Discern Ratings
Age & Family Safety
Children
Youth (13–18)
Adults
Content Notes
Mature themesViolence
Scored Dimensions
Language & Content
Language purity, violence, and sexual content
Moral Framework
Virtue honored; vice has consequences
Theological Claims
Faithful to Scripture when theology is present; 100 if no claims made
Ideological Worldview
Consistent with biblical teaching on sexuality and identity
Composite = Language & Content 25% · Moral Framework 15% · Theological Claims 40% · Ideological Worldview 20%
Informational
Redemptive Arc
Grace, hope, or transformation present in the story
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Two starred reviews!
A teen uses her art to protest injustice and galvanize others to resist in this “suspenseful…lyrical” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) near-future dystopian novel about girls finding their voices in the darkest of times, perfect for fans of The Grace Year.
The whole world rested on a single bee’s wings…until that last honeybee died, and the balance of the universe tipped. Now, famine and war rage across the land. People are no longer allowed to read or create art. They are forbidden to believe in the existence of love.
Like every other girl, Jess has been taken from her home to live in a government dormitory, where they are forced to pollinate crops by hand with brushes. But unlike the others, Jess knows how to read and paint—and she knows that brushes aren’t meant for pollinating.
Jess is her mother’s daughter, with a strong streak of rebellion that even the harshest punishment can’t stamp out. She knows there is something horribly wrong with this system built on the hard labor of young girls, a system that forces them to marry and have children as soon as they are able. With smuggled paints and brush in hand, can Jess inspire a revolution?
A teen uses her art to protest injustice and galvanize others to resist in this “suspenseful…lyrical” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) near-future dystopian novel about girls finding their voices in the darkest of times, perfect for fans of The Grace Year.
The whole world rested on a single bee’s wings…until that last honeybee died, and the balance of the universe tipped. Now, famine and war rage across the land. People are no longer allowed to read or create art. They are forbidden to believe in the existence of love.
Like every other girl, Jess has been taken from her home to live in a government dormitory, where they are forced to pollinate crops by hand with brushes. But unlike the others, Jess knows how to read and paint—and she knows that brushes aren’t meant for pollinating.
Jess is her mother’s daughter, with a strong streak of rebellion that even the harshest punishment can’t stamp out. She knows there is something horribly wrong with this system built on the hard labor of young girls, a system that forces them to marry and have children as soon as they are able. With smuggled paints and brush in hand, can Jess inspire a revolution?
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