Release Date: February 24, 2015
Source: ARC
Published by: Roaring Brook Press

Stone in the Sky - Cecil Castellucci | Goodreads

In this thrilling follow-up to Tin Star, Tula will need to rely on more than just her wits to save her only home in the sky.

After escaping death a second time, Tula Bane is now even thirstier for revenge. She spends much of her time in the Tin Star Café on the Yertina Feray—the space station she calls home. But when it's discovered that the desolate and abandoned planet near the station has high quantities of a precious resource, the once sleepy space station becomes a major player in intergalactic politics. In the spirit of the Gold Rush, aliens from all over the galaxy race to cash in—including Tula's worst enemy.

I like this duology a lot. True, I wished the books were a little faster in pace (when you read a lot of YA, you come to expect fast pacing regardless of the story's demands; or maybe that's just me) and sometimes the science fiction oriented writing style (dry and factual) prevented me from 100% sympathizing with Tula and the other characters, but I can't think of another YA series that has suchfascinating political intrigue and space opera dynamics. There are so many planets and planetary systems involved in just two novels - though really, it's mostly this novel since the first novel focused more on Tula's growth, aging her from fourteen to sixteen, I believe. And establishing all the planets, their nearby stars and how that has affected plant life, etc. comes into play in examining the dystopia of the Imperium, the universal planetary government that divided all races into Major and Minor Species based on the number of colonies each race has. The world-building and thought behind the galactic struggles is really well done, and the imagination in the design behind the different races and their relationships with one another is admirable. Really, it's a shame that there are so many YA high fantasy novels with similar elements that get more attention than a YA science fiction novel like this that does similar things. I particularly like the theme of intermixing between aliens and humans because a lot of science fiction does seem to have that phobia of aliens, which to me, reads a lot like regular xenophobia as we experience it today. (Or, if you want to be cynical, you could trace "alien invasions" across the history of our world...). Also fascinating to think about are the implications behind Major/Minor Species and colonization. Feels very accurate and applicable to our own world, and yet still so well established in the one that Cecil Castellucci has made for us to enjoy. Intriguing, discussable, well developed.

On an unrelated note, when love triangles were *the thing* and some people claimed that they were feminist, providing the oft female MC with choices, I was skeptical; after all, it depended on what the choices meant, the personalities of the romantic interests - not just the choices themselves. But, Stone in the Sky made me think that this is what a feminist love triangle would look and feel like. Loved the romance and the general feel of Tula and Tournour. I'm less a fan of the other coupling, but I do like the idea behind that romance and how Tournour and the other guy don't fight over Tula. Nice character growth all around for Tula and her friends, rather than being mired in romantic angst.

Also, the plot was rather unpredictable and the elements worked together fantastically. Exploration among the stars! Looking into the mystery of the human colonies! Why was Brother Blue so cruel to Tula in the first novel? What is his story? What happened to the rest of the human race? What happened to Tula's friends? A gold rush of a previously rare but still valuable plant near to Tula's station - what will happen to her "quiet life" contemplating revenge on Brother Blue on her space station? Why is Tournour exiled on Yertina Feray? And so much more. There are a few unexplained plot events between bookssuch as SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER how Reza ended up in the Outer Rim, when Tula had said in the previous book that she was sending him to Earth - and the same with Trevor, who was supposed to be shipped off with the boys, SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER but I can't begrudge the duology for that because of how everything played out in such a fascinating way. I loved that this book, even while expanding the world and including such interesting plot elements, also kept the same themes of self-discovery and transformation for character growth. A sequel definitely worthy of its predecessor, and an intriguing duology science fiction fans should much enjoy.

Are you looking for some really great 2015 young adult (or new adult) titles to pre-order with a gift-card? Or maybe you just want to mark your calendar with these new releases...

Because let me tell you, they are AWESOME.

1. The Mime Order - Samantha Shannon on January 27th, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20889470-the-mime-order)

• Book 2 in the Bone Season series (7 total!). Futuristic London + clairvoyency powers + dystopia between humans, clairvoyents, and a mysterious race called the Rephaim? A story told in a very cinematic style - gritty, dark, and full of action? OH, HECK YES. I've submitted my pre-order because this was awesome!

2. Stone in the Sky - Cecil Castellucci on February 25th, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21469053-stone-in-the-sky)

• Book 2 in the Tin Star duology. YA science fiction set in space + colonization efforts of humans and many, many races of aliens + girl trapped on a space station as the only human + survival + gold-rush-like elements + political intrigue + a huge galactic struggle.... Epic science fiction you should NOT miss.

3. The Winner's Crime - Marie Rutkoski on March 3rd, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20443207-the-winner-s-crime)

• Book 2 in the Winner's trilogy. Set in a Greco-Roman inspired world, a forbidden romance between slave & master + LOTS of political intrigue, class and racial tension between two countries. Games, strategy. Paging Kristin Cashore fans, specifically those who liked Bitterblue: you do not want to miss this sequel - it DEFINITELY raised the stakes from book 1, The Winner's Curse.

4. The Walls Around Us - Nova Ren Suma on March 24th, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22859565-the-walls-around-us)

• Orange is the new Black Swan + beautiful writing + seriously check out an excerpt because WOW WOW WOW to that first chapter. Bloody ballerinas + girls juvenile detention system + mystery/suspense + a tribute to girls in all their complexity. Nova Ren Suma's books are unlike any other in YA, and her writing a dream.

5. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli on April 7th, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22754644-simon-vs-the-homo-sapiens-agenda)

• Coming-out coming-of-age YA with great voice, humor and heart. Great & huge character cast + adorable romance + grinning so, so hard + wonderful character development. Paging Stephanie Perkins fans, Lauren Oliver fans, and (probably) fans of Jennifer Smith's This Is What Happy Looks Like.

6. Crimson Bound - Rosamund Hodge on May 5th, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21570318-crimson-bound)

• 17th century(?) or 1700s France meets Little Red Riding Hood meets The Maiden with No Hands. Fairy tale retelling that's inspired by its original material but is something completely its own, not bound by retelling demands. Complex characters + fascinating magical creatures + doomed but determined protagonist + romance like in Cruel Beauty + Arthurian elements + layered and unpredictable plot ===> Rosamund Hodge strikes again with pure gold.

7. Made You Up - Francesca Zappia on May 19th, 2015
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17661416-made-you-up)

• Alex is a high school senior struggling to tell the difference between reality and delusion, and is very much determined to go to college despite her struggles. Fans of We Were Liars, Stephanie Kuehn, John Green, and The Breakfast Club: helllooo! Unreliable narrators + layered plots + rereading necessary to look at the details again + heartbreaking revelations + psychological twists + quirky/funny, smart characters + a side cast that rounds out the unique high school Alex attends. Definitely a different contemporary -- and one you will WANT to read asap :).

Kinda sorta what I said in the video, but much more abbreviated, ha. Or, if you want to try already released books, I've also talked about my top 12 young adult high fantasy recommendations here. (Yeah, Thursdays/Fridays/okay, really whenever I end up editing videos = the day I discuss on the blog lol regardless of topic.)

Do you plan on reading any of these books? Have you read any of these already? Which books are on your most anticipated of 2015 list?

Hello, everyone! I hope this Monday finds you well. Are you anticipating the release of Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci? You should be! Here are my initial thoughts about the book, and stay tuned for my review next month :). In addition to giving away my ARC of the second Tin Star book, I'm giving away hardcovers of Willowgrove (Hemlock #3) by Kathleen Peacockand Twisted Fate by Norah Olson, which I received from the publisher but which I personally will not have time to read and which y'all should get excited for! YAY FOR MORE BOOKS.

Follow link for giveaway!

So yes, updating last night did not happen. Baking bread while reading did (and it even turned out!). Today I’m at work until 5, which means the bulk of my reading will have to happen this evening.

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami-finished
Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson-finished
Pointe by Brandy Colbert-finished
Cold Steel by Kate Elliott
A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury
Flygirl by Sherri Smith
Lost Girl Found by Leah Bassoff
A Bride’s Story 2 by Kaoru Mori-finished
She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear-finished
Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci-finished

Reading time: 11.5 hours total
Blogging time: 30 min total

On to short reviews!

Pointe by Brandy Colbert: This book is intense. Really intense. Also, heartbreaking, unsettling, and beautifully written. Theo’s story had me reading and reading because I couldn’t bear to stop before I knew how it ended. There’s a lot more to unpack in this one, but for now I’ll say that this is a very impressive debut and if you liked Charm & Strange last year, this is definitely one to look for.

A Bride’s Story 2 by Kaoru Mori: I’ve been liking this series of manga, set in Central Asia in the 19th century. It does a lovely job of both showing the characters as products of their time and place, and also not falling into the “any woman before now/any woman from a traditional culture was a repressed doormat!” The story also moves right along, and I love all the details of clothing and place that Mori depicts. A nice lighter break in the middle of some heavy books.

Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear: Everyone has been reading and praising Range of Ghosts since it was published and I finally gave it another try (I had read the first few chapters and hadn’t felt enthralled by them). This time went much more smoothly. Bear’s writing is quietly lyrical, with the kind of understated emotion that I often like quite a bit. I liked the main characters quite a bit, though Temur reads as a bit callous to me in one particular respect (which I don’t want to spoil).

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci: I was feeling a bit burnt out on heavy books, so I hunted around for something lighter to try. Well. Tin Star is not necessarily what I would call “light”. Its main character, Tula, is beaten and abandoned on a space station by the leader of her colony ship, she has to make her way through an alien world where humans are not very well regarded, and there’s a lot of betrayal or possible betrayal. It’s interesting, in certain ways, and Castellucci uses this kind of staccato narration effectively. But I never felt the slightest emotional connection to Tula or her struggle.

This is rather understated but undoubtedly well executed young adult science fiction novel that I would not recommend to everyone, if only because I can see it appealing to a specific crowd. For instance, I am a more character oriented reader, so even though I thought this book was executed really well and I liked it for the most part, I didn't love it because the world got more focus than the characters. And the book is understated because its writing is so practical and purposeful that there's very little angst involved while remaining powerful.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Tula, the protagonist - It's hard not to respect or like a fourteen year old girl who not only survives a beating and the loss of everything she's known but also pulls herself together day after day and comes out on top. Through her numbness and her despair, her anger and thriving sense of revenge, Tula ensures her own survival by building up her knowledge of an alienesque black market. She's clever, learns quickly how to manipulate the system and trade with others so that she's a vital part of the community and respected for her reputation and word.

2. (+) World-building - This is where Tin Star excels. The world for this book is one where politics and intergalactic exploration and communication are so interwoven that different peoples are considered Minor/Major species based on the number of colonies they've established. Castellucci also spends time establishing the ever-changing politics of that situation as well as showing us the gutter world of the space station and introducing us to several different alien species. This gives the book and its world a very epic scope. There are enough details so that we understand that there's a lot more left to explore in the sequel and other work, should Castellucci choose to continue with the world.

3. (+/-) The Beginning - How you take to this book will depend on whether you're a character or world-building oriented sort of reader. Are you okay with not necessarily having anyone besides the protagonist to really care for in the beginning while the world is being developed? It took me a bit to get acclimated to the setting and start feeling invested in the characters, so it's something to consider.

4. (+) Characters - Though this is relatively small cast--yet not small for a young adult novel--I like what we got to see of these characters, their backstories and motivations. Although it's clear that we've only seen the tip of what and who they are, there's enough potential that I would willingly follow them into the sequel. No one is what he/she seems, but there are still reasons to care for these characters or at least feel intrigued by them and their motivations, as Tula is.

5. (+) Plot - The plot is part survival story as Tula is left alone on a space station, the only member of her species and very low in the food chain so to speak; part science fiction space opera as the particular ramifications of certain actions and character backstories mix to create epic political complications and twists; part transformation story with empowering themes as Tula transforms from a clever but naive fourteen-year-old human into a "questionably human" seventeen-year-old leader; and part romance with some of its emotional shifts happening off-screen and never overwhelming the other aspects of the plot. Like the world, the plot is detailed and complicated.

6. (+/-) Politics - Here's the thing: I'm not much a fan of very politically oriented plots and settings. Unless I care about the characters and the culture, it's hard to make me care about the politics of the world. I liked the space station culture and how Castellucci had established it, but the political situation is so epic in scope that that's what I find it hard to care about -- the consequences, the values that these characters have.

7. (+) Themes - This book does a really good job with its discussion on humanity. It's not obnoxious about broaching that theme, but you are aware of it, considering how Tula is the only human in her station for a while. There's also more subtle themes about what it means to adapt, survive, assimilate with other cultures and peoples, and the tolerance that's necessary for space settlements where aliens are concerned. Also some questions of progress, etc. etc.

8. (+) Writing - This is the sort of writing you might expect of a science fiction novel. Dry, practical, sharp, tight. If you're looking for a lot of emotion, you're not going to find it (after Tula nearly dies, it's hard for her to feel any other emotions besides hate and numbness, and so her perspective has a very logical bent to it). It's oriented on the details, on the political situation, and the sort of things that you could analyze to understand someone's motivations. It works well for the kind of story being told.

9. (+/-) Pacing - If the entire book had been as action packed as the climax was, the story would have fully hooked me. But it wasn't, and there were slow moments, which worked well to give us a feel for the world, but I still wanted a bit more action to add more tension in some of the narrative.

10. (+/-) The Cover - I mean this cover is good at conveying the science fiction and space aspects, but I can't say that I was particularly interested in it, or that it'd catch my eye in the store.

Full of imaginative, careful details that establish an epic, star-spanning setting, Tin Star will appeal to science fiction fans who are looking with books with more solid world-building, fans of sharp, descriptive writing without angst, and fans of something different in young adult. (I don't know if this is common in science fiction, in general, but having read some other YA books set in space, I can say that Tin Star distinguishes itself from them with its more epic world-building).

Follow the link for the giveaway!