skip to main |
skip to sidebar
When you have lost everything, is there anything left to keep you on the right path? For Waverly, Seth, and Kieran, life on the ships headed to a new planet has been nothing short of devastating. But it doesn't end there. In Amy Kathleen Ryan's conclusion to the Skychasers series, she gives us Flame, which you are sure to burn right through.
As Waverly and the other girls approach New Horizon, Anne Mather's ship, they leave the blown up bits of their ship, the Empyrean, behind them. People have died, their home is destroyed, and they are forced into the home of their enemy, a woman who had no qualms about drugging the Empyrean girls and harvesting their eggs to repopulate New Horizon. Living with them is deplorable, but it is the only option. They aren't even sure who made it onto the ship and who is lost forever thanks to the New Horizon terrorists who planted the bomb. While the people of New Horizons welcome them with open arms, it is hard to forget what happened to them on that ship, and who was responsible for it.
Seth managed to get on the ship undetected, but quickly, the authorities on New Horizon were notified of his existence. They don't know where he is, but they know they don't want him roaming around on his own. Waverly can't let go of what they did to her, and seeing her mother, whose mind has obviously been tampered with, makes her resentment grow into an unmanageable beast. When she is approached by a group of insurgents who wish to take down Anne Mather, she finds herself embroiled in a treasonous plan that could easily destroy her. Kieran, kind, trustworthy Kieran, is the most misunderstood and underestimated kid on the ship. Anne believes she can use him to win the faith of the entire ship, but what she doesn't realize is that Kieran may be the strongest of all of them. Never underestimate a boy who was born to lead.
Well, Ryan certainly knew where she wanted to go with this story, and she went there, all right! While the beginning of the series trifled with a love triangle, the end of the series was nothing short of world-making. Ryan took her young, naive characters and forced them to grow up, and grow up quickly. They were teenagers, but in these circumstances, they were the most responsible and humane of any people on those ships. It was a beautiful transformation to witness, and I whole-heartedly enjoyed it. I also really loved the conflict between these teens and the adults around them. Most of my young adult readers know what it feels like to not be taken seriously because of their age. They fall victim to mall curfews, decisions made about them, not with them, and they struggle to find their place in a world that expects them to act like adults while treating them like young children. It is a difficult point of their lives when their identities are being shaped, and Ryan's characters are a quintessential example of those circumstances. I think my students would find a lot of themselves in this story, even if it is a dystopic space opera!
This is a fabulous series for any teen, male or female. I think the subject matter is appropriate for younger readers with stronger language skills as well. It is an excellent story with characters you wish you knew in real life. As with any ending, you have a way you hope it ends. I think we all have a little disappointment with series conclusions, not because they didn't end well, but because we are sad to see them go, and I feel just that for this final book. The ending was perfect, in my opinion, but I wish it didn't have to end here. I won't ruin the ending, but when you get there, you will agree with me that you want to see more of these characters. The ending was beautiful, but it isn't done for me. I want more!
In Amy Kathleen Ryan's first book, Glow, we saw two fundamentally different ships full of people hurtling towards an unknown planet in the hopes of continuing the human race that was doomed on a destroyed planet Earth. Desperate people will take desperate measures to survive, and the two ships, New Horizons and Empyrean were no different. In Spark, we see just how far they will go to survive.
Waverly managed to get the girls back from New Horizons in a brave escape, but they had to leave people behind: their parents. Now Empyrean is being run by Kieran, who even though he was supposed to be captain, is being questioned about every decision he makes. He has locked Seth in the brig for attempted mutiny without a trial and is keeping an eye on Waverly. Although he means well, Kieran's paranoia about another mutiny is causing him to do things he normally wouldn't do.
But the ship has another problem. Someone is sabotaging the ship, changing its direction, poisoning kids, and has mixed some chemicals in the lab. The kids assume the stowaway is from the New Horizons, but they have no idea who he is or what he wants. Seth knows the only way to prove he isn't working with the stowaway is to capture him, but to Kieran, that would make Seth guilty of treason as well. With the kids left alone on the ship to fend for themselves and no adults to guide them, Empyrean is struggling to stay afloat both internally and externally. Can the kids' ship continue on their mission to the New Earth?
Glow was a really interesting story with a lot of background information into the world of the story. Now Spark takes the story to the next level in an attempt to get them closer to their physical destination: New Earth, and an attempt to make the kids grow up in a difficult situation. Some of the issues on the ship are very typical of young kids trying to work and live an adult life forced upon them, but some of the situations would have arisen in this situation regardless of how old the crew was. It was interesting to see Kieran struggle with his grasp on the ship and just how far he would go to keep order. The most intriguing characters were Waverly and Seth. We saw both of them pushed to the brink in the last book, but both handled the stress in very different ways. Waverly, in particular, found herself struggling to remember who she was and willing to do anything she could, even murder and torture, in order to protect the other kids on the ship. It was a very interesting examination on human nature and what we will do when threatened.
This is a very interesting series for anyone interested in lighter science fiction, but it could also appeal to kids not usually tempted by Sci-Fi. The characters are 3 dimensional and will keep you hanging on to see their most recent evolution. The story is clean enough for a wide variety of ages, but some of the deeper parts of the story, like the interesting examination in human nature, would be lost on a younger reader. Also, the idea of kidnapping young girls to harvest their eggs and repopulate New Horizons is pretty horrific. This book may be best left for more mature middle school students with strong reading skills through the high school crowd. And a little warning... Ryan leaves you on quite a cliff-hangar. You aren't going to be happy to wait a whole year for the next book!
Ever imagine what life would be life in a space shuttle, hurtling through space, living in a tin can... for decades? Well, if you aren't too sure what that would be like, you shouldn't miss Glow, the new book out by Amy Kathleen Ryan. But be prepared to get sucked in!
Waverly grew up on the shuttle. She doesn't remember earth, and the adults who left aren't too keen on talking about it. Probably because it was rapidly falling apart and their mission to find New Earth was the only hope they had of continuing their lives. On their ship Empyrean, they have full ecosystems, animals, and plenty to self-subsist for decades in order to reach their destination. But when New Horizons, the other ship that left much earlier, turns up on their radar, people get nervous. When the New Horizons adults break into Empyrean and steal all the girls, a deep and dark truth is revealed about both ships. The people on New Horizon are sterile, and they blame the captain of Empyrean. Now they must find a way to have babies and their only way is the girls from the other ship.
Kieran was in line to be the next captain. He was always a careful and good young man, but when Waverly and the other girls are taken, life on the Empyrean falls apart. Most of the adults were killed in the attack or left to chase New Horizons. The remaining adults sealed themselves in the engine room to prevent a nuclear meltdown, but sadly it means exposing themselves to deadly radiation in order to save their sons. Now Kieran and the other boys must run the Empyrean all by themselves, but a boy named Seth has other plans. Seth convinces the boys Kieran is to blame for all their loss. Now he wants to be the leader of the ship himself, but in order to do that, he must get rid of Kieran. Can Kieran get hold of the mess around him? What does the other ship have in store for the girls? Will they ever see each other again?
This was a really interesting deep space Sci-Fi story. It had multiple themes running, including the dystopia angle, the fertility issues and the lack of adults. The book alternates between parts, one sticking with Waverly on New Horizons and the other with Kieran on Empyrean. I really liked think alternation, giving the reader a chance to see both sides. The characters were so complex, you never knew whether you should trust them or hate them. This made the story enthralling. I couldn't put it down! The story is clearly setting up for a new series, but it didn't end on a cliffhanger. Much of the current issue was resolved, but there was enough room left at the end to continue easily. I liked the way the story played out, giving the reader mixed messages and keeping them hanging. Even the ships themselves were intriguing. They were so perfectly constructed and planned, yet they never thought to plan for sabotage. It is an interesting idea that someone would try to sabotage Earth's last hope of survival, but what would you do if faced with certain extinction?
The writing level is best for high skilled middle school through high school. The content is appropriate for a wide range of ages, and the story is exciting enough to keep just about any student connected. The ambiguity in the characters and the story will make for great discussion, not to mention all the talks you could have about what you would want on your own shuttle! Overall, this was a really interesting book with lots to talk about and lots to think about. There is an interesting religion element between the two ships and the people on the ships, bouncing between the strengths of spirituality and its faults, in particular the flaws and corruption of its leaders. I thought this was an interesting addition to the story, and certainly made the story more realistic. Even though this is technically science fiction, it won't bog down those kids who prefer realistic stories because it is really quite realistic. A diverse group of kids would be interested in this story. Not to mention adults! It's really that exciting!
