The Dandelion Riots
Drinn is cursed. She’s not the only one: in her world, many girls are damned with curses that make them social outcasts. Isolated for most of her life, The Dandelion Riots follows Drinn as she unites other cursed girls to rally against their society.
There are some interesting concepts baked into the world-building of this book; magical curses that exploit the young to fuel those in power, how the ruling class benefit from a sexist society, depictions of love that show it as a pure, healing force and also something twisted and abusive. Unfortunately, the execution of these ideas is not always very solid. At times the magic systems, power struggles, and society depicted feel a little half-baked.
Despite this, the book is enjoyable, particularly its latter half. The writing shines the most at its high-stakes moments of disaster. The romance between the two female leads also shines here. Due to their curses, Drinn cannot let herself fall in love, while Story cannot touch another person. Against these odds, and against the backdrop of their revolution, comes a beautiful and bittersweet romance. In this book, love and revolution are not too distinct concepts happening simultaneously; rather they are deeply entwined, and the dandelion girls’ love for each other is what gives them the strength to demand more from their world.
This will be enjoyed by those who like reading about dystopian societies, urban fantasy, and queer romance.
