ZWORSKY'S CHILDREN

Connelly takes readers on a wild ride through the near future as humans struggle to survive disaster in this speculative thriller.

An asteroid hits Earth, taking out Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Nevada, creating a “new continental divide” in southern California. Subsequent tremors make California an official “No-Go Zone,” and most residents flee north. But Max Walker, a widower still reeling from the death of his wife, Charlene, remains, alongside his elderly scientist parents, Cathy and Andy, as part of a group of 110 people participating in “Project Z.” Hidden in the canyons of California, this group attempts to discover an antidote to Zworsky’s vaccine—a miracle drug that promised to cure people of all sickness and disease but was discovered to grant some users the ability to fly. Now called Metas, these flying humans consider “Terries” (short for “Terrestrials,” meaning nonflyers) their mortal enemies. When Max becomes an accidental stowaway and winds up at the Metas’ home base in Los Angeles International Airport, he meets Darlene Verity, a Meta who slowly comes to believe that not all Terries are bad. As time runs out to help the Metas (whose life spans are shortened by their condition), Max and Darlene team up to fight enemies on all sides—including “Creepers,” zombielike Metas who are believed to be a product of horrific scientific experimentation: “The Creepers were like ghost figures, as she could not make out their faces, just those piercing eyes underneath those dirty bandages.” An eerie backstory combined with raucous action makes this novel an entertaining romp, with more serious themes of scientific responsibility, loss, and the nature of humanity thrown in for good measure. There are uses of profanity scattered throughout the text, but the novel never dips too heavily into overtly graphic depictions of gore or violence. Quick but steady pacing leads to an ambiguous ending that sets up the forthcoming second installment of the Zworsky’s Children series.

A fun, sometimes over-the-top blend of SF, horror, and fantasy that should satisfy fans of all three.