Title: The Flicker
Author: HE Edgmon
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: September 24, 2024
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads | StoryGraph
Summary
One year ago, the Earth was scorched by the sun which destroyed life as we know it. With their parents gone, Millie and Rose have to figure out how to survive. SInce they’re running low on supplies, they decide to leave home to fine Millie’s grandma. What they don’t expect is to run into a group of fellow survivors that offer to help. All while trying to dodge The Hive, an evil corporation that has taken over at the end of the world. As they journey together, Millie and Rose realize that they need to rely on each other more than ever.
Review: The Flicker
Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Flicker by HE Edgmon to review! I’ve loved Edgmon’s YA books, so I was excited to jump into their middle grade debut. Especially when it comes to a post-apocalyptic story. I feel like we don’t see a lot of those in middle grade, so I’m glade that it’s crossed over.
The strongest aspect of this book is definitely its characters. We get to flip between Millie and Rose’s point of view, seeing how they both view the world they’ve found themselves in. We also get to see how they both grow closer to each other, realizing that they really need each other. But their journey also shows them that they can welcome others into the fold, too. Others that also help them to realize parts of their identity that they didn’t know before.
While I enjoyed the characters and the overall plot, the general pacing felt a little off to me. The ending felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly, even for a middle grade book. Expanding the ending a little would have helped in making the story itself feel more complete.
All in all, not a bad middle grade debut for Edgmon! I think their writing style might be better suited to YA, though.