Tag: teen science fiction

REVIEW: House of El: The Enemy Delusion by Claudia Gray

REVIEW: House of El: The Enemy Delusion by Claudia Gray

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher, DC Entertainment, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sera and Zahn have stolen a data device from Jor-El and Lara, looking for answers about the experiments done to Sera. But there’s far more on the data solid than they can imagine.

Meanwhile, both are struggling to fit in with their old friends. They are distracted, not only by the mysteries they are trying to solve but also by the feelings growing between them. While Sera and Zahn were born into vastly different worlds, they are finding in each other someone who truly understands them.

As Sera and Zahn look for answers and explore the romantic side of their relationship, the “terrorists” known as Midnight are getting more bold about their plans to bring change to Krypton. And no one will believe who is truly in charge of that rebel group.

Review

Another fantastic Superman-adjacent graphic novel! I really enjoyed book one, The Shadow Threat, and this second chapter of the story is just as strong.

I love that Sera and Zahn are the focus of this story rather than Jor-El or Lara or Zod. They bring a fresh perspective to the Krypton story. I can’t wait for the third book in this series. Even though I know where things are headed, I can’t wait to see how all of the mythology we know weaves around these original characters to create a new, fresh story. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BONUS REVIEW: Time Travel for Love and Profit by Sarah Lariviere

BONUS REVIEW: Time Travel for Love and Profit by Sarah Lariviere

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Once, during their freshman year of high school, Nephele’s best friend, Vera, said, “I’ll be right back,” and walked away. But she didn’t come back. She left Nephele, choosing a new best friend. Nephele was devastated. But finding Time Travel for Love and Profit in her parents’ used book store was the solution she needed to address her friendship woes.

Nephele is brilliant enough to configure the math and work out the code for her time travel app. She calls it Dirk Angus after the hero in a romance novel. And Dirk works! Mostly. Nephele was supposed to go back in time and repeat her freshman year and keep Vera as her best friend.

And she does repeat her freshman year. But everyone else has moved on in time. Nephele’s former peers are all sophomores. And none of them know or remember her. Her teachers don’t remember her either. And her parents seem to have holes in their memories for anything that doesn’t line up with Nephele being a freshman again – like her birth date or her birth certificate.

After a lonely second run through freshman year, Nephele is ready to tweak Dirk Angus and get it right this time. But it happens again. And again. And again. Nephele is about to start her 10th freshman year. But this time, something is different.

Review

I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the twist on all of the traditional time travel/Groundhog Day/time loop stories. It’s a brilliant shift from the expected. It’s also terribly sad when you stop and think about how lonely Nephele must have felt time after time. Any time she invested in a relationship outside her family was lost when she started a new freshman year. And the situation with her parents was devastating.

I was deeply invested in seeing Nephele figure out how to break her loop. I wanted her to have everything she deserved – friends who get her, a mentor who encourages her thinking and her gifts, parents with full memories of their life together. While Nephele was sometimes hard to like, I was still rooting for her from start to finish.

In the end, Nephele didn’t get everything I hoped for her. While I don’t begrudge the author the right to finish her story in whatever way she chose, I was disappointed. Maybe it’s a function of my age, which is significantly older than the target audience. But the ending impacted my enjoyment of the book.

I would happily – and without reservation – hand this to teen and young adult readers. I’d love to hear their take on the ending. Science fiction fans, fans of stories centering women in STEM, time travel fans, and those intrigued by this clever premise should pick this one up and give it a try.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good/solid/fine

REVIEW: House of El: The Shadow Threat by Claudia Gray

REVIEW: House of El: The Shadow Threat by Claudia Gray

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Krypton might be a technological marvel, but it has problems the same as any other planet. Their leaders are arrogant and prideful about their advancements. They refuse to acknowledge anything could possibly go wrong with their plans. The lower castes are cannon fodder, like the soldiers who routinely put themselves in harm’s way, expecting not to survive. Then the elite citizens can maintain their delusions of superiority and their sense of security. Their hubris will be their undoing.

Zahn of the elite House of Re and a soldier named Sera-Ur are at the center of this story. They see the truths their leaders deny and the general populace ignores. Krypton’s terraforming efforts are failing. The home world is in serious trouble. Working together, Zahn and Sera may be able to put the pieces together and figure out what is truly happening and what can be done to save Krypton.

Review

This is very clever! I’m not a Superman super fan, so I don’t know how much of this is canon and what is created for this particular story. My impression has been that Krypton was some sort of utopia. But this paints a different picture. And I was captivated by the idea of a flawed Krypton – genetic engineering, a caste system, arrogant and ineffectual leaders, rebellion. This was NOT the Krypton I was expecting. It was far more interesting.

I enjoyed references to Jor-El, General Zod, and the Phantom Zone, but this is really Zahn and Sera’s story. And I liked that. They are a function of their place in the caste system and upbringing. But the story reveals there are other factors in play which I really liked. There are some philosophical issues introduced here that would be fun to discuss with other readers.

This ends on a major cliffhanger that left me grasping for the next installment. I was drawn in by the whole story. Part two will be a must read for me.

I enjoyed the design of Krypton in the art. The illustration style is not my preferred style, but it’s well done. And the graphics tie perfectly into the story. DC fans should NOT miss this one!

The folks at DC Entertainment graciously provided a couple sample pages so you can see the artwork in this book:

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥=Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater

REVIEW: Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alec and Walker Holland are spending their last summer before college with their cousins out in the country because of some… discord at home. For twins, the boys couldn’t have more different personalities. Walker is the extrovert, the life of the party. It’s not long before he knows everyone in town. Alec, on the other hand, is quiet and introverted. He’s far more interested in his plant-based science experiments than in people.

Some problems with Alec’s experiments lead to strange reactions in the local wildlife. And then in the people. But just when Alec finds someone to share his breakthroughs with, things escalate to a shocking degree.

Review

I am still stunned by where this story goes from start to finish. It’s an odd little story. And I loved it.

I have no history with Alec Holland or the Swamp Thing. I looked up the character’s history online, and wow! I liked the ways this changes the story. I liked the twin brothers angle to this a lot – the way they care for each other even when they are so different and don’t always understand each other.

I didn’t understand all of the plant science/science fiction in this, but I enjoyed it. The depiction of Alec connecting with a plant while his parents are talking in the background to the school personnel about his difficulties with people was beautiful and gave me a ton of insight into the character. That may be my favorite moment in the book. What happens to the local animal life after encountering Alec’s experiment was fascinating, too. Although not as interesting as what happens to the people.

The story and the characters here are supremely engaging. I would have loved a longer story, but I’ll settle for a sequel! Hand this to graphic novel fans and readers who want to dive into some of the lesser known DC characters. The way the author re-imagines this character really clicked for me. And the art work – while not my favorite style (just a matter of personal preference) – is lovely. (Language, sexual references)

You can read more reviews of books and graphic novels from the DC Universe here. DC has graciously provided some samples of the interior artwork for you to enjoy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥=Great. Might re-read.

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

At 16, Poe Dameron wants nothing more than to be a pilot, find some adventure, and leave Yavin 4.  And after another huge fight with his dad and crashing his mom’s A-wing, the only thing he really had left of hers, he is feeling the need to escape his life, and fast.

So when he dances with a girl at a bar, and she says her friends need a pilot, he’s intrigued. When she says they are “smugglers,” he hesitates, but decides the gig meets his three wants perfectly. But by the time he finds out they are infamous spice runners, he’s in too far to get out.

Review

This book is designed to fill in some backstory tied to the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. Poe Dameron has a hidden history as a spice runner that comes as a shock to his Resistance friends. This book tells that secret story.

I liked the set up. A teen longing to start his “real” life is a perfect protagonist for a YA novel. The author does a great job early on with Poe’s mixed feelings about his new “friends” and the choices they make in the course of their work. He sticks with them in part because he feels trapped by the choices he’s already made. But he also stays because of a girl. Just when he thinks he understands her, and what the Spice Runners of Kijimi are up to, the stakes are raised.

The potential romance here is pretty light. The book also includes typical Star Wars levels of violence. And because the spice runners are villains/scoundrels of a sort, there’s plenty of questionable ethics and choices for Poe to wrestle with. He’s also wrestling with his legacy as a child of two Resistance fighters, especially considering what he does with his new crew.

There’s a ton of potential here, but it never really clicked for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters in a strong way. This might be a function of the fact that they are “bad guys” in the larger Star Wars universe. It felt like Poe’s relationship with his dad had a bit of a Prodigal Son vibe to it. I enjoyed that part of the book, but it was only a small part of the story. I stuck with the book because I did want to see what finally pushes Poe toward the Resistance. And now I know. Yet I don’t feel like that knowledge really changes my understanding of the characters from the movie, which would have been a nice layer to the storytelling.

Big Star Wars fans and Poe Dameron fans might enjoy this, especially if you have been wondering for the last 8 months what the backstory is. If you are looking for a rich, character-focused story from the Star Wars universe, your mileage may vary with this one. You can read some of my other reviews of Star Wars books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

REVIEW: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Tyler has achieved all he’s worked for. He’s completed his Academy training at the top of his class. He’s going to get first pick for the best squad of graduates – until he discovers Aurora.

Two hundred years ago, Aurora left Earth in cryostasis, headed for a colony. Her ship disappeared. When Tyler finds it two centuries later, Aurora is the only one on the ship still alive.

Rescuing Aurora was the right thing to do, but it cost Tyler his chance at an elite squad. His twin sister, Scarlett is still with him as his diplomat, and Cat is still his pilot and best friend. But the other three – Finian, Zila, and Kaliis – weren’t anyone’s first, second, or third choice.

When Tyler and his team – plus Aurora – head out on their first assignment – a garbage assignment that feels beneath them – everything that could go wrong, does. That’s when they discover that the Global Intelligence Agency is eager to get their hands on Aurora. And the GIA isn’t very particular about what happens to anyone else who gets in their way.

Review

I am a huge fan of great science fiction stories, and Aurora Rising definitely qualifies. I loved this whole adventure – the characters, the world, the heist, the aliens – all of it.

We have only scratched the surface with these characters. This book left me wanting to know more about them. Kal and Zila were the most interesting for me – and I hope we hear more from Zila in the next book. She’s still pretty much a mystery. I also loved Aurora’s 21st century vibe – references to Lord of the Rings and all – because she feels the most familiar, coming from a time near our own.

The authors do an amazing job of rolling out a captivating story without giving all their secrets away early on. While so many questions are answered by the end, there are yet more out there for book 2. And book 2 is a MUST read for me. I can’t wait to share this one with my family – I gave it to my teen as soon as I finished – and friends. It’s a terrific story – and it’s only the beginning of Aurora’s journey. I can’t wait to read more! (Some language, references to off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥