Dust Girl (American Fairy Trilogy, #1)

by Sarah Zettel

Fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners will love the blend of fantasy and twentieth-century history in this stylish series.

Callie LeRoux is choking on dust. Just as the biggest dust storm in history sweeps through the Midwest, Callie discovers her mother's long-kept secret. Callie’s not just mixed race—she's half fairy, too. Now, Callie's fairy kin have found where she's been hidden, and they're coming for her.

While dust engulfs the prairie, magic unfolds around Callie. Buildings flicker from lush to shabby, and people aren’t what they seem. The only person Callie can trust may be Jack, the charming ex-bootlegger she helped break out of jail.

From the despair of the Dust Bowl to the hot jazz of Kansas City and the dangerous beauties of the fairy realm, Sarah Zettel creates a world rooted equally in American history and in magic, where two fairy clans war over a girl marked by prophecy.

A strong example of diversity in YA, the American Fairy Trilogy introduces Callie LeRoux, a half-black teen who stars in this evocative story full of American history and fairy tales.

• ISBN10: 0375873813
• ISBN13: 9780375873812
• Publish Date: 11 June 2013 (first published 26 June 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 7 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

I loved the historical setting of Dust Girl, the magic, and the ending, but everything else was kind of a mixed bag. Callie lives with her mother at their hotel in Kansas, but they haven't been getting any customers due to the Dust Bowl. All of their neighbors are packing up, but Callie's mother is convinced that Callie's father is going to come for them at any moment. Callie has never met her father, has dust pneumonia, and just wants to get the heck out of Kansas! Then a bad dust storm hits, her mother is lost, and a strange family checks in once the dust settles.

Those opening chapters of Dust Girl are quite fantastic and bizarre. The Hoppers appeared to be a normal, if a little eccentric, rich family, but soon enough Callie sees too much. That family is serious disturbing! They want to take Callie because of some prophecy. Well, Callie books it out of there along with Jack, a boy she helped after the storm. The two decide to head to California, since that's where Callie knows her mother is (thanks to a strange man she finds in the storm) and Jack wants a job at a newspaper. It's Jack's incessant babbling that makes her realize that she's not quite human either. Callie is half fairy, but doesn't have a full grasp on her magic.

I did love how magic worked in Dust Girl. Callie, like the other Unseelie, has a connection to music. Singing or playing the piano makes things happen. At first Callie has no control over this, but then she learns about wishes. She can use her own and those of the humans around her to create things or make events happen. Such as rain in the middle of an extreme drought. However, there is a danger to it, since it's tempting to grant every single wish and take the easy way out of everything. Of course, she runs into more evil fairies and has to come up with some interesting solutions to evade them.

I was bored in the middle and part of the last third of Dust Girl. The story moves really fast, but that doesn't mean something is always happening. It just kind of started to lose me, since it all seemed too easy and convenient. But that ending! I did not see it coming at all and was a bit shocked at what was going on. I did really like how it played out, and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I'll definitely be checking out the following books.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[celinenyx]

I'm not sure what it is with fae lore that makes me love it so, so much. I don't feel the same when reading about vampires or angels or zombies. It's like the fae have some supernatural pull on me. The illusions, the bitter sweet stories, the otherworldliness... Fae lore has everything to make a wonderful book.

Set in the time of the great Dust Bowl, one day Callie plays the piano in the foyer. A massive duster buries the house, and swallows her mother whole. A mysterious stranger helps her on the way to find her mom, and maybe find out the truth about her father.

Being European, I had actually never heard about anything like the Dust Bowl. It's not something that's taught in history classes here, unlike the Great Depression. This setting gave Dust Girl just that bit extra that made if from a "good" read to an "amazing" read. It was fascinating for me, and Ms Zettel included more than enough little details to make it more interesting than when the story had been contemporary.

This book is written for a slightly younger audience than I'm used to, since the main character is thirteen. But I thought Callie was quite realistic, and I appreciated that although this is written for younger teens, the language and themes in Dust Girl haven't been dumbed down. There is no patronizing voice that explains every single thing, which is a quality that usually turns me away from younger fiction. I loved that although there is a tinge of romance, it is all innocent and cute, just like it should be at thirteen. No heavy make out sessions, but a queasy feeling and stolen glances. It also fit the time period very well, and it all felt quite natural.

If you're not that interested in the fae or the historical aspect of the book, Dust Girl might not be for you. Purely as an action novel it doesn't have to offer more than other books do - even though I loved the action scenes, there aren't that many of them. A great deal of the novel is Callie and her friend Jack running from the fae and trying to find Callie's parents.

I would recommend Dust Girl for everyone that doesn't mind young characters, and loves fae lore or early 20th century historicals. I'm very much looking forward to see how the American Fairy Trilogy continues.

[kimbacaffeinate]

This tale takes place in Slow Run Kansas during the time of the great Dust Bowl. Zettel offers us an interesting tale of dark and light fairies, danger and discovery. Fans of folk lore, history and fairies will delight in this tale.

We meet protagonist Callie LeRoux at her home, a grand hotel in Slow Run. The town is all but deserted due to the dry conditions. Sand and dust have affected her health but her mother refuses to leave. Callie’s father, a man she has never met promised he’d return. When a horrific dust storm occurs and Callie’s mother goes missing, a mysterious man appears. He tells Callie she must head west to California to find her parents. The tale and the journey offer Callie insight about herself, her parents and her destiny. The journey is difficult as Callie must determine who to trust and who to run from. Filled with twists, murder and strange creatures this tale was entertaining.

Callie is unique in more ways than one. She is of mixed color at a time when society had strict rules regarding race.(although the cover in no way reflects this) In a lot of ways Callie has had to be an adult, since her mother has obvious issues. Callie quickly learns that she is only half-human and watching her discover her powers was fun. She is tough, smart and surprisingly level-headed, despite all that is occurring. I loved some of her kick-butt action scenes. Jack is street-wise and sensitive. He cares for Callie and tries to help her. He knows the streets and every con imaginable. He is also welled versed in lore and is able to offer Callie clues about the parties involved and her role in it. At one point I disliked his actions, but he did redeemed himself. The Fae bring us an odd mix of colorful characters. There are two groups The Seelie and the Unseelie. Both want Callie in their court and ultimately she will need to decide.

The world building was fascinating. Zettel swept us back in time and I felt like I was there. Her depiction of the period was breathtaking and I could taste the dust. Callie is the center of a prophecy and both Fae kingdoms are vying for her. This created a lot of twists, turns and heart-palpitating moments. Mixed into this fantasy, Zettel touches on the topic of prejudice. She focuses on race as well as social classes. A scene towards the end is steeped in religion and I had to reread to understand exactly what happened. This was the only bump in an otherwise evenly paced tale. At this time there is no romance, and I am curious to see what happens next.
I want to thank Random House and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.