This book started off a little slow, but as you continue reading, you realize the context you are receiving in that time. It falls into place throughout the story. Really enjoyed this book.

DNF @ 17%

I came for the "speculative" element promised int he blurb, but I don't think it ever shows up -- Thea's dad has a "premonition" in all of two sentences in passing, but that's it. The writing is fine, if not extremely heavy on the info-dumping, and overall, I just wasn't invested in anything going on. I'm not the audience to read about borederline-abusive, fanatic prepper, "unschooling" parents. Hard pass.

Book: Dust
Author: Alison Stine
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC. Someone at Wednesday Books knows my tastes well because I have read some great books from Wednesday Books this year. This is one that I had not heard of until the publisher reached out. I am so glad they did. This one deserves the hype and deserves to be a bestseller.

In this one, we follow Thea, who is half-deaf and has had her whole world uprooted. She and her family have left the only life they have ever known in Ohio for the dust-torn, remote Colorado. A flood made them move, but it is more than that. Her parents have come up with the idea of going to life alone. They want a simple life and everyone must follow those ideas. They live without technology, without help from others, and live off of what they can get off the land. Thea and her sister also don’t go to school and are expected to bend to the wills of their father. After all, this is his dream. Yet, their new life is not what they expected. It’s hard and nothing will grow. They don’t have enough food and Thea and her mother are forced to take jobs. Her father is in denial about what is happening. Yet, the job proves to be Thea’s light in the world. There she finds a community and starts to build her own life. She also starts to piece together that the earth is trying to tell them something very important and it may end up uprooting their world for both the good and the bad.

This is the Dust Bowl, but in modern times. This book asks the question: what would have happened had we not learned and changed from what happened in the Dust Bowl? In this world, farmers did not change their farming techniques and the land never had the chance to recover. There are farming meetings, but no one has to follow what is recommended. We also see some people refuse to become involved in it. Thea starts to study the Dust Bowl from the 1930s and sees that history is repeating itself. She sees that they are headed toward another Black Sunday. She tries to tell her family, but they don’t listen. It is not what they want her to learn. This book brings to life that if we don’t learn from the past, then it will keep repeating itself. We have to learn from our mistakes, take the steps to fix them and prevent them from happening again. Thea learns this from studying history and looking for patterns. All of the signs are right there. Some people listen to her, but her dad does not. Why all of this stood out to me because I teach history and science. These two subjects are being cut back and downplayed as being important. Here we have a book that brings these two subjects into the spotlight and seeing the impacts of not learning them brought to the extreme. It shows that these two content areas are just as important as language arts, reading, and math.

Thea is a character that I latched onto very quickly. She is half-deaf and lives in isolation. Her family doesn’t understand her. She wants to learn, but cannot, expect the things her family has approved for her to learn. Her entire life is about her dad’s dreams and what he wants. She feels lonely and could easily give up. Yet, she doesn’t. She remains hopeful and sees the light. Through her job, she discovers a community. However, she has to keep it a secret. While she is not doing anything wrong, her dad will frown on it. All she is doing is helping those who live close by with chores, going to the library, and learning sign language. She starts to ask questions and discovers things. Because it goes against her dad’s view of the simple life, it is wrong. There were so many times that Thea could have shut down, could have given up the fight, and just went along with it. She doesn’t. She knows what she wants. Now, it does take her some to get up the courage to say what she wants-mainly because no one is listening and she knows what the reaction is going on. She does find her voice. When she does so, it is in a way that fits her character.

This book does the community aspect so well. We see a town that is at its lowest. We see people who have little or nothing at all. Yet, when people need help, the town comes and helps. Everyone backs each other and watches out for one another. It shows us that you can have the life you want, but you don’t have to go at it alone. Sometimes a little change can be for the good. I loved this element of the book and I loved seeing it done in a way that fits the story so well.

Overall, I did enjoy this one a lot. I hope it gets all of the hype and attention it deserves.

This book comes out on December 3, 2024.

Youtube:https://youtu.be/2i6HdljRIgM

Dust is one part coming-of-age story, one part climate change lecture, with a generous sprinkle of doom. Thea’s family decides to start fresh in the ominously named Bloodless Valley. Unsurprisingly, they find themselves in a dry, dusty wasteland where crops barely grow and everything is just… sad.

Thea’s life is as desolate as the landscape. Her parents have all but locked her in the farmhouse, homeschooling her just enough to make you wonder if her mom is following some 1930s curriculum she found in the attic. Thea's only reprieve? The café job, which her parents reluctantly allow so she can contribute to the family’s apocalyptic lifestyle fund.

The best part, hands down, is the local librarian. Even though Thea’s parents are vehemently averse to books published after 1992, the librarian is out here issuing library cards like he’s part of some underground literary rebellion. Every time he pushes a book at Thea, it’s like a tiny revolt against the bleakness of Bloodless Valley and the never-ending climate gloom. Librarians saving the world, one forbidden book at a time!

The story has some solid character moments, especially when Thea meets Ray and begins learning to sign—a beautiful, quiet rebellion against her parents’ insistence that she “pass” as hearing. Through him, Thea finally finds someone who gets her—someone who doesn’t care about her parents’ rules or the bleakness of the Valley. Ray teaches her sign language on the sly, and it opens up a whole new world for her. There’s love, there’s rebellion, and there’s a refreshing sense of identity… if only the unending thirst and climate anxiety didn’t linger in the background.

The climate change references are a tad heavy-handed. The droughts, dying crops, and dust storms are constant reminders that we’re basically one bad weather pattern away from the plot of this novel. And while the message is important, it sometimes feels like you’re being beaten over the head with a sledgehammer. Overall, it’s a gritty story with an interesting premise, a heroine trying to find herself in a world of dust and desperation, and a librarian who really gets it.

Dust is speculative fiction but it feels all too real. The story is set in current day but it also gives us a glimpse of the past and future. We see everything through Thea's eyes. She is the perfect choice to narrate the story. Navigating life in the desert with endless heat and dust is hard enough, but Thea is also hard of hearing and able to hear in only one ear. Her own family treats her like everyone else, but Thea is different and she wants different things. With the family's life on the farm though it might not be possible to be herself. That won't stop her from trying though.

Dust is a wonderful story. Thea is such a strong character. She's kind, smart, and brave. Her inner thoughts are written so well. We are able to understand some of what it's like as she goes through every day missing out on parts of conversations or ordinary daily sounds.

Other characters are also well drawn even those who appear only briefly. The environment is harsh, scary, and somehow beautiful at times. Maybe it's the people that live there. The characters feel like people anyway. Dust is one of those books where you feel like things will continue on even after you stop reading. This will be one of my top reads this year!

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read!

This was a modern-day echo of 'The Grapes of Wrath'. Stine explores the unhospitable environment of the Bloodless Valley in Colorado, which becomes its own main character. This story introduces us to Thea and her family as they try to make a go at running their own homestead in the harsh environment. Despite the challenges of their new home and her hearing impairment, Thea's hopes and dreams become clear to her. With the support of a surprisingly welcoming community, Thea thrives and learns what she really wants from life, even if that is different from her families expectations.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Well-written story of a teenaged girl, Thea, who is hard of hearing. Her parents, especially her father, are fairly conservative in their values and way of life, to the point of deciding to 'unschool' their two daughters.

To escape the torrential rains and flooding of the eastern part of the U.S., they purchase a farm in the arid terrain of eastern Colorado. The father is determined to return to the ways of older generations and eschews all technology. However, this makes life in their new desert conditions even more isolating and difficult.

Thea is allowed to work at the local cafe where she meets Ray, a boy her age who is Deaf and wears hearing aids. He helps Thea to realize that there are things in the world she was unaware of and has been missing out on. Meanwhile, dust storms of increasing frequency and intensity lead her to do research at the public library where she has been forbidden to go.

When Thea's parents discover that she has been disobeying their rules, she is restricted to being only on the farm - no more job, no more connections with others in the community, and no more Ray. As a major storm barrels down on them, will Thea find a way to speak up and share with her parents all that she has discovered, and all that she dreams of, in order to change their course for the better?

The author has done a good job of developing intriguing and nuanced characters, as well as a compelling sense of place. The pacing is solid, with memories of Thea's childhood in Ohio interspersed with their new life in Colorado.. The underlying messages about climate change and conservative beliefs felt a bit one-sided, but for its intended audience, it will likely hit the perfect note. The ending wrapped up a bit too neatly, with one key event/conversation being the catalyst for significant changes in their lives.

Overall, a worthwhile and interesting read.

Thea, a partially deaf teen navigating life in the harsh landscape of southern Colorado.
Everything changes when she meets Ray, who is also deaf. Through their connection, Thea discovers not just the beauty of sign language but the warmth of community.
A book about family, identity, and connection. It’s a poignant read that will resonate long after the last page.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!!

THOUGHTS

The whole atmosphere of this book is set up to give readers shivers, not because it is so horrifically different from everyday life but because it feels so familiar. It feels so possible. It is apocalyptic and numbing... and right on the horizon. You can feel the dust on these pages, taste the sand in your mouth, and it's done so well. Add some disability rep, and this book is just brilliantly crafted.


PROS
Disability Rep: Thea is Hard of Hearing, and that's a real burden for her. She misses bits and pieces of what people are saying around her, and as readers following her perspective, we do, too. There are gaps in the dialogue, things that aren't printed on the page (and can't necessarily be filled in with context clues). And I loved the way this was written, because it absolutely puts readers in Thea's shoes. Readers have to experience the world the way she does, and that's excellent.

Disability Ignorance: Thea's parents don't want to admit that their daughter has a disability. There's a lot of stigma and shame around disability, especially when the rest of the family is able-bodied. Thea's younger sister is willing to adapt and communicate with her as she needs, but her parents (especially her father) just want to ignore Thea's struggle. They want her to be "normal," which only makes life harder for Thea. And as awful as that is, it also feels horribly realistic.

Biblical: The dust, the storms, the locusts: everything about this book feels apocalyptic. Apocalyptic to actual, biblical proportions. Even down to the flood that sent them running to the desert. And the dust, the dust, the dust...


CONS
Too Knowledgeable: For a girl who has supposedly been "unschooled" since middle school, Thea seems very aware of the world she is missing out on. Don't get me wrong. I can absolutely see a girl who has been "sheltered" so long longing for the outside world and imagining what it might contain. But a girl who hasn't really been taught anything being so acutely aware of what climate change is, where feminist movements have led, and how disability awareness is shifting feels... off. I can see her digging into these topics, once she's allowed (or at least gets) to explore the library, but to already be aware of all that she's missing out on feels... less than realistic.

Too Old: As much as I loved the sister bond in this book (and I did, especially the way Thea's little sister sticks up for her in regards to her disability), there isn't a nine-year-old child who speaks like this. Especially not a third grader who hasn't actually been to school. Who hardly has anyone to talk to. Who hasn't really lived much life at all, sheltered as she is. The way Thea's sister speaks feels too mature for her age, and that was another knock against this book's realism.

Too Clean: This book ends on a warm and fuzzy note, and I loved that. I did. I wanted it to end this way, so I can't really say this too harshly. But... I don't think it would have ended this way. Thea's dad is so hardcore in his beliefs up until this point that I don't think anything short of a full-scale apocalypse would have shaken him to reason. Don't get me wrong. I like that he listened to reason, that he was willing to adapt. I just don't see something like that actually happening.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9/10
Fans of Tara Westover's memoir Educated will like this unschooled family and their new homestead. Those who appreciated Mary G. Thompson's The Word will love following along with Thea's re-education.

Kent Haruf lite (in the best way), Dust is a coming-of-age story that pulled me right into Thea's narrowing world of desolate farmland with vivid imagery and easy-to-love characters. Despite the ominous environmental undercurrent running throughout the book, Thea's perspective makes a strong case for community as a powerful countermeasure to the toxicity of an extractive ethos pervasive in our world. I found myself finishing the story and wishing to be more... wrecked by the end? But for a YA novel, I think Stine has delivered above and beyond.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for the copy of Dust by Alison Stine. It’s obvious from the first page that Stine is a poet. Her words flow and weave the irresistible story of Thea, a teen whose father has moved the family to Colorado to live off the grid. He doesn’t allow Thea and her sister to go to school, so they are isolated and “learning” from some outdated books. Thea is half deaf, and I loved how when people are talking to her, words are replaced by “ ________ “ to show she can’t always hear everything, something her parents try to ignore. While their father tries unsuccessfully to farm the arid land, Thea and her mother work in town. The hardships were reminiscent of reading The Four Winds, and their life was bleak and sad. I liked how Thea starts to meet and develop relationships with other people who live in town. I wish the ending had been more satisfying and not all wrapped up in a pretty bow. It didn’t feel realistic and left me wanting more of an explanation of how and why it happened that way. This was still an amazing book, though! 4 stars

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed, exactly, but I wouldn't say this is a bad book, either.

I really do like Thea. Her struggles with her hard-of-hearing and her family, specifically her dad, purposely shielding all things "modern" (i.e., the dad just wants to control his family and keep his daughters ignorant, obedient, and sub servant to him only) while hiding her partial deafness were so frustrating to read about, but her determination and yearning for proper education, as well as acknowledgment of her condition, made her a strong main character. The romance with Ray was definitely instalove (Not that I blame her, though. I could only imagine how intense it was for her to have a connection with a fellow deaf person, in the first place), but it doesn't take much away from her character for me to make a bigger deal about it.

The titular force in the book - the dust - is terrifying, and Thea delving into the bigger issues surrounding it (i.e., climate change) only made it worse. There are a few scenes showing us how dangerous these storms are before the final one at the climax, and it was so intense that it had me on the edge of my seat. Stine did an amazing job with these depictions.

The reason why I don't like it anymore is because of my frustration, specifically towards Thea's parents. The dad is so terrible. He deliberately goes out of his way to make life as difficult as possible, and the mom just enables it. I so badly wanted someone to call child services to take Thea and her sister away from these monsters, but, instead, the climax storm changes their minds and they're good now. It's implied that it would be a slow change, but I really don't believe either of them would have even considered the change if they were real. It just made me too mad, and the reminder that there are still too many parents out there right now with "unschooling" mindsets destroying their kids' development just soured my reading experience as a whole.

All in all, this is still a good book with great insights regarding climate change, but I just couldn't believe the parents' character development.

I loved this story. Pulled heart strings from the beginning! The story line was a little slow for me but still had fun reading it the story really draws you to the characters.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Thea and her family have just moved to Bloodless Valley in Colorado where strange occurrences have been happening. She’s Deaf and growing up in a family that pushes her to pretend she can hear. They homeschool her and keep her cut off from her friends. They do allow her to work and it’s there she meets Ray, who’s also deaf. As she learns sign language she begins to find a community and a chance and love and happiness she didn’t know she could have. A story with a strong female main character! Deep and relatable characters! A relatable story with authentic disability representation! Fast paced and intriguing! A mix of romance, coming of age, and climate change!

Absolutely loved! This one took me by surprise! I loved Thea and the hard of hearing rep. Plus, the subtle commentary on climate change is done really well. The environment in this book is a character of it's own and is so well written.

Book:
DUST by Alison Stine
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Earc (Dec3)

Review:
3.5 ⭐
Normally, it's a cover or even the title of a book that draws me in, but it wasn't the title or the cover that drew me in, it was the hard-of-hearing/deaf representation (the reason for 3.5 instead of 3) Like Thea and Ray, my ears don't work like they should. I'm not deaf, but I am hard of hearing.
DUST follows teenager Thea, whose father moved her mother, her sister, and herself to a remote town. They sre living off the grid. While working to help earn money, she meets Ray, someone like her. She begins going out, helping the community as dust storms rage on. She wants more for herself, for her family, and she'll stop at nothing to learn, to live...to survive another dust storm.
I don't actually know how to describe how I felt about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed bits and pieces (how nice everyone was), but on the other I wanted the book to be over.
DUST took a slow start, and I found the first half of the book boring, and I struggled to power through. Because of what the book offers---climate change, hard of hearing rep, etc---I continued reading. Honestly, I'm glad I did because the second half picked up as the hardships and disaster picked up. I also really liked the characters (Louisa, Sam, Ray, Captain and Elmer), and how they tried helping Thea in many ways.
This book isn't for everyone, but the take away from it is relevant.

I’m not sure why this took me 3 weeks to read, but it most likely has something to do with pacing. The story itself is interesting, but there felt like something was missing with the overall vibe. Too many things happening, or not enough resolution from one plot point to another, or something along those lines. For the most part I appreciated the story. Thea was a great central character and the family dynamic was complex and complicated.

I guess part of my issue is bringing in the dying town, deafness, climate change, the lack of understanding on Thea’s dads part, a love connection, and on and on, was just a lot. Again, the story is pretty solid, but enough is enough. I’d probably recommend this to some particular students, but not all of them are going to dig it.

The cover artwork for this book was so captivating, I couldn’t stop looking at it and wondering who this girl was.

After a devastating flood, Thea was uprooted from her life in Ohio and moved to a very secluded valley in southern Colorado for a fresh start. However, since her family has little money, Thea and her younger sister are somewhat homeschooled and but mostly work on their family’s farm. Her parents are incredibly strict and decided to forgo electronics, so she has no communication with the outside world. Being 16 and suddenly not being able to communicate with friends is really difficult for Thea – especially since she’s half deaf and her parents pretend nothing’s wrong with her.

The story was well written and gave an authentic, first-hand account of what it’s like to be half deaf. Thea is extremely likable, and I couldn’t help but feel a motherly connection to her as I read about her struggles. I wanted to scream at her parents for how they were treating her and help her out of her situation. There were times I had to stop reading, because I was overcome with so much emotion for this girl. I was so, so thankful for Louisa, Ray and Sam. Thea didn’t realize it at first, but she desperately needed more people like that in her life.

I strongly recommend this book to teens, young adults, and adults who enjoy coming-of-age stories about underdogs who succeed.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It tells the story of a family moving to a town in southern Colorado. The father becomes increasingly introverted, keeping his daughters away from school, neighbors, and even the library. The original plan is to farm the land, but the soil turns out to be too dry and the weather proves to be violent and unpredictable.

The main character, Thea, is a typical teenager. She misses her friends, wants a phone, worries about her sister, and meets a boy. She also rebels with the support of her community, discovers her strengths, and begins advocating for herself.

The author references the Dust Bowl of the 1930s as well as current events that are affecting the severe water situation in southern Colorado.

The teens I work with enjoy a fact based realistic fiction read. I appreciate that this book has so many layers to it but doesn't feel overdone. I think the teens will enjoy it.

I am living for the sudden surge of dust bowl and dust related books and movies, and this one is no exception!

This book brought back feelings and memories of young love, living in a place you don't necessarily feel like you fit in, and with a family that may not understand you, and certainly doesn't SEEM to support you. Thea was very relatable, and her bond with Ray was palpable.

Though this was outside of my typical genre, it was a fantastic coming of age novel and I have already recommended it for my daughter's school library.