An unforgettable opening scene, in which Amy watches her parents climb into glass boxes to be agonizingly frozen alive and then submits to being frozen herself, launches this riveting thriller about space travel, secrets, murder and Realpolitik. Amy's family chooses cryogenics so they can be defrosted when the spaceship Godspeed completes its 300-year journey to a new planet. But en route, in space, Amy's cryo-wires are unplugged early—almost lethally. She wakes to meet Elder, another teen, named for his leader-in-training position. Ironhanded commander Eldest refuses to teach Elder the critical details for running Godspeed, and in scrutinizing the deadly mystery of who's unplugging the frozens, Elder and Amy uncover generations of devastating lies underpinning Godspeed's on-board society. From the ship's windowless metal walls and recycled-air full-farming ecosystem to the people's carnal and oddly synchronized breeding Season, Revis' extraordinary setting is credible and palpably claustrophobic. The two teens' alternating viewpoints, both in first person, divulge information to readers bit by tension-filled bit. Wherever the series goes from here, this opener leaves an indelible imprint. (Science fiction. 14 & up)
Instead of an inexplicably snack-centric interview conducted by me, today’s conversation, celebrating the release of Tracked by lovely debut author Jenny Martin, is hosted by far more articulate New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis! Tracked, a futuristic YA about racing and a couple of badass teens who partake in it, is about as high octane as a book […]
Listen book lovers, we get it. Sometimes you want a book you can devour in a single day, maybe even a single evening. It’s May, the perfect time for picnics and quick reads—do you really want to have to close that book at the halfway mark, because the picnic is over and you’re totally out […]
In the trailer for Disney’s upcoming movie Tomorrowland, aging inventor Frank Walker (George Clooney) tells troubled kid Casey (Britt Robertson) she’s the key to saving Tomorrowland’s future. “What you saw,” Frank tells her, “was a place where the best and the brightest people in the world came together to actually change it. We’ve been looking for someone like you for […]
One of the most glorious moments of becoming a published author is finally seeing your book on a shelf. One of the most glorious moments of being a reader, though, is having someone else’s magic words in your bookcase. Whether the magic comes from the person who wrote it, the inscription inside it, or the […]
Unless you’re one of the half-dozen people left who hasn’t yet seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and if you are, go see it. Now!), then you know Rey is pretty much the coolest sci-fi heroine ever. She’s been alone nearly her whole life but has none of Luke’s peevishness (yet, anyway), is a total natural when it comes to […]