by Derek Lilly ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 11, 2017
An entertaining yarn that delivers a curious mix of science and sci-fi.
Awards & Accolades
Rolling Stone & Kirkus' Best Music Books of None
An astrophysicist discovers an artifact from outer space containing a cryptic message that may be a precursor to an alien attack in this debut novel.
Lukas Linsky is a genius who dreams of becoming an astrophysicist. He was born to accomplished parents Flo, a doctor of genetics, and Marcus, who in 2017 founded the CIA-backed Android AI. The CIA wants to use the company to create combat robots, but advancement in artificial intelligence leads to a line of superior androids called Andi Mk2s. Their purpose is to help humans reverse the increasing devastation caused by global warming. At the same time, Lukas starts building the Linsky Observatory in New Zealand, completed by 2032. It’s in New Zealand where Lukas spots a “bolt of bright orange plasma light” moving with purpose and obviously not a natural occurrence. He and his pal Angus “Gus” Macleod later see and chase another plasma ball, which lands on Earth. It’s a sphere that Marcus determines is of an element or alloy not of this world. It also contains a binary-coded message, the initially translated synopsis providing a future date and coordinates to the sun. The sphere seems to have originated from an Earth-like exoplanet, Kepler-452b. Noting that Kepler-452b is lacking in a particular resource that’s more abundant on Earth, Lukas surmises an alien species may be intent on taking the treasure in a likely unfriendly manner. Further decryption of the sphere’s code reveals that the aliens may be wary of the Mk2s and have a plan involving the androids. Lilly’s engaging tale, despite Lukas’ first-person voice, reads like a history book. There’s very little dialogue, and the narrative’s occasionally interrupted by separated text defining terminology or clarifying historical references. These notes reinforce a smart story rife with information, even when they explain something relatively simple like TV—after all, it may be obsolete for distant-future readers. There is, however, some redundancy: expounding on wormholes more than once or discussing the Richter scale and electromagnetic pulses well after they’ve already appeared in the story. The protagonist generally relays events as they unfold, which is fitting for a scientist. But he’s not merely a cold observer; the author skillfully provides insights into his character. It’s clear that Lukas loves his parents, and he quickly falls for Vicki, a former professional football (aka soccer) player in England. He also believes calling Marcus “Dad” is a “childish slip,” a sign that he fears emotional attachments, even to loved ones. Still, his relationships to friends and family are sturdy enough that, when death ultimately rears its ugly head, there’s an unmistakable impact. Lilly deftly retains suspense by way of the aliens’ anticipated actions; there’s a countdown to the 2035 date cited in the message (down to the final seconds), while an invasion at that point is still speculation. Tech is both familiar and new (for example, a top-secret submarine) and sometimes creatively named: a ship's operations room for flying pilotless aircraft is called "The Kids Room" for its resemblance to handheld gaming consoles.
An entertaining yarn that delivers a curious mix of science and sci-fi.Pub Date: May 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-473-38440-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2006
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
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by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951
A strict report, worthy of sympathy.
A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen) has a compulsive impact.
"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….
A strict report, worthy of sympathy.Pub Date: June 15, 1951
ISBN: 0316769177
Page Count: -
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951
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