Common Core
STEAM
Graphic
Novel
High/Low
Chapter
Book
Large
Print
Series Tracker
Manga
Big
Book
Board
Book
Hot
Title
Adult
Language
Mature
Content
Ebook
Ebook
MUA (Multi User Access)
Light Novel
| Paperback ©2017 | -- |
Solitude. Juvenile fiction.
Gangs. Juvenile fiction.
Solitude. Fiction.
Gangs. Fiction.
A deadly virus has devastated the population of Australia, leaving pockets of humanity to survive as best as they can.Fifteen-year-old Finn has been surviving on his own for two years. With only his dog, Rowdy, for company, the white boy seeks relief from the effort of survival by surfing on the ocean. But when brown-skinned Rose arrives, chased by a dangerous band of Wilders, Finn must choose between survival and risking everything to help the mysterious girl. The situation is complicated as Rose is a Siley, one of the enslaved asylum-seekers kept in offshore detention centers. Rose is desperate to reunite with her missing sister, but when she becomes ill, it falls to Finn to find Kas. Smith's debut, opening a series, is a riveting story of survival that questions the prices of freedom and safety as well as the value of an individual life. While Rose and her sister are strong and fierce, their Afghani heritage marks them as worthless. Finn is similarly hobbled by difficulty speaking. But in a world turned upside down, maybe the least can become the greatest by relying on their wits, their kindness, and their integrity. A breakout new series full of romance, danger, and a surprisingly engaging world. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 14-adult)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)A deadly virus has devastated the population of Australia, leaving pockets of humanity to survive as best as they can.Fifteen-year-old Finn has been surviving on his own for two years. With only his dog, Rowdy, for company, the white boy seeks relief from the effort of survival by surfing on the ocean. But when brown-skinned Rose arrives, chased by a dangerous band of Wilders, Finn must choose between survival and risking everything to help the mysterious girl. The situation is complicated as Rose is a Siley, one of the enslaved asylum-seekers kept in offshore detention centers. Rose is desperate to reunite with her missing sister, but when she becomes ill, it falls to Finn to find Kas. Smith's debut, opening a series, is a riveting story of survival that questions the prices of freedom and safety as well as the value of an individual life. While Rose and her sister are strong and fierce, their Afghani heritage marks them as worthless. Finn is similarly hobbled by difficulty speaking. But in a world turned upside down, maybe the least can become the greatest by relying on their wits, their kindness, and their integrity. A breakout new series full of romance, danger, and a surprisingly engaging world. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 14-adult)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Excerpted from The Road to Winter by Mark Smith
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Since a deadly virus and the violence that followed wiped out his parents and most of his community, Finn has lived alone on the rugged coast with only his dog Rowdy for company. He has stayed alive for two winters--hunting and fishing and trading food, and keeping out of sight of the Wilders, an armed and dangerous gang that controls the north, led by a ruthless man named Ramage. But Finn's isolation is shattered when a girl runs onto the beach. Rose is a Siley--an asylum seeker--and she has escaped from Ramage, who had enslaved her and her younger sister, Kas. Rose is desperate, sick, and needs Finn's help. Kas is still missing somewhere out in the bush. And Ramage wants the girls back--at any cost. Finn, Rose and Kas try their hardest to look after each other in the harsh post-apocalyptic world. They suffer setbacks, difficulties brought on by adults but also sometimes as a consequence of their own poor decisions. They're kids--they make mistakes. They stuff up but they find a way through. There are no superheroes, no magical powers to help them out of life-threatening situations. A novel about honor, friendship and love, and a gripping realist teen survival narrative. Mark Smith runs outdoor education programs for young adults. His writing has won a number of awards. The Road to Winter is his first book. He lives in coastal Victoria, Australia.