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20 shorter reads for teenagers 17/03/25
Gathering Blue
Publisher: HarperCollins
Gathering Blue takes place in the future, in a primitive society that developed after disaster had struck the world we know today.
Kira is a girl living in a small village run by the Council of Guardians, where men hunt for a living and women are restricted to traditional domestic tasks and are not allowed to learn to read or write. Being disabled from birth, Kira was supposed to be taken to the Field, where the dead and 'useless' are left to be eaten by beasts.
But Kira's mother protected her and she grew up to be a talented weaver. After her mother's death, Kira is taken in by the Council to repair the exquisite robe worn by the Singer at the annual gathering.
She is well fed, finds friends in Thomas the carver and Matt the scruffy street boy, and has everything she needs to carry on with her work, but Kira feels that something sinister is happening around her. With the help of her friends she slowly realises the terrible truth.
A gripping story about the power of artists to transform an abusive society.