Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony

Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony

Published May 13th 2010 by Putnam Juvenile

More at: Goodreads





For Molly, the world is only how it is. Another world, from an earlier time, is written of in the history books, in forgotten yellowing newspapers, and in the minds of an aging population who can still recall things being other than how they are now. Life goes on, day to day happenings still must happen and the difficulty with which common, everyday needed things are obtained is just a fact of life.

The year is 2041 and Molly and her family try their best to be self sufficient in a world where simple comforts have all but run out. Food, fuel and safety are in short supply since the world collapsed ten years ago, leaving a stricken people struggling to remake their lives in its wake.

With borders tighter than ever before and transportation a thing of luxury now that the only available fuel is controlled by the government, entering the United States to find and bring home her grandfather is not an easy task for a sixteen year girl and once she crosses the border, there's no guarantee that she'll be allowed to come home again.

This is such a sweet, promising little story. One that isn't weighed down with a lot of "what ifs" and emotional baggage and tragedy of a world lost. Unlike some of the dystopian YA that I've read, this future is not all about survival, but simply about adapting and carrying on and continuing, with minor adjustments to our day to day life. Much like how I'd like to think it would be, with life adjusting gradually in response to the changing times until one day we realize that how things are, are how they have always been. I like to believe it would happen like this, where we would simply go about our business and get on with it. I never felt that Molly's world was horrible, just different and maybe a little bit scary in that it was very realistic. This could happen.

I loved that Molly battled fear and braved new experiences through her music. At first I laughed when Molly was losing herself in little ditties like "Turkey in the Straw" but as she continued to play her folk tunes it made sense to me, that these would be the songs of home and therefore the most therapeutic.

We have a very young romance here that is very sweet and innocent- fitting as that is very much how the story is. Our hero has an edgy dark side, but a good heart and even with his colorful past you never once wondered who's side he was on.

It's an adorable little story if you like a softer, younger YA.