Even though the majority of the characters, including the two point of view characters, in this book are teenagers, this never feels like a young adult novel. Instead, it’s an intriguing look at two opposed post-apocalyptic societies on Earth’s moon, with interesting world-building details that show how both factions view their place in humanity’s future.
The fast-paced plot has lots of twists and turns that surprised and occasionally shocked me. Ullrich has a good grasp on both the science presented in the book and how wacky small communities can become in isolation.
At a few moments, there was so much going on that I couldn’t quite remember whose point of view I was supposed to be in. My only significant complaint is how Ullrich appears to use a tired writing trope to further the arc of a male character, but I ended up pleased by how the trope was subverted to move the main plot along. The ending was exciting but felt a bit rushed, with characters making big dramatic decisions that aren’t necessarily thought out. The final moments were poignant, but I felt cheated by the lack of a solid decision, even as I recognize that the author wants the reader to imagine the characters on the path they would have personally chosen.
This story boils down to the age-old conflicts of power and how it stratifies a society, and how people think that they’re building toward something new but instead just repeating the past. It was an exciting ride that readers looking for hopeful post-apocalyptic fiction should not miss.
Rating: 4.5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.
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