Tag Archives: Science Fiction

Unidentified Suburban Object

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The title invoked a colorful mix between science fiction and everyday life. The blurb addressed “not fitting in”, a concern for many middle schoolers and diversity in a small town.

The plot focuses on Chloe Cho who despite being extremely successful in everything she does is frustrated because she has no one to talk with about her cultural background. She is the only Korean girl in town, and her parents don’t talk about their heritage, so when a new teacher, also Korean, arrives, Chloe is anxious to learn from her. However, the plot twist comes when Chloe soon discovers more about her family than she ever wanted to know. Chloe struggles with the new knowledge and her status as “the best” at everything also suffers. In the end, Chloe has to come to terms with who she is and what it means to “fit in”.

The reader initially sympathizes with Chloe as a girl who is just trying to learn more about her background. However, through the plot twist, Chloe becomes harder to like, as her narrative becomes completely selfish. The reader starts to side with her parents. The plot twist does keep you on your toes, and Chloe’s reactions are normal for a teenager, it just would have been a more enjoyable read if Chloe had been a little more relatable.

If you enjoy realistic fiction with a science fiction twist, then Unidentified Suburban Object is the book for you!

S.H.

Whisper by: Lynette Noni

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Reviewed by: Shelley Walter, OHS Library Secretary

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This is based in Australia, underground, and not sure what year. The book is in the first person as a young girl, Alyssa Scott, with special abilities is subjected to experiments and medical tests. She does not speak out loud for fear what her words will do. As the book goes on Alyssa reveals her ability to Speak and her intent comes to be. She has no idea of her power and she finds out through a series of training session.

Alyssa is being trained to control her power by one group of people who tell her they are the good guys. She is then kidnapped by a splinter group that she has been told are the enemy. What Alyssa finds out is the enemy is actually the good guys. The book’s climax is when Alyssa confronts the mad scientist that has been experimenting on her not for knowledge but to steal her abilities. The end is open to a sequel continuing with the prospect of more conflicts between the two groups.

Boy Robot

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Boy Robot is a fast paced adventure story of boy who until the age of 18 was a human, and is now a robot built as a weapon. As he tries to escape the soldiers who are hunting him, he is helped by a human girl.

The novel discusses themes of humanity, and switches point of view in each chapter. Best suited for high school students due to recounts of violent upbringings, sexual assault, bullying, and the use of profanity, this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy action and sci-fi. Additionally, the lead character is gay, and another major character is transgender. Author Simon Curtis is a young gay performing artist, who dedicates the book to those lost in the July 12, 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre.

The cliffhanger ending guarantees a sequel.

The Different Girl

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In a dystopian future, where global warming has threatened resources and the religious right does not trust scientists and bullies want to wipe out education and replace it with the rule of might, four “girls” are being raised on a small tropical island to observe everything by two adults who are not their parents. One day they observe the remnants of a wrecked ship and find a girl who is different. May, the new girl, brings the outside world to their little haven.  You can guess how it proceeds from there.

The problem is, I didn’t care how it proceeded. I was not attached to the characters. The stereotypes were grossly exaggerated. There seemed to be no point to the novel at all. It was so slow that it was difficult to finish. I can’t imagine teens picking this up, let alone finishing it. Even science fiction fans would have little to interest them; there is almost no information about the “girls” or how they work.  This was a chore to read.

Code

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Tory and her friends have mutated animal DNA which gives them special powers and a “pack” mentality. They will need all these powers to survive the “Game,” a challenge they found in a geocache. It is only as they solve first one challenge and then the next that they realize that the “Gamemaster” is not a fellow geocacher, and the game is anything but a game. The Gamemaster has planted a bomb that will go off if the four friends cannot solve the clues.

I have not read the first two books in the series, but I was able to follow  the storyline although I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had had more background. The pack is a lot like Maximum Ride’s flock, but there is more suspense than science fiction in the story. The plot moves quickly in spots, less quickly in others. There is one ongoing subplot that is impossible to make sense of without having read the first two books, but I still enjoyed this one. Fans of Maximum Ride and Alex Rider should enjoy this series.

The Time Machine

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This classic tale is often referred to as the first time travel story. Wells describes in the future where the Eloi live an almost Utopian existence; except for their fear of the dark, and the Morlocks who live in the dark. This SF Masterworks addition is bound well, but the quality of the paper is not as good; it feels like a paperback. But it never hurts to have another copy of a classic on hand.