Starred review from September 20, 2021
After handily knocking over a bank to settle a debt, red-haired, gimlet-eyed Scarlett McCain—“no ties, no allegiance”—disappears into the woodland wastes between England’s Surviving Towns with a rucksack full of cash, her prayer mat and cuss-box, and “little to worry about.” When she comes across the aftermath of a terrible bus accident, however, she encounters in the vehicle’s toilet cubicle the incident’s sole apparent survivor: seemingly clueless youth Albert Browne, bony and bright-eyed. Scarlett begrudgingly agrees to accompany Albert to the next settlement, but the appearance of bowler-hatted trackers sets off a reluctant partnership between the cued-white protagonists that sees them pursued over land and sea across a postapocalyptic, flooded Britain that’s menaced by plague, enormous water monsters, ghastly cannibals called the Tainted, and Faith Houses “on the watch for any kind of deviation, be it physical or moral.” Some elements feel less sensitively rendered than others, but Stroud (the Lockwood & Co. series) expertly builds flawed characters, cahoots close and tender, and a fully realized setting in this rollicking series opener, employing arch phrasing, witty rapport, and quick pacing alongside the brutally rendered truths of a world intent on controlling outlaws of every type. Ages 10–up. Agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House on behalf of Veronique Baxter, David Higham Assoc. (U.K.).
Starred review from May 27, 2022
Gr 5 Up-Scarlett is an outlaw who survives by robbing banks. While trying to get away after her latest heist, she encounters Albert Browne. Browne is the sole survivor of an accident. The two join forces to escape their enemies. While running, they find a disjointed, dystopian England with a twist of the Wild West. Will they succeed? Sophie Aldred is an expert narrator. She perfectly intertwines the various story elements and themes. Her unique British accents for each character are phenomenal and make the complex characters easy to tell apart. Her pacing and tone match the current events and pacing of the story. The plot is enthralling and full of action and adventure. Together, the narrator and author make it impossible for listeners to put this book down. The main characters are cued white. VERDICT This is a must-read that will make listeners wish book two was already available. It is a perfect pick for middle grade and YA alike; fans of Stroud's other work, as well as of fantasy, action, and adventure, will want to pick this one up.-Jessica Moody
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