This book was fun fast pace read. I tihnk it was remidned me alot of lord and flies but it in space. It was a read that also questions what happens when teens are in charage of space adventure. It was quick read. I think this book also focused alot on culture clashes in space both also about solving problems on their own. I also really liked how this book harder issues like racism and more. I would def read more by this author in the future. ( )

This book was fun fast pace read. I tihnk it was remidned me alot of lord and flies but it in space. It was a read that also questions what happens when teens are in charage of space adventure. It was quick read. I think this book also focused alot on culture clashes in space both also about solving problems on their own. I also really liked how this book harder issues like racism and more. I would def read more by this author in the future. ( )

I love dystopian books. I love them when they're hundreds of years on from the apocalypic event. THE CITY OF EMBER works because you're already in an established society with a huge amount of people. That said, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to find a book I love where we see the world entering the apocalyptic phase. There's a finite amount of things that can happen in the first lifetime, and often when it's a small group of survivors you are dealing with things like planned reproduction that are super important...but seem less fun to read about.

That's my preface, because I didn't love this book, and that's not at all to do with Redgate's writing, but more due to the premise being something that rarely works well enough for me. I really enjoy the way she crafts a world and creates priorities. Ultimately though I felt a little like I did with NYXIA where I loved the international cast and the diversity of characters, but there was nowhere for it to go.

The fact of the matter is that these books have to end somewhere. Even with the Remnants series, it had to end, albeit 14 books in. And this one... the ending felt like a total copout. The radio systems just hadn't been working and they hadn't realised? Earth is just fine and they're going back to these squabblings? Leigh dies and this is her imagination? Both?

I also found myself skimming through a lot of action scenes, I think because I felt really stressed and tense and believed people could die, and as a result didn't want to spend too much time with them. Ha!

Leigh's character and her diplomacy were absolutely fascinating and by far the highlight of this book. I didn't love this as much as I expected--the premise my generally enjoying Redgate's work led to high expectations--but I think she did excellently with what she could given this premise. And I do think these initial journeys are worth writing about. ( )

Really good and engaging but also emotionally painful. ( )

This one is deceptive. You begin with the premise that Earth is going to experience a volcanic eruption so devastating that the resulting ash and gases will kill off everything. Even knowing that, governments around the world continue to squabble while scrambling to build enough spacecraft so a segment of the population will be able to travel to another solar system where a planet, much like ours exists. The lottery system to select passengers is barely in place before there are ever stronger hints of corruption.
This is the background when a small number of teens are on site where the first ship is deployed. They're jolted into action by what they believe is the eruption happening a year early. In short order, they're hustled to the ship and head into space. The teens soon realize their situation is far more precarious than they first thought. What ensues is a mix of them trying to wrap their heads around the situation, a select few taking control, sabotage, desperation, and the evolution of something halfway between 1984 and Animal Farm. While it begins slowly, the pace picks up 1/3 of the way through and there are plenty of white knuckle moments as well as a double surprise at the end. A great read for those who love good science fiction. ( )