Dirt by Laura Baggaley
Published by Habitat Press on 22 May 2025
📝 Review Note:
This review is provided as part of the Virtual Book Tour hosted by Zooloo’s Book Tours which runs 8 September until 14 September 2025. Follow along with the Book Tour Schedule.
Thank you to Laura Baggaley, Habitat Press, and Zooloo’s Book Tours for including me on this book tour and for providing a copy of the digital edition of this (young adult) dystopian novel to read and review.
As always, this review reflects my honest thoughts.
About the book
Food is scarce in Newbeck. Rations are meagre. Everyone grows what they can on government-allotted Squares of land, using seeds and soil bought from mysterious mega-business, the Green Cultivation Corporation.
One hot day, a strange girl rides into town wearing a sunhat as big as a bicycle wheel. She arrives alone, on a desert track from nowhere, full of questions no-one’s ever asked before.
Local boy Sam is fascinated by her. Why won’t she talk about her family and where she lives? Why is she so curious about his way of life? And why can’t he get her out of his head . . .
A dystopian eco-romance for young adults, Dirt shows that even on stony ground, hope can grow.
About the Author
Laura Baggaley is a writer of fiction for young adults and children.
Her latest book is a dystopian eco-romance, Dirt, published by Habitat Press.
Her novel, Enough, was one of three finalists in the Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition and longlisted for the Times / Chicken House Children’s fiction Competition and will be published by Neem Tree Press in 2026.
She’s currently polishing a third novel which was longlisted for the Yeovil Literary Prize.
She’s on the editorial team of Bending The Arc, a thrutopia Substack magazine, which publishes stories, poems and features that bend the arc of the possible towards a thriving future on Earth.
Laura is a firm believer in ‘imagination activism’ and loves books that ask big questions, usually starting ‘What if . . . ?’ She enjoys the challenge of creating alternative possible futures in her writing, and hopes that by imagining different worlds we’ll be able to build a better one. You can find her at laurabaggaley.co.uk and on Instagram
My Review
Reading Dirt felt like stepping into a future that’s both unsettling and believable, yet surprisingly hopeful. Laura Baggaley paints Newbeck so vividly that I could almost feel the dust in the air and the weight of rationing on people’s shoulders. But what really carried me through the book wasn’t just the setting—it was the sense of curiosity, change, and quiet resilience at the heart of the story.
I was drawn to Sam straight away. His voice feels genuine, with that mix of uncertainty and quiet strength that makes you root for him. When the mysterious girl with the enormous sunhat appears, she doesn’t just intrigue him—she unsettles the rhythm of his world. Their connection has a tender, fragile quality, and yet it’s full of questions that demand answers. Watching them find their way together, while navigating a world shaped by scarcity and control, kept me turning the pages.
As I read, I couldn’t help but think: is this where our own world might be headed? I’ve been following the daily life of farmers at Dalscone Farm Park in Dumfries, and even visited there last week. Seeing the hard work, dedication, and challenges farmers face today gave this story an extra layer of meaning, making the dystopian elements feel surprisingly close to home.
Baggaley balances big ideas with very human emotions. The story tackles food scarcity, corporate control, and the fragility of our systems—but it never feels heavy-handed. At its heart, it’s about trust, courage, and first love. And even with the weight of its themes, the story is surprisingly enjoyable and easy to read. I found myself smiling at tender moments, feeling protective of the characters, and genuinely curious to see how it would all unfold.
By the end, Dirt wasn’t just a story about survival—it was about hope and resilience. For a YA read, it carries weight, but it never loses its gentleness or its sense of possibility. Even as an adult reader, I was completely absorbed and left thinking about it long after the last page.
My Verdict: A thoughtful and tender eco-romance that asks big questions while celebrating the small, hopeful sparks that make us human. Engaging, reflective, and surprisingly fun, it’s a YA story that will stay with you.
#LauraBaggaley #Dirt #HabitatPress #digitalread #ZooloosBookTours #bookreview
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DISCLOSURE: I received an advance or review copy of this book. As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.
DISCLOSURE: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley/Zooloo’s Book Tours. As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.
DISCLOSURE: I purchased this book myself. As always, my thoughts are honest and my own.
© [2026] [MoMoBookDiary]. This review is original content. Please credit and link back if you wish to quote.
And finally…
My visit to Dalscone Farm Park last week made me reflect even more on this story. Seeing animals, meeting the team, and witnessing the effort behind farming gave Dirt an added resonance. While it’s a dystopian tale, its questions about survival, care, and hope feel very real—and very close to home.
MoMoBookDiary 
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