Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Assembly. Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter, and his current target is Mira Toombs, an infamous treasure seeker with a price on her head. It’s not long before Holt bags his prey, but their instant connection isn’t something he bargained for. Neither is the Assembly ship that crash-lands near them shortly after. Venturing inside, Holt finds a young girl who remembers nothing except her name: Zoey.
As the three make their way to the cavernous metropolis of Midnight City, they encounter young freedom fighters, mutants, otherworldly artifacts, pirates, feuding alien armies, and the amazing powers that Zoey is beginning to exhibit. Powers that suggest she may be the key to stopping the Assembly once and for all.
The teaser for this book bills it as War of the Worlds meets Lord of the Flies. I'd take it a step further to say it has the world-building of War of the Worlds meets the theme of Lord of the Flies meets the tone and character development of Joss Whedon's Firefly. Now I'm a big fan of Joss, so that likely went a long way in fueling my love for this book. (If you're a fan, too, let me entice you by saying Holt is undeniably a teen version of Captain Mal.) But that's not the only reason I loved it.
Mitchell has created a post-apocalyptic world so rich and diverse that you'll forget you're tired of dystopian. The characters are intensely likable and flawed, with a building attraction that fits the time and space perfectly. I also really appreciated the pacing, tension, and the style of writing, all of which I think would appeal to both reluctant, young male readers and anyone looking for a quirky but expansive story. (I don't usually recommend my YA reads to my husband, but I'm going to buy this one just so he can read it. That's how much I loved it.) The only negative? Waiting for part two in the series.
5 out of 5 stars.
Music for today: Well, of course, Midnight City by M83.
that is a definite negative because the book sounds so good!! and nice cover. new follower, hi!
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for following! Yes, I can't wait for this sequel!
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