The Shed - BookWyrm

No cover — M C Ronen: The Shed (EBook, M C Ronen)

eBook, 302 pages

English language

Published by M C Ronen.

ISBN:: 978-1-7200-8438-9

(1 review)

Sunny is a girl living in a community on a farm in a seemingly apocalyptic world. The farm is electrically fenced and has strict rules that are firmly observed, and especially the rule that girls like Sunny must not enter The Shed, an impending building inside the farm. Only grown women are allowed in, but even then, some who go in never come back. One night, the farm is raided by strangers, and some farm folk are taken. This odd incident propels a series of ominous developments in Sunny’s life.The story develops in an unexpected way, as Sunny escapes the grim destiny to which she was born. It combines suspense, loss, sadness and friendship, despair and hope. and gets quite gritty at times. The lead characters – all girls - are strong, young and brave, but not without faults. Even after you finished reading, chances are, they will stay with …

Sunny is a girl living in a community on a farm in a seemingly apocalyptic world. The farm is electrically fenced and has strict rules that are firmly observed, and especially the rule that girls like Sunny must not enter The Shed, an impending building inside the farm. Only grown women are allowed in, but even then, some who go in never come back. One night, the farm is raided by strangers, and some farm folk are taken. This odd incident propels a series of ominous developments in Sunny’s life.The story develops in an unexpected way, as Sunny escapes the grim destiny to which she was born. It combines suspense, loss, sadness and friendship, despair and hope. and gets quite gritty at times. The lead characters – all girls - are strong, young and brave, but not without faults. Even after you finished reading, chances are, they will stay with you.This book was written as the biggest social justice movement of our time is gaining steam. It is a story for the age of revolution. It may not be recommended for readers under the age of 15.

1 edition

Stephanie Jane reviewed The Shed by M C Ronen (The Liberation Trilogy, #1)

Powerful YA coming of age novel

4 stars

The Shed is the first novel in M C Ronen's Liberation trilogy. It reads as a young adult coming of age story, but I appreciated that the narrative doesn't flinch away from the serious themes that it explores. While not too graphic in its actual descriptions, for those of us who know the realities of modern dairy farming, what M C Ronen outlines and then leaves to the reader's imagination is particularly powerful.

Sunny herself is an engaging character and good person to narrate this novel. At times surprisingly naive, we readers discover the truth of The Shed alongside her. I like the point she makes about having grown up with something always being there, it had never occurred to her to question its presence. That's true of many 'normal' things in our world as well as the distorted mirror world inhabited by Sunny and her friends.

While I wasn't …

The Shed is the first novel in M C Ronen's Liberation trilogy. It reads as a young adult coming of age story, but I appreciated that the narrative doesn't flinch away from the serious themes that it explores. While not too graphic in its actual descriptions, for those of us who know the realities of modern dairy farming, what M C Ronen outlines and then leaves to the reader's imagination is particularly powerful.

Sunny herself is an engaging character and good person to narrate this novel. At times surprisingly naive, we readers discover the truth of The Shed alongside her. I like the point she makes about having grown up with something always being there, it had never occurred to her to question its presence. That's true of many 'normal' things in our world as well as the distorted mirror world inhabited by Sunny and her friends.

While I wasn't completely enamoured of Ronen's storytelling style - there was often rather too much telling and not enough showing for my taste - I still found myself increasingly deeply drawn into Sunny's desperate adventure and I will certainly go on to read the further books in the Liberation trilogy. The message behind Sunny's story is a vital one to share widely and I think The Shed has great potential to connect with readers.

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