I enjoyed reading this. It was better than a lot of other YA dystopian novels I've read, and I enjoyed getting to learn about each of the characters that we follow throughout the novel. There were definitely some characters that were more likeable than others, and decisions made that were frustrating, but the characters are young and carrying tremendous trauma that comes to light as they interact more so this makes sense.

That being said, there are definitely some questions I need to see answered in the second novel, and some political maneuvering that I'm hoping is better explained. One of the biggest plot resolutions from this first book was largely unimpactful (at this moment in time) and I'm hoping there will be more to it as this duology gets wrapped up.

The biggest highlights of this book for me were the use of record keeping as both a literary device throughout the book and a plot point, seeing the impacts of consumerism and social stratification stretched to their extremes, and seeing the actions of characters have consequences within the story (with one major exception - though I expect to see this addressed later).

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read Fledgling in exchange for reviewing it.

This was more of a political fantasy than I expected, and I struggled through the first half of it. The changing POV's got confusing for me. I had to flip back to the character sheet at the start, and I'm very glad that's there. The second half went a lot smoother for me once I got used to the different characters/world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book surprised me. The beginning was a bit slow, but I became so engrossed in it after part three. The characters were written pretty well and there was a lot of depth to each one of them. I cared for them, despite some taking a turn for the worst at times. My favorite character at the beginning was Musaid. He seemed so caring and all he cared about was making a life with Nada. Although some of this dreams seems unlikely as Nada wanted more freedom than the secure life he wanted. However, he slowly dropped as my favorite character as he was shown very weak minded. He would follow whoever without much thought. He just wants to please others. But even with what he went through, he still cared for Nada very much. Afterwards, my favorite character became Nada. She was passionate about her cause, maybe sometimes outspoken a bit too much, but she took action to let her belief through to the people.

I really enjoyed the setting during this book. It has been a while since I read such things. There is some technology involved which is the main tension in this book, but it also seemed like a very rough world as well. I really enjoy the time period change during a character's perspective. Once a character's mention something that happened in the past, it is immediately rehashed which is nice and more straightforward instead of it all being dumped out at once sometime in the beginning of the book. I found it easier to follow and makes me understand what the character is feeling at the time right away. There were many surprises along the way, especially the ending. One moment these characters seem to be doing pretty well in escaping, but then suddenly they're attack once more! It keeps me on my toes and made it to show that nobody is really safe.

It was a slow, but enticing book as you delve deeper into it. Now with this build up to the second revolution set, I wonder who will live and whether this revolution they set up, will change for the better of the world.

S.K. Ali has done it again! This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. Ali has debuted her first book in the young adult sci-fi / dystopian genre and done a fantastic job!

The world of Fledgling is a great reflection, albeit 'dystopian', of the world we live in together. It highlights class differences / exploitation, imperialism, surveillance states, and political complexities. The lore is deep and the cast of characters are singularly interesting with dynamic relationships.

The first half of this book stands strong in it's prose and introduction to the world and characters. I loved Nada and Raisa so dearly. Two girls from opposite worlds that are unknowingly on the frontlines of a impending and potentially catastrophic war. This novel highlights so well how children suffer in imperialist settings. That doesn't mean that men and women don't and Ali makes sure that readers understand that no one wins in these conditions.

The story does lose some steam halfway through as it begins to feel a little repetitive. The story takes some time to find its pacing and dive further into the deep rooted complexities of Upper and Lower Earth. In the same manner, the characters also lose what is interesting about them as the story continues with more 'telling' than 'showing'. I hope the sequel makes the characters shine more so that people feel deeply connected to them as they start to really edge into the potential war arc.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic addition to the YA dystopian genre and I hope serves its purpose in entertaining but also inspiring young political minds.

Thank you so much Penguin Teen, Penguin Young Readers, and Kokila for an ARC of this book!

Disclaimer: the entire reason I began scamming netgalley out of arcs was because of SK Ali's previous YA novel (which I did not get). I'm kind of a rabid fan. I didn't know what to expect from a dystopian but this definitely exceeded expectations.
_☆.:*pros
-Cast is everything! Their arcs, their connections, their multiple POVs that were always at odds and deliciously stressful! I especially loved Raisa's sheltered to assertive arc (tlc's cress vibes <3), but I enjoyed all of them going after what they believed their world needed and getting in each other's way and messing up! Excited for the sequel and the completion of arcs
-The writing is cinematic; I could picture everything. I was watching a 4k movie in my head.
-There are tons of flashbacks and they perfectly illustrate the whole record thing.
-Timely commentary on a government's use of technology to control, surveil, and influence their population.
-I was sure someone was going to get killed off in a way typical for their archetype and then someone else died instead! I was numbed.
-I love that SK gets more and more unapologetically Muslim with each release! Islam doesn't really exist in name at this point in time 1000 years in the future (which kinda made me sad) but is kept alive in oral traditions and it's so lovely the way bits and pieces of Quran are incorporated. I honestly want more muslamic sci-fi.

-and not the author's fault but a) the cover reads super generic YA scifi and this book is NOT that.

This book was wow!!! Really amazing storyline, great political conflict and learning about the nature of the upper world and lower world was amazing. The romance was really good but didnt take away from the Sci-fi aspect of the book. I really cannot wait to read what this author has in store for the next go round. This book is going to be a sci-fi fantasy hit and I cant wait for it to reach the shelves. The only problem at first was the multiple point of view changes and having to go back and figure out what character was who, but the appendix in the beginning help with that and once I got use to the multiple points of view, it was amazing! Great book, a good 4/5 star read.

A new book by a fave author, specially in a new genre, is always surrounded by expectations and fear. Will be good? Will I enjoy it? But I didn’t need to worry about this one. S. K. Ali not only met the expectations, she delivered her best book to date. And I will say, one of the best books of this year, if not one of the best I ever read. And I mean it.

The Fledgling is a work of love. Love for freedom, for humanity, for love itself. It’s also a story about fighting, about beliefs and revolution, as any love story about humanity should be. Sajidah’s writing, full of intensity and meaning, carries her characters choices and destinies through the story with the mastery, and yes, the love of a storyteller that knows these characters and their lives with her heart. The story is engaging, fast-paced and presents itself in an intricate plot, a puzzle that we discover and put together at each chapter.

Through multiple POV’s, I was totally captivated by each side of this tale. I was inspired and hurted, I smiled and cried, I was enraged and infatuated. It’s impossible not to feel when this is about our choices and our freedom to do it. Even if the worldbuilding wasn’t as detailed as I would prefer, the plot itself does a great job explaining itself. And the truth is: this is about the people. These characters, each one of them, are a piece of the tapestry of this world, and each one of them matters to it. Their lives, so different, their beliefs so personal, each view so unique. They gave to this world their complexity and turned this book into something special.

I know I would talk about this book a lot in the future to come. I know there will be more about it that I will remember. Because The Fledgling is so much more than this review or any other. Dystopian Era is back, and it couldn’t have been better.

Raisa is trying to survive Upper Earth and will do anything it takes to keep everyone alive. Including marriage. Ugh.

Lein is to marry Raisa to unite Lower Earth and Upper, but his cousin Nada thinks this is the worst plan and will lead to tyrrany and death. Who is right? This was a fun one to follow!

dystopian is SO BACK. this is a proper dystopian; world destroyed, corrupt government, chosen one-archetype and everything. there was a lot to wrap my head around so i think this book will be even better than i already think it is once the duology is completed and i have all the pieces to the puzzle. but going along Nada's, Nayf's, Raisa's, and Lein's journey was so fun, so engaging, and to be in some of their heads was also enraging. i finished this book on the plane and the last 20% had me sitting up straight in my chair and gasping out loud, much to my seatmates' chagrin. Fledgling is reflective of the current state of the world; how damagin ideologies and demagogues come to be; and how we lay ordinary people at the altar of our ambitions to have more power and more resources. this story is about the revolution starting with the 1%, the bravery it takes to change your worldview when you realize something is wrong, and the courage of selflessness. i love SK Ali's writing and this is just on a whole new level. the worldbuilding and storytelling totally blew me out of the water and i can't wait to understand character motivations and see who will get a redemption plot in book 2.

I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately the story fell short for me. Between the insane info-dumping in the beginning and overall weird pacing, I felt lost for a good chunk of the story. The author created a genuinely unique and interesting world, but it was over-explained and told to the reader rather than shown.

The explanations/backstories offered were so lengthy that I often lost interest and started skimming. I think this would be a much stronger story if they cut 50-100 pages. Or the unnecessary over-explanations could have been replaced with character development so the characters don’t feel so one dimensional. I feel a few more rounds of edits would greatly improve the story.

I'm not gonna lie when one of my favourite authors writes a book in a different genre I get a little scared because what if I don't like it as much as their previous books, what if it's not the same? So naturally I was nervous before starting this, but turns out I shouldn't have worried.

This book is so well constructed. One of my favourite things is when there are multiple storylines from different POVs that eventually intersect to form the plot, it builds so much tension especially when the characters are on opposing sides.
The story is woven through the sheltered "princess" of upper earth, the crown prince of volatile lower earth, his fugitive rebel twin cousins, their childhood friend, the record keeper, and a few more characters.

There's a character guide in the beginning of the book to keep track of who everyone is, but I actually found that I didn't really need to refer to it once I was invested in the story it wasn't confusing or difficult to remember who they were.

The world (and its technology) that S.K. Ali builds is so cool and by the end I was so attached to the characters. I especially liked how the last quarter of the story unfolded.

When I was halfway through, I realized that it has been so long since I read a dystopian and that now I find that everything is too easy to imagine; when destruction and death is described my brain supplies clear pictures, it's no longer a vague concept but a real reflection of something that is happening/has happened. It allows no escapism that we had in childhood which makes sense of course.

It has all the themes of justice, and peace, surveillance, exploitation, environmental consequences, etc; and idk if it's just me but dystopians written by authors of color hit different

The more I sit with it the more I like it. I keep thinking about it a week later. Can't wait to see what happens next in the sequel.

I received a digital advance reader copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

THIS IS SOOOO GOOD! @skalibooks need book 2 asap pleeeaase 🥺 I really need Nayf to find the thing and I need to see where things go with people I don’t wanna say because I don’t want to risk spoilers 😫

Soooo yea I loved it! The story is told through multiple characters POV from different groups and I think it helped create an understanding of the dynamics between Upper Earth, the Bridge and Lower Earth. It doesn’t shy away from the brutal reality of oppression and gives faith for a better future. In fact the end when the title is tied in was truly inspiring. Captivating and relevant

Fledgling is an action-packed, fascinating YA science fantasy novel with interesting characters, a darling love story, and a propulsive plot.

Fledgling was entertaining but not what I expected. I was expecting a fantasy book with sci-fi elements, but it was very much a sci-fi novel with fantasy elements. The technology and plot were very interesting, and I loved the different characters and their stories. The story was very long, and though I think the pacing and length fit the book, I found myself growing disinterested. The love story was sweet and one of my favorite aspects of the book. The writing was lovely and it was a great story, but overall, it didn’t work for me (I read very little science fiction, though I’m trying to embrace the genre). I would still highly recommend this book to interested readers!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

I really really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I think it should've gone through a few more rounds of edits. First off, I thought I was getting a story about revolutionaries that were going to change the world, but that's not really what happened. By the end of the book, only two things have been accomplished: Raisa gives a rousing speech to the crowd, and Nyaf goes to a council meeting where they vote against hearing what he has to say. That's literally it. It was frustrating to read because the characters had good plans, but every time they set out to accomplish the plan, something else got in the way. Having conflict is vital for stories, but you have to let your characters succeed at some things so that the story can progress. I was told that the characters were capable and smart and would change the world, but they couldn't accomplish anything they set out to do, which was discouraging.
Along with that, the pacing felt wonky to me. I felt like there was potential for some great action scenes, but those parts were usually told in retrospect or by a character who wasn't quite as involved with the scene. And some things were overexplained and others were underexplained, which made for a very confusing book. The dialogue also felt very unnatural to me—the conversations didn't quite flow or make sense, which just made me more confused and feel like I was missing something half the time.
I also think that the book should've started earlier in time so that I could've gotten a better sense of who each character was and where they were coming from, like have a foundation or groundwork to build off of. In particular, Raisa is kind of thrown into the action and pulled every which way but several characters, which made it hard for me to feel like I know who she was. I also really wanted to like Musaid and Raisa, especially because they're supposedly in love, (and we're told several times that everybody loves Musaid) but 1) Musiad was spineless and annoying 2) all of their interactions together are of them disagreeing/arguing about something. I was not convinced at all that they were actually in love, and for about 90% of the book I was wondering if Rasia was only pretending to love him so she could use him.
There's also very much a "the government is evil, technology is evil" idea in the book (which I agree with about in this fictional world), but it felt very heavy handed. I wish I would've been able to come to that conclusion on my own throughout the book rather than having characters rant about it.
I definitely think there are some valuable (and beautiful) ideas and lines in this book—I probably have at least 30 lines highlighted! I was really intrigued by the premise and excited to learn more about the characterss. But as a whole, I don't think it was cohesive. Unfortunately for me, this was another case of being excited about a book (especially one the author is passionate about) and feeling super let down by it.

As a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi, I'm familiar with the common tropes, but this book defied all expectations. It felt unique, fresh, relevant, and compelling. I fell in love with the characters—they tugged at my heartstrings, and I cried!

The plot is engaging from page one. Every time I had to pause, I longed to dive back into the world. I adored every main character and worried for them throughout the story. The prose, pacing, and craft are all masterful.

I was captivated by the setting, world-building, romance, and devastation

Oh boy, thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc! I really wish I loved this one more. Nothing particularly grabbed me while reading this. I wasn’t engaged, and had to start skimming early on. Other readers mentioned feeling preached to, and I agree. Also, I hate first person POV for multi POV stories.

Overall, I should have DNF’d

S.K Ali delves into science fiction/dystopian with a duology featuring multiple POVs and a fractured world on the precipice of revolution. I can really appreciate the author's attempt to create a dystopian story that is different from others we've read and known. It can be really easy to fall back on dystopian tropes, however, the artifacts and the features of Upper/Lower Earth are both rooted in the real world, as well as, a function of the dystopian world. The focus on record-keeping as a form of resistance was an intriguing choice that set apart the novel—truly addressing the requirement of having those who keep up with the archiving of revolution. I think the characters were also interesting and each had a unique purpose to the plot.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for an arc.

The writing in this book >>>> the narration is handled in a really interesting and unique way and order, and it was captivating read throughout. The ending had me in tears, screaming for the next book, I can't wait to see where this goes 😭

I got super attached to the characters too, and not all of them made it, I ----- 3

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

✨ “By our records, shall we resist.
From our past, do we find our future.”

- Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution (by S. K. Ali) 🕊️🧣📜

I’m not usually a fan of dystopia, I find it too depressing, which is why I was surprised to feel the opposite reading this book!
I found myself sinking into the pages while, with each chapter, unraveling the layers of an intricately built world and complex but lovingly created characters. And with its honest and bold depiction of themes relevant to the world today, it was a balm to the soul.

Set in the future, after environmental devastation reshaped the world. Society has been divided into: Upper Earth (a supposed utopia in the sky, built for the elite), Lower Earth (people struggling in the remains of a broken planet, ruled by one powerful family), and the Bridge (the land in between, reserved for the useful few).

The story follows characters from all across: the daughter of an Upper Earth leader betrothed to the crown prince of Lower Earth, a princess of Lower Earth pulled into a rebellion, a fugitive prince on the quest for truth, and a boy caught between duty and love.
My heart lifted and sank for these characters with everything they went through together and apart.

And unlike a lot of dystopian books, Fledgling doesn’t treat oppression as an aesthetic or just a backdrop for heroics. Instead, it truthfully reflects the dark realities and raw emotions of living under injustice and inequality, while drawing from a resilient faith in hope and in the power of each individual to create a better world. I found it a gem within its genre.

Threaded with intrigue and unexpected turns, emotional punches, characters that feel real, a romance that will both warm and hurt you, and an inspiring reminder to seek and preserve the truth… I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read an early copy!

Fledgling releases on October 8th! 🕊️

Thank you to PenguinTeen for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. LONG LIVE DYSTOPIANS. Fledgling felt like both a breath of fresh air, AND nostalgic somehow? It was incredibly well written, and I honestly couldn't predict what was happening, other than the fact that I was enjoying it. It also didn't play into many predicable tropes, so I appreciated that. I can't wait to read more from this author! 3.75 stars :)