Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Epic, absorbing sci-fi saga with lots of food for thought.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FLEDGLING tells the story of a future in which most of Earth is uninhabitable after an apocalyptic event. Society has been divided into three unequal parts. The wealthy elite live floating above the planet in Upper Earth, people useful to Upper Earth live on the Bridge between Upper Earth and Lower Earth, where the majority of what's left of humanity struggles to get by. Raisa, who's 19 and daughter of the leader of Upper Earth's ruling council, is making a political marriage to Lein, son of Lower Earth's ruler. The people of Upper Earth hope the marriage will make those of Lower Earth more accepting of brain-implant technology that will make them more compliant and easier to exploit. Nada and her twin brother, Nayf, also 19, are members of the Lower Earth royal family but have been in separate jails since they were 12, for asking too many questions about their grandmother's death. While in prison, Nada has fallen in with Salwe, a rebel leader who will use any means necessary, including war, to prevent Lower Earth from receiving the implants. Nada, temporarily released from prison, agrees to try to thwart Raisa and Lein's wedding, but Nada has vowed that once that's done, she's going to find her brother, who also escaped prison and is on the run. While Raisa is on the way to tour Lower Earth as a way to introduce herself to the people, she's captured by criminals who want to deliver her to be sold at the bride market. Rebels save her, and the more time she spends with them, the more she starts to question whether she's on the right side or not. Everyone claims to believe in and want the same things, but they all have different ideas about how to go about them. So when their paths cross, how will they find out who the real Fledgling, prophesied to make the world better for everyone, is?
Is It Any Good?
This is an epic, sweeping imagining of a post-apocalyptic dystopia that's richly imagined and generously populated with fascinating characters. Fortunately, Fledgling has a list of characters in the front to help readers keep them straight, especially in the beginning. And there are many more characters not in the list who have big impacts on the story, too. Sometimes the messages feel a little preachy, and some aspects of the world can be a little tough to figure out. But there are a lot of issues in the story's themes that are very relevant for today, so it's a good way to get teens talking and thinking about technology and society. And sci-fi fans will also enjoy rooting for the teen characters as they learn about themselves and their world while fighting to make it better. The excitement builds across multiple narrators to a cliffhanger ending that will have fans eager for the next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Fledgling. Is it too much? Is reading about it different than seeing it in other media like games, videos, and movies? Can there be political change without violence?
Which characters stand out as good role models? How are humility and empathy important to the story? How does Nada's perseverance help others?
Technology and a climate-related apocalypse are important themes to the story. Has reading it changed the way you think about sharing your data, or what we can do about climate change and industrialization?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Humility , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Kokila
- Publication date : October 8, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 544
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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