This is a fascinating novel: an extended character story where nothing happens. That’s the whole point. Maine is at a turning point in her young life: she is changing schools (from Junior to Senior High, from segregated to integrated) but she has nothing to do for the summer. Her friends and her boyfriend are all […]
“Secondhand Spaceman” by Rachel Aukes
This is not, strictly speaking, a novel; it’s the promising first episode of a Space Opera serial. It is short, episodic, light, and irreverent to both modern life and Sci-Fi convention. Don’t expect any sort of scientific plausibility or day-to-day veracity. It’s not that kind of Sci-Fi. If a guy needs to open a hatch […]
“Halls of Fire” by Christian Cura
This is the second book of a serial, which picks up with a new chapter in the main character’s life and ends with a cliff-hanger and few conflicts resolved. It is one of those unfortunate stories where the author has done an incredible amount of creative world-building in setting, mythology, and society, but then feels […]
“Social Vampire” by James Schannep
This novel is a comprehensive list of all the things you shouldn’t do as a teenager. The main character, Gordon, is placed in about the worst situation a youngster can endure: loss of a parent, new town, new school and various other problems. Unfortunately, his solution is to create a whole fictitious scenario that seems […]
“Born to be Naughty” by Hina Nauman
Okay, this one’s different. A look at the Contents should tip you off. It starts with a Warning, requiring you to prove your eligibility to read the book by taking a “Love for Nature” test. It would be a spoiler, so I’m not going to tell you anything about the test except that this is […]
“Offworld Empire” by Scott Billups
This story has all the elements of a Space Opera and a few more besides. In fact, it gives the impression that the author is not too sure who his audience is. But first the positives, especially the worldbuilding. This author has spent a great deal of creativity and effort to create a 200-years-in-the-future solar […]
“The Trafficking Murders” by Brian O’Hare
This novel is a rather light approach to a gritty subject. The reason I use the term ‘light’ is that it tells a realistic story of a horrible situation but never goes into the grimy details. The details of the offences are balanced by the interactions of the members of the police squad, and again, […]
“Voodoo Academy” by Theophilus Monroe
If space and horses get their own operatic genre, then surely the occult should have one of its own, and “Voodoo Academy” would be a perfect example. Let’s call it “Phantom Opera.” Lightweight in style but with a good blend of humour and serious conflict, and nothing too philosophical. Slightly stereotyped characters. Although, to be […]
“Lost Helix” by Scott Coon
This novel is pretty much a model of what YA Space Opera should be: a bit melodramatic, a bit realistic, a bit magical, and very escapist. It has a nicely complex conflict, with DJ and Paul trying to escape the repressive, corporate-focused mining colony that restricts their lives and at the same time find DJ’s […]
“Wrong Side of the Rift” a Grape Merryweather Novel by Libby Heily
Why is a good book so good? “The Wrong Side of the Rift” seems to be a standard Young Adult Paranormal novel. Magic in an otherwise normal present-day setting. Intertwining conflicts with magical beings and teenage bullies. A quest to solve an unsolvable problem. But normal as this book sounds, I found myself reading longer […]