The Ministry of Manners by David Solomons

A BOLD NEW MIDDLE-GRADE ADVENTURE FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR DAVID SOLOMONS EXPLORING WHAT'S LOST IN KEEPING QUIET AND WHAT'S FOUND IN FIGHTING BACK.

Be quiet. Be polite. Or be silenced.

Alfie and Margot Hawthorne have grown up under the Ministry of Manners, where politeness isn't a choice - it's the law. And one wrong word can change your life. He knows how to stay out of trouble, but she has never been one for quiet obedience.

When the Ministry takes Margot, everything changes. Inside the Manners Retreat, she fights to stay herself in a place built to erase her. Meanwhile, Alfie falls in with the Unsilenced - those who still dare to speak. But the Ministry has plans of its own. And if they succeed, rebellion won't just be punished. It'll be impossible.

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A chilling middle-grade dystopia where politeness is the law - and speaking up might be the bravest thing you can do.

Pre-Reading Thoughts

A dystopia for middle-grade readers that centres on enforced politeness is such a clever premise. There’s something inherently unsettling about a world that looks tidy and well-behaved on the surface but hides something darker underneath. I was especially curious to see how this idea would balance creepiness with accessibility for younger readers - and how far the story would push the idea of “good behaviour.”

Post-Reading

As I thought…
The shiny-utopia façade works really well. The Ministry’s insistence on politeness and order creates an atmosphere that feels controlled and quietly oppressive from the very beginning. The concept is simple but effective, making it easy for readers to grasp the stakes.

It surprised me by…
Just how unsettling some moments become - particularly the sequence in the reprogramming centre. For a middle-grade story, the sense of unease is handled impressively well. There are also some strong emotional beats as Alfie slowly realises that following the rules won’t keep him safe forever.

Music Pairing

🎵 Featured Song: Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) - Pink Floyd
🎶 Vibe Album: The Resistance - Muse
🎧 Artist Recommendation: Muse

Vibe Check

Colour Palette: stark white, government grey, warning red
Soundtrack: hushed corridors, clipped voices, the scratch of a pen correcting behaviour
Season: late winter
Mood: uneasy, watchful, quietly defiant
Scent: disinfectant and polished floors

Tarot Pull

The Hierophant

The Hierophant represents institutions, rules, and systems that expect obedience. I chose it for this story because the Ministry of Manners builds an entire society around enforced behaviour - deciding what is acceptable, what is punishable, and what must be silenced.

For fans of

📚 The Giver by Lois Lowry
🎬 Matilda

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The Ministry of Manners publishes on 7 May. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.