A chilling glimpse of life under authoritarian rule for reluctant readers.
A White nationalist government with no tolerance for dissent has eliminated free will in this contemporary thriller.
After living on a sailboat in the South Pacific for the past three years, 11th grader Blake Pendleton returns to his hometown and discovers everything is different—and in the worst way. There is now a “New Order” that prizes conformity and unthinking obedience above all else. Blake immediately has trouble adapting to this militant style of learning and is punished through escalating sessions of solitary isolation and sensory deprivation. Ming and Gina, two classmates, bring Blake into their inner circle of activism as they try to undermine the New Order from within. It won’t take readers much to imagine similar events happening in the not-so-distant future, particularly given the role technology plays in the story. Racism experienced by Ming, who is the grandson of Chinese immigrants to North America, and Gina, who is Black, as well as propaganda about foreigners reflect real-life policies and incidents that have made recent headlines. Blake’s world represents one result of xenophobia and White supremacy being championed and legalized by those in power. This slim novel’s fast-paced action is accessible and engaging. The device of having Blake reenter society after several years of unconventional living shows readers the shocking nature of extreme changes that crept up on everyone else. Blake is assumed White.
A chilling glimpse of life under authoritarian rule for reluctant readers. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4598-2682-3
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
A gripping post-apocalyptic survival story featuring a multinational cast and just the right amount of introspection.
It’s 2072, and a group of teens has one chance at surviving the end of the world: a prototype spaceship.
Eighteen-year-old Leigh Chen, daughter of the president of the United States, knows a volcano will soon erupt, leading to the destruction of Earth’s atmosphere. She also knows the Global Fleet Planning Commission has a plan: to rebuild on a new planet, 5.4 light-years away. While Leigh and other children of GFPC members are touring a launch site in California, the eruption unexpectedly begins. Approximately 50 teenagers from around the world find themselves on a journey that will last many lifetimes, relying on an unfinished ship and a minimal supply of food. On their side is Eli, White American daughter of the spaceship’s intended pilot. Eli forms a small leadership council to run the ship that includes Chinese American Leigh along with members from Kenya, Russia, Bolivia, and Egypt. As fault lines in the group quickly become apparent, Leigh busies herself with smoothing over conflicts among the survivors. But as they begin to repeat the mistakes of their parents, she must confront a question from her almost-friend, Anis Ibrahim: What does she really stand for? Part survival story and part exploration of the tenuous ties of cooperation, this memorable page-turner is a successful foray into science fiction for Redgate.
A gripping post-apocalyptic survival story featuring a multinational cast and just the right amount of introspection. (Science fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-06472-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
The dénouement is thin and rushed, but the fast action, cool technology (eyescreens, manga faces) and spot-on relevance to...
A thought-provoking add-on to the Uglies series.
Three years have passed since the mind-rain, when Tally and the Cutters freed the world from bubblehead surgery. Now cities create their own cultures, blending old traditions (lost for centuries) and new technology. Fifteen-year-old Aya lives in a Japanese city structured on a reputation economy. Each person’s fame rank (re-calculated constantly) determines their material capital, so getting noticed (for anything from a tech/fashion fad to groundbreaking science) is everyone’s priority. Everyone except the Sly Girls—a clique doing mad physical tricks, but, shockingly, incognito. Attempting to kick (blog) their story, Aya discovers unrecognizable beings stockpiling missile-like objects. Are they surge-monkeys? Aliens? Or has society regressed to mass weaponry? When Tally and Shay appear, suspense heats up. Westerfeld excels at showing the emotional underpinnings of a fame economy: Aya experiences obscurity panic, feeling “unreal” unless her actions are recorded.
The dénouement is thin and rushed, but the fast action, cool technology (eyescreens, manga faces) and spot-on relevance to contemporary Internet issues provide plenty of adrenaline. (Science fiction. YA)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5117-9
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2007
BOOK TO SCREEN
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
