This book is Multiple Universe Sci-Fi for the Young Adult market, which is handled quite well, with one exception I will discuss later. Clara, the main character, is quite typical of the genre: an orphan (in this case well off,) and a bit of a geek who just doesn’t fit in with her world. So, […]
“Womansplainer” by Shakil Somani
There is a strange contradiction in the writing of a Fantasy or Science Fiction novel. The setting, both social and physical, is more or less a function of the author’s imagination, but somewhere in it there must be an element of truth, or readers don’t connect with the story. One of the traditional truths is […]
“Strike the Lilac Scent” by H. C. Turk
This strange novel has a fascinating story line, but it seems the author tried a little too hard to be creative, and thus did not succeed in communicating clearly with readers. Granted, the heroine is a teenager, but the other characters are adults, and yet the conversation is peppered with “golly,” and “ohso” and juvenile […]
“Nabbuko” by K. R. Gadeken
This is not part of a series, as it is advertised. It is the first episode in a serial. It makes a difference. It is a YA Sci-Fi that takes place on an unknown planet, but the focus of the conflict is relationships and the emotions that affect them, which also places it in the […]
“How We Became Intergalactic Space Heroes” by Chris von Halle
I often tell authors that a Table of Contents with creative chapter titles can be one of their best sales drivers. When this book opened with “Chapter One, Joe’s Toenails,” I was intrigued. “Chapter Two, Dana’s Underwear,” sealed the deal. Full disclosure: eleven- and twelve-year-olds were my favourite grades to teach. These kids are old […]
“The Exiles” by Rae Lewis
I am seeing a lot of this new genre lately: YA Space Operas. It’s a tempting area to work in for a beginning author, because of the looser writing standards of the original genre and a less sophisticated audience. However, writers should not take this as permission to be sloppy in style or execution. The […]
“Lleydrin” by J. B. Moran
Lleydrin is a far-future fantasy world where good people with different objectives and beliefs have been separated through historical events so that they have become increasingly tribal and antagonistic towards each other. The novel explores what happens when these disparate groups are required to cooperate to face a common enemy. Shades of 2020 America. The […]
“Special” by Chino Chakanga
This is a Young Adult Sci-Fi novel based on a reversed society where almost everyone has some kind of magical superpower. Most people have two or three. The thematic element focuses on a child who has no power. This allows the author to investigate in a non-threatening way what it looks and feels like to […]