staryeyez3000's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Details:
Narrated by Adam Verner
Unabridged
I enjoyed being off of this planet, but I do wish we got to learn more about the aliens technology, rather than just and escape adventure.
It had a nice little bit about changes to Earth, but could have had more of a message.
Narrated by Adam Verner
Unabridged
I enjoyed being off of this planet, but I do wish we got to learn more about the aliens technology, rather than just and escape adventure.
It had a nice little bit about changes to Earth, but could have had more of a message.
brightbeautifulthings's review
3.0
When the summer heat chases Adam, Sally, Watch, and Cindy up to the reservoir, the last thing they expect to see is a couple of flying saucers landing near the water. A curious Watch volunteers to make contact, but an intelligence mission quickly turns into a rescue mission when he and Adam are abducted. With the help of a young alien, Sally and Cindy will have to risk leaving Earth forever to save their friends. Trigger warnings: abduction, threats, explosions, guns, injury.
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did, but it’s probably the strongest book since The Secret Path. I don’t have a lot of tolerance for alien stories, but I should have remembered that Pike always does unusual things with his science fiction. Admittedly, the alien lore is a little cheesier than his usual fare, but I chalk that up to its middle grade audience. On the whole, it’s accessible and well done, if not entirely original. I’d tell you which sci-fi movie he pulls the plot twist from, but that would give it away.
One of my favorite things about the series so far is how often the girls are in a position to save the boys instead of the other way around. After watching the show, I wasn’t expecting Cindy to stick around for more than one book, but I think she’s a nice counter to Sally’s fire and impulsiveness. They’re not exactly a seamless team and the end conflict is a little over the top (thank you, Sally), but I liked to see them working together. We also get to know Ekwee12 pretty well, and I really liked the emphasis Pike puts on younger generations being more committed to things like freedom and fairness than adults. It’s very easy to be cynical about children and teenagers, but instead the message defaults on hope. All in all, I’m enjoying the series a lot, and I suspect I would have loved it growing up.
I review regularly brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did, but it’s probably the strongest book since The Secret Path. I don’t have a lot of tolerance for alien stories, but I should have remembered that Pike always does unusual things with his science fiction. Admittedly, the alien lore is a little cheesier than his usual fare, but I chalk that up to its middle grade audience. On the whole, it’s accessible and well done, if not entirely original. I’d tell you which sci-fi movie he pulls the plot twist from, but that would give it away.
One of my favorite things about the series so far is how often the girls are in a position to save the boys instead of the other way around. After watching the show, I wasn’t expecting Cindy to stick around for more than one book, but I think she’s a nice counter to Sally’s fire and impulsiveness. They’re not exactly a seamless team and the end conflict is a little over the top (thank you, Sally), but I liked to see them working together. We also get to know Ekwee12 pretty well, and I really liked the emphasis Pike puts on younger generations being more committed to things like freedom and fairness than adults. It’s very easy to be cynical about children and teenagers, but instead the message defaults on hope. All in all, I’m enjoying the series a lot, and I suspect I would have loved it growing up.
I review regularly brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
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