August 21, 2017
Leo lives aboard Moon 2, a space station orbiting Earth, with his lifelong friends, twins Libra and Orion. All three teenagers were born in space and raised by astronauts. Now as the three turn 16, doctors believe that they are strong enough to move from their zero gravity existence to Earth, and all are eager to see the home they’ve never been to. The story is told entirely through Leo’s perspective, and it’s clear that he is missing some information—Lake (Whisper to Me) drop hints about a conspiracy and public protests, and Leo’s mother is standoffish and withholding. The mystery keeps the pages turning, but it’s a drawn-out unspooling of information. It doesn’t help that Leo narrates in something like text-speak: u for you, dr.ate for doctorate, and an aversion to capital letters that marks him as different from the very first page but that may test readers’ patience. But for those who embrace it, Lake’s novel raises many difficult moral questions to consider. Ages 12–up. Agent: Caradoc King, United Agents.
October 1, 2017
Gr 9 Up-Leo has lived his entire life on Moon 2. Born on the space station along with a set of twins, he is anxious to finally visit Earth so he can meet his beloved grandfather in person and see the ranch where Grandpa lives. Leo is a bit of a space prodigy-his mom is a renowned astronaut and scientist, and Grandpa was among the elite crew that last visited the Moon. Leo, excited to bond with his mother, is disappointed with her calculated and distant professionalism. When Leo finally makes it to the ranch, Grandpa is everything the teen had hoped. Leo has a new dog waiting for him and his grandfather is eager for him to learn ranching skills. Meanwhile, the protagonist is frustrated that he can't contact the twins and then finds a flyer indicating that outsiders are willing to help "space boy." Leo isn't sure what help he might need, but after an accident, the doctor notices his bone density is surprisingly low. When Grandpa discharges him from the hospital prematurely, the boy wonders what is really going on, and hints of conspiracy start to unfold. This novel begins slowly and is overly technical, but it adequately creates suspense and will evoke emotions regarding Earth's best experiences. The writing style is difficult, relying on under-capitalized text-speak throughout. VERDICT A decent addition to sci-fi collections that combines elements of Andy Weir's The Martian with hints of Margaret Peterson Haddix's Turnabout.-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 15, 2017
Grades 8-11 Lake (Whisper to Me, 2016) has penned a heavily researched and meticulously detailedbut no less excitingscience fiction story perfect for young fans of Andy Weir's The Martian (2011). Leo and his best friends, twins Libra and Orion, were born on Moon 2, a space station orbiting Earth. Now, at 15, Leo wants nothing more than to set foot on the planet he's always been circling but was never able to see up close. When mechanisms on the space station fail, Leo and the crew of Moon 2 must return to Earth sooner than planned. What he finds when he lands turns out to be much more difficult and complicated than he always dreamed it would be. Lake's decision to write the entire novel in textspeak, enhanced by precise, realistic science, throws his futuristic society into sharp relief. By the end, Leo's strength comes across not only through his ambition to fight for what makes him happy, but also through the compassionate, delicate way he explores his sexuality and relationships.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Leo, born and raised on space station Moon 2, settles into life at "home" on Earth. He realizes he hasn't been told everything he should know about his role in space research or about the effects of gravity on his body. Gay romance, racial identity, and politics of space exploration and colonization all combine with the poetic theme of a teenager first experiencing Earth and, indeed, life.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
November 1, 2017
Leo and his friends, twins Libra and Orion, were born and raised on Moon 2, a space station that orbits Earth. Now that Leo is almost sixteen, he and the twins are being flown home to Earth, where they look forward to new, normal experiences--hearing a live concert; planting a garden; going to high school. But as Leo settles into life on his grandfather's California ranch, he realizes he hasn't been told all that he should know about his role in space research. Nor has he been told that his body, formed in zero gravity, might not survive Earth's gravity long-term. Gradual revelations of plot and the suspense of astronautical near-misses make for steady momentum, and the future setting is cleverly reinforced in the prose style--the book uses text messagelike abbreviations and lowercase letters at the beginnings of sentences ( on a screen in front of her i c Moon 2 come into view ). Throughout, the tone of Leo's account is reflective, the poetic musings of a boy who has absorbed a (perhaps improbable) abundance of contextual understanding during his education in space. Gay romance, racial identity (all three teens have brown skin), politics of space exploration, and notions of colonization and home all combine with Lake's overarching poetic theme of a teenager experiencing Earth and, indeed, life for the first time. deirdre f. baker
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from August 15, 2017
In this free-wheeling sci-fi adventure firmly grounded by its layered characters, Lake (Whisper to Me, 2016, etc.) explores home, family, and the idea of belonging.Raised on a space station since birth, Leo, Libra, and Orion eagerly await their journey to Earth. Each brown-skinned teenager has family ties and personal desires that pull and tether them to the ground (growing plants, hearing music, throwing a ball). But the home they longed for is less than welcoming. The novel's syntax is the first true bit of worldbuilding. The lack of sentence case (only names are capitalized) is enough to mark Leo as "alien" without being obstructive. The subtlety of the exposition overall works well for the near-future setting. Narrator Leo is, rightfully, more captivated by the taste of ice cream and the feel of the breeze against his face than by the cosmetics everyone seems to be wearing and the private Amazon-like corporation that runs the space program. Considering the number of disasters and near misses in the book, it moves at a languid pace, allowing the tension to slowly crescendo and crash again and again. These moments are a pleasant surprise each time, as the book is driven not by the plot but rather by an overwhelming sense of majesty. Every scene is awesome in the most reverent sense of the word. Bursts with wonder and love. (Science fiction. 13-adult)
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