Falling & Uprising

by Natalie Cammaratta

Overview

My star is rising, and I shine. Always.

Serenity Ward is the golden girl of Kaycie. She never questioned her city's status as the last dry land on earth. But now she's seen the map.

The Establishment lies about other islands just beyond the horizon.

In a city built on falsehood, figuring out who to trust is its own challenge. Serenity pulls together a feisty group who all want the same thing-an end to the government which has hidden a world from them.

Bram's anger drives his desire for revolution. Being from another island, he was selected to be a brainwashed marshal in service to Kaycie, but he knows what's going on all too well. Hidden in plain sight, he is ready to draw blood to free the islands. Dealing with Serenity is the one thing he wasn't prepared for.

Can two people who were never supposed to meet stop fighting each other long enough to remember who the enemy is?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798986505312
Publisher:	Bees & Honey Publishing
Publication date:	09/28/2023
Series:	Falling & Uprising , #1
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.73(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Natalie Cammaratta always watches the movie after reading the book, even though she'll prefer the book. Born and raised in Florida, she grew up in performing arts. Acting in community theater, singing at professional sporting events, and dancing in theme park shows set up her love of theatrics which has shifted to words. Books of all kinds grace her shelves, so long as she can fall into a story and escape from the real world. Natalie now resides in Kansas, where her husband is dismayed that writing has displaced baking.

Amanda Friday loves being able to create and breathe life into beloved characters from classic literature to contemporary work. Her favorite genres to narrate are romance (using her pseudonym) and NA/YA. Amanda is passionate about the arts and bringing high quality audio productions into homes the world over.

Leon Nixon is a professional actor, playwright, and filmmaker. A Los Angeles native, he has performed in short films, web series, and on stage in dramatic and comedic roles. He is an improvisor, trained in Los Angeles and Chicago, and is part of the group that appears in the Guinness Book of World Records for Longest Continuous Improv Show at 150 hours.

Editorial Reviews

2021-07-08
Cammaratta’s debut YA dystopian novel follows the efforts of two teenagers fighting to enact revolution in a society with dark secrets.

On the opulent island of Kaycie, where social status reigns supreme, 16-year-old Serenity Ward lives a life of fame, wealth, and comfort. However, her life, as she knows it, is based on a lie. Most people believe that Kaycie is the last surviving vestige of humanity after a global flood. In truth, there are seven other islands beyond the horizon, all secretly under the control of Kaycie’s shadowy government, known as the Establishment. They monopolize the islands’ resources and steal their residents’ children, while Kaycian citizens are kept ignorant of injustices that fuel their indulgent lifestyle. After Serenity joins Kaycie’s Leadership program and starts to learn the truth, she decides to become a spy for a rebellion operating within the Establishment. In the process, she meets Bram, a cynical young man who seeks revenge on behalf of his island home and views Serenity as a liability. However, both are aware that even their allies are keeping secrets from them, and the two will have to learn to trust each other if they’re to keep the rebellion afloat. Cammaratta’s novel hits many of the standard beats of the dystopian YA genre, but it does so with cleverness and sincerity. The worldbuilding is mostly succinct but doesn’t feel underdeveloped, and the cast, especially Serenity’s cohort of friends, speak and interact in a realistic, natural way that includes genuine moments of humor. Serenity and Bram both act as narrators, which allows the story to strike an excellent balance between vastly different viewpoints, and their tumultuous relationship develops in sweet, unexpected ways. The overall premise, which seems simple at first, grows in scope as the stakes get higher, and the novel ably interrogates the underpinnings of its setting and the ways in which unjust systems are allowed to operate unhindered. Serenity undergoes realistic, engrossing, and meaningful evolution as she struggles with betrayal, takes dangerous risks, experiences romance, and grows into the best version of herself.

An exciting series starter with engaging concepts and memorable characters.

Kirkus Reviews