Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Summary:
Waverly and Kieran are finally reunited on the Empyrean. Kieran has led the boys safely up to this point, and now that the girls are back, their mission seems slightly less impossible: to chase down the New Horizon, and save their parents from the enemy ship. But nothing is truly as it seems…Kieran’s leadership methods have raised Seth’s hackles— and Waverly’s suspicions. Is this really her fiancé? The handsome, loving boy she was torn from just a short time before? More and more, she finds her thoughts aligned with Seth’s. But if Seth is Kieran’s Enemy No. 1, what does that make her?

In one night, a strange explosion rocks the Empyrean—shooting them off course and delaying their pursuit of the New Horizon—and Seth is mysteriously released from the brig. Seth is the most obvious suspect for the explosion, and Waverly the most obvious suspect for releasing him. As the tension reaches a boiling point, will Seth be able to find the true culprit before Kieran locks them both away—or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? With the balance of power precarious and the clock ticking, every decision counts… every step brings them closer to a new beginning, or a sudden end...(from GoodReads)

Review:
I thought Glow, the predecessor to Spark, was an excellent science fiction novel. I'm not usually a fan of spaceships and the like, but I really enjoyed this story. There was mystery, power struggles, a strong female protagonist, even hints of romance. It was a lot deeper than I expected, even delving into aspects of human nature. And luckily for me, Spark was just as good!

I was so happy that Spark didn't fall victim to the Middle Book Syndrome. For most of Glow, the girls and adults are on the enemy ship of the New Horizon, while power struggles emerge between Seth and Kieran and the rest of the young boys on the Empyrean. But in Spark, Waverly and Kieran are finally reunited but spend most of the book at odds. They are supposed to be engaged, but it appears that after what they went through in the last book, they have many different opinions. What I liked about Spark is that it switched POVs between Seth, Waverly and Kieran, so we get to see the motivations behind all of their actions. And while I didn't always like what they did, I understood completely why they did it. That's a rare quality in a book, to understand the main characters so fully. A lot of the situations weren't black and white, and Amy Kathleen Ryan did a great job of filling in the gray.

I loved how the book delved into some really deep issues. Topics that were discussed were the use of power, the right way to lead a population, peace vs. violence, the use of torture, medical rape, death of parents, Amy Kathleen Ryan covered it all. Since all the adults are stuck on the New Horizon, it's basically a bunch of teenagers running the ship. A lot of them were very capable, but power struggles still emerged, which was interesting to see. I love politics, so the "politics" of the Empyrean were fascinating to me.

Overall, I don't think I can give this book enough praise. The plot was exciting and new mysteries and secrets were being uncovered every other page. I can't wait to see what happens in the next novel and I can't believe I have to wait until Summer 2013 to get my hands on a copy!

Rating: 10 out of 10.
FTC: received from Flamingnet

2012/St. Martin's Griffin/309 pages.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Summary:
What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was at first interested in Glow because I thought it sounded a lot like Across the Universe, which i really enjoyed. I don't usually like straight-up science fiction, but I thought I'd give Glow a chance. I'm glad I did because I really liked it.

At first, I was off-put by how similar Glow and Across the Universe are. Both take place on a spaceship that is bound for a new planet where humans will now inhabit. Both ships have farmland and orchards onboard. It was weird. But that's where the similarities end.

In Glow, there are two ships flying to the new planet, but things take a turn for the worse when the other ship attacks the Empyrean and kidnaps all the girls, including our protagonist, Waverly. After this, the book is split into two parts: Waverly's experience on the New Horizon and Kieran's experience on the Empyrean with all the boys. I liked reading about Waverly much better because she is essentially a captive, so I liked learning all the secrets of the New Horizon and seeing Waverly try to escape.

It's also funny to see that when only boys are in charge, as is the case on the Empryean, all hell breaks lose. There is a power struggle between Kieran and Seth, who is portrayed as an evil dictator as he tries to take control over the ship. I really did not understand his craziness and his motives for wanting to be captain. Is it really that awesome? It was very much like Lord of the Flies.

The summary implies there is a love triangle, but I think it was ridiculous to mention that since it iis nonexistent. Waverly is separated from her two "lovers" the entire book and she was already dating Kieran so I felt like it was really dumb to make it seem as though there was this great love triangle.

As the book went on, I really enjoyed Glow. I thought all the intrigue and politics and secrets were pretty awesome and I liked uncovering them. I'm excited for the next book to see what happens next!

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: sent from Flamingnet Book Reviews

2011/St. Martin's Griffin/307 pages.