I forgot how much I love The Scourge by A.G. Henley! I picked up the audiobook to listen to last week and I could not stop listening. I binged it in one day and it was perfection. I first read The Scourge back in 2014 around the time the second book of the series hit shelves. I devoured everything from the series then and waited for the third book. However I somehow missed the release and because it had been so long I wanted to reread. I’m SO glad I did.

The premise of the book is simple. Set in the distant future, people living in a small community are separated by their color and the trees. Fair haired, light eyed humans live in the trees calling themselves Lofties. Dark haired, brown-eyed humans live on the ground and are known as Grounders. Grounders and Lofties have a tense relationship that started when they outgrew their tree top homes and the Grounders were forced to, well, the ground. This wouldn’t be so bad except for the Scourge, the flesh-eaters that roam the land since the fall. Now I know I’m not doing this book justice with my description but that’s the best I can do without spoilers 😉

Now onto the main characters. Fennel is a Grounder and a special one at that. She is Sightless which offers her protection from the Scourge. This makes her important to not only the Grounder community but also the Lofties. Why? When the Scourge arrive, it forces the Grounders to the caves and the Lofties to remain in the trees. This leaves Fennel who is protected to gather water for both communities. It’s a big job and one she has just inherited. The book opens on her first time gathering water and to say it’s a tense read is an understatement. It’s a hold-your-breath kind of read. Fenn is a character I found myself admiring. She’s blind, yet she doesn’t let that stop her from doing what is required of her. I find her brave in the face of adversity and was truly impressed with how she navigates her world.

For every Water Bearer, there is a Keeper and for Fenn that’s Peree, a Lofty who is one of the best archers in their community. I fell for Peree almost instantly. This is a boy who despite his raising sees the strength in Fenn and doesn’t care that she is Grounder. But what really made me fall for him is how he helps her do her job without ever stepping a foot on the ground. He is there above her in the trees, coaching her, telling her stories and shooting down Scourge who get too close. He’s brave, charismatic, and a dreamer.

Now the plot of The Scourge surrounds the fact that the Scourge stick around longer than normal. As a result, Fenn is getting exhausted and water is running out. So Fenn volunteers to search for the mythical waters deep in the caves. Peree naturally sneaks along. But it’s what they find along the way that truly makes the story. I can’t say anymore for fear of spoilers. However I can say how much I enjoyed their journey. Peree and Fenn are very different yet also very compatible. I enjoyed their easy banter and I was thrilled with their adventure. I loved how the author built a dystopian world that is both believable and fantastical. Despite Fenn’s blindness, I felt everything she felt and the imagery as told by someone who cannot see was vivid.

Overall I love The Scourge! This was the first time I had listened to the book and the narrator was fantastic. She drew me in immediately and I found myself holding my breath during the suspenseful moments, laughing aloud at the her sarcasm and even tearing up. I would recommend this book to anyone who joys a good dystopian and a clean YA read.