These Stolen Lives

"A striking, thought-provoking YA dystopia"
- The Guardian


"Fabulously detailed world-building"
- Patrice Lawrence, author of Orangeboy and
Eight Pieces of Silva


Longlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2025

A powerful dystopian thriller from a stunning new voice
in YA, set in a world divided by race where life itself must be
paid for if you want to survive...
Filled with suspense and romance, ideal for fans of Noughts
& Crosses, The Hunger Games and Shatter
Me.


Six years ago, seventeen-year-old Mora survived the terrifying
Skol invasion. They stole her land. They took her family.
And now not even her life is her own.


Skol culture revolves around one motto: Life is Golden.
You must pay the government for the right to survive. If you can't,
you're cast out at best - at worst, culled. Records of every
citizen are held at the hallowed, highly secured Life Registry, which
tracks who lives and who dies, who pays and who fails.


Colonized survivors like Mora face endless servitude, repaying
the 'debt' of their years lived before the invasion. Mora is resigned
to her fate, finding glimmers of joy in her tentative friendship
with another repayer, the handsome, elusive Kit.


But then she finds out that twelve-year-old Zako, the closest
thing she has to a brother, is to be put to death by the dangerous
new Skol Governor. Finding the courage to fight back, Mora
and Kit conspire to smuggle Zako to safety. But their plan draws
them into a dark mystery - and to a heart-pounding mission at
the Life Registry itself. They must ultimately ask themselves: what
are we worth to each other?





Gripping, moving and suspenseful storytelling with a
friends-to-lovers romance that crackles with tension.


A girl driven by unthinkable grief. A boy targeted for
his unimaginable ability. A compelling story exploring the power
of hope, courage and connection from a stunning new voice in YA.


A richly imagined fantasy world that illuminates topics
of colonialism, racism and societal structures that demand productivity
and disenfranchise the poor.



"An intricately-crafted world with characters who live
and breathe beyond the pages." - Aisha Busby,
author of A Pocketful of Stars


"Utterly captivating... The world Keats has created
is terrifyingly believable... Keats' writing was lush and evocative
too." - @_ashortbooklover, reader
review