A highly pertinent, engaging thriller.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Wells is a veteran author whose home turf is science fiction, and his fans will recognize and appreciate his style, while newcomers will appreciate the humor and compulsive readability. Grab this, along with Wells’ other novels, for any collection.” — ALA Booklist
“A seriously engaging action-adventure that stands on its own and leaves readers wanting more.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
PRAISE FOR ROBISON WELLS: “This thoughtful, considered action-adventure will have readers pondering even after they’ve closed the book.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Wells knows how to snare readers’ attention and hold them spellbound. There is no shortage of white-knuckle action.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Blackout is a thrilling combination of Wells’ trademark twists and terror. Fantastic!” — Ally Condie, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Matched
“A chilling, masterful debut. With its clever premise, quick pace, and easy-to-champion characters, Wells’ story is a fast, gripping read with a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers wanting more.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Variant should join the ranks of today’s must-read science fiction and fantasy series. A highly recommended addition to any collection for teens.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
“Benson’s account unfolds in a speedy, unadorned first person. Hard to put down from the very first page, this fast-paced novel answers only some of the questions it poses, holding some of the most tantalizing open for the next installment in a series that is anything but ordinary.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Good old-fashioned paranoia taken to giddy extremes. Take Veronica Roth’s Divergent, strip out the angst, add a Michael Grant-level storytelling pace, and you have this very satisfying series starter.” — ALA Booklist
“Filled with heart-racing action and suspense. An impressive debut with wide appeal, especially for fans of Alexander Gordon Smith’s Lockdown and James Dashner’s The Maze Runner.” — School Library Journal
“Fans seeking a fast-paced, action-heavy read will find this generates a lot of excitement.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Picking up only moments after the first book ends, Feedback features the same nonstop, breathless pace, adding new dimension to old characters and new plot twists that are hard to see coming. An absorbing read that won’t let fans of the first down.” — Kirkus Reviews
01/01/2016
Gr 8 Up—This week, 17-year-old Alice is being forced to move to Minnesota with her father, the Director of Special Projects for NASA. That's because last week a giant UFO crashed in the Midwest, killing tens of thousands of people before skidding to a stop outside of Minneapolis. The world is outraged at the loss of human life and terrified that whatever is inside the UFO has come to invade Earth. Surprisingly, the aliens from the ship look like humans, despite having pale skin and an unfamiliar language. Calling themselves the Guides, they seem to come in peace. In an effort to boost diplomatic relations, two of the teenage Guides are sent to a boarding school in Minnetonka, where they are predictably befriended by Alice and her brilliant math- and science-minded roommates. What follows is a fast-paced adventure, filled with action, mystery, and humor. A rushed ending is the only glaring flaw in an otherwise entertaining (if not always believable) plot. The novel's greatest strength lies in the perfectly timed wit of its young female narrator. The Guides' inability to understand Alice's sarcasm and idiomatic expressions makes for some hilarious conversations. But those same sarcastic discussions lead to poignant observations about humans, who, as Alice explains, don't always treat one another very well and are generally afraid of other people's differences. In the end, Wells proves that teenagers are smart and resourceful and that their unique perspective might just save the world. VERDICT Witty dialogue, plenty of action, and just a hint of romance make this a perfect selection for any teenage science-fiction fan.—Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN
2015-12-22
Wells is back with a new sci-fi adventure that comments on U.S. history. Half-Navajo Alice loves living in Florida, where every day is sunny and warm. She's totally unprepared to follow her white, widowed father to Minnesota's wind-swept snowfields. But when the first ship from outer space crash-lands, as NASA's director of special projects, her dad absolutely, positively has to be there—which means Alice has to be there as well. Enrolled in a nearby boarding school with very few other students of color, she watches with fascination as the ship finally opens to reveal aliens that look very much like humans. Encouraged by her father to befriend two of the shipwreck survivors, Alice and her roommates welcome them to school. It all seems relatively easy…until the rest of the fleet arrives and starts to hunt for her new friends. Suddenly, nothing is easy, nothing is the same, and nowhere is safe. Wells displays an awareness of the need for ethnic diversity in books for kids. Alice is conscious of the parallels between the aliens' landing and the arrival of white people in North America; her boyfriend is an Indian kid who's grown up in the United States. Alice's breezy narration and short chapters keep the pages flipping. A one-time resident of the Navajo Reservation, Wells discusses the challenges of writing about the First Nations in an author's note. A highly pertinent, engaging thriller. (Science fiction. 12-16)
