Dust

By: Arthur Slade

Narrated by: Arthur Slade

Imagine a Depression-era town where it hasn't rained for years. A pale rainmaker with other-worldly eyes brings rain to the countryside and mesmerizes the townspeople, but the children begin to disappear one by one. Only young Robert Steelgate is able to resist the rainmaker's spell and begin the struggle to discover what has happened to his missing brother and the other children.

©2001 Arthur Slade (P)2015 Arthur Slade

Excellent story

I love a good story! This one held my interest and was very intriguing. I’m an adult and I love young adult fiction! It was fun having the author read his book and he did a nice job of it too!

Like an exceptional episode of The Twilight Zone

Set in a dry, dusty Canadian town during the Depression Era, young Robert Steelgate is missing his young brother Matthew. Yet the disturbing thing is that he seems to be the only person missing him. A stranger comes to town promising rain and that is the same time kids start disappearing. Coincidence, or not?

This book was like a really good episode of The Twilight Zone. Things start off so plain, so dried out, so matter-of-fact. Then young Matthew, who insisted he be allowed to walk to town that day (instead of riding in the cart with his mom), meets a pale stranger (Abram Harisch) on the road. Meanwhile, Robert is left at home to read his science fiction story (The Warlock of Mars) that his uncle lent him. Reluctantly, Robert sets his book aside to see to the chickens like he promised only to find some scared chickens and some nasty blood eggs. Yuck! That’s when Sargent Ramson and Officer Davies show up to take Robert to town to be with his family as they begin the search for Matthew.

With a blend of historical fiction, mystery, and science fiction, the author spins a tale of a town hoping too hard for good rains, of good people willing to let their memories of lost children slip from them, and of how one boy with a strong, questioning imagination may be the only one to save them. Quite frankly, it was those scared chickens and their blood eggs that sucked me into the story. It was spooky and yet the biologist in me wanted an egg to examine. But I couldn’t have one of those eggs, but I could examine this story. From there, I wasn’t disappointed.

Abram with the odd eyes (I think he’s an albino) sets up a movie screen and the town gathers to see the attraction. Once the stranger has gained some small amount of trust with the town, he starts setting in his motion his bigger plan: promise the rains & happiness, take their wealth & memories, keep his end of the bargain with an unknown entity (which means more children disappear). At one point, Abram confides a bit in Robert because Robert has this innate ability to see through Abram’s charms. That was an eerie scene!

The ending reveals the master plan of Abram while also keeping some things up to the reader to decide. I liked that there was a little mystery left over at the end. We have everything resolved that counts, but the exact how and why of it may never be fully understood. Also, there is some wonderful imagery involving butterflies and moths. It’s a recurring small touch that kept me hooked. I was quite pleased with the ending. Not everything ended in rainbows but enough did for me to say it was a happy ending for our main character, Robert.

I received a copy of this book at no cost from the author with no strings attached.

Narration: Arthur Slade was pretty good as a narrator for this story. He had distinct voices for each person and decent female voices. I especially liked his voice for Robert’s uncle who was always giving him SFF books that his mom might not approve of.

exactly what I expected

this book was a good idea. but definitely predictable and a little bit of a slow process.

awesome full of suspense

It is depression times and the farmers are in the middle of a drought. Young Robert's brother has disappears and months latter it is like Robert is the only one that remembers his brother even existed. A odd man shows up in town promising he can make it rain if the towns people help him build a rainmill. Robert's father signs right up but Roberts uncle refuses not trusting the man. Things get even stranger from there, but somehow Robert is not affected and must help save his brother, family, friend, and possibly the whole town.

This book started right off with high octane suspense and never stopped. The characters are all very well put together and very interesting. I had the audio version which the author narrated himself and did a awesome job. The different voices for the different characters were really good and he really made the story come alive for me through the eyes of young Robert, it was amazing. I hope there are more books like this because I really enjoyed this audio and will definitely look for from this author.

A good but not original story.

The author should leave narration to the professionals. Overall I give it 3 stars. ;)

Suspenseful, kept me strung along

Great book! Held my interest throughout. Narration perfect. Nice for pre teens and older, maybe even for ages 10.

Well-written supernatural coming-of-age novel

This is a clever coming of age novel set in a Depression-Era Canadian town. I found it very well written, and well read. The story and characters are interesting. I don't want to give away any of the plot as it is crafted quite well, building to a natural and satisfying conclusion. Recommended.

interesting story

not a bad little story of fantasy and imagination.
author should have gotten a different person to do narration it was drab and no emotion or enthusiasm just flat line read of his own story.
would have also made me happier if all the children came back. and more information of town recovering at ending.

I read, loved and reviewed this book, YOUR TURN

this was just truly a joy to read. this author pulls you in quick, and keeps you so engaged with the writing style. just so well written and I highly recommend this book as well as others by this author.

Fantastical journy of a boy

If you could sum up Dust in three words, what would they be?

Mysterious, Fantastical, and brilliant

Which character – as performed by Arthur Slade – was your favorite?

This narrator did a great job. It was the first of his work I had listened to, I will be on the look out for more. Very well done.

Any additional comments?

Robert Steelgate is an unusual hero,he has an insight or talent that allows him to see what others don't if it be threw the omen of blood eggs or the ability to see through what others want him to believe about their good intentions and helpful nature.
He is the only one who can find his missing little brother, there are strange forces taking over the town's people if it be a form of mesmerizing or dark forces, they seem obsessed over one thing and seldom remember that there are children missing.
Other than Robert the only other adult that has not bought into Abram is the Monty Sargent Ransom.
This story was fantastical in both the events that unfold and the vocabulary used to tell the story.The ending leaves just the right amount of mystery for the reader to continue what was going on in the end. The narrator did a great job with this story and I think it will be a book that schools could use in Middle grade to further language and vocabulary skills of their students.