Review E. L. Starling delivers an entertaining space adventure with YA sci-fi form with Bound by Stars. The Titanic-in-Space concept was a lot of fun to read, and I'm not sure why I haven't come across this idea before. Besides the adorable love story, the characters struggle with real-world classism that the stars from the… Continue reading Bound by Stars by E. L. Starling
Kalla Harris delivers an action-packed dystopian YA novel that balances tension, banter, and a slow burn that will drive readers crazy (in a good way) with The Ground that Devours Us. She sets the tone right from the beginning. We meet our FMC on a mission and gradually get to know the world as she knows it, and the implicated risks. Picture a zombie apocalypse but with vampires. And some of them are hot. And witty. And too powerful for the humans to stand a chance.
Liv is a high school student on her spring break, participating in a competition in hopes to win an internship with her hero. She and other competitors design an AI, which must then complete a series of tasks. Each task becomes more advanced than the previous one. At first, her AI creation, which she named Breck, remains stuck in the first challenge. So she decides to code the AI to sleep at night. Soon Breck is able to rationalize and solve problems, advancing through the other challenges. But Breck also advances in other ways. It becomes thoughtful, introspective, and increasingly self-aware. While Liv is ecstatic that Breck is closer to helping her future look brighter, she’s also aware of the implications. Is Breck becoming sentient? If so, how can she simply delete the AI once the competition is over? How would Breck feel about its fate if it ever found out? eMortal by Steve Schafer is a young adult sci-fi novel that explores the potential of AI and the ethical dilemmas society must face if the technology is ever to reach its full potential. All from the point of view of a teenager and her AI creation. Read more
