By S. J. Baker (author)
"This thought-provoking YA dystopian thriller sees two relatable teen protagonists battle to resist an oppressive regime."
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October 2024 Debut of the Month
Set in a near-future version of Britain, S. J. Baker’s Calm sees a society populated by (mainly) compliant citizens who’ve undergone The Calm to lead apathetic, emotionless lives: “The Calm is both their strength and their weakness. Citizens are co-operative, yes. Comfortable lives — few worries.
But people are sluggish. They do what the Servants want, but they are not alert. They do not keep their eyes open. They do not notice. They do not care”. Citizens’ dispassionate compliance is maintained by the state infiltrating the nation’s water supply.
Setting a suitably sinister vibe from the off, the novel opens with an arresting scene that puts you right into its dystopian world: “Failure to report Resistance is a serious matter, Owyn…You know that. Compliance is the cornerstone of our society”. And so Owyn, an orphan who feels the jolt of Resistance run through him, is sent from school, with a note thrust upon him by a teacher urging him to “Leave now”, ominously warning, “If you stay, you’ll be lost”. Like thousands of others, Owyn lost his parents in the Great Calm.
Then there’s 14-year-old Tiegan, whose Resistor parents have been taken, leaving her to take care of her little brother. Despite always knowing her family was different — and aware that “difference was dangerous” — the true reality of the dangers of their Resistor status hits harder when they’re forced to go on the run.
Thought-provoking on themes of state control, resistance, and finding the courage to fight for freedom, Calm also explores the value and power of emotions. Oh, and it also happens to be a first-rate page-turner.
In a near-future Britain, society's calm façade conceals a sinister truth: the state maintains its control by meddling with the nation's water supply. The result? A population lulled into apathy. Lulled, apart from a courageous few known as the resistors.
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New resistor Owyn joins lifelong Resistor Tiegan in a fierce quest for freedom. Spurred on by the promise of a mass resistance, they ignite a chain of events that shakes the foundations of Britain's oppressive regime.
One thing is clear: the price of freedom is higher than they ever imagined.
S. J. Baker teaches English in a secondary school in Hull, where she does her best to pass on her own love for reading and writing to her students. Books have always loomed large in Ms. Baker's life, so it was perhaps inevitable that after completing a degree in English Literature at Cambridge she should train as a teacher and spend her career sharing her love of story-telling with young people. Reading aloud to her own children as they grew up confirmed her in the belief that we learn much about life and how to live well from the books that we read. She lives in East Yorkshire with her husband and two exuberant black Labradors.
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In a near-future Britain, society's calm façade conceals a sinister truth: the state maintains its control by meddling with the nation's water supply. The result?
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Calm and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Calm features in the following genres: Featured Books for 13+ readers, Featured Books for Young Adults, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Science Fiction, Thrillers, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £8.99, down from the £9.99 cover price. In Stock.
Calm was written by S. J. Baker and published by Troika Books
£8.99, reduced from £9.99. In Stock.
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