The Sandcastle Empire gets 4 stars {ya lit, dystopia/sci-fi, 9th grade +}

Owl Crate's June box came with two books. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! 

The main book, The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson, is a sci-fi dystopia young adult novel and I was anxious to move it up on my To Be Read pile.

I enjoy dystopian books, and I did enjoy The Sandcastle Empire. It was a fun read even though it was quite predictable.

The Sandcastle Empire gets 4 out of 5 stars in my book review.  I liked the science and geeky things the scientist came up with.  I thought the concept behind the book, or the reason for this dystopia world, was unique; the idea of there being a water shortage b/c there is too much salt water.  The idea of HoloWolves being controlled was freaky, but to be honest it was too far fetched for me to believe.  I liked Eden as a character for the most part, and I could see where she was coming from.  I'm glad Eden had a little love story even if it was incredibly cheesy at times. 

My major issue with the book was how predictable it was, however the choppiness of the writing at some of the major action points was frustrating and sometimes left me confused.  I also felt the beginning was a little slow.  

Though, back to this predictability.  If you are okay with the spoilers or if you have read the book then go ahead and read the next paragraph where I highlight the areas that were most predictable b/c this aspect of the story has been written in other books many times.  



*** SPOILER ALERT***
Of course Eden was the only one capable of saving the day and obviously the entire world.  Of course she gets the boy even when they go to a deserted island. Of course her dad is still alive and part of it all.  Of course, her boy turns HoloWolf on her and subconsciously tries to kill her.  Of course, the kingpin doesn't hurt her and she is successfully able to pass off the vial.  I'm not saying the entire book was predictable, but a lot of it was predictable in a cheesy yet enjoyable way.  
*** SPOILER OVER***



All in all it is a fun read, but don't be surprised if there is little that surprises you in it.   

For those of you who have already read it, what did you think?  As I looked at Goodreads, I noticed the reviews were quite polar so you may be feeling exactly opposite of me.    

Happy Fun Dystopia reading! 

The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson
Rating: 4/5 stars
Best For: 14 and up, 9th grade and up. 
Worth a Check Out: Yes.
Buy It or Not: You should buy it if you love dystopia books, but not a must purchase book.  
Read Aloud: I think it's too long to be a classroom read aloud, but it could be a fun book to read with your son or daughter.    
Lesson Ideas: Inventions. Science. Water shortage. Survival.