THE DANGER OF SMALL THINGS by Caryl Lewis

5 stars

Welcome to a young adult dystopia echoing of The Handsmaid Tale, with young girls being enslaved and manipulated by dominating men.

In a dystopian future, the bees have died out thanks to human neglect and climate collapse ensued as  the crops and plants all die with no more pollinators. A male run dicatatorship has been established in which young girls have to hand pollinate the plants and young men get trained as heartless soldiers guarding them. The girls, taken from their homes, live in bare bones dorms, are not taught to read or write, and are overseen by “Mothers” who would be better entitled jailors and “Fathers” who serve as prison wardens. They’re fed little and constantly brainwashed to be grateful for serving the greater good of society. Once they start menstruating, their hair is traumatically chopped off and they’re sent off to become a breeder with a husband chosen by the government. Oh, and the brushes used to pollinate the trees are disgustingly made from this chopped off hair.

Enter our heroine Jess, who has been raised off by a fiercely independent Mom who taught her to read and to think for herself, as well as nurtured Jess’ passion and talent as a painter. In the prison, Jess is appalled by the terrible conditions and the bullying of girls trying to win favor with the Mothers and Fathers. Ultimately Jess risks everything and uses her artistic skills to foment a rebellion by the girls.

The continuous suspense keeps you hooked and the society’s treatment of girls leaves you appalled.  You spend much time pondering whether you would be brave enough to rebel as Jess does and risk of death in doing so.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Netgalley for an advance reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.