Today, I’m pleased to share my reviews of two outstanding young adult novels, books 1 and 2 of The Newland Trilogy published by Resolute Books in 2023 and 2024.
I received ARCs of these two excellent novels, for my honest review. Here are my reviews of these first two books in the trilogy.
Repression Ground
This story is set in a nightmarish post-pandemic world in a country called Newland – which, we are to understand, is future England. The pandemic is known as “the Scourge”. Life prior to that is now known as “the Before” and the brainwashed inhabitants of Newland know nothing about the past – so this resonates with present-day “rewriting of history” by the propagandists of autocratic and tyrannical regimes. However, to my mind, the extent of their ignorance does suggest a time gap of several generations between the dystopian world of the story, and our present-day society.
This is a world of tight control, taken to extremes, and there are many graphic descriptions of relentless child abuse, psychological, emotional and physical, in a Training Institution known as “Ashton Training House”. Institutional abuse is rife here, in a society with a ruthlessly-enforced One-Child Policy using a squadron of NForce Officers. All electronic media is Prefixed with N for Newday – so we have NPhones, NSlates, NCom, NBook and NDOS 7 – Newday Operating System 7. I was delighted to see, however that one of the main protagonists has consummate skills in IT and is able to break into these systems!
The Party who control this society are inspired and motivated by their ultimate authority, the Illumen. Children in Ashton Training House are known only as Girl or Boy followed by a single letter of the alphabet and a surname composed only of the trade or business of their father. Everyone is judged entirely accordingly to their Productivity. Only when the children grow to adulthood as full Productives are they entitled to receive a name.
The Unproductive get removed to a mysterious and sinister location euphemistically known as the Home. Those who rebel find themselves in the hideous “Compound Think”. Within Ashton Training House, the children are punished by incarceration in The Think, supposedly to make them bring their views into line with The Party; but in reality, solitary confinement in a bare cold room.
The main protagonists are three teenagers: Amy, Carys and Jacob. The teachers in the Ashton Training House are mainly sadists: Miss Warden and Miss Principal, and many others. The institution’s gardener is also highly malevolent as are the majority of the adults who control the children, though Trainer One is a bit more reasonable and kind.
Jacob is an ally to Carys, has plenty of spirit and high technical gifts, and plans to mastermind their escape into The Outside where Carys hopes to go to the Home and find her parents (sent there years before).
How Jacob and Carys manage their escape, along with their friend Amy, and other friends they hope to rescue too, forms the thrilling substance of this story. They survive many crises, on several occasions slip the net despite traumatic recapture, and penetrate Compound Think to carry out more rescues. Along the way they start to have their eyes opened about past freedoms, the lies they have been told, the history that has been falsified and the propaganda they have believed. Ultimately they will discover the true nature of the Home, and what happened to their parents and all others who were taken there.
This is a tense and compelling novel – and it is strong stuff. For anyone sensitive about child abuse, or indeed with experience of it, this would make for a challenging read. The writing is sharp and crisp, and extremely vivid. The story made me re-think some of my own attitudes to control of human behaviour in a community. There is plenty to reflect on here, both about our present world, and about the possibilities ahead if certain paths are followed and extremists have their way. Highly recommended.
Rebellion Ground
This is book 2 in E.M. Carter’s YA Dystopian trilogy, and in this strong, tense, driving narrative, the author sends our three teenage heroes away from the authoritarian city and out into the areas devastated by the New Day regime, inhabited only by groups of rebels and dissidents who have learned to survive in harsh conditions.
When the trio save the life of an apparent stranger, they are lured back to the hellish Compound at the centre of Newland, where they meet the repulsive and chilling head of the regime. They are divided, then coerced into serving the regime in the glaring eye of Newland media. But not all of them: you will need to read the book to find out who escapes, and who has to face the dual challenges of physical survival and the cruellest betrayal of friends.
In this second book I found the comparisons with The Hunger Games were very strong, so it is safe to say that fans of that hugely successful trilogy will love this!
Highly recommended: a powerful story opening up to us one possible chilling future we may never believe will happen… but which we humans are perfectly capable of straying into without even recognising what we are doing.
Highly recommended novel from an inspiring author.
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About Me
Hello! My name’s Sheila and I write under the pen name of SC Skillman. I live in Warwick with my husband and son, and my daughter currently lives and works in Australia.
I was born and brought up in Orpington, Kent, and have loved writing most of my life. I studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and my first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC. Later I lived for nearly five years in Australia before returning to live and work in the UK.
My output includes mystery fiction, and historical and paranormal nonfiction. Each of my nonfiction books is illustrated by 100 original full colour photos, mostly taken by myself, and others by my son and daughter (both talented photographers!)
In March 2023 I was the Nonfiction Adjudicator at the Scottish Association of Writers Annual Conference in Glasgow. I’m a member of the Society of Authors and the Association of Christian Writers.
My nonfiction books on Warwickshire are published by Amberley and include Paranormal Warwickshire, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire and A-Z of Warwick. I’m now researching a fourth book for Amberley: Paranormal Gloucestershire. I also have a new contemporary fantasy novel in progress, called Director’s Cut.
In addition to my published books, I blog weekly on scskillman.com about books and films I love, people and places of inspiration, life, spirituality, history and travel.
I’m also a public speaker and have spoken to many groups and organisations about Paranormal Warwickshire, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire, the quirky tales of Warwick, the art of writing nonfiction, and the power of story. Do get in touch with me if you’d like a speaker for your group! And if you’re a regular reader of these blog posts and would like to support my writing journey, please buymeacoff.ee/scskillman.
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