An action-packed, wild ride with unexpected twists and turns and characters readers care about—call it a dystopia with heart
Centuries after the Omniwar left much of the planet uninhabitable, Maximum Racing, the pre-eminent extreme sport, delivers vicarious thrills on reality TV; winning a race with a homebuilt car earns two teens in a remote, hardscrabble town a chance to race against professionals and star in the world’s deadliest competition.
Cassica and Shiara move to Anchor City, where a space elevator rises to Olympus. There, Celestials (rich and famous celebrities) live in luxury, their lives broadcast and obsessively followed below. Racers in teams of two (a driver and tech) hurtle across terrain scarred by ancient, orbital weapons and occupied by mutated creatures and damaged humans. Deadly nanobot particles hide in dust. Designated Wreckers follow the racers, their role to hunt and take out competitors. Though underfunded and unsponsored, Cassica and Shiara (both depicted as light-skinned on the cover) make a strong team. Cassica, a charismatic, fiercely competitive risk-taker, drives. Thoughtful Shiara, with mechanical skills and engineering know-how, is tech. They set their sights on competing in the Widowmaker, a three-day race, fatal for many but whose winners become Celestials. Exposure to new Omniwar horrors and the discovery that all is not as it seems in the glitzy city test their friendship to the breaking point. Though Wooding does not stint on the action, empathetic characterization and an emotional throughline help Cassica and Shiara bring their world to life for readers.
An action-packed, wild ride with unexpected twists and turns and characters readers care about—call it a dystopia with heart . (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-94494-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
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