Monday, August 8, 2011

Nowhereville by Sean Campbell

Title: Nowhereville
Author: Sean Campbell
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: June 8, 2011
Date Read: August 3, 2011
Rating: 3/5 stars 
Source: Author

Summary
After his mother's death, sixteen year old Seth Bradley chooses to leave behind his friends, his school, and his entire life within the rusted, broken down space station Ticonderoga. With his sister Jenna in tow, he sets out to join a father he barely knows in the orbital city of Grass Valley, a monument to human achievement floating three hundred miles above the Earth. 


Ava Morales is a girl with a mysterious and violent past. The soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Mars sing praises to her name, but to her family she is a terrible secret.


When Grass Valley is caught in the crossfire of an all-out war between Earth and Mars, Seth, Jenna and Anne must work together to survive as they find themselves trapped in a world that is literally crumbling around them.


Review
This is my first of many reviews celebrating self-published authors for Indie Author Month hosted by Nikki at Wicked Awesome Books. I would definitely recommend Nowhereville if you love YA science fiction or love books with huge cliffhangers for the next books in the series. 


As with many science fiction novels, Nowhereville had an amazing premise. I was immediately enamored with the fast-paced, action-packed plot filled with fancy futuristic references. I loved how it took place in an off-world colony where Martians were simply people who lived on Mars in political turmoil with Earth and the Allies rather than an alien race. I liked the silent nod to futuristic ethics with the treatment of robots and how attached Seth became to Anne. 


As a Martian, Ava was my favourite character because she was the reason the whole battle was started. So little was explained of her family and history that I was dying to read more about her. Unfortunately her alternating chapters ended about halfway through the book and she just disappeared from the story. Hopefully in the next book she plays a larger role because she was fascinating, fierce, courageous, and mysterious. Exactly what I like in my female characters!


In keeping with the air of mystery and suspense, Sean Campbell left many questions unanswered that will hopefully be addressed in the sequel. However this meant I was confused for most of the book about the history of the off-world colonies, the reason behind the political rebellion, and why there was a farm. A flashback, a prologue, or a map would've helped a lot. Sometimes the suspense worked perfectly because things were revealed in bits-and-pieces to keep you reading, which is always fun when you're reading about a new world and civilization. 

Recommended: Across the Universe (Beth Revis), I Robot (Isaac Asimov)

2 comments:

  1. I hate when I'm confused whilst reading books, especially when I get to the end and I still feel confused. Despite that, Nowhereville still sounds interesting. I like how you said martians are just like everyone else and a whole new view on ethics is present. With progression of co-habitating species, I can only imagine a completely altered worldview.

    Great review Laura!

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  2. I own a copy of this book but gave up on it after the first 20 pages. I guess I might just go and give it to someone who likes stuff like this.

    I loved the podcast, by the way. I really like the different opinions. :-)

    Detective in Mumbai

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