Book Description Review “Mixing mythology with real historical atrocities like apartheid, this is a solid tale featuring diverse characters who reflect the real-world communities of South Africa” ― Kirkus Reviews”This novel will draw readers in with its high stakes and well-developed characters. […] A strong, character-driven work recommended for readers looking for dystopian fantasy with a social justice bent.” ―School Library Journal”A deftly crafted, impressively original, and inherently entertaining novel […]. The Thousand Steps will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to any high school or community library YA Fiction collection.” ―Midwest Book Review Read more About the Author Helen Brain was born in Australia in 1960 and raised in Durban, South Africa. After school, she studied music at the University of Cape Town. Before settling to a life writing and teaching writing online, she was a freelance journalist and editor, a screenprinter and crafter, and taught English, music, and Ancient Greek. A mother to three sons and grandmother to one grandson, Brain lives in Muizenberg, South Africa with her husband. Read more Customers Review: This is not my usual genre, but my daughter is a fan, so I checked it out. (She hasn’t read it yet). Ebba is a really likable character, and her sixteen-year-old friends all have distinct personalities: sweet and loyal twins (with the suggestion that one is gay); a feisty BFF who sees the world as black-and-white (figuratively); and a love interest who is missing, presumed dead, after being “culled” for standing up to injustice. The world is set in the future, after a nuclear blitz driven by greed, which forced the best and the brightest to send their children into a primitive “colony” where they’ve been raised as orphans and forced to create their own food and generate their own electricity. When Ebba is saved by the High Priest, who recognizes the importance of the amulet left to her by her mother, she discovers that the world is not bleak and lifeless, as the kids were taught, and the story picks up from there. The society Ebba finds herself in is basically still practicing Apartheid (the story is set in that area), so there are a lot of strong messages for young people about injustice and what is important. Woven in, is a story about a goddess, who is one of Ebba’s ancestors, and the book sets up the need for her to find the missing parts of the necklace to set the world back to peace, harmony, and natural goodness. It’s very well written and the author creates this world in a convincing way that is not (as I sometimes find with this genre) too confusing. Teens should be able to (and will want to) follow along easily. I’ve removed one star because unlike the Harry Potter books (for example), this one ends mid-scene instead of wrapping things up effectively so it can stand on its own. If I’d known that, I would have waited for all of the books to be published before starting. It also irks me to know this is a marketing ploy; the book is short enough that all volumes could have been published as a single set. Still, I’ll be keeping an eye out (if I remember!!!) for the next one. Recommend.
I got this book looking for some light reading similar to “Mockingjay” or “Divergent”. That was not what I got.Here is a tiny blurb from the back of the book. “Ebba is given enormous wealth and social power in a world best understood through mythology and the occult…. Helen Brain’s ecofeminist trilogy is a powerful commentary on how class, race, and social identity are foundational to the ways in which society is organized and power wielded.”I pretty much don’t like any of those words in that paragraph, so this book was a definite no for me only a couple chapters in.
oh wow, this one was good! The world is like post apocalypse and these children were sent underground into colonies to live on their own and survive on what they can find on their own efforts. Our main character is Ebba and when it’s discovered that she has something very important given to her by her Mother she is taken care of in a BIG BIG way. It’s just out of this world amazing to read this book and watch how much her life changes. It’s very well written with all the details you could ask for. LOVED IT.*If this review helped you make an informed choice about this product in any way I would appreciate it if you take a moment of your time and let me know by hitting the Helpful button and letting me know. I appreciate that you took the time to read my review, Thank you!*
THE THOUSAND STEPS is an odd book and not necessarily one I would have picked out for myself, but I jumped at the chance to get an ARC of the new reprint because the idea of a post-apocalyptic novel set in South Africa was intriguing.Ebba lives in an underground commune ruled over by a High Priest. They’re forced to work all the time and “cull” the people who can’t work or don’t meet their physical standards. Ebba is about to get culled herself when the High Priest glimpses the mysterious necklace she’s wearing around her neck. Suddenly, she’s whisked away and presented with a lawyer, who tells her that she’s actually an heiress and totes free to go, and oh, by the way, here are the keys to your plantation where you own acres of farms and servants.Obviously, the lies the High Priest was feeding her people about the overworld being uninhabitable were just that, lies. She is pretty quick to forgive him this, though, and develops a crush on his smarmy son, Hal, who wants to marry her. Ebba’s servants tell her she should avoid the whole family, but Ebba does what Ebba wants.And what Ebba most dearly wants in this book is to be stupid.It’s weird, because the writing style of this book feels like it’s for younger teens who aren’t going to question subpar world-building and bad character choices. In particular, I found this author to be reminiscent of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s work. But the topics– apartheid, eugenics, cults– are pretty mature and not really suitable for really young kids, in my opinion. I was kind of shocked about how brutal some scenes were, especially the culling in the beginning, when Ebba sees her friends die.This isn’t a bad book and I was able to finish and get some enjoyment out of it, but it’s a bit sillier than I like and the cliffhanger “read more” ending didn’t really impress me. After watching Ebba make so many stupid mistakes over the course of the novel, I would have liked some closure.Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!3 out of 5 stars
Loved this book, hope to see the next installments! The reading material is G rated, and would be great for teens. It is a post apocalyptic story that takes place after nuclear wars cause massive flooding, splitting continents. This story takes places in the remains of Africa, where parents hoping to save their children place the babies in the care of the government in a cave that was prepared in advance of the flooding. 16 years later, the life of one girl is rocked when she is brought to realize the shocking secret of the world outside.I personally don’t care for first person writing, but with only a few bumps the author made it work for me. Best of luck with the next installment! The ending of this is an exciting cliffhanger. |
7 reviews