Recommended futuristic fiction with a twist.
In Kang’s (The Impossible Girl, 2018, etc.) YA sci-fi novel, a bioengineered girl and a boy sent into space to die find each other on an abandoned, sentient ship—along with a lot more than they bargained for.
Hana, a young woman with genetic enhancements that give her advanced abilities, wakes after a week of chemically induced sleep to find herself alone. Hidden away in the private chambers of her “Mother,” no one knows of her existence except her creator and the sentient ship, called Cyclo. But when Hana asks where her mother is, Cyclo just tells her that her “mother is not here.” Venturing out of her room for the first time since she was born, Hana discovers that the rest of the ship is completely empty, the crew having evacuated with no plan to return. Meanwhile, a young man named Fenn is on a small ship with a small team, heading toward Cyclo to figure out why the ship is dying and what the company in charge can do to ensure that future sentient spacecraft live longer. There may be no return for those onboard when Cyclo finally fails, but if Fenn’s team manages to get enough information recorded, his ailing sister will receive enough money for necessary medical treatment. Finding Hana onboard is shocking enough—but then it’s revealed that someone on Fenn’s team may be a killer. Kang delivers a novel with a unique premise and solid storytelling, which makes it stand out in a sea of similar YA titles. Kang’s version of a sentient ship, for instance—one that communicates mainly through the use of colors on displays—is a beautifully original creation; Hana’s genetic enhancements, among other things, helpfully allow her to “see beyond the color spectrum that others can.” The overarching plot offers readers a compelling mix of romance and horror, and it puts a new spin on the idea of star-crossed lovers. The pacing of the story is steady throughout, with enough momentum to keep readers consistently engaged.
Recommended futuristic fiction with a twist.Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-64063-424-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A trick ending–in which the final three quarters of the book is revealed to have been only a (possibly prophetic)...
Potentially intriguing stylistic choices instead form a knot of incomprehensible prose in this convoluted sci-fi tale.
Starra Starbuck is a farmer on a polluted future Earth where human life is rapidly being driven to extinction by natural disasters. As one of the planet’s six potential psychics, Starra is drafted into an expedition to find a new home for humankind in a distant galaxy. The journey ends in disaster when the ship bursts open en route and only Starra survives. She successfully lands the craft on an alien planet, where she is pleased to find all the computers are programmed in English. Quickly resigning herself to the inevitable death of all her friends on Earth, Starra blithely steals a ship and jets off to an interplanetary poker competition. Her ensuing adventures–during which the environmental message of the narrative falls off the radar–are marred by malapropisms, grammatical errors and sloppy syntax. Starra’s narration is peppered with an excess of bland adjectives–one typical sentence describes three items as “blue” and three as “brown.” Constant repetitions of the phrase, “I sighed with,” to indicate emotion only contribute to the choppiness; Starra sighs with, among other things, “grit,” “confidence,” “determination” and “surprise.”
A trick ending–in which the final three quarters of the book is revealed to have been only a (possibly prophetic) dream–cheapens the already broken tale. (Science fiction. 11-13)Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-595-35799-7
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun.
Comedy and suspense dominate this imaginative twist on the Dracula legend.
Harnissey, Dracula’s vampire nephew, and his companion, the ancient spider Morleaux, arrive at the old homestead for a visit when Dracula leaves for London. Harnissey, innocent, well-meaning and constantly bumbling, is attacked by the vampire sisters in residence, who intend to take over the castle while the Master is away. He and his intelligent spider sidekick eventually form an alliance with Dracula’s undead butler, a nicely drawn character always surrounded by a halo of buzzing flies, and a kingly, sinister cat, to do battle against a centuries-old vampire sorceress who’s arrived holding a grudge, along with her skeleton army. Bayne has a flair for droll comedy. His monstrous characters stand out clearly and distinctly as individuals, and the author’s clever focus on the other side of Bram Stoker’s novel helps fill out the story. The humorous undead protagonists, who are afraid of ghosts, add plenty of flavor to the story, as does the author’s incorporation of historical detail. The only flaw is Bayne’s tendency toward too-flippant dialogue, which is clearly designed to appeal to adolescents, but is inconsistent with the more sophisticated style used in the narration. Still, this is an entertaining romp that displays originality and inventiveness.
Great for a middle- or high-school audience looking for some fun. (Fiction. YA)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-40242-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
