The Danger of Small Things - by Caryl Lewis Hardcover

Book Synopsis

A teen uses her art to protest injustice and galvanize others to resist in this "suspenseful...lyrical" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) near-future dystopian novel about girls finding their voices in the darkest of times, perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale and Girls with Sharp Sticks.

The whole world rested on a single bee's wings...until that last honeybee died, and the balance of the universe tipped. Now, famine and war rage across the land. People are no longer allowed to read or create art. They are forbidden to believe in the existence of love.

Like every other girl, Jess has been taken from her home to live in a government dormitory, where they are forced to pollinate crops by hand with brushes. But unlike the others, Jess knows how to read and paint--and she knows that brushes aren't meant for pollinating.

Jess is her mother's daughter, with a strong streak of rebellion that even the harshest punishment can't stamp out. She knows there is something horribly wrong with this system built on the hard labor of young girls, a system that forces them to marry and have children as soon as they are able. With smuggled paints and brush in hand, can Jess inspire a revolution?

Review Quotes

"[M]uch of the society in which Jess lives feels like an unsettling extension of current trends, an environmental excuse to strip away all body autonomy from teen girls, ban education and artistic pursuits, and further sharpen divisions of power. The fact that a teen artist with a rebellious streak may be the best hope around is inspiring . . . readers may be left feeling tentatively hopeful by the ending, and a powerful author's note calls on teens to pursue environmental changes where possible and to embrace imagination and art as small revolutionary acts in themselves."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

* "Jess's first-person narration teems with rich, metaphorical imagery . . . . Art emerges as a powerful agent for change and emotional restoration, and shocking reveals add to the suspense. . . . A suspenseful storyline and lyrical narrative voice make this a standout."--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

About the Author

Caryl Lewis is an award-winning Welsh novelist, children's writer, playwright, and screenwriter. Her breakthrough novel, Martha, Jac a Sianco, is widely regarded as a modern classic of Welsh literature and sits on the Welsh curriculum. The film adaptation (with a screenplay by Caryl) won six Welsh BAFTAs and the Spirit of the Festival Award at the Celtic Media Festival. Caryl's other screenwriting work includes BBC/S4C thrillers Hinterland and Hidden, and she's also the author of The Danger of Small Things. She is a visiting lecturer in creative writing at Cardiff University and lives with her family on a farm near Aberystwyth.