A review by kathrynkao
The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson

5.0

This is my favorite kind of post-apocalyptic/dystopian literature: when the new world is so rooted in the current one that you can see how one became the other. This new world stems from severe income inequality, which is timely, but not in a way that feels tied to any attempt at real-world relevency or trendiness. The book takes place I think two years after the revolution, but I would have liked a little more exploration into how these teenage girls had their world turned upside down. The book does a great job contrasting their previous lives with their new one, but I would have loved more of a character standpoint. That said, the book does a great job of showing how the the effects of the revolution have shaken out on a political and personal scale. The idea that an economic-based revolution wouldn’t be clear-cut is powerful: even when the poor take power, some people still slip through the cracks.

The story is a glimpse of a larger rebellion, and we only really see one mission, and the recruitment of Eden. The book doesn’t seem to be part of a series, and I really appreciate that. As much as I love series (and duologies, and trilogies), it’s nice to have standalones, and some stories are better suited to that. The ending is upbeat with possibility: I don’t know if they’ll be successful in the long run, and I don’t really need to know. The characters are well-written, and the story is so focused that it’s easy to feel the frustration Eden feels, as one part in a larger plan, isolated and trying to exercise the power she has. The focus of the story on the island and her father is a great choice in terms of character and dramatic arc, and keeps the story feeling distinct from all the other YA dystopias out there.

Full review: http://mrskaoreads.com/book/the-sandcastle-empire/