An entertaining SF yarn and impressive, absorbing character study.
Teens who’ve just learned they’re in a computer simulation must evade forces trying to delete them in Horn’s debut YA SF novel.
New Jersey high-school sophomore Joey and his friend / romantic interest Lana survive a devastating car accident. They know that they had been coming home from a party, but they don’t remember the accident itself. Joey’s older brother Chris, who was the driver, and Chris’ girlfriend Sierra, another passenger, are seemingly dead. Joey and Lana, while trekking through the woods looking for cell service, come across an old cabin with a bizarre floating green light that draws in both teens. Back on the road, while the dazed duo waits for an ambulance, Chris and Sierra miraculously return to life after Joey and Lana touch them. Perhaps that green light gave Joey and Lana a power—which might also explain why, later on, people’s personalities seem to change with one of their touches. All four high schoolers return to the cabin, only to be met by a stranger who claims that he’s a “Guardian” and that the teens are “Sims” in a computer program. It sounds far-fetched, but after Chris and Sierra make contact with the green light, all four find they have “Admin power” and are able to materialize objects by merely thinking about them. (Along the way, they discover a handful of other special abilities, a weapon or two, and quirky techniques for hiding, many of which, not surprisingly, resemble elements from video games.) Unfortunately, the Guardians, as well as higher authority “Admins,” are fully aware of what’s happening and chase these Sims down for deletion. It gets even worse when Admins decide to shut down the entire program, which will effectively end the teens’ reality. Joey and the rest may be shocked to realize that the world they’ve always known is “fake,” but it’s still a world they’ll fight to protect.
Horn’s riveting SF story boasts a well-developed cast—the relationship between the brothers, for example, has long been strained, as the more popular Chris either bullies or outright ignores Joey. Sierra, who has lost her mother and endures an indifferent father, hates Lana for her “perfect” house and family. All of these character dynamics give rise to various questions regarding the simulation, such as: Why would a computer programmer burden Sierra with such an unhappy life? There are likewise lingering questions about what’s being simulated, as certain feelings (like love) certainly seem real. Tension surges as the narrative progresses—one of the four teens uses Admin power to do something they normally wouldn’t dream of and stirs up immeasurable trouble in their “quaint” city, intensifying the Admins and Guardians’ determination to stop the teens and the necessity for Joey and the others to defend themselves. Alternating narrative perspectives (including that of one of the baddies) stoke an unwavering momentum, even as the teens strategize or struggle with adequately describing their unbelievable predicament. The author rounds out the novel with a few unpredictable turns and an ending that provides closure while leaving enough open for a sequel or a spinoff.
An entertaining SF yarn and impressive, absorbing character study.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2025
ISBN: 9798988543060
Page Count: 321
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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