Much more than a simple adventure story, full of poignant moments and relevant social commentary.
A highly satisfying sequel to Red Thunder (2004).
In Red Thunder, eccentric genius Jubal invented the free-energy “Squeezer” technology, and his cousin Travis uses it to power a low-budget mission to Mars. Now, 23 years later, humanity has begun to settle the Red Planet and space travel has become common. Life on Mars is pretty good for 17-year-old Ray Garcia-Strickland, even if he doesn't seem to know it, but that all changes when an object impacts with the Earth, causing a massive tsunami. Ray's family and some friends travel to Earth to help relatives they have there. They experience horror after horror, seeing a devastated Florida as they reunite with family friend Travis and together travel to rescue Ray's grandmother. In the wake of this tragedy, Jubal—who is considered the most important man in the world since only he truly understands his invaluable Squeezer technology—goes missing. Three months after Ray and company return to Mars, a fleet from Earth invades, then questions Ray, Travis and the others concerning Jubal’s whereabouts. The central mysteries of the novel concern what exactly happened to Jubal, as well as the nature of the object that struck the Earth. To reveal answers would spoil much of the fun, but suffice it to say that though the plot elements are seemingly disparate, they do all come together in the end.
Much more than a simple adventure story, full of poignant moments and relevant social commentary.Pub Date: April 4, 2006
ISBN: 0-441-01364-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ace/Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A new edition of the by now classic collection of affiliated stories which has already established its deserved longevity.
Pub Date: Aug. 16, 1963
ISBN: 055338256X
Page Count: -
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1963
A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love.
An independent young girl finds a blue door in a field and glimpses another world, nudging her onto a path of discovery, destiny, empowerment, and love.
Set at the turn of the 20th century, Harrow's debut novel centers on January Scaller, who grows up under the watchful eye of the wealthy Cornelius Locke, who employs her father, Julian, to travel the globe in search of odd objects and valuable treasures to pad his collection, housed in a sprawling Vermont mansion. January appears to have a charmed childhood but is stifled by the high-society old boy’s club of Mr. Locke and his friends, who treat her as a curiosity—a mixed-race girl with a precocious streak, forced into elaborate outfits and docile behavior for the annual society gatherings. When she's 17, her father seemingly disappears, and January finds a book that will change her life forever. With her motley crew of allies—Samuel, the grocer’s son; Jane, the Kenyan woman sent by Julian to be January’s companion; and Bad, her faithful dog—January embarks on an adventure that will lead her to discover secrets about Mr. Locke, the world and its hidden doorways, and her own family. Harrow employs the image of the door (“Sometimes I feel there are doors lurking in the creases of every sentence, with periods for knobs and verbs for hinges”) as well as the metaphor (a “geometry of absence”) to great effect. Similes and vivid imagery adorn nearly every page like glittering garlands. While some stereotypes are present, such as the depiction of East African women as pantherlike, the book has a diverse cast of characters and a strong woman lead. This portal fantasy doesn’t shy away from racism, classism, and sexism, which helps it succeed as an interesting story.
A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love.Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-42199-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Redhook/Orbit
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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