Living in a post-apocalyptic land where water is scarce, Delta struggles to interpret the map carved on her back that will lead to a land of plenty. Will she find it in time?

Reading this will bring to mind images of Mad Max or even Waterworld. Like the former, the world is a wasteland that suffers devastating dust storms. Like the latter, a girl has a map tattooed on her back that provides clues to a possible safe haven.

Delta lives in the post-apocalyptic world where the few people who have survived are desperate for water. As she searches for the Verdant, a safe haven that is rumored to exist, she becomes enmeshed in the isolated towns that have managed to band their populace together in a last-ditch effort to survive. One of these towns enlists workers using drugs to keep them enslaved. This is where Delta’s mother and her handful of friends have been taken.

On the road to find help, Delta meets up with cutthroats who would sell her. But she also crosses paths with Asher, a young man she once cared for but who has long been considered dead. The reunion is not the celebration she expected. Instead, he may be aligned with her enemy. She feels his betrayal very deeply but Asher also has a matching map on his back and the need to work together becomes ever more apparent.

Bowman’s arid world of desperate people is not unlike the settings of numerous other futuristic tales. Besides the barrenness, there’s a hopelessness that permeates the novel. Delta is the lone figure of hope. Her determination to save her tiny community and free the drugged workers is truly a David and Goliath scenario. Her character is well-drawn and the story has appeal, even if it isn’t totally inventive.

Dustborn definitely feels more like you're being peppered for a series, not a standalone, so in that respect it's a disappointing read only because there's clearly aspects of this book that needed more exploration. Things that would most certainly get ironed out over the course of two or three books.

That being said, what's in-between these covers is mostly good, Fury Road/Waterworld/100 comparisons notwithstanding. Erin's ability to make you feel the environmental conditions Delta and the rest experience is the strongest aspect of the story. You feel the heat, the cold, the sweat beads, the sunburns, the wind, and most especially the thirst...you feel every bit of it as strongly as they do. The downside is that she doesn't explore the space enough, with geography taking a bit of backseat to convenience as all the landmarks feel way too close to have them not factor more into the narrative. And the passage of time is mostly a blur as they measure it in moon cycles, something I'm sure most folks have no idea about, although is an easy fix with a quick google search.

The aesthetic is familiar yet pleasing but ultimately falls flat as a story, where it's just too much of been there done that. It's a confusing mix of the above mentioned properties that is so on the nose it's distracting at times. The good news is that the character work is strong and creative as she populates the wasteland with an intriguing populace, but again, not breaking too much ground here. But I did find myself rooting for them, especially Delta, even if the romantic angle felt a little too easy.

Overall, I recommend this book if you happen to enjoy the wasteland/western motif.

Absolutely fantastic young adult fiction. It reads as a dystopian novel with fantasy vibes but also had some excellent reveals at the end, that were surprisingly thought provoking. This book will definitely have wide appeal. As the blurbs promise, there are definite Mad Max and Hunger Games vibes. The main character is also fierce badass that I could not help but root for. I think this book will appeal to adult readers of the genre as well.

Just hearing that this is a post-apocalyptic western was enough to get me hooked and this book didn’t let me down. Dustborn was the perfect standalone in a lot of ways. The story and pacing are great with the length of the book and I found the characters well-developed and the world great.

I really liked Delta. Her determination to stick to her original goal and frankly her flaws made her very realistic. She refuses to abandon what she wants even if it hurts the people around her. She is also very dynamic, her life and the ways she looks at her world completely changes. Asher was another favorite. I loved seeing how he and Delta interact. Honestly, all the characters are great, Bowman never throws in a flat undeveloped character.

One of the best parts of this book is the way it feels. Dustborn is a gritty, struggle for survival, we are all on our own sort of book and I loved that! It made the story so interesting knowing that the characters had to overcome the challenges and find a solution or they had no hope.

Dustborn is an interesting and fast-paced book about what people will do to survive in a hopeless world and I highly recommend it. Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group for the E-ARC and keep an eye out for Dustborn by Erin Bowman when it releases April 20, 2021!

An engaging post apocalyptic page turner. Wonderful world building and relatable characters, this YA novel will appeal to a broad range of audiences.

Postapocalyptic ranks as one of my favorite genres, and I’ve been wanting to read this author for a while. And behold that gorgeous cover!

In Delta’s world, water and food are scarce. The Wastes is barren and unforgiving with sweltering daily temperatures. Geomagnetic storms and dust storms are regular occurrences and can last for days. After her pack (the community of people she’s lived with for years) is taken, she sets out on a quest to find them. It’s not an easy journey, and the odds are nowhere close to being in her favor. For most of the book, nearly every decision she makes is based on saving her pack (which includes her mother) from the General. Anyone could understand her motive, but her pack is introduced briefly at the beginning of the story, and they have very little interaction with Delta. I never felt like I knew them, which made it difficult for me to care about them as much as she did.

Delta is clearly a survivor, but she’s so blinded by her need to find her pack she doesn’t see the consequences of her actions or the domino effect they could trigger. Luckily, she meets some characters along the way that help her see the broader picture and put things into perspective. By the of the story, she’s undergone a tremendous amount of growth and has a wonderful character arc.

There’s a jaw-dropping plot twist I doubt most readers will ever see coming – possibly a couple. One is such a gamechanger I wish more time had been spent on it. With Dustborn being a standalone, I think it could easily have been made into a duology to delve deeper into this significant development. I sure wouldn’t have minded reading another book set in this intricately crafted world.

This book gives off some Mad Max and Waterworld vibes with a splash of Western, so if you’re a fan of those movies this could be the novel for you. It’s a dark, brutal adventure that hooked me from the beginning.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Dustborn is a fast-paced YA post-apocalyptic standalone. The story is unique and fun and has loads of Mad Max vibes.

Water is extremely limited and there are dust storms and our protagonists mentions never having seen a tree before. Everyone is hoping to one day find <i>The Verdant</i>, a city said to be a lush and green paradise. In order to one day find their way to this paradise, Delta is branded with a map to <i>The Verdant</i> at a young age. The only problem is that no one know how to read the map.

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed but most of just felt really <i>okay</i> to me. I enjoyed the vibes and the setting of the story. I enjoyed the twist, although i believe it should’ve been given more time to develop.
There was a part about 65% in where our MC senselessly kills an animal and that really upset me. Animal cruelty in books is just so unnecessary.

I do think this could’ve been a duology, the second book starting right after the twist, where the author could’ve explored the lore/history of the land and what happened to the earth all those years ago. When we finally learned what happened, it was done too fast and felt a little rushed.

Overall, it’s a pretty good book and one I would recommend to those interested in post apocalyptic stories.


Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s book group for the e-arc!

I couldn't finish this. It didn't make sense or wasn't believable on may levels: not the characters, not the world (or the spaces), not the travel, not the character relationships.

I'll preface my two-star review with the comment that I thought this book was okay, and I would definitely recommend it to some YA audiences. Its dusty, gritty, and desert aesthetic is something I'm always drawn to in a novel. With great excitement, I picked up this book . There's a few common tropes you'd find in any gritty YA book, and I typically forgive those. However, as I continued through the story, there seemed to be more and more plot hole questions I never found an answer to. Characters seemingly make random decisions around the main character with not much explanation, and it propels the main character forward, and that started to dampen my immersion in the story. Towards the end, there's an (in my opinion) unnecessary scene of animal cruelty and death, and it really soured how I looked at the rest of the book. I figured it's probably to show how desperate and rash the main character is in that moment of the story, but I think there are better ways to show it. However, by that point, I was hooked enough in the setting and worldbuilding itself that I wanted to know how the story ended. I didn't completely dislike this book, and my favorite part of this novel was the aesthetic and the world building, and I was very interested in the mystery that the main characters unravel throughout the novel, even if it felt a bit predictable at times. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a post-apocalyptic YA survival book.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review, this review will be posted on Goodreads and shared on my Twitter.

Delta has just lost her sister to childbirth and is struggling to care for the daughter left behind when she discovers that her village has been burned and her family taken. She sets out with the baby and is captured to be sold as a slave. She is about to be beaten because she resisted the baby being taken when it is discovered she has marks branded on her back. She has always been told to show it to no one. Now her secret is out and she has to get away. Will Delta be able to decipher the marks and save the people from her village? Is there anyone that Delta can trust as she seeks these answers?

Dustborn is a stand-alone post-apocalyptic adventure. This story pulled me in right away and I was invested in Delta and the world she lived in. Readers will love the back story that slowly unfolds and the strong female protagonist is a force to be reckoned with. Bowman weaved tidbits of the answer throughout the storyline and when Delta discovers the truth, most readers will have an a-ha moment with her. I loved that the story is complete and I believe that readers will be satisfied with how everything ended.

CW: death during childbirth

Ahhhh Dustborn was so freaking good! Though I knew what I was getting into with a book by Erin Bowman. Dustborn was exactly what I was after. A bit of Fury Road, a bit of The 100 (esp S2), and a whole lot of post apoc sci-fi Western goodness. Throw in a childhood friend (Asher) whose motivations are suspect and I'm hooked.

The world building is epic-level and, for me, steals the show: brutal and harrowing, and quite possibly my favorite thing about the book. That, and Delta, our protagonist. Her sister dies during childbirth, and Delta must now care for the kid. Needless to say she has it rough (of course she does >> see previous bit about the unforgiving world) but she's a fighter, even when the ever-rising stakes are against her. I liked Delta from the start.

A fun read with great twists and a satisfying ending. 4 stars!

This is a story about Delta, a girl struggling to make it on the wastes, where nothing grows and water is scarce. It's a story about how she loses everything. About how she goes in search of what she's lost and ends up finding so many unexpected things. 

Dustborn is full of action and emotion, and I was glued to my e-reader from start to finish. Bowman does not pull any punches, and she doesn't force Delta into any boxes. Our protagonist is strong but fallible, motivated but sometimes hopeless, and the world Bowman built for her story is vivid and unforgiving. 

This book gave me Life L1k3 vibes, with just a hint of Hall of Smoke, but the story is entirely its own. Don't miss this one!

Dustborn is a young adult post-apocalyptic story where clans scrape for survival in a water-starved world.

Delta of Dead River is supposed to hold the key to locating a water-filled paradise that will lead to salvation. Powerful people want to use her for their own ends but she's most concerned with saving her clan at any cost. The secret of paradise isn't actually what anyone had expected.

The world itself is probably the shining light of this book; it's well developed and easy to visualize. The politics are pretty straight-forward. It is kind of run-of-the-mill post apocalyptic with Walking Dead vibes (minus the zombies, plus devastating magnetic geostorms). Plots go in unexpected directions. I wanted more backstory to a lot of the bigger characters, especially the villains.

Overall, this is a fun concept with an interesting world but it could use some extra character development to make it truly come together. Still enjoyed it though.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reminiscent of Mad Max and Star Wars; The Force Awakens, Dustborn is a epic adventure set in the backdrop of towering mesa, sand storms, and the blistering sun.

With an ancient map to a fabled paradise branded on her back, Dustborn tells the story of Delta, a girl trying to survive in the desolate desert wasteland she calls home. That is until the general discovers Delta may hold the key to the paradise he so desperately yearns for he takes her family and pack hostage and gives Delta an ultimatum. Learn how to read the map and lead me to it’s paradise, or your whole pack will die. With the lives of others on her shoulders, Delta sets off on her adventure across the wastes to try and discover a secret that has marked her skin her whole life and may be the only way to save those she loves.

I really enjoyed reading this one so let’s start with what I enjoyed about this. What I loved most about this book and what I think really leaves a lasting impression is the setting. Erin Bowman has really gone all out to bring this desert land to life. From all the different locations we visit in the book, each one jumps off the page and really feels alive. I could visualise so clearly the natural landscapes of sun bleached rock formations, sand dunes and ramshackle towns. The concept of this story was also really good. I loved the idea of what we think of as modern day technology is actually old relics to our characters within this novel. I loved following Delta on her mission to find out the secret to the fabled paradise and having to cross such a barren and dangerous landscape.

The book started out with really good pacing and I was really along for the ride in the first 100 pages or so. But once I hit the romance it really started to slow down for me as I feel like the romance halted the story just so it could be fitted into the plot line. I actually found Delta a much more engaging character at the start of the book when she was really adrift on her own. I think her character held more presence compared to when more characters kept getting introduced which is where hers seemed to take a back seat. That brings me to the point of that I wish we had more character development which I guess could happen in a sequel if there is one planned. I also did find the ending a bit disappointing after going on such an adventure to get an end result that just didn’t pay off for me.

Overall though I really did enjoy reading this. It was a fun, quick read that really immerses into a different and daring world. If you are looking for an adventure book with a strong female lead, this is definitely worth a go.

I love the concept and the author, however Dustborn took me about 69 pages to really start getting attached to the story. The writing was well done but there was a disconnect between the reader and the characters.

Overall I enjoyed the book but wouldn't call it phenomenal.. I would give it 3.5 stars for writing and concept.

Dustborn is a post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel that will appeal to readers who loved The 100 and novels such as Blood Red Road by Moira Young.
In my case, I enjoyed this book but I never managed to “fall in love” with it.
The aspect of the novel that works the best for me is the setting. You can almost feel the dust in your mouth as you read, the fatigue from walking through the desert… I would even say that the sandstorms felt scarier than the villain of the book. You can fight people, but you can’t do anything against the wrath of the desert.
I usually enjoy books that involve travelling, especially if it is done by foot and facing all sorts of dangers. I got this in Duststorm and then some more, up to the point when it started to be maybe too much. After a while, having reached the second half of the novel, I thought I’d already had enough travelling through the desert, from one location to another.
I also had some troubles to fully connect with the characters. Delta is one of those ruthless and bold protagonists who will do anything that’s necessary to make sure she and her loved ones survive. But in some occasions I wasn’t able to understand her reactions and her behavior. The secondary characters felt like mere devices to help the plot move on most of the time, something that was very noticeable with the villain. He seemed interesting (in a devious, evil way) and I would have loved to know more about him, but that never happened.
My expectances were higher too with the romance, but the novel doesn’t focus too much on it. This will be disappointing for some people, like myself, but a bonus for others who may be sick of action books focusing on romantic aspects.
Apart from the setting, I really enjoyed the “surprise”. I am not going to say much more but I wasn’t expecting it and I thought it was great.
All in all, if you are looking for a survival novel with some moments of action and a kick-ass main character, you will probably enjoy Dustborn.

Dustborn by Erin Bowman is a must-read!!

Delta is on a life or death mission to find the Verdant - an oasis amidst their dry world of sand and dust. But to find the Verdant, she will first need to learn how to read the map branded on her back - a map she does not understand and no one is supposed to see. When she is suddenly reunited with her old friend Asher, he may be the only one who can help her, but can she really trust him?

Dustborn has the awesome feel of a dystopian/western/sci-fi and is full of action. I was hooked from the very beginning and absolutely loved this book. My one complaint? That this is a stand-alone novel! Erin Bowman created such an interesting world, I wanted to know more about what happened before and after everything.

Read this book, you won't regret it!

I am a total sucker for a good dystopia novel and a lot of YA authors have gotten this genre down to an art form. I had high hopes for Dustburn after reading the book description, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. It was a quick and easy read, but didn’t have much depth. It suffered from a lot of YA tropes that made it feel like something I’ve already read dozens of times. There was a small twist that helped me swallow some of the early world building, but only made up for some of the frustration I had with the story. I am an older YA fan, so maybe I’m not the fan base this story was aiming for. Overall, it was an entertaining and light read, but nothing I would be looking to reread in the future.

I absolutely adored this book! It's a standalone and took me out of a small reading slump. I felt captivated by the characters and the world from beginning to end. I don't usually read from this genre but this book made me want to venture more into the genre and the author's other works!