Scan barcode
kennyleigh1999's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
3.0
I really wanted to enjoy this, but I think it was just a tad bit lackluster. Had this been re-written for a slightly older audience, I think it would have been perfect.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Ableism, Body horror, and Grief
ska1224's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Child death, Confinement, and Death of parent
klra's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really thought this was going to be about a Latina storyteller, so imagine my surprise when it was Science Fiction. I loved that it was cursory on the "why" they're going to space and really focused on the mission itself. The main character has macular degeneration, and she is on the ship illegally since the idea behind the chosen is that they're the best humanity has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Child death, Xenophobia, Genocide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism
mrexroat's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book gets a 4 because while it was very well written, it was kind of hard to understand at times. This is set in around 2040-2060 and the world is being destroyed. Petra and her family get to be one of the very few families to travel to a new goldilocks planet, Sagan. I really enjoyed this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
sunday_evening's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Definitely more on the younger side of YA, but I enjoyed it still! Ending is kinda rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Murder, Death of parent, and Child death
Minor: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail
abrdoodle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I feel weird about giving this book a rating because I'm not the target audience; I'm in my twenties. I decided to read this book in the first place just because the premise seemed so interesting and, let's be real, the cover is beautiful. I'll give my thoughts anyway, but prospective readers should definitely defer to reviews of middle graders.
What started as a really exciting premise and intriguing first section of the book ended up leading to a plateau that remained relatively consistent until the pop of the conclusion. After waking up, I thought Petra's time aboard the ship was not very interesting, and her plans were not very complex or thrillingly executed. I just think there was a lot more room for Higuera to raise the stakes and give Petra exciting plot points to cover.
I liked the twist with her family! I also liked how complex of a villain Nyla was. Villains are so much more interesting when you can see their point of view and understand why they want to accomplish a specific goal. I certainly did not agree with her 100%, but I think there's something to be said for the utilitarian idea of maximizing the wellbeing of the greatest number of people. There's some interesting philosophical debate to be had here about utilitarianism vs free will and individuality.
Overall, not a bad book! Petra made for a strong and compassionate main character. I wish there had been more planet exploration, more of a showdown with the Collective, and more action for Petra in general. However, I still think it's a sweet story with nice themes of love, bravery, and preserving and honoring your culture.
What started as a really exciting premise and intriguing first section of the book ended up leading to a plateau that remained relatively consistent until the pop of the conclusion. After waking up, I thought Petra's time aboard the ship was not very interesting, and her plans were not very complex or thrillingly executed. I just think there was a lot more room for Higuera to raise the stakes and give Petra exciting plot points to cover.
I liked the twist with her family! I also liked how complex of a villain Nyla was. Villains are so much more interesting when you can see their point of view and understand why they want to accomplish a specific goal. I certainly did not agree with her 100%, but I think there's something to be said for the utilitarian idea of maximizing the wellbeing of the greatest number of people. There's some interesting philosophical debate to be had here about utilitarianism vs free will and individuality.
Overall, not a bad book! Petra made for a strong and compassionate main character. I wish there had been more planet exploration, more of a showdown with the Collective, and more action for Petra in general. However, I still think it's a sweet story with nice themes of love, bravery, and preserving and honoring your culture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Confinement
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Murder
Minor: Body horror
gabydoesgrowth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was my first middle-grade story as an adult and at first I felt a little silly reading it, but I really enjoyed it. The cover drew me in and I had to get it. It’s short and moves pretty fast so it kept me interested.
Some of the sci-fi aspects are familiar, but it still felt fresh and original.
The writing was really well done and I loved learning about Petra and her family and how her heritage was such a central part of herself.
I wish the story continued after its end.
Some of the sci-fi aspects are familiar, but it still felt fresh and original.
The writing was really well done and I loved learning about Petra and her family and how her heritage was such a central part of herself.
I wish the story continued after its end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Classism, and Colonisation
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Violence
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Murder, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Genocide, Death of parent, War, Confinement, and Colonisation
leahjanespeare's review
medium-paced
3.5
I think this is one of those scifi books for people who don't actually read hard scifi. It's soft. The writing is pretty, and it's message heavy, so that's probably why it was targeted for the Newberry. Not a great fit for me, as someone who loves super hard scifi stories, not just for a background setting.
Would definitely still recommend to those who don't care for scifi.
Would definitely still recommend to those who don't care for scifi.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Genocide, and Child death