Glow (Sky Chasers) by Amy Kathleen Ryan [book]
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, September 13, 2011Language: English
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN: 0312590563
Plot Summary:
There are 2 ships that have been sent into space to find and inhabit another planet. The first ship (New Horizon) was sent a year before the last and has had little to no contact with the ship (Empyrean) that the main character lives on. Waverly is the main character who is 15 years old and is the oldest of the generation that has been born in deep space; she is expected to get married and start to procreate because conception has been difficult in deep space. Waverly and Kieren are the couple on the ship, but there is another boy that Waverly has a connection with- Seth. Kieren is a charismatic handsome leader, while Seth is darker and more cynical.
The New Horizon is slowing down to catch up with the Empyrean and no one on the ship is aware of why it is happening; the only thing that they know is that the New Horizon has had trouble with conception on their ship. When the ships meet, all of the girls are taken to the New Horizon, the parents are either killed or trapped in the ship, and the boys are left to man the Empyrean alone. On the New Horizon you realize that the ships were separated before they were sent into space by religious factions, and the world that the Empyrean knew may not have been the truth.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is easy to read and it is in the language of a young adult. The plot is interesting and the characters are well formed, as well as multi- faceted. This book could be compared to other science fiction novels in which there is a heroin with 2 love prospects, but Waverly constantly has an inner struggle about being too young which is a good point of view for unsure teenagers. The themes of religion and moral obligation are strong and leave the reader to wonder about what the right thing to do is.
Reader's Annotation:
Waverly is a 15 year old girl that is the first generation to be born in deep space, she is expected to start the new generation for the new planet but the sister ship in space is slowing down in order to catch up with them and everyone is in the dark about what is to come.
Websites to Look Into:
http://amykathleenryan.com/
http://amykathleenryan.blogspot.com/
The Author:
A fun fact about this author is that she always liked writing stories, but didn't become a serious reader until she discovered A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle.
Awards:
School Library Journal, 2011: Best Books of 2011
Publishers Weekly, 2011: Best Audiobooks of 2011
Similar Books:
"Spark (Sky Chasers)" by Amy Kathleen Ryan
"Legend" by Marie Lu
"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor
Booktalking Ideas:
Science Fiction/ Fantasy novels that fit in with this type of book (Twilight, Hunger Games)
Compare the book to other books about space and books about religion/ totalitarian regimes
Genre:
Science Fiction
Interest Age:
13+
Challenge Issues:
Sexuality
The book refers to the main character (who is 15) needing to procreate in order to maintain the human population in space. I would combat this with the fact it is in an alternate world and young adults at this time in their life are starting to come into their sexuality at this time as well; this character also does not heed the pressure to get married and procreate in the novel.
Why this Book?
This book deals with complex issues of religion, moral values, being true to yourself, and trust. It is a fun book that really struck me as being interesting and compelling because I have not read anything like it previously.
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