Dust - by Alison Stine (Hardcover)

About the Book

When her reclusive family relocates to climate-ravaged Colorado, sixteen-year-old Thea, who is hard of hearing, finds community and potential love with Ray, a Deaf boy.

Book Synopsis

"An immediate classic that holds its own alongside the greats of American Literature, Dust brings the haunting echoes of our past to a weather-beaten future. Every word of Dust is as familiar as a childhood friend. You understand--instantly--that you will carry it with you for the rest of your life." - K. Ancrum, award-winning author of The Wicker King

In this haunting, speculative coming-of-age novel about finding your place in an unforgiving environment, a partially deaf teen questions everything she knows about family, love, and her future.

After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends--all due to her parents' fear of the outside world's dangerous influence.

But to make ends meet, Thea is allowed to work at the café in town. There, she meets Ray, who is deaf. Thea, who was born hard of hearing, has always been pushed by her parents to pass as someone who can hear. Now, with Ray secretly teaching Thea how to sign, she begins to learn what she's been missing--not just a new language but a whole community and maybe even a chance at love.

Review Quotes

Tome Society Book Award Winner
Longlisted for the Reading the West Book Award
Ohio Book Award Finalist
High Plains International Book Award Finalist

Goodreads, "What to Read in December"

Lit Hub, "December's Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books"

Book Riot, "The Best New Book Releases in December"

AV Club, "10 books you should read in December"

Paste, "Best New YA for December"

"Stine has penned a compelling novel about love and a world decoded with new language." - Los Angeles Times

"Through skillful prose, Stine weaves together the threads of Thea's coming-of-age story... The narrative builds a creeping sense of dread like a gathering storm. Gripping and emotional." - Kirkus

"A thoughtful, sincere exploration of climate change and disability, one which captures the longing, confusion and hope of the teenage experience in a realistic and heartwarming way." - BookPage

"An atmospheric, speculative exploration of climate change through the lens of one deaf teen's experiences." - Publishers Weekly

"Gives many readers an idea of how hearing loss works and how the inability to hear impacts not only the teen but also their friends and loved ones.. This coming-of-age novel is poetic with vivid descriptions and comes highly recommended." - School Library Journal

"[A]n appealing book ... an excellent job with setting and characterization." - Booklist

"A compelling narrator...A thoughtful author's note describes Stine's own struggles with growing up
trying to make sense out of hearing only some things, lip reading, and having to fill in
those blanks to navigate a sometimes unaccommodating world." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"An immediate classic that holds its own alongside the greats of American Literature, Dust brings the haunting echoes of our past to a weather-beaten future. Every word of Dust is as familiar as a childhood friend. You understand--instantly--that you will carry it with you for the rest of your life." - K. Ancrum, author of The Wicker King

"Dust by Alison Stine is an arresting imagining of rural life in an alternate history in Colorado. The main character, Thea sits between worlds: of the hearing and deaf, belonging to both. Dust shows us that one brave person like Thea can impact an entire community and therefore the planet. The startling novel sits between the past and future and is both a poetic warning and inspiring story about the precarious choices we make as a species and our connection to the planet. Its message is clear: that if we just listen to the planet, really understand what Earth is saying, that we might just make the right decisions after all. Dust is a stunning novel of equal parts poetic beauty and timely warning. This is a must read! - Olivia Chadha, author of Colorado Book Award winner Rise of the Red Hand

"Despite its isolating and deadly setting, Dust is ultimately a story about all-consuming hope. Stine deftly navigates the realities of a deaf teenager finding community and belonging. A gripping, moving read." -Lillie Lainoff, author of One for All

About the Author

ALISON STINE is the author of the adult novels Trashlands, longlisted for the 2022 Reading the West Book Award, a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award, and longlisted for the 2022 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, and Road Out of Winter, winner of the 2021 Philip K. Dick Award. Alison lives in Colorado. Dust is her young adult debut novel.