Saturday 21 October 2017

Scavenger Girl: Season of Atchem by Jennifer Arntson (Scavenger Girl #1)

Firstly I would like to say a very Happy Birthday to Jennifer and happy publication day. And thank you very much for letting me be part of your author journey.

Jennifer Arntson
Author, dreamer, and sworn enemy of Caillou

Jennifer Arntson has a long history of crafting tales that people find unbelievable, but often true. As an observer of human and social development through the ages, a curiosity of faith, and dedication to the underprivileged of the developing world, Jennifer finds her creative outlet in stories and fables. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children, and a mini-farm of otherwise useless animals where the family eagerly caters to their every need.


Synopsis:

Stripped of their birthright and shunned by the people of Ashlund, Una and her family are forced to live on the fringe of society as Scavengers. When the family experiences a sudden change of circumstance, Una takes new freedoms, free from the Authority, her family and possibly her fate. Pulled between the life she's always known and a world where status and rituals are everything, Una struggles to understand a culture that has rejected her family and celebrates death. Time is running out and she can't stop thinking about what she fears the most: the coming of her womanhood and her subsequent price when she's taken to the Sellers Stage. As the Festival of the Three Moons draws near and she learns who she really is, will Una find the courage to do what it takes to ensure her family's survival, or will she find the faith to follow her heart?

My review:

I love a bit of fantasy and this book fits right into that genre. The synopsis I was sent didn’t give too much away which is how I kind of prefer to receive books. I can then really make up my own mind.

Right from page one you are thrown into the harsh world of Ashlund, where Citizens live by strict rules under the power of the priests and the threat of being excluded from the high society. On the other side of the coin you have the Scavengers (or Reclaimers). They live on what they can grow and find and make themselves. They also live in constant fear of being hunted, tortured and murdered by the Authority, who makes this their sport of choice.

Una is a teenage girl on the brink of womanhood, who has only ever known living as a Scavenger with her parents and two brothers. But things are starting to change. With the upcoming Atchem festival where girls are pretty much sold based on whether they are fertile or not, strange things start happening around her. She has dreams that too real; a horse they reclaim seems to understand every word she says.

And then there is Blue. The Citizen that pays Una the attention a lover pays to his sweetheart. And behind Una’s back a plan is being hatched between Una’s parents and Blue’s grandfather that would change her life forever.

But revelations within her own family threaten everything Una knows and she sets of on a dangerous path decisions that will shape everyone’s future. The bonds within her family are threatened and only her own instinct and understanding can stop a disaster.

I don’t want to give any more away. I loved the book and can’t wait for the next installment. A massive thanks to the author for sending me the book – I was very happy to share my review.

My rating: 5/5

Available to purchase from: free e-book on publication day 21/10/2017

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for picking it up! I'm overjoyed that you liked it. You know I'll be knocking again when Talium (book 2) is ready!

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