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tundaria's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty much everything turns out far better than it reasonably *should* for Gwen (and most other named characters), and I think the book could use a bit more editing (more for plot/story than grammar, but some of that too). That said, it's an enjoyable read – though not without its eyeroll moments – and I'll probably finish the series.
seluniteloki's review against another edition
3.0
I love the premise of this book, and I'll probably end up seeing out the rest of the series at some point, but there were just too many plot holes and scientific inaccuracies for me to score any higher than a three.
A few examples:
The asteroid is due to hit in 19 months. They've known about it for 3 months, and somehow they know down to the minute when it will hit. We simply don't have the means to predict asteroids with that much precision.
The asteroid is apparently too dense to change it's course. Too dense. IT'S IN SPACE. Density has absolutely zero bearing because there is no gravity!
When in the tunnels, they specifically mention that they cannot sing to keep their spirits up because it will intefer with the boards. And yet as George is flying off on his board at the end, they have a big ol' family sing song.
And finally, it's not the Buckingham Palace. It's just Buckingham Palace. No 'the'! (Okay that last one is the tiniest nitpickingy thing, but still!)
A few examples:
The asteroid is due to hit in 19 months. They've known about it for 3 months, and somehow they know down to the minute when it will hit. We simply don't have the means to predict asteroids with that much precision.
The asteroid is apparently too dense to change it's course. Too dense. IT'S IN SPACE. Density has absolutely zero bearing because there is no gravity!
When in the tunnels, they specifically mention that they cannot sing to keep their spirits up because it will intefer with the boards. And yet as George is flying off on his board at the end, they have a big ol' family sing song.
And finally, it's not the Buckingham Palace. It's just Buckingham Palace. No 'the'! (Okay that last one is the tiniest nitpickingy thing, but still!)
ethanoled's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Did a re-read of this so I could read the last book in the series. The plot kept me reading more than the characters did. The main character seemed kind of full of herself at times to the point where it got unbearable. The relationship felt kind of forced as well, and the book could have definitely been better if it went through another round of editing.
darlala's review
1.0
DNF. I just can't with this book. I was SO excited to read it. It's such an intriguing idea!! An asteroid headed to Earth! Ancient Atlanteans living on their own planet come to rescue a selection of people from Earth that Qualify! It sounds amazing!
Stop getting excited. It's not.
First of all, it's terribly written. I get that the narrator is a teenager, and I appreciate keeping it real with the types of language and wording an author uses for teenagers, but honestly, this feels so slapdash and unpolished. It feels like a first draft. Phrasing like, "trying not to look over the edge down" kept making me stumble. She randomly starts calling the Earth students "Candidates" out of nowhere. Like, one second, there isn't an official name, and the next, Gwen refers to her classmates as "Candidates", and then it's used as a title like it was more naturally established, when it wasn't.
Secondly, the characters are a who's who of cliches. Gwen is supposed to be a totally brilliant brainiac, but she is flighty, flaky, and completely idiotic. She has zero common sense...to the extent, she would be too dumb to accomplish anything academically, because she's too dumb to figure it out. At one point, she says, "Holy moly, has it already come to this? The Atlantean Instructors already know me by name." She says it like, "Oh em gee, I am so smart, and such a stellar student, they know me!!! They know me!!" In reality, though, SHE JUST FREAKING TOLD THE TEACHER HER NAME.
Laronda, to me, was a really likable character. She's also black, in case the author doesn't make that clear enough with her repetitive mentions of her hair type. Don't worry, though, her incessant usage of "girlfriend" and stereotypical actions, such as doing "a side-to-side thing with her neck and wags her finger in the air" will incessantly remind you. And you can rest assured that ALL of the Earth People of Color in the book are treated in this manner.
Logan is Gwen's crush, and he's SO dreamy, and SO athletic, and SO perfect, and SO who effing cares?
The book is also incredibly boring. I read a quarter of the book - fully 25%. That's at least 150 pages. In that time, I only made it to Gwen's SECOND day of classes after qualifying. I can't drag myself through more of unlikable Gwen's bitching and moaning about how effing out of shape she is. She can't even run two freakin laps around the gym without practically collapsing. It's absurd.
I really wanted to finish this book and be absorbed enough to read the rest of the series. I wanted to learn more about Atlantis. But I can't stand the main character, all of the other characters are one dimensional cliches, and the story is so boring, I literally fall asleep reading it.
Stop getting excited. It's not.
First of all, it's terribly written. I get that the narrator is a teenager, and I appreciate keeping it real with the types of language and wording an author uses for teenagers, but honestly, this feels so slapdash and unpolished. It feels like a first draft. Phrasing like, "trying not to look over the edge down" kept making me stumble. She randomly starts calling the Earth students "Candidates" out of nowhere. Like, one second, there isn't an official name, and the next, Gwen refers to her classmates as "Candidates", and then it's used as a title like it was more naturally established, when it wasn't.
Secondly, the characters are a who's who of cliches. Gwen is supposed to be a totally brilliant brainiac, but she is flighty, flaky, and completely idiotic. She has zero common sense...to the extent, she would be too dumb to accomplish anything academically, because she's too dumb to figure it out. At one point, she says, "Holy moly, has it already come to this? The Atlantean Instructors already know me by name." She says it like, "Oh em gee, I am so smart, and such a stellar student, they know me!!! They know me!!" In reality, though, SHE JUST FREAKING TOLD THE TEACHER HER NAME.
Laronda, to me, was a really likable character. She's also black, in case the author doesn't make that clear enough with her repetitive mentions of her hair type. Don't worry, though, her incessant usage of "girlfriend" and stereotypical actions, such as doing "a side-to-side thing with her neck and wags her finger in the air" will incessantly remind you. And you can rest assured that ALL of the Earth People of Color in the book are treated in this manner.
Logan is Gwen's crush, and he's SO dreamy, and SO athletic, and SO perfect, and SO who effing cares?
The book is also incredibly boring. I read a quarter of the book - fully 25%. That's at least 150 pages. In that time, I only made it to Gwen's SECOND day of classes after qualifying. I can't drag myself through more of unlikable Gwen's bitching and moaning about how effing out of shape she is. She can't even run two freakin laps around the gym without practically collapsing. It's absurd.
I really wanted to finish this book and be absorbed enough to read the rest of the series. I wanted to learn more about Atlantis. But I can't stand the main character, all of the other characters are one dimensional cliches, and the story is so boring, I literally fall asleep reading it.
dewey007's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
travelgirlut's review
2.0
There was a decent premise to this book, but it's in serious need of an editor. Interesting parts get short shrift and dull parts go in forever. Plus the main character is a bit whiney, and don't get me started on her crush. Ugh. Too bad the story got lost in all the teenage angst.
gwenhwyfar82's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
divine529's review
adventurous
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
November 2022
This was a reread for me and before you read any part of my review, I need to tell you a little bit about my relationship with this series. My feelings on this series are complex. This is one of those books and series that has so much potential to be good, but in the long run, isn't the best, but is incredibly compelling in a way I don't understand. So, I call this Book Candy.
Now we can get into the rest. This book follows our main protagonist, Gwen Lark, in a futuristic world where an asteroid is going to hit the Earth and destroy everything. An ancient race of aliens who hail from a far off planet called Atlantis, says they'll save some people and bring them back to their planet, but in order to do so, you have to be between the ages of 12 and 18 and you have to go through a process to Qualify. That's basically what this book is about - going through the process of qualification to see if you're one of the lucky people who get saved and things go from there.
All of the elements of this book are substandard at best and could use a huge edit, but it's interesting and compelling enough to make you want to keep reading.
Of course I'll probably revisit this again in the future because it's certainly entertaining and compelling and just good Book Candy when you need it.
This was a reread for me and before you read any part of my review, I need to tell you a little bit about my relationship with this series. My feelings on this series are complex. This is one of those books and series that has so much potential to be good, but in the long run, isn't the best, but is incredibly compelling in a way I don't understand. So, I call this Book Candy.
Now we can get into the rest. This book follows our main protagonist, Gwen Lark, in a futuristic world where an asteroid is going to hit the Earth and destroy everything. An ancient race of aliens who hail from a far off planet called Atlantis, says they'll save some people and bring them back to their planet, but in order to do so, you have to be between the ages of 12 and 18 and you have to go through a process to Qualify. That's basically what this book is about - going through the process of qualification to see if you're one of the lucky people who get saved and things go from there.
All of the elements of this book are substandard at best and could use a huge edit, but it's interesting and compelling enough to make you want to keep reading.
Of course I'll probably revisit this again in the future because it's certainly entertaining and compelling and just good Book Candy when you need it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Confinement, Ableism, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Cancer