that was phenomenal for a dystopian sci-fi debut. clearly well-thought.

the setting was futuristic but seemed realistic. the earth couldn't bear the weight on the surface any longer, so visionaries built a hovering city up in the sky, called Upper Earth. meanwhile Lower Earth was ruled by a tyrant monarch. as the time went by, people of lower earth started to resent upper earth and tried to sabotage their way of living, like blocking the supply of farm produce since they couldn't grow it on their own. the council who ruled upper earth was displeased so they want to control lower earth by forcing the people to wear a tech that attached to their brain, which can provide some help for the individuals but also making them controllable. in short the council wanted to seize free will.

the concept of the book was a collection of personal records of the characters. there were Nada and Nayf, a princess and a prince of the lower earth who were imprisoned since they were 12 because they loved their grandma; Raisa the princess of upper earth, musaid the royal pilot, khalda the last record keeper, and several other characters that didn't have many POV but still important to the story. actually this made the book felt a little patchy, the jumping from scene to scene was drastic.

the main timeline of the whole book happened in just 2 weeks, but there's a lot of flashbacks that slowed the pace and made the story felt long. but it was dense, everything was important and clear and made sense and understandable, though it required a lot of focus too because if i zoned off even for several seconds i'd lost the context.

this book made me reflect on the state of this world today. i felt anxious the whole time reading it. the world was cruel, the main characters were suffering, everything went wrong, hope is almost gone and there were no sign that the story would take turn for the better. it was stressful. the tension was constant, and i had no choice but to follow for the impending doom.

i didn't notice the Ashabul Kahf reference at first until my friend mentioned it and after that i couldn't stop thinking about it. it's genius.

this book ended in a cliffhanger and left me with a lot of questions. felt like this book was just the warm-up for the big main event that i'm sure will happen in the sequel. so yes i'm definitely anticipating the sequel. i hope it'll come with a map because honestly i found it hard to imagine the layout of the setting.

I was not in any way ready for the way this book flayed me open and tore me apart. I had heard incredible things, and I had a feeling it was going to be a powerful allegory for colonization, oppression, and living under occupation, something that is all too real. What I didn’t prepare for was just how close some of it would hit. How a few instances in the novel didn’t even FEEL like it was a story, so much as it was a headline from real life with the names just changed. How absolutely unforgivably EVIL some of the characters were, how despicable and unforgivably cruel to those they had power over.

The novel alternates between all these different POVs, all of which demonstrate people who exist in various positions of power and oppression within the hierarchy of the world Ali creates. She demonstrates complicity, the brainwashing of power, the fire and rebellion of the powerless, and the people in the process of unlearning what they’ve been told their whole life. I was moved to tears numerous times, moved to rage in others. The end of the novel gave me chills, a healthy dose of fear, a small glimmer of hope–which is so unbelievably crucial in a tale such as this–and I am on the edge of my seat to see what comes next. I could go on forever, but I’ll just end with this: easiest 5⭐️s in a long time. Do yourself a favor and read this.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

this book takes a while to build up but when it does??? It’s like watching puzzle pieces fall perfectly into place, the last parts of this book had me completely captivated and I CRIED my eyes out at the end. SK Ali proves that she can write any genre with this one and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel!

** 4.5 Stars **

Rasia is the daughter of the leader of Upper Earth, and is essentially betrothed to Lein, crown prince of the Lower Earth. Rasia is brought up to believe that the people of Lower Earth are dirty and corrupt, and that her marriage to Lein will help bring about an age of Peace and Enlightenment.
Nada & Nayf, Lein's cousins, have vowed to do whatever they can to stop the wedding between Rasia & Lein from happening. They believe this Enlightenment is just a way to control those from Lower Earth to keep funneling the last of their resources to Upper Earth and prevent any uprising.

This a beautifully written dystopian novel that really packs a punch. Dystopian novels took a nosedive as it felt like the genre was trying to ride off the coattails of series such as The Hunger Games or Divergent, but Fledgling was like a breath of fresh air. It was unique, but still brushes upon topics that are prevalent today. We are sucking the earth dry of her resources, the rich are getting richer at the expense of the poor, and our world-leaders are in on it. I also saw another review that drew parallels about the erasure of records by the murder of healthcare workers and journalists in the genoc1de against Palestine, and the killings of the Record Keepers of this universe and now I can't unsee it! Ali did a really good job touching upon horrific topics of our world today, and what our government would do to us if they could.

I really liked the idea of the scalplinks, and how for those of Upper Earth they're just a nice piece of technology that enhances their day to day. But we also see how ALIGN uses this technology for their own benefit - by means of torture and slavery, and their true and nefarious reasoning for bringing about the Enlightenment for those on Lower Earth.

Thank you to A. K. Ali, Penguin Group, & NetGalley for the eARC! I would LOVE to be considered for the sequel!

When Sajidah announced she was writing a YA dystopian/scifi book, I knew I immediately needed to get my hands on it. Everything I heard about this book leading up to its release made me more and more excited.

Fledgling is a chilling wake-up call to the present state of our world and what will become of us if we don't band together to fight for freedom and justice. We see a world ruled by the same capitalistic, neocolonial, genocidal powers that rule us currently. We see a world where every aspect of your life is under surveillance, from your actions to your very thoughts. We see a world where the rich rule the skies and the earth, exploiting resources for their own benefit at the cost of people's lives. All in all, it is our current life but taken up a few notches. It's a life that could very well exist in our future if we remain silent and complacent.

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of the Revolution by S.K. Ali is an exciting sci-fi dystopian that takes you on a tense journey through what is left of Earth and its inhabitants. After a cataclysm caused the oceans to rise and the land to sink, the world was divided into new factions: Upper Earth, the wealthy who live in giant cities in the sky; the Bridge, an industrial area between Upper and Lower Earth: Lower Earth, those who survived on the Earth’s surface; and the Underground, those whose homes sank below and eek out a living. This story follows a few different people from all walks of life as their lives converge and the Revolution begins.

Raisa is the daughter of an Upper Earth leader. Highly educated, pampered, and loyal to her father, Raisa accepts his arranged marriage with Lein, the crown prince of Lower Earth. This arranged marriage is supposed to bridge the ever growing tensions between them and unite them as they once were. However, when she arrives on Lower Earth, she learns that everything she’s been taught has been a lie. Now it is up to Raisa to help stop the impending “Enlightenment,” when all of Lower Earth will be joined with Upper Earth in a bid for control of not just the land but their minds.

Enter Nada, a newly released prisoner of Lower Earth and the granddaughter of the former leader. Nada has spent her years of imprisonment learning about the resistance and what the Enlightenment truly will bring. With her release, Nada has one simple mission: capture Raisa and bring her to the resistance, led by her long thought dead mother. But nothing is ever simple. Nada must convince Raisa she means her no harm and somehow evade Lein’s mercenaries at the same time which becomes even harder when one of those mercenaries is her beloved.

The story is told through a series of stories and points of view gathered by the record keeper. Each one is in third person, except for Raisa’s because she is not of Lower Earth telling her story and therefore not aware of their customs. I liked this aspect of the story. We see some events from different perspectives and others we get just one. It was easy to keep up with who was telling the story and when it all took place. It flows from one chapter to the next seamlessly. Because of the tension regarding the uprising, it also moves at a fast-pace. Honestly, I didn’t want to take breaks from reading because I was so invested.

Overall, I really enjoyed Fledgling. Raisa, Nada, and the other characters I didn’t mention in this review are fully fleshed out and easy to relate to. Being in each of their perspectives at different times helped me understand their motives and what drove them to certain actions. This is a duology, however the ending is satisfying ending at a point that feels natural for what is to come next. I highly recommend this one to fans of sci-fi.

Audiobook Note: I alternated listening to the audiobook and reading my arc. There are five different narrators for each of the main characters. I’ll admit this helped in keeping track of who was telling the story. While I enjoyed the female narrators, I struggled with both of the males. They sound very similar, both still good, just harder to tell apart then the females. I listened at my normal 2x speed. Overall I enjoyed the audiobook and would recommend it to those who prefer to listen.

This was an interesting read! I didn’t know that this was a dystopian novel! Even though dystopian novels are not my jam I still appreciate the read as the character development and story was balance along with the action! The only critique I had was that there’s not enough talk or info dump about the Record Keepers unless that’s for the next book! I find it hard to believe that there’s chapters are set up as Record Keepers but we get not enough information on it! Other than that a solid read for those into dystopian genre!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Fledgling is a dystopian story about two countries at war and the girl who gets stuck in the middle. Upper Earth is where the elite upper class lives. They live a lifestyle that is envious to others; very rich and priviledged. Lower Earth is quite the opposite, full of corruptness. Raisa of Upper Earth gets caught in between the two worlds when her father arranges a marriage for her to the Crown Prince (Lein) of Lower Earth, But, ever the dutiful daughter, Raisa accepts her father's decision in the hopes that it will bring peace between their two worlds.

Lein's cousin, Nada, just released from imprisonment, has her own ideas about how justice should be served. She's not convinced her cousin's marriage to Raisa is the right way to evoke a peace between the nations. Instead, Nada is set on starting a revolution that will give Lower Earth the freedom and power they crave.

With the two paths set in motion, Raisa goes missing the week before the wedding. The rebeles of Lower Earth, including Nada's brother Nayf, a fugitive on the run, are blamed for Raisa going missing. The Crown Prince wants his bride back and will stop at nothing to find her. But while he searches, Raisa and Nayf meet and are unexpectedly drawn to each other in a way they never expected.

Fledgling is a good dystopian novel. However, it was not as fast paced as I would have liked. There is a lot of political talk woven through the chapters about Upper Earth and Lower Earth that puts a stop to the action. It's a lot of back and forth, fighting over Raisa, learning about the revolution, political garb, and some action thrown in. Not a bad book but not my favorite either.

I liked this but didn’t love it unfortunately. I think that the concept was incredibly interesting, but the execution just fell flat for me. The characters were really one dimensional and I just didn’t care about them. The message within the book was strong and important, but it was just overshadowed by a lot of meh unfortunately.

exciting to see Ali dive into the fantasy genre! overall an enjoyable read but I wanted a little bit more from it. I think the plot needed a little more development but i liked the characters quite a bit.

Look, I am going to be honest with you. I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book. I thought that I had a general idea about it once I started reading it. As I kept reading it, the more conflicted I felt. I honestly don’t know how I feel about it, but I will give you my best impressions. 
When I started reading the book, I felt confused. I didn’t know what I was reading. The timeline kept changing, which left me wondering where this is supposed to be. And I didn’t know that there was going to be multiple POVs. There were too many characters to keep up. 
Once I got to understand more about the plot or general plot, I got more engaged in the story. I truly felt the pain regarding the society issues with each other and the characters issues with it too. But the pacing in the story was dragging. At first, it was rushed from the beginning, then it slowed toward the middle and then rushed way too much toward the end. It left me all over the place.
Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about this story. I know it has potential, but the pacing and the multiple POVs got to me.

Dystopian multi-pov book…sign me up! This book was so good. It takes a bit to get into this at first, like most fantasies. There is a lot layer together that all clicks. 4 star read.

Fledgling is a story that takes place in a future dystopian earth. The rich and powerful have made a floating land for themselves far above the devestation of the lower lands. There is an inbetween place called the Bridge that connects the two. The Lower Lands are jealous of the clean air and technology of the upper world, but the upper world is dependent on the lower world for food, animals and resources. Raisa is from the upper world, but her mother was from the lower world. She has been groomed by her powerful father to marry the prince of the lower realm and thereby help the upper world control everything, everywhere. Things are not as they seem and soon Raisa is caught up in a revolution.

The story is told from multiple points of view. Each chapter is someone different, with at least seven characters telling their side of the revolution. It was confusing to the point that if the story itself had not been so interesting, I would have given up. The book is for upper middle grades and older. There are scenes of abuse, torture and death. Child trafficking is hinted at, but not explicit.

I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book! I think I would have liked it better as a teenager, so it's definitely great for a ya audience. I liked that it was written kind of as a historical record with different personal narratives. It was unique in that way, with some PoVs in first person and done in third.

The premise and world building were very interesting. I think this book fits in well with the dystopian genre. Of dystopian is your genre, I'd definitely consider giving it a try. It reminded me a little of the Mortal Engines. I loved the record keeping concept and methodology. The ending was well written and leaves the reader excited for the next book.

Content: language, closed door s*x, de*th, abducting, mind control, pain and torture through mental device, manipulation, religious discussions, oppressive government controlling the narrative and changing history to suit their agenda

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

4.5

raisa of upper earth has lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. so, when her father arranges her marriage to lein, crown prince of lower earth, she accepts. though lower earth is corrupt and lein is a stranger, raisa knows this will be the push needed to unite lower and upper earth once and for all.

nada of lower earth, recently released from prison, is determined to disrupt the royal wedding. she’s sure that her cousin lein’s wedding will result in tyranny, so she sets out to spark a revolution.

i read and enjoyed love from a to z a few years ago, so i was very excited to read this book, though it belongs to a different genre! i also can’t get enough of YA dystopian novels, and luckily, this book did not let me down in that aspect. i was a bit scared by this book’s length at first, but this was so fast-paced that i got over that fear pretty quickly. overall, this was a wonderful novel exploring themes of peace, resistance, and preservation. i highly recommend this to YA dystopian fans and can’t wait for book two!

Fledgling by S.K. Ali is a unique YA dystopian fantasy brimming with fantastic world-building, storytelling, and themes of resistance, justice, and peace. I really enjoyed this novel to the fullest extent because it is such a unique take on a dystopian fantasy, some books in this genre can be repetitive and seem the same across the board but Ali did such an amazing job putting life in this story that it was an easy fun read. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and how they interconnected with the plot and gave more depth to the story. Filled with unexpected twists, believable characters, a romance that will both devastate and fill your heart, and the overall message to find and preserve the truth I believe that Fledgling will be a must-read for anyone who enjoys an unforgettable journey to a world devastated but with a spark of hope on the horizon.

4.5 - THIS WAS SO GOOD!! if you love dystopian/scifi/fantasy PLEASE read this!! The PERFECT dystopian book. The plot and world was so unique, I loved the themes and felt so connected to the characters. Genuinely I was so excited to read this book every day because I feel like it has been a long time since I have read a dystopian I have enjoyed this much!

In Fledgling, the world is divided into Upper Earth and Lower Earth. The government in Upper Earth wants its people to believe that the people of Lower Earth are poor and unintelligent, dependent on Upper Earth. The people of Lower Earth have been fighting back for decades, creating a revolution that is focused on controlling its own knowledge and records of its battle to seek justice and equality. The book follows an array of characters. The ones that really stood out to me were Nada and Musaid, who come from different castes in society but fall in love. Nada's life and perspective does a 180 when she is jailed at a young age and realizes the injustices she has been complicit in. I also loved Raisa's character, who really showcases the brainwashing that the people of Upper Earth are subjected to. I loved how her character transformed and she really came into herself, becoming a symbol for the revolution and fighting back against the life she was forced into.

This book explores so many important themes, especially in YA books, including the power of knowledge, control over information, and the power of love to overcome fear. I loved the role that knowledge and control over information had in the story, especially with certain characters playing the role of record keeper for the revolution, and others controlling the information decimated to the people. The characters were so complex. I genuinely cried at numerous scenes and found myself rooting so hard for some characters, while wanting others to get what they deserved. I am SO excited that this is a duology, because I absolutely need a second book NOW, and will be begging Penguin Teen for an early copy of the next book as soon as it is available. Definitely a top YA dystopian/fantasy/scifi book of the year for me.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the free early copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Fledgling is the first book I’ve read by S.K. Ali and I already can’t wait to see how this story ends. I’m really not sure how to describe the plot without wandering into spoiler territory so I’ll just recommend using the book’s blurb to get an idea of the story, but what I will say is what a combination: dystopian fantasy, romance, political intrigue, and adventure. The lore and world building are wonderful, the characters complex and engaging, and I found the storyline utterly engaging. And now the long wait begins for the second half of this duology. 4.5 stars. I’d like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Kokila, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Fledgling.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3G8YZFC1PVPXA/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

It's been a while since I've read a dystopian novel, but seeing it was by S.K. Ali, who's other books I have enjoyed, I decided to give it a try. The story has an interesting concept and good world-building, but it really affects the pacing which made it difficult for me to continue. I have dnf'd at 27% but will probably pick it up at a different time.

4.45!

"Tyranny rises because it is encouraged to rise!"

If you like Shatter Me, Red Rising, and As long as the Lemon trees grow, read this!!

I have only read one of S.K. Ali's novel (Love from A to Z) and she is the only author out these that had delivered on the perfect Islamic representation so I was certainly very excited to see where she would go with a dystopian sff and I was so impressed because she nailed it. I love how she wrote this book with such a diverse cast, gripping plotline and amazing prose. I think this hit a little harder considering the real world events that are happening right now and it reminded me very much of that, this book had me feeling the same way lemon trees and shatter me had me feeling, its not like the first two books but it has pretty heavy vibes that resemble them, The way the whole book is planned and set up and the build up till the end was so well done. I was so invested and it felt so satisfying to see it all build up and go to shit near the end. I cant wait for the next book ugghhh.

This book is a YOUNG ADULT novel and the way it's written is a little elevated for that genre but the story and the events that unravel fit well in there. There are themes of betrayal and twists that will catch you off guard. You will be so invested with this world. There are so many characters with their stories and reading how they all intervene together is so satisfying. So, if that's your thing check this out.

“By our records, shall we resist.
From our past, do we find our future.”

The characters were the best part, they were so well written and so different from one another. Nada and Nayf I loved these two siblings so much!! I wanted so much for them, they deserved so much better. The determination that these two had and the willingness to forego everything that they consider dear to them just for a better cause made my heart bounce of the walls. Raisa made me feel so much. She made me feel claustrophobic and she made me feel free, I loved how her character was portrayed and the role that she played in this cause. Musaid was easily my favorite character!! He was everything to me, such a loving, cute character who was willing to do everything for his love and the last chapters of the second last part had me on the verge of tears for him. Lein omg! I have literally no idea what to think of him, I tried to understand him, his past was a tough one but his actions dont justify it so hes in a black area for me. Khalda she was so kind and sweet, I loved reading about her story. Hasuf hes also in a grey area but I feel like there is more depth to his actions that will be explored later on!!

The way these point of views were written was so beautiful because all of them had me feeling something different, all these point of views offered different stories and I gave into their clutches. The way their stories got together, the way they contributed to the plot, the way everything was placed was perfect. The emotional aspect was there, the high stakes were there, betrayal was there and heart wrenching moments were there and they fit so beautifully together!! they will stay with me for a while for sure.

"How can anyone extinguish human life without a second thought?"

Worldbuilding and plot the setting, the world?? it was perfect for a dystopian novel!! It was so advanced and so well structured. The way it was described and written made it so much easier for me to imagine and the vivid writing style helped a lot as well. There are two earths. Upper earth and Lower earth. Upper earth is where the elite lass live and Lower Earth is ruled by a family from upper earth and they "govern" the lower class. I don't want to get into it much because I want you guys to have the same experience that I had but there is definitely some forced oppression and resistance following that and this how the story begins, its a little confusing at the beginning but you get used to it very easily!! The way the story progressed was easy to read and the events unfolding made it so hard not to stop it. the last 180 pages were absolute fire 5 stars through and through!!

The only reason why its not a 4.5-5 was because I still cant grasp the whole concept of record keepers and it bugged me a lot because they have an important role but I was confused by that. but besides that it was near perfection!!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!!

*Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse and S.K. Ali for an E-arc in exchange for an honest review*