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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
A Hawaii-centered apocalypse story. It’s kind of wild though--(spoiler alert) giant alien sea turtles muck with all electronics, essentially like an EMP, pushing the world into chaos. But it’s OK, because they also suck up radiation from all the melting down reactors. Not sure it would go down like that, but regardless, it’s a quick story of a father and an epileptic daughter trying to hop islands and get home.
The Hawaiian aspect was very cool and refreshing... But I wasn't super impressed.
Also reviewed on my Youtube channel.
This book was...odd. It started out as basically a straight up dystopian, natural disaster apocalypse-y thing with the main character and her father trying to get from Honolulu home to the Big Island of Hawaii. There's looting and pillaging and the military acting all shifty. Then they start island hopping, and there's weird religious groups and stumbling across fields of marijuana plants and crazed sheriffs with very specific ideas about who's allowed to live where.
And all of that was really great. It was action packed, it was tense, the pacing was good. And on top of that, the main character was dealing with epilepsy and whether to take her medication now and risk running out or skip it and risk having a grande mal seizure at an inopportune time. I loved that her epilepsy was a major part of the story without it taking over her character. I also loved that her Hawaiian background played such a big part in the story.
But then.......things got weird. Like, full on sci-fi weird. I was on board with the mysterious green lights in the sky part. And I was sceptical but okay with Lei hearing things when she had seizures. But That was just bizarre.
I liked it enough to track down the sequel somewhere in the future, but that plot twist was just...yeah. A thing. It was a thing.
This book was...odd. It started out as basically a straight up dystopian, natural disaster apocalypse-y thing with the main character and her father trying to get from Honolulu home to the Big Island of Hawaii. There's looting and pillaging and the military acting all shifty. Then they start island hopping, and there's weird religious groups and stumbling across fields of marijuana plants and crazed sheriffs with very specific ideas about who's allowed to live where.
And all of that was really great. It was action packed, it was tense, the pacing was good. And on top of that, the main character was dealing with epilepsy and whether to take her medication now and risk running out or skip it and risk having a grande mal seizure at an inopportune time. I loved that her epilepsy was a major part of the story without it taking over her character. I also loved that her Hawaiian background played such a big part in the story.
But then.......things got weird. Like, full on sci-fi weird. I was on board with the mysterious green lights in the sky part. And I was sceptical but okay with Lei hearing things when she had seizures. But
Spoiler
GIANT COSMIC SEA TURTLES THAT COME TO EARTH TO SPAWN AND SUCK UP RADIATION??????????????I liked it enough to track down the sequel somewhere in the future, but that plot twist was just...yeah. A thing. It was a thing.
I really enjoyed this story. I haven't read very many dystopian/apocalyptic thrillers (um, maybe just The Hunger Games), so I haven't much experience with the genre, but this seemed to be fresh, original, and unique. And if you're looking for diversity in YA, this is a book for you.
I think my favorite part of the book is Leilani and her father. It seems that most parent-child relationships in books are negative, but Lei and her dad have a very positive and loving relationship. They rescue and save each other repeatedly, making difficult decisions in order to put the other first. Family is very important in this story; the plot device moving the story forward is Lei and her dad trying to get back home to her mother, brother, and grandpa. There really is no romance in this book; all of the important relationships are either familial or platonic. And don't get me wrong, I love a good love story, but it's refreshing every once in a while to read a book about other just-as-important life relationships.
I also really enjoyed the setting: Hawaii. I recently vacationed in Hawaii and it was fun to revisit the culture and the landscape. It's such a beautiful place and as Lei and her dad travel through Maui, I recognized town names and landmarks. The book contains lots of Hawaiian mythology and history, as well, which I always enjoy.
The only part of the book that (at first) didn't really work for me was the melding of Hawaiian culture and the sci-fi elements; it threw me for a bit of a loop. While I still think it's a bit far-fetched, I liked the rest of the book so much and the descriptions of government and the general public's response to a global disaster were so realistic, I was able to suspend disbelief. And who knows? The apocalypse hasn't happened yet and who am I to say it won't happen that way? ;) And reading the book made me realize that if the end of the world were to happen and technology failed, you might never find out what did happen. Which would be really irritating and frustrating. I like to know things.
I also really liked the inclusion of chronic illness in the story. Lei has epilepsy and the book explores some of the difficulties of being a young person and surviving a disaster with a debilitating condition. The author is also creative and includes some of the historical aspects of epilepsy, that of epileptics having a special connection to the "divine" or having visions.
To end, it was enjoyable and a good start to a new series. The sequel is as yet untitled (according to my powers of internet snooping), but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it.
I think my favorite part of the book is Leilani and her father. It seems that most parent-child relationships in books are negative, but Lei and her dad have a very positive and loving relationship. They rescue and save each other repeatedly, making difficult decisions in order to put the other first. Family is very important in this story; the plot device moving the story forward is Lei and her dad trying to get back home to her mother, brother, and grandpa. There really is no romance in this book; all of the important relationships are either familial or platonic. And don't get me wrong, I love a good love story, but it's refreshing every once in a while to read a book about other just-as-important life relationships.
I also really enjoyed the setting: Hawaii. I recently vacationed in Hawaii and it was fun to revisit the culture and the landscape. It's such a beautiful place and as Lei and her dad travel through Maui, I recognized town names and landmarks. The book contains lots of Hawaiian mythology and history, as well, which I always enjoy.
The only part of the book that (at first) didn't really work for me was the melding of Hawaiian culture and the sci-fi elements; it threw me for a bit of a loop. While I still think it's a bit far-fetched, I liked the rest of the book so much and the descriptions of government and the general public's response to a global disaster were so realistic, I was able to suspend disbelief. And who knows? The apocalypse hasn't happened yet and who am I to say it won't happen that way? ;) And reading the book made me realize that if the end of the world were to happen and technology failed, you might never find out what did happen. Which would be really irritating and frustrating. I like to know things.
I also really liked the inclusion of chronic illness in the story. Lei has epilepsy and the book explores some of the difficulties of being a young person and surviving a disaster with a debilitating condition. The author is also creative and includes some of the historical aspects of epilepsy, that of epileptics having a special connection to the "divine" or having visions.
To end, it was enjoyable and a good start to a new series. The sequel is as yet untitled (according to my powers of internet snooping), but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it.
I loved this book! Pre-dystopia set in Hawaii, perfect! Plus the main character is an epileptic, who is strong, not weak and fragile and she can communicate with the Emerald Orchids during her seizures, sort of like the oracles in Greek mythology! Then there is the fact the she has to make it from island to island with her father. Most YA's have missing parental figures, but Leilani and her dad are in this thing together which adds a whole layer to this book. I loved it.
I started off loving this book. It was very fast paced and exciting and I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen to Leilani and her father. However, I gave it only 3 stars because of the ending. What I loved about the beginning of the book was the believability of the whole world losing Power and no one knowing what was going on. Unfortunately, when we finally did figure out what was going on it was too unbelievable and it just took away from the whole story. I don't think I'll be continuing on with this series. If you are looking for something adventure filled and also very sci-fi you might like this. But if you are just looking for a good, realistic apocalypse book, I would look elsewhere.
I'm a sucker for a good survival story, and this one certainly fits the bill. Leilani and her father travel from their home on Hawaii's Big Island to Oahu for some medical tests. While they're away, there is some kind of unknown global catastrophe that fries electronics, cuts the powers, and quickly plunges society into chaos. Lei and her father must find a way to get home while combatting a sudden lack of technology, the wildness of the Pacific Ocean, Lei's epileptic fits, and growing civil unrest.
Besides being a pretty fantastic post-apocalyptic novel, this book is a love letter to Hawaiian culture and history. Depending on your taste, you might love how Aslan weaves this culture into the story, or you might find it distracting, especially if you're looking for a straight-forward dystopian adventure tale. Also, and without giving too much away, the global catastrophe has a *very* unusual source, so readers who'd prefer a "realistic," technologically sound explanation for the crisis should look elsewhere.
Besides being a pretty fantastic post-apocalyptic novel, this book is a love letter to Hawaiian culture and history. Depending on your taste, you might love how Aslan weaves this culture into the story, or you might find it distracting, especially if you're looking for a straight-forward dystopian adventure tale. Also, and without giving too much away, the global catastrophe has a *very* unusual source, so readers who'd prefer a "realistic," technologically sound explanation for the crisis should look elsewhere.
Great story but not as exciting as I thought it would be. Love the mythology and characters.
Unrealistic, horrible dialogue, weak plot...very disappointing.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i liked this, mostly veered away from harmful "magical epilepsy" tropes, had some good stuff on being a teenager with a chronic health problem, nice vivid descriptions of the landscape. felt younger YA and pretty predictable in places but nice enough. points for no dead parents but often felt MC wasn't actually the protag as a result
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness
Minor: Death, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail