual change from trust to friendship and perhaps something more. There is none of that instant love plot that I usually cringe at. It’s all about two individuals bonding to survive.

I am not sure if this is a standalone but the ending did give clues to a potential sequel so hopefully there is one because I would love to know more about Nemesis and what they do. They were introduced sporadically throughout the story but there isn’t a solid back story for them. Everything happened very quickly which hindered the plot and character development a little but overall I still really enjoyed reading this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the arc.

This was fast-paced and had lots of action, but the characters felt flat. I would have liked to know more about Marco and Catherine for example but they felt shallow to me.

When attending a protest in Baltimore, Jamal is caught up in a new experiment designed to trap protesters and let the violence "sort it itself out." He and two friends go up against the police and the governor in order to rescue themselves and the city itself.

Overall, I enjoyed the story in the book, but found the plot a little muddy. There was a scene early on where Jamal and Marco found a little girl in the street and saved her from the police. She then basically disappears from the narrative until the story's climax, when she reappears...for no particular reason. As far as I could tell, the city of Baltimore is basically deserted, other than the main characters; I found myself wondering if these characters were wandering around empty streets. What was happening to the other protesters? Where were they being held? There were enough people that mass demonstrations were being launched at the end of the book - where was everyone else until then?

The last few pages of the book and the clear setup for a sequel were frustrating for me. I know everything in YA is designed to be a trilogy these days, but I would have liked a clear ending to the story.

I was also surprised at how shockingly absent Black women were fundamentally absent from the story, especially given that the author mentions how protests and the civil rights movements have been fundamentally built on the backs of Black women.

I wouldn't think to recommend this book on my own, but if someone mentioned it, I'd agree that it was good and suggest that they read it.

Thank you to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Great representation that a lot of teen readers will resonate with. Fast paced and great character development.

I thought this was such a thought-provoking take on BLM issues. It includes an amazing plot, engaging and relatable characters, diversity, and queer rep. Just give me all of Kosoko's books.

I knew this book would be both incredibly important and extremely heartbreaking from the first page. Because on said first page (and several subsequent pages) the author lists Black people whose lives were taken by the police. I really think it is important to read each name, and pause to remember them. And then keep them in mind when you read this story, yes, but also after you finish the story and go out in the world.

The story begins Jamal, an aspiring journalist, wanting to attend a Black Lives Matter rally. Not just for the journalistic side, but because he wants to stand up for what is right. But he never expects to end up trapped inside a dome, encasing the attendees of the rally (plus other people who just happen to be living or working or existing in an area the government deemed "unsavory") inside a military state, basically.

So, since he is a journalist in search of answers, and also not particularly wanting to be trapped, he and his new friend Marco set out to find out what is going on. Things get even dicier as secrets are found out, and people in power become more desperate.

That's all I'll say about the plot of the book, but suffice it to say it's very exciting and action packed. But there are also a lot of wonderful reflective moments among the characters, where we get to learn more about who they are, and also, their reactions to what is happening in their city, and to them on both a personal and group level. Obviously there is a lot of incredible societal commentary woven into the story, which is done really well through thoughts and conversations between Jamal and his new friends. I did maybe want a bit more from the ending, but overall, this was a really solid book.

Bottom Line: Exciting and very readable, this book provides both entertainment and really important analysis on current events.

This was jam packed with action. I’ve never read anything like this authors work and I can’t wait to read more. This was amazing.

I think this would be a great book for my students, they’d probably be interested in the social justice storyline so long as they can have the action along with it. It’s a great book for that! However for my enjoyment, I didn’t like it as much and felt it to be lacking - though I unfortunately can’t even put my finger on what it was missing. I might need to go back and reread it one day. But I think lots of people would like this book, it just wasn’t for me.

Survive the Dome is a fast-paced, action-packed, sci-fi exploration of police brutality and racism. It stars a queer Black protagonist, Jamal, through whom readers get to explore the difficult questions that come up when we are faced with trying to stay safe while also standing up for what's right. I found the concept of the story really interesting and chilling, and it's almost scary that many will find things in this book all too relatable. I also really liked the way the book indirectly posed a lot of thought-provoking questions. Jamal is in a situation no one would ever expect themselves to be in, and things move so quickly that he has to make decisions without much time, and it gives a good look at the different kinds of decisions people make and why. There were times I felt he had a little too much disregard for his own safety or made decisions I found too rash, but then again, he's a teenager in a high-pressure situation.

I found this book a really quick read. There were some times where the pacing felt a little too rushed to me, but overall there's a lot of good fast-paced action that keeps it exciting. For me the biggest downside is that I didn't get to connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. We get to know Jamal as the protagonist pretty well, but Marco is one of the major characters and I felt like he remained a little too much of a mystery by the end of the story. A lot of side characters come and go without much intrigue, and I just wish there was a little more. That being said, the book's ending sets itself up well for a sequel, so I'm interested to see where this could go.

Notable content warnings: this book does depict heavy violence, police brutality, swearing, and racial slurs. There's definitely heavy material, but it's also nicely balanced with a bit of romance and some fun snarky humor. Also, there's a scene where Jamal tries beer for the first time and hates it, and I related so hard. Let's normalize teens who hate the taste of alcohol and just aren't interested in it! Overall a good read for anyone looking for modern science fiction touching on timely topics.

Wow! This is a great read, especially for fans of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. The science fiction aspect gets the reader thinking about the uses of technology and technological advances as well the role that Black and brown people have in creating and also dismantling tools of oppression. Jackson does a really good job of showing the nuances of policy and the power of ground roots organization.

This is an excellent title for those thinking about the current state of our country and society and wondering what they can do to make it better, but also those who are disillusioned with it.

I will spotlight Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson as book of the day and have included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

Love this story!!! I have soooo much to say. Probably too much. I haven’t stopped thinking about this story since I read it.

So this story is described as The Hate U Give meets Internment. 100% accurate!!! I’ve read both, and while reading Survive the Dome, T.H.U.G. and internment kept coming to mind. The blend of those two stories is exactly what this book is.

This story is so timely. Kosoko even wrote in the acknowledgments that the idea came to him three days after George Floyd was killed. This is not just another story about a Black person getting killed and people coming to protest. The plot starts there, but the story is really about the aftermath and the lengths governments will go to stop people from peacefully going against the system.

Jamal, an aspiring journalist goes to document a rally where people are protesting police brutality, but soon after arriving…chaos! Aka the dome comes into play. The city turns on a dome which doesn’t allow anyone in or out AND no messages/broadcasts in or out. Y’all basically the ruling authorities in Baltimore have gone rogue and initiated martial law as well.

Why you may ask. To shut down the voices of protesters, find those who choose to defy the government’s demand to shut up about police brutality, and of course hide how they’re treating people who have the audacity to exercise their right to protest.

How are they treating those people you may ask. They’re beating, killing, and arresting them.

So Jamal went to this protest by himself, chaos happens, then he meets a hacker named Marco and Catherine later on who is an AWOL basic-training graduate. Together they work together to shut down the dome.

One of the things I love about this story is watching Jamal’s transformation. He goes from this timid character who needs to be helped and protected to this confident young man who risks everything to protect others. Also, I love that in a story where 2 of the main characters are boys and one is a girl, it’s the girl who is the most physically strong.

This story was such an emotional experience. The plot easily pulled me in. I was rooting for Jamal. I was rooting for Baltimore. I was rooting for justice. I’m saddened, but not surprised by the lengths people in the story went to in order to silence protesters. This story in some ways reflects what Black people are currently experiencing, but also Jackson takes it to an extreme that seems like it could be a reality one day.

100% recommend this book. The end made it seem like there will be a second book. I really hope so.

Thank you to NetGalley and sourcebooks fire for the eARC!

Survive the Dome is a fast-paced story, forcing us to confront our ideas about direct action and the role of the police.
Our main character is aspiring journalist, Jamal, who is determined to head to Baltimore to chronicle the protests taking place over the killing of a black man by a police officer. Drawing heavily on events of the last year (and, I’m fairly sure, the continuing reality for many) the upset and hurt caused by such events is palpable. As a young black man Jamal is all too aware of the risks he’s taking in attending the protest, but he is determined to stand up to the things he sees as wrong.
Unfortunately, the protest coincides with a truly terrifying advancement in public order. The Governor has initiated a device called The Dome which effectively isolates any community it is placed over, allowing those in control to do as they please in order to keep the peace. While this might seem a device with possibilities, when it is being used to perpetuate racist ideologies we can see just how scary it is.
So it falls to Jamal and the teens he encounters during the course of his experience to try and take down the Dome.
From start to finish this blends contemporary issues with disturbing scientific ideas. Those Jamal is up against are horribly plausible in some ways, though there’s a fair number of unpleasant characters along the way. Everything seems to fall into place remarkably easily when you review the book in its entirety, but the ending hints that Jackson might not yet be finished with these characters. My only real bugbear was the romance element which bubbled along throughout but which didn’t really (for me) offer much to the story.
I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts.

When Jamal attends a protest in downtown Baltimore with aspirations of the perfect photographs for his college applications, he never expects to be taken hostage in his own city. Jamal and the cute boy Marco who rescues him (and seems to know more than he's letting on) race for safety as a dome descends on the city. With no working signals getting in or out of the dome, Jamal and Marco must rely on their skills to survive, and just maybe, save the city.

Survive the Dome is a near-future dystopian book centered on social justice. The diverse characters are refreshing outside of the realistic/romance genre, and the action will appeal to readers who are looking for more social justice titles. Definitely set up for future books with the still unresolved Nemesis plotline.

Our main character is Jamal, a gay black teen in Annapolis. He drives to Baltimore, where there are some BLM protests going on. The governor of Maryland has been wanting to test the new Dome invention, and the protests offer the perfect opportunity. Now, Jamal is trapped inside. Not only can the citizens not get in or out, but neither can any electronic information – cell calls and texts, emails, etc.

In addition to the Dome, there is one other new technology that the government/police unveil during their Dome experiment: the police have powerful suits of armor that are all linked. The officers wearing the suits are basically super-soldiers. The only caveat is that the suits are pretty bulky, which makes them a little sluggish.

Jamal falls in with Marco, a wannabe hacker with contacts in Nemesis (analogous to the real world’s Anonymous). Marco is a pretty good hacker himself, with high ideals of changing the world, but he hasn’t been accepted into Nemesis because of his criminal record.

They also team up with Catherine, who is just a little older than them. She just got out of basic training, so her military background is useful. At first, she is cagey about herself – how does anyone know who they can trust in this situation? – but eventually we learn that Catherine is fighting to find her parents, who have been taken by the government.

The action here is non-stop, which makes this book move fast. Each chapter picks up right where the last stops, with virtually no down time. The entire story takes place over just a couple days.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I will say that Jamal seems too idealistic at times. He often puts himself in harm’s way to save anyone he comes across, including random people he sees on the streets. He’s precious, but almost too precocious to be a survivor in this harsh environment.

The views on police and government in the story are BLEAK. I’m not even saying they’re out of place, mind you, but they obviously come from a very frustrated place. We see leaders as the villains in most dystopian stories, though – think “The Hunger Games” – so it is really only striking in that these leaders are supposed to represent the ones we have in our present times.

This was a fast-paced read that has a lot of social commentary about the times we live in. I was able to read an advanced copy through NetGalley.

What a trip. This book was fairly high-paced throughout and maintained its plot line without much deviation. The concept is intriguing yet terrifying at the same time and some current societal issues are brought up in a new way. I was not expecting the end though!

"Darkness and pain and hate and anger come slowly, creeping like ivy, and they strangle you, and before long, you're a victim of it like everybody else."

Thanks to NetGalley for this review copy!

This is a really fast-paced book that honestly reminds me a lot of The Marrow Thieves, which is basically like, Futuristic/Dystopian technology plus Current World Problems. I could not put this book down and read it in like about four hours. It’s not as lyrical writing as The Marrow Thieves, but it’s more intense. Honestly the way this book is written is kind of anxiety-inducing!

Four stars from me.

Jamal is a high school student and budding journalist hoping to receive a college scholarship, and he yearns to snag the photos to secure it. He travels to Baltimore for what’s supposed to be a peaceful protest of police brutality after a Black man is murdered. He’s not there long before chaos erupts and the Dome descends over the city, trapping him inside.

The action begins almost immediately when Jamal scrambles to survive and has no choice but to place his trust in strangers. Luckily he finds a couple of valuable allies he can count on who lead him to safety – temporarily at least. After that, be prepared for some cringe-worthy violent scenes and the occasional racial slur.

I really liked the concept of the Dome, and pacing moves right along in this quick read. What I missed was becoming better acquainted with the characters. Other than Jamal, I didn’t feel like I knew them very well. Although Marco plays a prominent role, he remains a mystery for the most part, which might be why I didn’t feel the romantic connection between him and Jamal. Catherine is given less page time, but her backstory is delved into a little more, and I understood her motivations.

Survive The Dome can be a tough read at times since real-life events are interlaced with this dystopian novel, but it’s a powerful story and politically relevant. The ending makes me think a sequel is in store, and it’s something I’d be interested in reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.