by Scott Gordon and Evan Gordon ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 9, 2015
Fun YA galactic romp that is not without its thoughtful side.
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Jett, a California kid, invents a gadget that could propel an unready mankind far into space, and he’s abducted by powerful, cautious aliens.
Scott and Evan Gordon, a father-and-son sci-fi/YA writing team, offer a rambunctious launch to a new series. In southern California in the year 2028, adolescent inventor Jett Javelin, son of a theoretical physicist, takes cues from his mom’s research to create the “quantum swapper,” a DIY teleportation device capable of materializing individuals light-years away. Its use instantly makes Earth a high priority for the judgment of the Fold, a federation made up of 1,756,234 intelligent, peace-loving (and vegan) alien civilizations. The Fold takes action whenever a nonbeneficial race discovers interstellar travel. It turns out the Fold, via their chief regulators, the Aaptuuans (the variety known to UFO enthusiasts as flying-saucer “little greys”), long ago seeded throughout the universe the laws known here as the Ten Commandments. Any spacefaring civilization that violates these laws in any way—even killing and eating animals for food—is subjected to “neutralization,” doomed to likely extinction by having all electronic technology deactivated. After the Aaptuuans abduct Jett along with his invention, his behavior (and whether his people find his records and can duplicate the quantum swapper) will determine Earth’s fate. Luckily, Jett hooks up with the tentacled Tii-Eldii, a refugee from a previous Aaptuunan neutralization, and the chase is on. The fleet narrative never has any dead spots and boasts a clever range of aliens of all shapes, sizes, and appendages. It also has just the right balance of tongue-in-cheek (when a life form happens to have a tongue or a cheek) and serious elements when it comes to pondering moral issues and dilemmas. There is, naturally, a cliffhanger finale to draw readers into the next installment.
Fun YA galactic romp that is not without its thoughtful side.Pub Date: May 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9963574-3-2
Page Count: 244
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Scott Gordon with Evan Gordon
by Andrea Engel Leslie Engel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015
An otherworldly setting, grounded by irresistible melodrama and an unshakeable protagonist worth rooting for.
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A Florida teen unhappy at home and tormented by bullies at school discovers a dreamlike world where she can escape and that may be more real than she knows in this YA fantasy debut.
Ever since her beloved Gramma Rose died, Sadie Myers’ life has been immersed in melancholy. Her once-cheerful parents are perpetually grumpy, and Sadie’s alienated others, including former best friend Melanie Greene. Having no friends makes her an easy target for resident bully Dave Jablonsky, who spearheads the students’ unremitting ridicule. Sadie dreams of a terrifying shadow man chasing her but takes solace in visions of her grandmother and Rose’s lost cat, Barnaby. Barnaby leads Sadie to a towering tree, whose voice the girl can hear, and a gateway to another realm, Mystashan. Sadie evidently holds the key to Mystashan, a place she soon prefers to the world she’s currently living in. Meanwhile, amnesiac Finn Montgomery awakens to foster parents who tell him his name and estimated age (13). A voice in his head tells him to play the part of a nice guy, but Finn’s prone to violence, which ultimately lands him in an institution and later juvenile hall. Plagued by visions of an unknown girl, the murderous Finn will somehow cross paths with Sadie. At the same time, Sadie’s disturbed by recurring and menacing flashes of red. Before enlightening readers about Mystashan, the authors relay a sound drama of a despondent girl and psychologically unstable boy. It’s unquestionably riveting, even if it’s hard to stomach the deplorable Dave pushing Sadie into a mud puddle or Finn’s rampant cruelty, calling his juvenile hall cellmate Beagle without learning his name. Romance for Sadie seems doomed: boyfriend Christopher has gone to New York, and the nervous heroine introduces herself to the charming Sam as Annie. But the story’s not all gloomy, as Sadie encounters fantastical characters, like Thelo, a somewhat reptilian but good-natured guide to the mysterious realm. Sadie’s link to Finn and the truth about Mystashan (is it real or only in the girl’s head?) are best left unspoiled. Suffice it to say that the Engels sufficiently resolve the story while leaving nagging questions to be tackled, presumably in Book Two.
An otherworldly setting, grounded by irresistible melodrama and an unshakeable protagonist worth rooting for.Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61984-931-0
Page Count: 398
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Marlo Berliner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 4, 2015
Some of the story covers familiar terrain, but bonus dramatic and paranormal elements give this winsome tale flavor.
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In this YA supernatural debut, a teen’s death renders him a ghost, who finds romance, confronts demons, and wonders why his soul, unlike so many others, hasn’t moved on.
Eighteen-year-old Michael Andrews has a lot going for him. Co-captain of his high school basketball team, he’s set to play at the University of Pittsburgh, where his girlfriend, Melissa, will join him. He certainly couldn’t have anticipated his highway car accident, but is truly shocked when his spirit separates from his now-lifeless body. Invisible to family, he wanders to recognizable places until finally meeting Tom, another ghost. Tom teaches Michael about his spectral capabilities, like telepathic links with both the living and dead, and tells of the Elders, who essentially govern ghosts. The afterlife doesn’t seem so bad once Michael befriends and ultimately falls for Sarah McConnell, who’s been haunting a historical bed-and-breakfast for decades. But despite all of Tom’s help, Michael feels sure that his phantom pal is hiding something. Soon Michael has a run-in with a bona-fide demon who marks him, which, according to Tom, means the devil finds the teen a particularly important soul. Michael’s tormented by guilt over Melissa, especially with his newfound love for Sarah. But while he struggles to keep Sarah safe from demons’ relentless pursuit, he’s determined to know why he’s “stuck” in his phantasmal state. Much of the book doesn’t stray far from convention: Michael, transparent, can be sensed by babies and animals, and gradually learns how to catch the living’s attention (for example, moving objects). But Berliner’s touches give her novel innovation, including real-world connections, from events (Tom died during 9/11) to myriad late celebrities and historical figures whom Michael spots. There are likewise ghosts of creatures that aren’t necessarily human, as well as vampires, whose depravity, perhaps not surprisingly, is comparable to demons. Michael’s journey even entails a moral dilemma: he realizes too late that he should abide by the Elders’ rule of not interfering with the living when he believes Melissa’s in danger. Nevertheless, readers may be as frustrated as Michael when the ever-evasive Tom answers few questions, saving most explanations for the sequel.
Some of the story covers familiar terrain, but bonus dramatic and paranormal elements give this winsome tale flavor.Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9969724-1-3
Page Count: 332
Publisher: Teddy Blue Books
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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