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

- Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution (by S. K. Ali) 🕊️🧣📜

I’m not usually a fan of dystopia, I find it too depressing, which is why I was surprised to feel the opposite reading this book!
I found myself sinking into the pages while, with each chapter, unraveling the layers of an intricately built world and complex but lovingly created characters. And with its honest and bold depiction of themes relevant to the world today, it was a balm to the soul.

Set in the future, after environmental devastation reshaped the world. Society has been divided into: Upper Earth (a supposed utopia in the sky, built for the elite), Lower Earth (people struggling in the remains of a broken planet, ruled by one powerful family), and the Bridge (the land in between, reserved for the useful few).

The story follows characters from all across: the daughter of an Upper Earth leader betrothed to the crown prince of Lower Earth, a princess of Lower Earth pulled into a rebellion, a fugitive prince on the quest for truth, and a boy caught between duty and love.
My heart lifted and sank for these characters with everything they went through together and apart.

And unlike a lot of dystopian books, Fledgling doesn’t treat oppression as an aesthetic or just a backdrop for heroics. Instead, it truthfully reflects the dark realities and raw emotions of living under injustice and inequality, while drawing from a resilient faith in hope and in the power of each individual to create a better world. I found it a gem within its genre.

Threaded with intrigue and unexpected turns, emotional punches, characters that feel real, a romance that will both warm and hurt you, and an inspiring reminder to seek and preserve the truth… I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read an early copy!

Fledgling releases on October 8th! 🕊️

Thank you to PenguinTeen for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. LONG LIVE DYSTOPIANS. Fledgling felt like both a breath of fresh air, AND nostalgic somehow? It was incredibly well written, and I honestly couldn't predict what was happening, other than the fact that I was enjoying it. It also didn't play into many predicable tropes, so I appreciated that. I can't wait to read more from this author! 3.75 stars :)

S.K. Ali is bringing us back the Dystopian genre! I used to be so obsessed with dystopian books and here is another that has done that for me. This book was fantastic!!!

I am so happy that the dystopian genre is having a renaissance, and this book is everything that I love about the genre.

This author is a new one for me, and when I saw this book come across my social media feeds as well as in Netgalley, I thought I'd give it a try. And for the first few pages or so, I was really interested in it. But after a while I became a bit distracted with life stuff and when I tried picking it up again, I think I ended losing my interest in the story. So, I think I'll leave it unfinished for now, and later on when the book comes out, I'll pick it up again and give it another shot.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a chance at reading this book.

There is a story in here if you look really hard. It's just a messy narrative.

That's what Fledgling was for the 50% of the book I read. I like to blame it on the world building and what character is associated with what faction / resistance. Some people are Under Earth people who are working for those Above Ground and some are Above Ground working for Under Earth. Then you're not quite sure on why they're against one another besides a sentence here and there.

It's not very fluid to me. The romance is also flat. Like, these characters honestly have no sort of character besides what the story is telling you / wanting you know.

I had to abandon ship.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.