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Blight by Alexandra Duncan

Monday, January 23, 2023

When an agribusiness facility producing genetically engineered food releases a deadly toxin into the environment, seventeen-year-old Tempest Torres races to deliver the cure before time runs out.

From the author of the acclaimed American Booksellers Association’s Indies Introduce pick Salvage, which was called “Brilliant, feminist science fiction” by Stephanie Perkins, the internationally bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss. This stand-alone action-adventure story is perfect for fans of Oryx and Crake and The House of the Scorpion.

Seventeen-year-old Tempest Torres has lived on the AgraStar farm north of Atlanta, Georgia, since she was found outside its gates at the age of five. Now she’s part of the security force guarding the fence and watching for scavengers—people who would rather steal genetically engineered food from the Company than work for it. When a group of such rebels accidentally sets off an explosion in the research compound, it releases into the air a blight that kills every living thing in its path—including humans. With blight-resistant seeds in her pocket, Tempest teams up with a scavenger boy named Alder and runs for help. But when they finally arrive at AgraStar headquarters, they discover that there’s an even bigger plot behind the blight—and it’s up to them to stop it from happening again.

Inspired by current environmental issues, specifically the genetic adjustment of seeds to resist blight and the risks of not allowing natural seed diversity, this is an action-adventure story that is Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake meets Nancy Farmer’s House of the Scorpion.

Goodreads Summary

This book's dystopian plot was very enjoyable and a very different take on the topic that didn't involve a virus or biowarfare. The main character, Tempest, could have used more expansion on her character. I was rooting for her, but there were more than a few situations where I felt like she was too stupid to live. The author slowly builds up to the big reveal. I did like the thoughtful exploration of the setting and minor characters. The novel was a fun read in that it made me go back to google and look into seed diversity and the manipulation of crops. I like discovering books that make me think and read into a subject that I otherwise wouldn't have bothered to look into. 

The book itself was fast-paced and somewhat scary, at times. The ending was both confusing and satisfying. I had many more questions than answers, but I appreciated that the author seemed to focus on the most meaningful plot holes to the reader. 

4 Stars

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