Will be a hit with fans of sci-fi romances… Readers will keep turning the pages right up to the end.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Dystopian, ideological, rebellious-Peterfreund’s fantasy homage to Austen’s Persuasion departs from the original in many respects, and with great success …. a richly envisioned portrait of a society in flux, a steely yet vulnerable heroine, and a young man who does some growing up.” — Publishers Weekly
“Diana Peterfreund’s For Darkness Shows the Stars is an impassioned ode to Jane Austen, love, and the hope found in stars.” — Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and A MILLION SUNS
“Succeeds in recasting Austen’s characters to bring her themes to a futurist society and provide wry comment on life in the twenty-first century …. will appeal to science fiction and romance fans alike. — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“A beautiful, epic love story you won’t be able to put down!” — Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series
“Don’t you love it when a brilliant idea meets with brilliant execution? Thank you, Diana Peterfreund for giving us a post-apocalyptic Persuasion. This book is meltingly good.” — Laini Taylor, National Book Award Finalist for LIPS TOUCH: THREE TIMES
“A smart and sexy tale of star-crossed love that’s as thought-provoking as it is heartbreaking.” — Robin Wasserman, author of THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW
Praise for ASCENDANT: “In this thrilling sequel to Peterfreund’s Rampant...the strong yet vulnerable heroine, compelling conflicts, and exquisite settings should find a voracious audience in those familiar with the first installment.” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for ASCENDANT: “Peterfreund is sure to gain a stronger following with Ascendant, and fans will eagerly await further titles in the series.” — School Library Journal
Praise for ASCENDANT: “Ascendant is fast paced, fresh and engrossing—plus it has killer unicorns, what could be better? I love this book!” — Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH
Praise for ASCENDANT: “I was riveted by Ascendant. It’s not only about killer unicorns; it’s also about finding the courage to make tough decisions—and to be true to yourself. I think Astrid rocks!” — Malinda Lo, author of ASH
A post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion scores high for ingenuity but loses points with sledgehammer morality. Elliot North is a Luddite, one of the elite destined to care for the mentally Reduced remnant after human genetic engineering went catastrophically wrong. But she has begun to question her duty; her family seems more interested in luxurious leisure than estate management. Her people will starve without recourse to forbidden technology, and more and more Post-Reduced children are being born. None of these "Posts" are more clever than Kai, her best friend until he ran away four years ago. Now he has returned with the fleet of Post explorers who could be the last hope for saving Elliot's heritage, but his bitterness toward Elliot may be hiding a more dangerous secret. The plot stays surprisingly faithful to Austen; the setting is cleverly updated to a futuristic dystopia, but it fails to explore the more interesting societal and technological ramifications. Instead, the original's subtle delineation of the nuances of class and social change is replaced with heavy-handed condemnations of slavery, anti-intellectualism and fundamentalist religion. The protagonists are now barely 18, and the compressed timeframe makes their remarkable accomplishments implausible, even with nigh-magical nanotechnology. However, as the emotional drama is similarly ramped to extremes, the target audience may be too swept away by righteous indignation and swoony romance to notice any lapses of logic. A perfectly pleasant read on its own, this could send readers to investigate the source--a happy outcome indeed. (Dystopian romance. 13 & up)
