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 thrilling alien-invasion novel based on a chillingly nefarious premise.
When a worldwide rain results in alien plant life taking over the Earth, three Canadian teens are the only ones strong enough to resist the invasion.
Anaya, Seth, and Petra have always felt different from their peers on their British Columbia island. Anaya has severe allergies that give her acne and perpetual congestion. Seth is a foster child with scars running up and down his arms. Although pretty and popular, Petra is allergic to water. None of the teens think much about the others until strange black plants begin sprouting all over town after a day of heavy rain—that somehow doesn’t trigger Petra’s water allergy. When the plants turn carnivorous, Petra, Anaya, and Seth are the only ones able to withstand their strange perfumes and their acidic interiors, and they realize they must have something more in common. And then Anaya’s botanist father reveals that the plants came from another planet—and they are in the process of colonizing the Earth. In this fast-paced thriller, Oppel spins a richly drawn, incredibly fascinating world. Beginning with the brilliantly unique premise of a botanical alien invasion, the plot unravels satisfyingly, building readers’ curiosity by creating 10 new questions for every answer given. The book’s one significant weakness is its lack of diversity. Other than Anaya, whose name implies she might be South Asian, the other characters present white.
A thrilling alien-invasion novel based on a chillingly nefarious premise. (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5247-7300-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
Some quality worldbuilding, but the story only inches along.
Juliette, the girl with the deadly touch, struggles to fit in with the resistance movement that saved her at the end of Shatter Me(2011).
In training to participate in an inevitable war against the Reestablishment, Juliette Ferrars should feel at home at Omega Point. In addition to no longer being a prisoner, she is surrounded by other people with supernatural gifts. Compassionate Castle tries to help her master her abilities, and Kenji tries to help her fit in, but the devastating nature of Juliette’s power hampers her efforts. Additionally, Adam is acting strangely—in large part because of his work with Castle to determine why he is able to touch Juliette safely—which causes difficulties in their relationship. Soon some of her new comrades are abducted while on patrol by soldiers led by Warner’s father, who demands a meeting with Juliette. The resistance is able to come away from the meeting with a hostage, Warner, who resumes his part in the established love triangle. Too much of the plot relies on Juliette’s withholding of important information and revelations, even against her own judgment. The bloated relationship drama takes priority over the captive resistance members in the buildup to the climax, which finally brings action before setting up the next novel.
Some quality worldbuilding, but the story only inches along. (Science fiction. 13 & up)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-208553-5
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
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