The Northern Witch's Book Blog

The Future by Naomi Alderman 2 out of 5 Synopsis The latest novel from the Women’s Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Power, The Future is a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going. Lai Zhen is about to die. As an Internet-famous survivalist, she’s spent her life prepping for the end of the world. But now, desperate and cornered in a mall in Singapore, she’s mad she might go out not knowing what the hell is going on. If she makes it out alive, what kind of a future will be waiting for her? Across the world, Martha Einkorn works the room at a gathering of mega-rich companies hell-bent securing a future just for them. Covert weapons, private weather, technological prophecy, when Martha fled her father’s compound she may have left the cult behind, but if the apocalyptic warnings of his fox and rabbit sermon are starting to come true, how much future is actually left? Martha and Zhen’s worlds are about to collide. While a ...

The Seawomen by Chloe Timms 5 out of 5 Synopsis Esta has known nothing but Eden's Isle her whole life. Raised by her grandmother, after a fire claimed her parents and scarred her face, she's instructed to piety, to deference, and acquiescence by a religious society that will not suffer anything else. Cut off from the moral iniquity of the mainland, the island believes it can stay free of the Seawomen - creatures from the water that came upon land to corrupt God's creation and Man. The inhabitants fear the water and believe the only way to remain virtuous is to never enter it, and for the women to conceive within 12 months of their appointed motheryear. If they do not conceive, they're cast back into the ocean as a sacrifice in an act called the Untethering. Esta witnesses such an act as a child. Her childhood growing up on the island is fraught with tension as she comes to the terms with the prohibitive malaise of the culture she finds herself in. Before long, she gets ...

HappyHead by Josh Silver 2 out of 5 Synopsis We are in an epidemic. An epidemic of unhappiness.  Friends, here is the good news: HappyHead has the answer.  When Seb is offered a place on a radical retreat designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness, he is determined to change how people see him and make his parents proud. But as he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Finn, Seb starts to question the true nature of the challenges they must undergo. The deeper into the programme the boys get, the more disturbing the assessments become, until it’s clear there may be no escape... Review Seb has been selected to go to a remote Scottish retreat where teens will attempt an intense course in happiness. Except, not everything is as it seems. I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Seb is just an ordinary teen. He lacks the confidence of others, and struggles with anxiety, but is a likeable chap. He has been selected for the first govern...

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings 2 out of 5 Synopsis Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Octavia Butler, a biting social commentary from the acclaimed author of Lakewood that speaks to our times--a piercing dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in which witches are real and single women are closely monitored. Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behavior raises suspicions and a woman--especially a Black woman--can find herself on trial for witchcraft. But fourteen years have passed since her mother's disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by ...

This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey 4 out of 5 Synopsis Like many teens, sometimes it feels as though everything in Jess Flynn's life has been engineered for maximum drama--from her performance at the school talent show, to the reappearance of her childhood best friend and perennial crush Jeremy, to her friends trying to set her up with one of the hottest guys in school. It's almost as if everything might finally be going her way...until one day a tiny black phone with an apple logo on its screen falls out of her best friend's backpack and lands at Jess's feet. The problem is, it's 1998, and the first iPhone isn't due out for another nine years. Jess's friends refuse to acknowledge the strange device. Her sister Sara, on hospice care with a terminal blood disease, for once can't tell Jess what she should do. It's almost as if everyone is hiding something from her. Even her beloved dog Fuller seems different...like, literally different, because he...

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao 5 out of 5 Synopsis The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​ To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined migh...

The First Sister  by Linden A. Lewis  3 out of 5  Synopsis  Combining the social commentary of The Handmaid’s Tale with the white-knuckled thrills of Red Rising, this epic space opera follows a comfort woman as she claims her agency, a soldier questioning his allegiances, and a non-binary hero out to save the solar system. First Sister has no name and no voice. As a priestess of the Sisterhood, she travels the stars alongside the soldiers of Earth and Mars—the same ones who own the rights to her body and soul. When her former captain abandons her, First Sister’s hopes for freedom are dashed when she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no power, and a new captain—Saito Ren—whom she knows nothing about. She is commanded to spy on Captain Ren by the Sisterhood, but soon discovers that working for the war effort is so much harder to do when you’re falling in love. Lito val Lucius climbed his way out of the slums to become an elite soldier of Venus, but was def...

Love Gaia  by T.L. Clark  3 out of 5  Synopsis  The future is history! To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, Aroha and her classmates must learn harsh lessons. Having led a sheltered life, their history is shocking. Nobody should have to endure what Dr. Rachel and her inmates were put through. Yet it was seemingly necessary. The burden of responsibility lies heavily upon their shoulders. Remember to maintain, “Honesty, Respect, Fortitude,” as you read this thrilling and agonizing tale of devastation, survival and hope. – A post-nuclear war, dystopian vs. utopian, environmental romance NB/ Mature content Not suitable for those with claustrophobia The events in this book are supposed to be fictional  Review  The time has come for Aroha and her classmates to learn of the trials, sacrifices and mistakes that were made; so history won't repeat itself. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Aroha is living in a post-apocalyptic utopia, in...

Space Academy It's the year 2100. Earth is dying. A young woman, Elsie, has risked everything to get her newborn son, Will, aboard 'The Mayflower' - a spaceship that will transport a select number of people to a new planet they can call home. Elsie’s luck takes a turn when she discovers the captain of 'The Mayflower' is an old friend. He allows her to board with her son, giving them a place on the luxurious Floor One, where they live amongst the most honoured of 'The Mayflower’s' passengers.  Thirteen years later, and Will is ready to start school at Space Academy, an institute specialising in subjects such as Alien Studies, Technology, and Rocket Control. While a pupil there, Will starts to uncover secrets about his father's death, becoming wrapped in a mystery that he and his friends must solve if they are to have any hope of saving humanity from the threat that lies in wait.  Lose yourself in this brilliantly addictive novel as it takes you on a journ...

Flow by Clare Littlemore 5 out of 5 Synopsis A world in tatters. A society where rebellion is not tolerated. A girl desperate to discover the truth. Sixteen year old Quin lives in The Beck, a saviour society. Her community has risen from the ruins of a land shattered by Mother Nature. But Beck law is tough. Quin knows that the rules must be followed in order to sustain life in a place where floodwaters constantly threaten existence. A single violation could land her in Clearance. But some laws are harder to follow than others. And as Quin discovers the horrifying truth, she knows she cannot stay silent forever. Flow is the first in a series of books about a group of people struggling to survive after their world has been annihilated by devastating floods.

Flow   The Flow Series Book 1  by Clare Littlemore  Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction  A flooded future. A relationship torn apart. When 16-year old Quin's best friend Harper fails The Beck's assessment, will she ever see her again? Regular appraisals are part of life in The Beck, a walled-in community constantly threatened by floodwaters. But when the shocking results of the most recent test are revealed, Quin knows her world is about to change forever. Wrenched from Agric, where she has lived and worked for years, Quin finds herself thrown into the unfamiliar Patrol Sector. Yearning for her lost friend, struggling to adjust to her new surroundings, she begins to question the society she thought she knew. And then she meets the mysterious Cam, who seems willing to break the rules for her. Determined to find Harper, Quin enlists his help. But when she discovers the horrifying truth, it might just destroy her. If you devour fast-pace...

Expendables   The Wall Series Book 1  by Alison Ingleby  Genre: YA Dystopian  One girl. A corrupt government. A secret that could shatter a country.  ★★★★★ “I haven’t been this hooked on a dystopian series since The Hunger Games and Divergent.”  What would you sacrifice to discover the truth?  For twelve years, Aleesha has survived as an illegal citizen in poverty-stricken Area Four. She lives by one rule – trust no one.  When her illegal status is discovered, Aleesha is forced to join a mysterious organisation intent on taking down the corrupt government. Then she’s introduced to Trey, an Insider who’s been brought up with everything she longs for: wealth, privilege, education.  An Insider who, like her, is being hunted by the government’s sinister militia.  Aleesha wants to hate him. But Trey may be the only person who can help her find her father – the man who could be her ticket out of pov...

Expendables by Alison Ingleby 5 out of 5 Synopsis Two societies. A London divided. A history lost. Aleesha is an Outsider. If the government find her they'll kill her. She survives each day by looking out for herself. And trusting no one. Trey is an Insider. He never knew what the Outside was like until he finds himself hunted by his own people for an unknown crime he didn't commit. Drawn together by forces outside of their control, Aleesha and Trey must learn to work together. It's not just their lives that are at stake. It's their country's future. Set in a disturbingly realistic vision of a future London, this fast-paced dystopian thriller will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner.

Battle Ground by Rachel Churcher 2 out of 5 Synopsis Sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman has been drafted into an army she doesn't support and a cause she doesn't believe in. Her plan is to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can't ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind. The Battle Ground series is set in a dystopian near-future UK, after Brexit and Scottish independence.

  Battle Ground Sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman has been drafted into an army she doesn't support and a cause she doesn't believe in. Her plan is to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can't ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind. The Battle Ground series is set in a dystopian near-future UK, after Brexit and Scottish independence.

Skin Hunter by Tania Hutley 5 out of 5 Synopsis She didn't want to do it... But she was desperate. Trying to escape the dangerous streets of Old Triton, the buried city, Milla takes the ultimate risk Could a dead girl's identity be her way out? A ticket to a richer, brighter world high above the muck and gloom of her old life? Now she's part of a high tech contest, with a prize beyond money, fame and everything she has ever known. A chance to become something... new. But if anyone finds out who Milla really is, she's dead. The other competitors come from privilege, their faces and bodies tweaked to perfection. Rich and handsome Cale could be the most dangerous of all. Why is he so interested in a scarred, ugly "sinker" like Milla? To survive, she needs to be brave. To win, she needs to evolve. Just try and stop her. Skin Hunter is an upper YA science fiction novel - a futuristic, dystopian thrill-ride with a spark of romance.

Light Years by Kass Morgan 5 out of 5 Synopsis Reeling from the latest attack by a mysterious enemy, the Quatra Fleet Academy is finally admitting students from every planet in the solar system after centuries of exclusivity. Hotshot pilot Vesper, an ambitious Tridian citizen, dreams of becoming a captain - but when she loses her spot to a brilliant, wisecracking boy from the wrong side of the asteroid belt, it makes her question everything she thought she knew. Growing up on the toxic planet Deva, Cormak will take any chance he can get to escape his dead-end life and join the Academy - even if he has to steal someone's identity to do it. Arran was always considered an outsider on icy Chetire, always dreaming of something more than a life working in the mines. Now an incoming cadet, Arran is looking for a place to belong - he just never thought that place would be in the arms of a Tridian boy. And Orelia is hiding a dark secret - she's infiltrated the Academy to comp...