Skyward was such a good novel oh my gosh.

Worldbuilding: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The worldbuilding in itself was pretty good, I liked it and I enjoyed it. Out story starts in something called “The Establishing Compound” made up of a society of Elites and Less Thans. The Elites are the ones who live lavish lives and are raised as spoiled rich kids, and the Less Thans are the workers who support the Elites. The Less Thans are brainwashed from the start, and taught that Elites are above them in every way. Together both Elites and Less Thans live within the wall, and Emery, a Less Than, begins to think of what life must be like outside of the wall.

At first I thought the names were a bit off. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be naming an entire class of people “Less Thans” because it sounds like a very drab name. But then I realized that it was kind of the point. Make them have a boring name because they’re all supposed to be boring people. Mindless zombies that just do whatever they’re told and trained not to question orders.

As for what lies outside of the wall, it’s just the normal world. People who have been “released” by the Establishing Compound and been allowed to live freely outside of the wall. However, there’s a period of time before the wall was established and their were older people who were living to see it happen. Within the wall these people are called the “Old Ones” and they are cared for until they die. However I really don’t understand why they were there in the first place?

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You know that with most dystopian novels there’s always the main character who has to lead some sort of revolution to overthrow the government who’s oppressing everyone? Yeah, well that happens, but Emery Davidson (our main character) isn’t filling people full of arrows or calling herself the Mockingjay, or thinking she’s part of something other because she’s super aware of her surroundings. She’s just an ordinary girl who shuts down the system by pure determination and loyalty to the people that she loves. And she doesn’t have to flee off grid with 50 different types of weapons on a mission to assassinate the president. Y’know. She’s not like other girls (I’m sorry and I’m kidding lol). I thought dystopian novels weren’t good without everyone running around in black cargo pants and army uniforms shooting at each other but… here we are. This really showed me that you absolutely CAN make a non-violent dystopian novel that’s actually good. I think the thing is that this focuses on more emotional parts rather than physical. It’s super heartfelt and well written, and it’s very emotional. If you cry easily, then have some tissues ready.

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emery, Augustus, Daisy, they’re all solid characters. Emery especially, since we’ve got the story from her POV, and she’s such a thoughtful character. I liked her. She’s not particularly rebellious, per se, just curious enough to find loopholes and ways to escape the world she lived in. These characters were all perfect to convey the strong emotions in this book. The cover says “sometimes love is the best resistance” and once you read this book the characters really make you understand that. I even felt for the characters that were already dead. Now that’s good writing.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book, and I really love what Susan White writes. I hope you get a chance at check out Skyward on the Acornpress catalouge!

I recently read yet another #freebook entitled skyward by Susan white given to me from @digitallylit and @nimbuspub. This book follows our main character Emery who is a Less Than, raised behind a wall and under a roof that rarely opens, in a system that grooms some to be lowly and some to be Elite. When she is offered an assignment to take care of the Old Ones, she glimpses a world beyond the restricted one she has known.

She plans to escape with Augustus, who longs to see the farm he used to live on, and Emery learns much more about the system that kept her from ever seeing the sky—and about the beautiful, rich world she’s been kept from. She tastes food, sees trees, and uncovers her own past for the first time.

I thought this book was good. I personally enjoyed how it felt so real even though it is consider a dystopian novel. I really liked how emery was a rebel and how she wanted to learn more about who she was and where she was! I however found it really hard to get into and to keep my focus on the book. I thought the characters were very well written and thought about.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half /5

Skyward by Susan White is a great addition to the YA dystopian genre. I've read a book of White's before so I knew I was in good hands, and she did not disappoint.

Emery is a lovely character to follow as she learns about the world outside of where she was being raised and the truth of the walls and roof she spent her early life trapped by. I'm personally always drawn to characters whose journeys deal heavily with their sense of identity, so Emery resonated with me at multiple points throughout the book. Her friendship with Daisy was also one of my favourite aspects of the novel, and the two of them are easily my favourite characters - and there are lots of characters to love here.

If you love YA dystopias or have been looking to get into the genre, I'd definitely recommend Skyward.

I’ve just finished reading Skyward by Susan White, and wow! I was hooked from the first page right up until the last!

It’s a dystopian fiction, which is a genre I previously loved but haven’t read in a long time. It was so refreshing to get back into the genre, and what a great book to do it with!

I absolutely loved the relationships that all of the characters had, and how the book really showed the power, strength, and value of family.

Skyward is definitely one of my favourite books from Acornpress Publishing so far. It was written so well, and could easily be compared with the award-winning book The Giver