Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

This is a book that I ordered last spring and had planned to read it over the summer. One of my students just HAD to read it, so I gave it to her for the summer. When she came back in September, she was telling me what a great book it was and that I just HAD to read it. I finally picked it up and started reading it over the weekend.

Ashes, Ashes is like many dystopian novels. The main character has had to adapt and adjust to a new strange world. Lucy is the main character in Ashes, Ashes and she remembers a time when life was normal, when she went to school, fought with her brother and sister and was safe. But that was a long time ago. Now, all she does is try to survive. Lucy is the only survivor from her family. She lives by herself, avoids other people and at all costs avoids the 'Sweepers' who are looking for people who survived the plague that wiped out Earth's entire population. Then one day Lucy meets Aidan, a boy who is unlike anyone she has met since the world changed. He reintroduces Lucy to the concept of family and working together to survive. But living in a community has its' own challenges for Lucy, she needs to learn how to trust people again.

I enjoyed reading this story and I think Junior/Intermediate students will enjoy it too. The themes of survival, friendship, adventure and romance are enough to keep both boys and girls reading this book.