New Review! The Treemakers by Christina L. Rozelle, 5 Cranky Stars

An impressive debut novel from Christina L. Rozelle. Set in a dystopian future after a mysterious cataclysmic event, the main character of the story is named Joy. Joy, the emotion, is devoid in the soulless world she inhabits. 

Children are slaves, conscripted into the work force of Bygonne, where they work making metallic trees to keep their world from suffocating. i.e. People are literally struggling to breathe.

They work for a shadowy group of adults, both merciless and predatory. The children are both commodities and disposable. Devoid of any care, Joy becomes the mother figure, trying to extend some form of humanity in a bleak existence.

Joy is a story teller. She spins hope, love, and magic through her stories. Attempting to make sense of the world they inhabit, a world with plenty of dangerous secrets.

In Bygonne, however, hope can get you killed. So, too, can the attempt to liberate yourself from oppression.

Told through first person narration, "The Treemakers" is part environmental-warning and part bio-punk. 

I longed for more in this story. More reveal, more words on the page when I got to the end. It was an engaging read with just enough backstory and forward momentum to keep one interested.

Recommended for those who love YA and dystopian narratives. I'd also recommend this book to younger readers as well.