A thrilling underwater adventure for fans of dystopian drama.
A teenage girl races to uncover a conspiracy in a submerged ark that harbors the remnants of humanity in Moshage’s YA thriller.
The ark, named November’s Dawn, is 1,000 meters long and walks along the floor of the ocean on “over two hundred legs”; the world above is “just raging waves and endless storms.” Josie Owens, born and raised on the ark, has been educated only by its ruling faction, the Order of Scientific Discovery. On her 16th birthday, Josie finds her life transformed by a “holomessage” from her late father, a respected engineer. He reveals a startling secret: The ark was always intended to rise again and return to the surface of the Earth, “but there are some who would never let this happen because it threatens their power.” In addition to the message, Josie is left with a necklace with a mysterious meaning she must uncover. The stakes escalate when Felix, her father’s loyal engineer friend, is fatally shot by a Commandant soon after sharing the message. Thrust into a quest, Josie seeks to unravel the secrets of the Order of Scientific Discovery. Her adventure, with a setting reminiscent of the class-divided, train-bound society in the film Snowpiercer, takes her through the various levels of the ark. She soon discovers a shadowy resistance group and is recruited to their cause. Broadening the scope, Moshage intercuts Josie’s adventure with the activities of the villain, the First Vicar of the Order, who’s determined to thwart Josie’s efforts. This narrative back-and-forth maintains suspense during some occasional lulls devoted to worldbuilding details, including an extended sequence set at a fictional “fetterball” sports match. Though the story beats may feel familiar to readers of the genre, the novel’s unusual setting, well-drawn central character, and carefully structured twists make it a worthwhile addition to the teen dystopian shelf.
A thrilling underwater adventure for fans of dystopian drama.Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781951445645
Page Count: 326
Publisher: Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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