Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Sci Fi for YA


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Cover art for THE DARK ZONE
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2011

"Dedicated fans of the series will appreciate it, but it probably won't win new converts. (Science fiction. 12 & up)"
The fourth installment in Testa's teen saga of space exploration, the Galahad Series. Read full book review >
Cover art for UP AGAINST IT
FICTION
Released: March 1, 2011

"Gripping, well-rounded hard sci-fi, satisfyingly concluded while nicely poised for sequels."
Disaster threatens the survival of an asteroid colony in Locke's part thriller, part survival epic (as Laura J. Mixon, she wrote Burning the Ice, 2002, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 11, 2011

"Wherever the series goes from here, this opener leaves an indelible imprint. (Science fiction. 14 & up)"
An unforgettable opening scene, in which Amy watches her parents climb into glass boxes to be agonizingly frozen alive and then submits to being frozen herself, launches this riveting thriller about space travel, secrets, murder and Realpolitik. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE WEB OF TITAN
CHILDREN'S
Released: July 1, 2010

"The adventure continues apace in this second of a planned six-installment series. (Science fiction. 12 & up)"
Sequel to The Comet's Curse (2009), this is the continuing story of the spaceship Galahad and her crew of teens, sent on a last-ditch effort to save civilization from the virus that seems to be killing all adults on Earth. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE COMET’S CURSE
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 20, 2009

"Both a mystery and an adventure, combining a solid cast of characters with humor, pathos, growing pains and just a hint of romance, this opener bodes well for the remainder of the series. (Science fiction. 12 & up)"
The first in a projected series of six, this book has already won an award in its prior incarnation as a self-published book. Read full book review >
Cover art for FARSEED
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2007

"It most clearly resembles life itself: a murky, unresolved struggle for survival. (Science fiction. YA)"
In Earthseed (1983), Sargent told the story of Ship, sent into space with a mission to find new worlds for humanity to populate and regenerate in lieu of extinction on a dying planet. Read full book review >
Cover art for SHANGHAIED TO THE MOON
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2007

"Readers who enjoyed Daley's surer Space Station Rat (2005) will wonder what he was thinking. (Science fiction. 10-12)"
Straightforward sci-fi adventure veers off course into a black hole of pop psych in this confused outing. Read full book review >
Cover art for BOUNCING OFF THE MOON
FICTION
Released: April 1, 2001

"Despite the seeming plot by numbers: claustrophobic but probably okay for the YA audience, increasingly tedious for adults."
Second entry in a projected trilogy about the dysfunctional Dingillian family, though some of the ideas here harken back to an early Gerrold novel, When Harlie Was One. Read full book review >
Cover art for HIGHER EDUCATION
CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 1996

"Fans of the authors' previous works will be glad to know of this first entry in the Jupiter series, but those readers searching for a more expansive role for female space cadets will have to enroll elsewhere. (Fiction. 13+)"
 The trajectory of Rick Luban, 16, from high school washout to interplanetary space miner. Read full book review >