Dust

Dust was a mind-blowing read. Alison Stine has a way with taking serious, climate situations and scenarios and turning them into instant page-turners that leave the reader wanting more. This is a compelling story that will stay with you for a very long time.


A special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely mesmerising! This novel beautifully explores the struggles of a partially deaf teen in an unforgiving world. It’s a powerful exploration of identity and resilience and the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and questioning everything she knows which is both poignant and powerful. A five-star read that will stay with you long after the last page.

Dust is a terrific book about a young Deaf woman's resilience and ability to think critically, to grow and take risks. Thea's father, paranoid and desperate, moves the family to a new and horrific Dust Bowl, while her mother is frightened of her father and does whatever he says. Amid this apocalyptic setting, Thea takes a job in town, where she's exposed to the outside world--at least a bit of it--and meets the only other Deaf person she's eve known. He teaches her that Deaf folks can move through the world just as well as hearing ones, but her parents' beliefs that she's defective rather than disabled are hard to overcome. But Thea makes friends, and learns things, and, in the end, saves her family and other members of her community. Highly recommended.

What an extremely deep read. As someone who does not have to deal with a disability I am always looking for insight and understanding of those who do. Alison Stine does this extremely well with her characters in Dust.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC for an honest review.

Thank you for this eARC. Stine’s writing gave me insight into our character’s life with a disability. I really enjoyed the character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

The book is geared towards young adults, but as a 63 year old Grandmother I really enjoyed the read.

It was an exciting read. I found myself totally engrossed and invested I the characters and their story. Thea was both strong and brave.

Recommend.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In “Dust,” Alison Stine crafts a haunting and evocative narrative that transports readers to the parched and desolate landscape of the Bloodless Valley in southern Colorado. This speculative coming-of-age novel is a poignant exploration of identity, resilience, and the search for belonging in an unforgiving world.

Thea, the novel’s protagonist, is a partially deaf teenager whose life is upended when her family relocates to the Bloodless Valley following her father’s ominous premonition. The valley, plagued by drought and black blizzards, mirrors Thea’s own sense of stagnation and isolation. Stine’s portrayal of Thea’s internal and external struggles is both tender and raw, capturing the essence of a young girl grappling with her place in a world that seems to have forgotten her.

One of the novel’s most compelling aspects is its exploration of communication and community. Thea, who has been pressured by her parents to pass as hearing, finds solace and connection in her friendship with Ray, a deaf boy who teaches her sign language. Through Ray, Thea discovers not just a new way to communicate, but a sense of belonging and a glimpse of love. Stine’s depiction of the deaf community is nuanced and respectful, highlighting the richness of a culture often overlooked. She also perfectly describes the father character, an inflexible cold man who decides what is "right" for his family, even when he is terribly wrong. The mother of the family is also painted deftly, a woman who loves both her husband and her children, and as she struggles in her role as she tries to accommodate everyone and bridge the huge chasm that exists between the wants of her spouse and the desires of her children.

Stine’s writing is lyrical and immersive, painting vivid pictures of the harsh yet beautiful landscape. The novel’s pacing is deliberate, allowing readers to fully absorb the weight of Thea’s journey. The themes of environmental decay and familial tension are interwoven seamlessly, creating a narrative that is both timely and timeless.

“Dust” is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of finding one’s voice. Stine has crafted a novel that resonates deeply, leaving readers with much to ponder long after the final page is turned.

For those who appreciate well-crafted narratives with psychological depth and engaging storytelling, “Dust” is a must-read. It is a book that will stay with you, much like the dust that settles in the valley, persistent and unforgettable.

So good!

This follows Thea, a teenage girl in a family that has decided to go off the grid. She has a hearing impairment that no one in her family wants to acknowledge. School and friends have been a struggle for her. The family then decides to homeschool and take the only life she has ever known away. They move to a valley in Colorado and struggle on a daily basis. Loneliness sets in for all of them. They need to be self sufficient but learn quickly that the valley is unforgiving and harsh in every way. In the midst of trials she finds a community, a purpose and a voice.

There is also a dash of first love. She meets a boy that is like her and he opens up a whole new world of possibilities. His name is Ray and he begins to teach her ASL.

I loved being inside of Thea’s world. My favorite part is when Ray tells her “you listen.” Five stars for me!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

I am always on the look out for books with disability representation and I’m so glad I picked this one up. This was a difficult read, beautifully written, but the conditions and trials these characters went through truly pulled on my heartstrings. I ultimately left this with the overwhelming message of growth and the power of friendship in even the hardest of times. Simply put, I loved this.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

4.5 awesome book. tysm for the arc. would recommend, very interesting novel that would slot well into any highschool literature class to sit alongside The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice V Men.

Engaging, immersive, and timely. A recommended first purchase for young adult and high school collections.

This book was amazing, exactly what I was looking for! Atmospheric and captivating, Dust delves into resilience, identity, and the complexities of family in an unforgiving world hurt by humans. Thea is a beautifully complex character whose journey of self-discovery and quiet rebellion against her isolated upbringing is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Stine masterfully weaves speculative elements into a desolate landscape, creating a vivid, almost haunting depiction of Colorado’s Bloodless Valley, a place where the land seems as barren as Thea’s restricted life. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful love story between Thea and Ray. Through her experiences with Ray, Thea opens up to a world she had never imagined, finding community, empowerment, and a sense of belonging that extends beyond her family’s limited worldview.

An excellent story featuring a main character who ha-pens to be deaf. Aside from the survival/adventure aspect, I thoroughly enjoyed the main character’s POV as she navigated the complications of being deaf in a hearing world and her family’s lack of empathy or even attempting to communicate with her. Another good addition to deaf YA novels, but generally an engaging read.

Wow, this book came for my throat with the themes of belonging and breaking free. I will absolutely be reading more from Alison Stine in the future, and I highly recommend this. Take care while reading.

Dust is a slow build with a powerful finish! I found the beginning to be repetitive with its continuous reminders about why Thea is living in the desert and why she isn’t allowed out of the house. The plot is predictable with her getting a taste of how good it is to have friends and be outside of the house. The conflict and ending became faster paced; although, the story was predictable and wrapped up too nicely. The writing is gorgeous and the deaf representation added greatly to the story.