DustRoad

DustRoad, the sequel to FloodWorld, begins with Kara joining up with a group of outlaws who want to destroy the Mariners (a community of people who live on the surface of the ever rising sea). The characters move between the Dust Road (the dusty, red, barren road through the country) and the watery flooded world of the Mariners.

It is a fast paced, adventure story with a mix of characters and locations from the previous book, as well as new ones being introduced as the story progresses. The action moves from London to the USA with the common theme of world-wide weather extremes. It has a dystopian feel to it, and it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see this world as our possible future due to climate change.

There are many characters from the last book including John Cortez, who is attempting to play a major role in shaping the future of this world, despite being imprisoned at the end of Flood World. He is unwittingly helped by his daughter, Cane, using a high tech file sharing technique.

There is an adrenaline-filled scene as Joe and Nate manage to escape in a plane they have stolen, despite the fact they don't know how to fly. They manage to figure it out, just in time to stop the plane plummeting into the bottom of the Grand Canyon!

There are some fantastic characters in this book both familiar and new ones, such as The Five, a sinister group of five identical men. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to my year 7s, but think it would be loved by years 5 and 6 equally.

256 pages / Ages 10+ / Reviewed by Amanda Westland, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 11+