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Rachel Churcher
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Battle Ground (Battle Ground YA UK Dystopia Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rachel Churcher (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 62 ratings
Bronze Medal, Reader's Favorite International Book Awards 2021
Bronze Medal, Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2019
Reader's Favorite Five-Star Book

Two young women. A dis-united Kingdom. Opposing sides in a British civil war.

Sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman has been drafted into an army she doesn't support and a cause she doesn't believe in. Her plan is to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can't ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind.

Looking for an award-winning dystopia? Prefer die-for-each-other friendships to romance? Like your YA with a relevant political twist? Battle Ground is a friendship-based found-family survival story with a strong female lead, and book one of a gripping near-future dystopian series.

The Battle Ground series is set in a dystopian near-future UK, after Brexit and Scottish independence.

'This series is raising the standard for YA dystopian fiction, and I can’t give it less than 5 stars' - AyJayPageFarer Book Blog

…..

Silence. Darkness. My pulse, loud in my ears.

We're under attack. We need to move. We need to get out. Three floors underground in a nuclear bunker – we're safe while no one knows we’re here, but if they’ve found us, we're trapped. One way in, and one way out.

Voices. Sounds. Hammer blows, slamming through the silence.

I force myself to wake up. Open my eyes, push back the blanket, crawl out of bed.

I need to wake the others.

Boots. Armour. Gun.

Time to be brave.

.....
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  1. Book 1 of 7
    Battle Ground YA UK Dystopia Series
  2. Print length
    260 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    July 18, 2019
  6. Reading age
    13 - 18 years
  7. File size
    3.5 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Shop this series

 See full series
There are 7 books in this series.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This series is raising the standard for YA dystopian fiction, and I can't give it less than five stars' - AyJayPageFarer Book Blog

'The Battle Ground series is the most relevant series in and about the UK right now' - Writing With Wolves Book Blog

'Battle Ground feels really relevant' - Jessica Belmont

'Scarily near the mark' - Mai's Musings Book Blog

'Engaging, thrilling, intense, and wild' - Jazzy Book Reviews

'Bex is a great protagonist' - Paperbacks and Pinot Book Blog

'Action-driven, thought-provoking, dystopian YA' - In De Boekenkast Book Blog

'I didn't realise I'd read half the book until I came up for air' - Radzy Writes Book Blog

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VCSY3CS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Taller Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 18, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 260 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 7 ‏ : ‎ Battle Ground YA UK Dystopia Series
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

About the author

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Rachel Churcher

Rachel Churcher

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Award-winning YA author and passionate YA reader. Always looking for the next great YA novel, whether it's a dystopia with an awesome female lead, a historical adventure, or a contemporary High School drama.

SF and dystopia are my comfort zones, but I'll step outside my happy place in pursuit of a good story. I have a book-buying habit, and a large library at home (I think of it as a portal to other worlds). I love physical books, and curling up in front of the fire to read. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too many books - just not enough book shelves.

'Battle Ground', Book One of my YA Battle Ground series, was published in July 2019. Book Two, 'False Flag', Book Three, 'Darkest Hour', Book Four, 'Fighting Back', and Book Five, 'Victory Day' are available now. A tie-in novel, 'Balancing Act' is also available, along with 'Finding Fire and Other Stories', a book of Battle Ground Series short stories.

My standalone LGBTQ+ 'finding yourself' movel, 'Angels', is available now. The perfect read for Pride Month!

Follow me: RachelChurcherWriting on GoodReads, TikTok, and Instagram.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
62 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's characters well-rounded. The plot is believable, with one customer noting how the story moves at a good pace.

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Character developmentPlot
3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are well-rounded.

"...The characters are well-rounded and most have a back story which helps you get to know them...." Read more

"...It had suspense, action, worry, (characters were believable!!!) and I just settled in and just read...." Read more

"Interesting premise and characters..." Read more

3 customers mention "Plot"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the plot of the book believable, with one customer noting it moves at a good pace and another mentioning its suspenseful elements.

"...at a good pace and in today's climate the plotline was plausible and believable! I look forward to reading the second book of the series." Read more

"...It was easily the best book I have read in a long, long time. It had suspense, action, worry, (characters were believable!!!)..." Read more

"Good read, logical progression. Sad that it broke where it did. Prefer longer stories to read. Enjoyed it for the most part." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • 5hmoo
    5.0 out of 5 stars fans of the Hunger Games will enjoy this
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    If you're a fan of YA dystopian fiction (I am), you should read this book. It's well written, engaging, and kept me wanting to know what happened next. I read it in two sittings, only because I had an appointment, so couldn't finish it in one. Can hardly wait for book 2.

    Set in the near future UK, Bex, Margie, and Dan are high school students safe in their insular world. Until they're pulled into the war between the domestic terrorists and the government. Now Bex needs to decide which truth she believes and whether she's willing to fight against her friends. And whether she has it in her to really fight at all.

    Fans of the Hunger Games will probably enjoy this book. It's the first book in a series.

    *spoilers*
    (very light spoilers, from the beginning of the book)
    Though everyone knows about the domestic terrorist attacks all over the UK, nothing is taught about them beyond what state media puts out. Until one of their history teachers starts secretly teaching Bex and her friends some of the forbidden recent history. Now they can't agree on what's true and what's not. Their disagreements might not matter, but now Margie and the history teacher have disappeared and the government has conscripted Bex and Dan's class to fight the terrorists.

    *disclosure*
    I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Once it was published, though, I purchased an official copy through Amazon so I'd have it on my Kindle. I'll be purchasing the 2nd book when it comes out.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lorraine
    4.0 out of 5 stars Plausible and Believable
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed this first book of this new series. A dystopian story set in the not too distant future of the UK. It's aimed at Young Adults, but perfectly suitable for older readers too.

    Bex Ellman and her friend, Dan are conscripted into the army, while their other friend Margie has disappeared along with a teacher to join the 'terrorists'. As recruits Bex, Dan and other teens are put through a harrowing training regime, merely to be shown off to the public to prove that they are safe from attack.

    With propaganda, misinformation and rumour it's difficult for the teens to decide what the truth is and whos side they should be on.

    The characters are well-rounded and most have a back story which helps you get to know them. They're not perfect, they're flawed and make mistakes like all teenagers.

    The story moved along at a good pace and in today's climate the plotline was plausible and believable! I look forward to reading the second book of the series.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Biocin
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I read this book entirely over a 4 hour period. It was easily the best book I have read in a long, long time. It had suspense, action, worry, (characters were believable!!!) and I just settled in and just read. The world went away and I ignored all my chores, alarm bells and am eating dinner after 9pm....what fun! I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this series...I have found a new author, way, Rachel!
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  • Kimberly Gaetani
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting premise and characters
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Good read, logical progression. Sad that it broke where it did. Prefer longer stories to read. Enjoyed it for the most part.
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  • Jessica Belmont
    4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Dystopian!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    Battle Ground is a YA Dystopian, and I am so happy I had a chance to read it! I love Dystopians because they are always eerily possible. Just one small change in the way a government is run, and we could easily live like this. I love that. Battle Ground feels really relevant and I love when fictional books do that.

    The characters are very realistic. It’s interesting to see the weight of each decision and how it impacts the story later on. Trying to decide who to trust is not easy for any of the people in this story, and I could feel the difficulties through the pages.

    A complex and thought-provoking read that is aimed at the YA audience, but translated well to me as an adult. I love the morality questions and the constant difficulty in deciding who to trust. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series!

    I definitely recommend checking Battle Ground out if you love complex YA Dystopians!

    *I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resouces. All opinions are my own.*
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  • Jasmine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intense!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    Battle Ground is the first book in a new series set in a dystopian future where the army recruits teenagers and trains them to make citizens feel safe from the terrorist threats that seem to be happening more and more frequently.

    Bex, the main character, is in the army with her friend Dan. Their other friend, Margie, has deserted them and taken off with a school teacher who believes the government is lying about the threats.

    Dan is determined to prove his worth in the army, but Bex doesn't care either way. She just wants to finish school and move on with her life. Instead, she has to deal with more than she ever could have bargained for.

    I don't want to spoil anything, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I flew threw it faster than any other book I've read this year (if I recall correctly), and that's saying something. I honestly couldn't put it down. It's engaging, thrilling, intense, and wild.

    I felt bad for Bex throughout a lot of the story. She wants to do what's right while training, but more often than not, she gets punished for it. It's actually kind of ridiculous what she has to put up with.

    I didn't care much for the higher-ups in the army that Bex and Dan had to deal with. They were all terrible characters who aren't hard to dislike. Although, after reading the synopses for the upcoming books, I have a feeling one of them may come around and end up not so bad in the end. I could be wrong, though.

    If you love YA dystopian fiction, or books that will immediately suck you in and take you on an action-packed ride, you'll definitely want to grab a copy of Battle Ground today.

    5 very well-deserved stars from me!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • U. Visser
    3.0 out of 5 stars A Post-Brexit Dystopia
    Reviewed in Germany on January 8, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I guess this book wasn't for me.

    I could not connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to. Perhaps it was the setting of the book... Military, training, training, training and that all with 16-year-old kids... It felt like Bex is not actually there, she absentmindedly does what she is told (after a brief period of questioning the camp leaders).
    At the end of the books the story picks up speed, but by then it was too late for me.

    The story itself is a good idea, and I am sure lots of readers will love it.
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  • Julia Blake
    5.0 out of 5 stars A topical and very relevant read given the current UK political state
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    As a Brit, to say I’m concerned about the whole Brexit situation would be an understatement. So, when I spotted this new near future dystopian series set in the UK, post Brexit and post Scottish Independence, I was intrigued enough to purchase a copy.

    To say it makes for uncomfortable reading is putting it mildly, as the story it tells is one that feels so frighteningly plausible and so close to our current situation that it truly chills one to the bone. Britain is now practically a martial state living under the heel of a corrupt and controlling government that has traded on the fears and paranoia of a scared populace to gradually gain more and more control.

    Children of sixteen are being forcibly conscripted into a version of the territorial army that promises safety, yet in reality is a cover for an authority which is power hungry and will go to any lengths to achieve maximum control over the control.

    The main plot deals with rebellious teenager Bex who is one of these “paper soldiers”. Taken by force from her school and with no family to defend her, she quickly gathers a group of loyal friends around her and together they fight to maintain their integrity and individuality in an organisation intent on moulding them all into a non-thinking, non-questioning, cohesive unit.

    The book is well written, with a sparsity to the prose which suits the militant functionality of the plot. The characters are multi-faceted and complex, with relationships gradually forming that layer on the reality of their situation until we, the reader, truly believe that this could really happen.

    The plot took an unexpected twist about mid-point, when Bex discovers a shocking secret that jars her to the core and makes her question everything she ever believed about the country she lives in and the authority she serves. From then on, the pace picks up even more, racing through shockingly unexpected situations to finally implode in an ending which has left me wanting more.

    Luckily, the second book is already published for me to read. Overall, this is a clever and sophisticated take on a very relevant topic that places this novel very much in the here and now and should be seen as a warning of what could come about.
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  • moominbaby
    4.0 out of 5 stars A strong start
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Battle Ground is a story that immediately resonated with me as a huge fan of Dystopia and especially to have one in an UK, near future setting ticked so many boxes. To start with I was so happy that the Author had put a pronunciation guide at the FRONT of the book, so often these are at the end and then I find out I’ve been saying something wrong in my head for hundreds of pages! With the UK on the verge of martial law everything feels very bleak, empty and cold. The very stark “them and us” feel apparent from the opening pages as we get drips and drops of information which starts to paint a picture of where we are at and with a bombshell that the UK has returned to the death penalty the reader is under no illusion that things are far from well.

    Bex is a great protagonist and ticks very few of the YA heroine tick boxes, she not all about running into danger without a backward glance for others, she seldom if ever mentions her appearance, if only to lament her “front line barbie” moniker, and it’s not about catching the eye of a cute boy. Bex has a strong morality and a curiosity about what is going on and it’s amazing to have a book where a romantic element isn’t the ultimate goal. She questions and is open to suggestion that there has to be some way of making things better.

    With chapters heavy on military training, I liked how the author took the time to remind us that Bex is still very much a child underneath. The passages where we return to the school setting and her finding joy in the simpler things, the mundane such as homework really brought home her plight and those of the others. It’s one of many frightening near life scenarios that we are shown in this tale, children “enlisted” giving them little to no choice or say in the matter, made horribly parallel scenario to the drafting of the first and second world wars. The whole training camp had an uncomfortable feel with very little sympathy, but plenty of brainwashing and propaganda feeding. The concept of forcing the humanity out of the children, encouraging them to abandon anyone other than themselves, is a distressing idea. The indication that caring for someone is somehow obtuse in an environment that breeds disassociation from what they may have to do as part of the “greater good” all whilst putting on a good show for the camera’s, is one of many difficult topics the author covers and it is done incredibly well.

    Whilst the start is a teeny tiny bit slow with the recruitment and training aspect, it’s still captivating and knowing that these are rapid release books means that there will be pay off from establishing the world building in this book. I did find that I struggled with how quickly Bex gained the military prowess displayed towards the closing chapters but then adrenaline probably speaks for a lot, but it was the only time that I felt the story stepped outside of what could actually happen.

    There are obvious connotations with the current political climate, which is clear when reading the blurb – whichever side of the fence you are on, this book isn’t preaching about that, it’s putting across a scenario and a pretty great one at that. The story contains enough of current and recent affairs to give it a realistic turn without specifying enough to date it in future, especially with the imaginative combination of guns and armour which had an almost sci-fi feel at times. This coupled with the weaponry makes it feel like it might not be quite just around the corner, but in these uncertain times, who knows.

    I’m very much looking forward to book 2 and give book one a very strong 4*
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  • Alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing change from the YA norm
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    It's so refreshing to read a YA fiction that doesn't focus on a needy teenage relationship. Characters like Bella Swan and Tris Prior showed such promise until they were suddenly unable to function without the attention and guidance of their new beau. Even Katniss Everdeen had her moments.

    Instead, with Battlegrounds, we are given a female character who cares and is cared for without losing her sense of self. Bex is strong yet flawed, she makes mistakes and learns from them, as we all should. She doesn't fall apart when things go wrong, but she does allow herself a moment to stutter and stumble - she's no superhero - and while she leans on those close to her for support and guidance, she is still able to make her own decisions and allows herself to be held responsible when things go wrong.

    If you're looking for a YA that offers more than teenage pining, you can't go wrong read Battlegrounds.
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  • Colin Towers
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a page-turner!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Read primarily while it was free on Wattpad and finished shortly after (having previously read the Novella).

    Dystopian near-future novel, set in the UK, where we learn all is not what we might expect. I found myself willing Bex to make the right choices, be brave and hope for the best. I love books with rich and engaging characters and environments - and Battle Ground lived up to that.

    So as to avoid spoilers, I won't say much more - but I found it very difficult to put down. Can't wait for the sequel.
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