"The concept of gardening being an illegal activity in this country is an interesting one, particularly in light of the growing use of processed and genetically modified foods in our diet. The concept becomes even more intriguing when a powerful company begins to systematically eliminate real food from the palates of American citizens.
The dual storylines are intriguing and alternate nicely throughout the book. Lily’s story is the more exciting of the two as it involves her being on the run, learning to listen to her gut, trust her friends and learn about herself. Clare’s story parallels Lily’s in that she learns more about herself as she learns to grow food. They also start discovering boys in a refreshingly innocent way. Both girls work to find their place in the world and in the revolution that they have chosen to participate in.
The book is engaging and keeps up a nice pace. The characters are well-developed and will be endearing to readers. The book unveils secrets nicely and sets up more for the next installment in the series . . . Seed Savers-Heirloom is a satisfying dystopian novel that younger fans of sci-fi will enjoy." --Portland Book Review
"Extremely fascinating. A wonderful book centered on faith, friendship, and independence, it’s also a stern warning for people to wake up and pay attention to what’s going on today with our food. This is probably the most plausible premise for a dystopian novel I have read yet, (the parallels between Nipungyo and Monsanto are undeniable) and I got so absorbed in the story that I read it all in one sitting. Heirloom is a fantastic book written for MG/YA (though I’m an adult and thoroughly enjoyed it!). It has a lot to teach kids about being strong, the importance of friendships, and standing up for what’s right. It even teaches you a little bit about gardening (how cool is that?). If you are looking for a gripping dystopian with a twist, look no further. Highly recommended!” --Epic Book Quest blog
"Seed Savers-Heirloom, even more than the other two in the series, is full of interesting facts about how a society would get from where it was in the 1980's to what it is in Smith's novels. In a time when we are debating GMOs, organics, seeds, and patents, this book is a must have to help middle grade students grasp all the political nuances decisions of today will have on tomorrow. I love that Smith was able to take an intense political topic and weave it into a fascinating (and fun) story."--Andi Klemm, Anakalian Whims blog