An amazing and classic piece of Sci-Fi history. It is also short, easy-to-read, but does not sacrifice substance. Imaginative and page-turning.

David Storm is a normal boy living in a not so normal world. After nuclear fallout from an unknown war David lives in the archaic far-future. The town Waknuk is governed by his father Joseph, a very religious pasture who hates anything that goes against the (their version of the) Bible. Because of the nuclear waste there are plenty of people who are born with deformities they're either cast out into the fringes or sacrificially killed. I wouldn't recommend this novel to anyone as it's not one for the light hearted and the characters don't do much. This novel is full of religious themes, and references to the Cold War, which was written in 1955. This book can be very depressing at times with all the death and cruelty that's present in the world. @Subsub of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library

The Chrysalids was quite the read with adventure, mystery, friendships and hardships throughout. The book shows a post-apocalyptic time where things are completely different and people live much different lives. This novel was very interesting as it explored a different theme and setting while still being a classic novel. The plot itself could have been a bit better and more interesting in a way but overall it was a good read. If you are a fan of classics and sci-fi, this book is for you. What I personally loved about the book is the entire journey from start to finish and how things change and evolve. 4/5 stars
@AleenAther of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board

A (seemingly) post-nuclear world where it is considered a deviation and blasphemy against God to have a genetic mutation (like an extra toe), the book's core meaning is of accepting others even though they are different from you.

The book was not top-tier but it wasn't mediocre either. The plot and concept is genius, an 'abstract' portrayal of a post-nuclear world where our characters grow up. They belong to a uber-religious cult community who considers anything or anyone that doesn't look normal (like a giant horse for example!) a deviation and subject to destruction.

It's a truly captivating story, I enjoyed reading it, especially towards the end where you really get a proper glimpse at what the world they live in is actually like.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Dystopian novels, and most readers looking for a great message in general.

When I read this book in high school many years ago it resonated strongly with me. The danger of being different, the "mutation" of religion into a means of abuse and the extremes we can all go to are woven throughout. I have revisited it many times over the years. I highly recommend this author and his other works. Chocky, The Midwich Cukoos, Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes are all especially worth reading.
Rather than being a promotion of Christianity, or forcing it down the reader's throat, this book stresses the dangers of religion gone amuck, religion based on fear, religion as power, religion as control and religion as excuse for intolerance and abuse. The inhabitants of a post nuclear apocalypse world turn to a rigid fundamentalism in their fears of mutation. Everything is judged by a standard which is intolerant of any deviation from the so called norm, even the positive. The book carries the message of inclusion and acceptance with lyrical grace.
John Wyndham was British, not American as stated in another comment.

Not being of any Christian beliefs, myself - This vintage SyFy story (written in 1955 by John Wyndham) completely lost my interest once this unwelcome element of religion was worked into the plot-line where it, unfortunately, prevailed right through to the bitter end.

IMO - SyFy and Christianity make for a terrible pairing in any work of fiction. These two subjects are, pretty much, contradictory in nature. And, with that said - I totally resented author, Wyndham for trying to force Christianity down my throat with this nonsensical story of his. I really do.

First published back in 1955 - "The Chrysalids" (written by American novelist, John Wyndham) actually had some real potential to be an intriguing futuristic SyFy story where nuclear radiation has caused startling mutations in all life (including humans) all across the planet.

But, unfortunately, this work of fiction clearly took a religiously snobbish attitude of that of a Christian fundamentalist. (Yawn-to-the-max!) And, as a result - Its sneering, self-righteous arrogance in believing that "god" will save the day completely destroyed my interest in its story.

And, with that in mind - I came to the conclusion that this book (and its utterly useless message) belonged right in the trash-can.

If you’re looking for a dystopian novel that hits deep, this is it. You live with the novel’s dynamic characters in a world full of terrifying zealots in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster (or so it seems). It all feels a bit too feasible. Yet somehow, amidst the horror, you feel deep love and hope. This quote stuck with me because who hasn’t tried or at least wanted to run away? “In my experience, he told me, if you run away from a thing just because you don’t like it, you don’t know what you find either. Now running to a thing, that’s a different matter, but what would you want to run to?” I really enjoyed it. (submitted by LN)

The Chrysalids was first published in 1955, almost a decade into the Cold War and 10 years after the bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, but it's still relatively early in a long lineage of post-nuclear-apocalyptic dystopian fiction. Although intolerance, mutation and evolution are critical to the plot and setting, this focuses more on character development in the protagonist David. You'll find many parallels in other journey stories like Watership Down and contemporary social commentaries like Lord Of The Flies (1954). The ending is conveniently conclusive but properly developed.

I read this book the summer after Grade 9 because my summer school teacher assigned it to us. At first I thought it was too challenging, boring, and I wouldn't actually finish it. Turns out, it's very interesting and I love the mindset of the protagonist. We have some real world issues that are similar to the conflicts found in the book.