The Hill

February 1, 2021

Gr 7-10-Guided by a manual that teaches survival skills and paints boys as the enemy, the girls on an island are given assignments including hunters, suppliers, collectors, mothers, and smalls. These assignments are to prepare them for their departure at age 15 to the colony, a safe space on the Mainland, which is overcrowded and has been ruined by careless humans who have destroyed the environment. After a departure ceremony that sends all of the 15-year-olds to the Mainland, the oldest remaining young woman on the island, Wren, becomes Head Girl. As a collector, Wren scours the reclaimed garbage dump the hill is on for relics that can be repurposed for this band of survivors. When one of the girls goes missing, Wren and her friend Quinn trek through a forbidden area, where they come in contact with boys for the first time, and she begins to question the manual and what is really going on. Atmospheric and thought-provoking, this feminist dystopia features a diverse crew of survivors and a strong female protagonist who is smart and spirited. Chapter headers featuring excerpts from the manual are attention-grabbing and foreshadow the action. The gritty survival aspect of the island is sprinkled with just a pinch of romance. An intensifying pace keeps readers turning pages; as the girls prepare to take on the patriarchy, the conclusion is open-ended and alludes to a sequel. VERDICT An engaging read sure to appeal to fans of feminist dystopian novels, especially those with survival aspects, such as Rory Power's Wilder Girls.-Lisa Krok, Morley Lib., Cleveland, OH

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2021
An isolated group of girls is threatened when outsiders learn of their existence. Wren lives on the Hill on an island off the Mainland. The Hill was created by the Colony, an organization that has existed in secret for 67 years, training girls in survival skills using the Manual. The oldest resident acts as Head Girl, and each must leave when she turns 15. With a fresh Departure Ceremony over, Wren becomes Head Girl. Almost immediately, one of the girls under her watch goes missing. After learning she may have been taken into one of the forbidden forests, Wren decides to go after her, disregarding the Manual's warning that no girls can survive outside the Hill's boundary. She brings Quinn, who is the Lead Hunter and her best friend. As they move deeper into the forest, they discover more than they anticipated: They aren't alone on the island, and the Manual has been misleading them. Worse still, the Hill has been ambushed in their absence--and Wren's willing to give her life for her home. Lyrical writing and deep worldbuilding make for an immersive reading experience. A later shift toward constant action dampens the intrigue as character development falls off, but readers will be drawn back in by the promise of a sequel unraveling more secrets of the Colony. Wren is assumed to be White, and Quinn is Black. A captivating start with uneven follow-through. (Fiction. 14-18)

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February 15, 2021
Grades 8-10 In a dystopian world where all girls over the age of 15 must leave the relative safety of The Hill, a girls-only territory on a garbage heap, can one girl trust herself to lead the lost into a brave new world? Wren, the oldest and now the head girl, is in charge, making sure they all live by The Manual and that all the girls remain safe. But shortly after Wren's new job begins, a nine-year-old girl goes missing, leaving Wren to believe she's failed already. Alongside hunter Quinn, she delves into the forbidden Eastside Forest to find the girl. When they find a village of boys, both have to question all the things they've learned from The Manual, as they come to realize the truth behind The Hill and The Colony may not be as simple as they've been raised to believe. Bryan's first novel for young adults, from feminist imprint Dottir, hits all the right apocalyptic notes. A great pick for forward-thinking feminist teens.

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