Spark is a great middle grade dystopian that takes a different route when talking about climate change and what the world could look like post disasters, instead of being tech heavy, humanity recedes into a middleages esque world. This book explores the ideas of faith, different beliefs and the stark realities that people face when they will do anything to survive.

The story is fast paced with some great character moments and I can see a lot of adventure story fans enjoying this one. Its relatively short too, and as a standalone I can see it being very popular.

I found this book a bit slower-going than Mitch Johnson's other books but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. The characters felt real and likeable and it was a really interesting take on what our future could look like if we're not careful. I think this is a book that could spark some important discussions!

Spark is the third book from award-winning author Mitch Johnson and it makes for another excellent, thought-provoking and sometimes terrifying read. Addressing timely themes of climate change and our responsibility to leave the planet in a better state than what we found out, something that the ‘Ancestors’ have failed to do, Johnson’s tense and exciting narrative will hold readers in its grasp and will have them rooting for an unlikely hero.

In a drought-stricken and sun-baked world, only the bravest and hardiest will survive. Ash is one such survivor who, after his father disappeared, was taken in by the Priestess in Last Village. After a catastrophic storm, Ash awakens to find his village devoid of people and the lake, a precious source of water, dried up.

In desperate need of supplies, Ash, along with Bronwyn - an outcast girl from another village - head north in search of the legendary Kingdom - a thriving place of unimaginable riches. What they find though is not paradise, but a huge wall, villagers worked to the bone and something beyond their wildest dreams. Dangers and answers can be found at the Wall and maybe, just maybe, a spark to change the world…

Spark is richly imagined and presents an all too real possibility of an apocalyptic world that if we are not careful may be the world that one day the people of the future inherit. Unlike many reads, that often present a future world of utopian delights and luxury, Johnson offers a grim portrayal of a world that has been decimated by greed, corruption, beliefs, needs and where climate change has ravaged the land. In Ash’s world, water is the most precious of resources, something that is often easy to forget living in the Western world where clean drinking water is readily accessible. In Spark, every drop counts, ‘To cry is a crime, to spit is a sin.’

Ash lives in a society that praises and worships its great ancestors, where in truth, it is the ‘Ancestors’ and their lives of excess that are responsible for the mess and medieval existence the children find themselves in. As the two outcasts head off on an arduous trek across an arid landscape in search of a better life, they will come to question everything they have known, face terrible dangers and will be responsible for leading a revolution…‘All it takes is a spark.’

Children have the power to change the world, to atone for the mistakes of the adults and to make a difference where the adults have failed. Ash and Bronwyn epitomise what needs to be done; despite their differences they work together to bring about change and Ash is the revolutionary leader that the villagers and perhaps the world of today needs.

Whilst this isn’t my favourite of Mitch Johnson’s books - Kick will take some beating - it is an interesting venture into the world of dystopian fiction that will appeal to young activists.

With huge thanks to Hachette for the copy I received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 10+.

Spark had an alluring beginning that piqued my curiosity but the adventure just fell flat in the middle and then rushed for the later stages when the truth of the fate of the villagers was revealed. It felt like it kept teetering on the edge of something spectacular but not quite reaching it. I will confess that had this been a book from the library rather than a review title from Netgalley, then I would’ve given up on finishing it. A story with a lot of promise that overall left me deflated. Despite having all the elements that I like in this type of fiction, something was lacking for me, the characters didn’t seem to be well served by parts of the story and the pacing was wrong, at least for this reader.

Sadly a disappointing letdown but with the hope that the next book I read from the author will be a bigger hit with me.

A great read for years 5-8. Set in the future, much has been lost as a result of climate change. The main character is shunned by his village and becomes an unlikely hero. This novel raises important questions - previous generations are revered, yet their thoughtlessness has caused much of the suffering that the characters are currently experiencing. It also raises the importance of thinking for yourself. With many issues to discuss, it would be a great class or book club read.

An excellent dystopian novel from Mitch Johnson. I loved 'Pop!' which was wild and unpredictable, but I thought this was even better!

The book is set in an unspecified time, but feels like the near future following some great man-made catastrophe. The opening chapters are pacey and lead the reader to ask so many questions. Ash lives in a world which is vaguely familiar but hard and hostile, some of which is particularly aimed at him personally. He lives with a Priestess who claims to be waiting for a sign and both characters are totally bound to their faith. This leaves both vulnerable to darker forces.

Ash ends up needing to leave the sanctuary of his village and goes on a dangerous journey with Bronwyn, a mysterious girl who appears in his village just as things take a turn for the worst. The strangeness of the setting leaves you as a reader with many, many questions which means you absolutely have to read on. This is masterful plotting at its very best!

I found Ash to be naive and totally blinded by his faith. Life is not improved as he leaves his home village behind and he really has to face some of the issues that previous generations have created. This is a book which tries to raise some big points for discussion and I think it is fair to say that is likely to be more of a hit with KS3 readers to ensure that they are fully appreciated. It would make a great text to study with this age group!

This wasn’t one of my favourite books but it was still good. I think the themes of the story such as beliefs, power and climate change are up-to-date and well written but I found Ash’s beliefs being questioned (without giving too much away) difficult. I also found it hard to like the main characters - Ash and Bronwyn - despite the hardships they’d been through.

The language was rich and descriptive - too descriptive in some places which made me drift off on occasion and have to go back to re-read that section. I think, because of this, it would be suitable for certain older primary aged and early secondary aged children.

Some parts were really gripping and I had to keep reading to know what happened next. I particularly liked the interactions with other people that the children met along the way and finding out whether to trust them or not. I did gasp at the twist near the end!

All in all a good book but only for strong older readers who can cope with the vocabulary and themes.

As I write, we are but a few short days from 2022 and with so many people’s Christmas and New Year plans unfortunately changing at the last minute I think many of us are looking forward to 2022 and hoping desperately that next year will be different at the very least, if not better, than this one.

One of the very few things that can be guaranteed in the foreseeable future is the publication of some fabulous titles for younger readers and here – in his third middle grade title – Mitch Johnson has created a thought-provoking and grim vision of a society driven by its needs and beliefs which is bound to be at the top of many people’s pre-order lists for February, and one which – although not in the least bit festive – has provided a welcome distraction from reality over the last few days.

Someone who could most definitely do with a distraction is Ash, who has cleared the precious pool of water within his village in which the Priestess is to commune with the Ancestors. While preparing the water, he has received a torrent of abuse from some of the local children who despise him and has been spat at – the ultimate insult in a culture where water is so valuable that even to shed a tear is considered a crime. Assisting the Priestess with her cloak when she steps from the pool, Ash follows her to the house in which they both live.

As they talk, the Priestess reveals that she is expecting a sign from the Ancestors that their people’s suffering will soon be over and shortly afterwards they hear a knock at the door from visitors that she has been expecting: an elder from the village with a strange young girl, who he says has been trying to sneak into the settlement. The girl gives her name as Bronwyn and reveals that she has come from another village where everyone else has suddenly vanished and the Priestess declares that she must stay with her.

The following day, a mob arrives determined to drive Bronwyn away – blaming her for drying up the stream feeding the pool – and Ash is forced to hide her in the nearby church. When a storm arrives that evening as he is taking her supplies, Ash is forced to spend the night there too and is stunned when he goes to leave the next morning by the disappearance of all of the villagers and the almost completely empty pool. With the need to find water now foremost in their minds, Ash and Bronwyn must go in search of supplies and head towards the fabled Kingdom – a paradise said to exist further north. But a paradise is not what they find when they encounter a giant wall blocking their path – a wall that leads them both into the most terrible danger…

This is a story that works on so many levels. Not only is it a tense and exciting adventure, but there are so many references to Ash’s faith – and how important it is to him – as well as the lack of that most precious of resources: water. Although today’s children are far more knowledgeable with regards to climate change and other environmental issues, they still have very little understanding of just how precious clean drinking water is – as demonstrated on a regular basis in my classroom by my charges leaving the taps running at the sink. Ash’s world is one which could so easily be our future with its hostile heat and unquenchable thirst for its inhabitants and our children need to recognise this and encourage their families to do all they can to avoid it now before it becomes too late.

Ash and Bronwyn make a great partnership. Thrust together when the storm comes, they quickly realise that they need one another if they are to survive and slowly their growing reliance on one another turns to friendship. As they travel in their search for the Kingdom, they encounter other survivors, find themselves in peril in unfamiliar territory and are forced to decide upon whom and what they can trust on their way.

Perfect for Year 5 upwards, this is a powerful and gripping story that will hold its readers tightly in its grasp as they read it. Tense, exciting and with so much rich discussion that could be triggered by reading it, it’s one that I’m sure many classes will find themselves sharing after its publication on February 3rd and I am hugely indebted to publisher Hachette and Net Galley for my advance read.

As an author, Mitch Johnson is entirely unpredictable. His latest offering, Spark, is completely different to his previous books and I am in awe of his ability to span so many genres, tackling such a range of hard-hitting issues.

Spark offers a fresh take on the ever-popular dystopian genre. In a world destroyed by climate change and greed, only the strongest can survive. When Ash awakens to find his village abandoned, he must travel on the journey of a lifetime to find salvation. Faced with increasingly dangerous obstacles, Ash soon finds more to fear than the lack of water.

I was certainly kept on the edge of my seat whilst reading Spark. It’s fast paced, unpredictable and feels fresh and interesting. The characters are believable and I rooted for Ash throughout. While it wasn’t my favourite of Johnson’s offerings, it is sure to be a hit with fans of the dystopian genre. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.