In an impressive debut, first in a planned series, Howard introduces a devastated future devoid of trees, where omnivorous locusts plague the landscape, a ruined climate makes survival difficult, and genetically engineered corn is the only viable crop. Banyan, a teenage artist searching for his missing father, builds trees out of scrap for those aching for a touch of the past. When Banyan stumbles across a map to the rumored last trees on Earth, he and an unlikely group of allies are sucked into a perilous adventure, braving cannibals, poachers, pirates, slavers, and the omnipresent and insidious GenTech corporation. There’s a brilliant madness to this deadly postapocalyptic world, filled with complex characters, shifting loyalties, and layers of mystery. While convoluted and messy, it’s also a nonstop adventure, with wild concepts and an almost hypnotic quality to Banyan’s terse, weather-beaten narration. Lines like “I knew it was a day of endings, one way or another” and “One good thing about a world made of stone and steel, that world can’t burn for long” bring this unforgettable setting to life. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Nov.)

Imagine living in a world with no trees, no grass, and no animals except flesh eating locusts. This is the desolate world that the protagonist seventeen-year-old Banyan lives in. He makes a living by building trees with his father. A year after his father goes missing, he is commissioned to build a small metal forest for a man who eventually leads him on an adventure to find both his father and "the promise land"—a land where trees exist and there is more than just corn to eat. Banyan befriends an unlikely group of people as he journeys across the continent battling pirates, the elements, and GenTech, the company that controls the food, in search of the trees. The characters throughout the novel are interwoven like the roots of the trees that Banyan is so desperate to find—to the point of being unbelievable. Although Howard manages to demonstrate the desperation of those fighting to survive and the importance of having hope in a desolate world, it was difficult to get beyond the logistics of how anyone could survive with no form of vegetation except corn, or how the characters would continuously survive after multiple near death experiences. The novel is definitely action packed and in an age where global warming is a constant issue, it forces the reader to look at the value of something as simple as a tree. Reviewer: Sarah Raymond

Gr 7–10—In a worst-case-scenario future, climate change has taken a harsh toll. The waters are rising violently, the land that is left is a dusty wasteland, and the only thing still growing is the all-powerful GenTech Corporation's bioengineered corn (aka "superfood"). Banyan, 17, is an artist, like his missing father, creating whole forests out of scrap metal, plastic, and electronic components for the wealthy. Chance meetings with some unusual people send him on a quest to find Zion, which might contain not only the last remaining trees on Earth, but possibly his father as well. What he eventually discovers is unexpected, to say the least. Themes of loss, redemption, and sacrifice are explored, along with some big questions about science and family and love. Banyan is a strong character with believable motivation and behavior. There's a lot of violence and misery, but also a surprisingly sweet romance between him and the almost suicidally daring pirate Alpha. Supporting characters are well done. Fans of the Mad Max movies, The Hunger Games, and other blood-pounding, life-or-death adventures will find much to like here, and will look forward to further installments.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library