The Flicker

Starred review from July 15, 2024
For more than a year, Millie and her family have been hiding underground from the aftermath of the deadly Flicker, a solar flare that scorched Earth’s surface. After a scavenging mission gone wrong results in her stepfather’s death, Millie pledges to take her infant brother Sammy somewhere they can learn to survive nature’s new normal: South Carolina, home to Millie’s Seminole grandmother. Reluctantly accompanied by her white-cued stepsister Rose, Millie treks through a blistered Appalachia in search of her Indigenous roots. Along the way, Millie finds herself swept into a found family of survivors, becomes embroiled in Rose’s inquiry into a secret enclave, and must come face to face with a greedy, resource-hoarding organization called Hive. The palpable sense of futility that Millie feels in her pursuit of a better life for her and her siblings acts as a perceptive interpretation of tweens’ struggles to navigate contemporary societal upheaval. Meanwhile, incisive worldbuilding surrounding the climate collapse makes this middle grade debut a simultaneously cautionary tale and dystopian adventure in which Edgmon (Godly Heathens) showcases the unflagging power of community in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Ages 8–12.

August 1, 2024
In a world devastated by a solar flare, siblings embark on a perilous journey across a scorched landscape. Stepsisters Millie and Rose are alone, caring for their baby half brother, Sammy. They decide to join forces with a multiracial band of survivors calling themselves the Lost Boys--drama camp counselor Ben and his theater troupe--as they navigate the treacherous remnants of the Appalachian wilderness. The girls hope to reach South Carolina and Millie's maternal grandma, a Seminole elder. Millie's struggle to preserve her Seminole heritage amid the chaos contrasts sharply with Rose's attempts to suppress her grief and memories of her late daddy, who was white. Rose grapples with memories tied to her daddy's stories of the Sanctuary, a mysterious community of survivors he'd hoped to reach. As the journey progresses, Rose explores questions of gender identity. Their journey is fraught with danger, especially from the Hive, a sinister and exploitative corporate group. An encounter with the Hive becomes a matter of life or death for the Lost Boys and the siblings and leads to the shocking truth about the Sanctuary. The transformation from vulnerable children to resourceful young adults culminates in a dramatic confrontation with the Hive. Edgmon's middle-grade debut skillfully blends action and emotion, offering a compelling look at what it means to pull away from climate defeatism. A compelling coming-of-age story focused on cultural heritage, gender, and chosen family.(Post-apocalyptic. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from August 1, 2024

Gr 5 Up-Edgmon's (The Witch King) middle grade debut is a dystopian, anti-capitalist, Indigenous, gender nonconforming love letter to tweens. With the utmost respect for readers, Edgmon tells the story of Earth post-flicker, a solar flare that destroyed pretty much everything, through alternating-perspective chapters by recently orphaned stepsiblings Millie and Rose. Along for their quest is Corncob, their dog, and Sammy, their nine-month-old brother. They go to find Millie's grandmother, a Seminole elder, and The Sanctuary, a rumored place of protection. Opposing The Sanctuary is The Hive, a massive "e-commerce and information technology" hub hoarding resources and using overt violence to maintain a position of power. With the help of the Lost Boys and their reclaimed bus, Millie and Rose must find their purpose and survive in this postapocalyptic world. The writing is engaging, the plot is lively, and the social dynamics are believable, even when presenting lessons. Edgmon doesn't pull any punches with this book. There's talk of murder-even cannibalism-and not everyone survives. A few strategic "screw yous" and "hell yeahs" provide some weight and authenticity. Through a story with some genuinely frightening moments, Edgmon helps readers explore identity. After all, who are we after all the systems we've used to define ourselves crumble? Fans of Patricia Forde's The List will devour this one. VERDICT A first purchase for all collections serving middle schoolers and tweens.-Taylor Worley

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2024
Grades 3-6 A solar flare brings about an apocalypse, leaving stepsiblings Millie and Rose and baby half brother Sammy wholly alone in Appalachia after their parents both die. Running low on supplies, they set out to try to find their (hopefully) surviving grandmother, a Seminole elder, and along the way, they join a band of other kids who are also looking for survivors, maybe even relatives. As each chapter shifts perspectives between Millie and Rose, readers follow along with their coming--of-age moments as each begins to make decisions about a future they can barely dare to hope for. The dynamic between the siblings and with others is expressed not just with actions but by idiolect, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and upbringings of the different characters, all of whom are variously trying to navigate a dangerous new world while struggling with grief. The band of kids challenges stereotypes and one another to imagine an elevated society in which everyone can simply exist on their own terms. A cinematic post-apocalyptic adventure grounded in meaningful emotional growth.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
In this near-future dystopian novel, a solar flare has left a fraction of humanity alive. The book opens with Millie burying her stepdad outside their Appalachian bunker while her stepsister Rose looks on. Millie, who cheekily wishes that having a Native grandmother would give her intuitive survival skills, takes charge of their baby brother Sammy, with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and a lot of anxiety. Rose, a non-Native southerner, is impulsive, angry, and possibly neurodivergent. The novel's point of view switches between the two siblings, and readers may have to get used to the southern vernacular not only in dialogue but throughout the third-person narrative. Millie and Rose set out to find Millie's grandma, a Seminole elder in South Carolina -- though Rose has hopes of finding the Sanctuary, a coalition of survivors fighting the Hive, a lair of the mega-rich with a kill-or-be-killed mentality. The siblings encounter a group of kids their own age led by their former camp counselor, who drives a renovated school bus running on scavenged gas. Millie and Rose learn that living through the apocalypse means "we all just get to be whatever we wanna be. Whyever we wanna be it." Edgmon, who identifies as Indigenous and trans/nonbinary, has written an anti-capitalist, intersectional cautionary tale accessible to a middle-grade audience. Lara K. Aase

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
In this near-future dystopian novel, a solar flare has left a fraction of humanity alive. The book opens with Millie burying her stepdad outside their Appalachian bunker while her stepsister Rose looks on. Millie, who cheekily wishes that having a Native grandmother would give her intuitive survival skills, takes charge of their baby brother Sammy, with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and a lot of anxiety. Rose, a non-Native southerner, is impulsive, angry, and possibly neurodivergent. The novel's point of view switches between the two siblings, and readers may have to get used to the southern vernacular not only in dialogue but throughout the third-person narrative. Millie and Rose set out to find Millie's grandma, a Seminole elder in South Carolina -- though Rose has hopes of finding the Sanctuary, a coalition of survivors fighting the Hive, a lair of the mega-rich with a kill-or-be-killed mentality. The siblings encounter a group of kids their own age led by their former camp counselor, who drives a renovated school bus running on scavenged gas. Millie and Rose learn that living through the apocalypse means "we all just get to be whatever we wanna be. Whyever we wanna be it." Edgmon, who identifies as Indigenous and trans/nonbinary, has written an anti-capitalist, intersectional cautionary tale accessible to a middle-grade audience.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)