Stellar Review by BookLife
Eco Reign: Warning: The Barriers Burn
L. Galuppo
Galuppo illuminates a teenager’s personal reflections and family allegiances in this YA debut of a near-future Earth ruled by aliens. “They came and they conquered. There was no hero to save us,” narrates 14-year-old Lauren, as everyone—including her mother Jules and younger brother Matthew—in her California city is teleported into enormous hangars at a military base. The silver veined, white-skinned aliens, called Vellatros, disappear or burn up anyone who steps out of line, declaring that Earth is part of the infiniverse—a symbiotic system essential to life in the galaxy—and they can no longer allow humanity’s callous destruction of Earth’s resources. Though cognizant of the truth lurking behind those claims, Lauren marvels at their tactics: “Were these creatures claiming that they came to save Earth from us?” she wonders.
Galuppo’s atmospheric chronicle of humanity’s defeat evokes the powerlessness, petty squabbles, day-to-day terror, and valiant attempts at coping that accompany the unthinkable. Led by Jules, Lauren and Matthew learn to control their emotions and carefully observe their surroundings before acting, but when Lauren—prized for her uncanny telepathic abilities—is taken away and trained in obedience like a pet by the alien, Ula, she is also offered the gift of enlightenment, edging her closer to what feels like sympathy for her planet’s conquerors. Matthew’s arc sharply contrasts, as he gives hope by training humanity’s remnants to fight—prompting Lauren to question her newfound loyalties and wonder if there are still free humans surviving somewhere in Earth’s outer reaches.
Effortless and flowing, Galuppo’s prose conjures a poignant imagining of an alien invasion, invoking resonating themes of family bonds, human sensibilities, and our responsibility as stewards of Earth’s care. Even as they revel in Galuppo’s immersive world, readers will feel invested in Lauren’s growth and determination to do what’s right for her family, the environment, and humanity.
Takeaway: Immersive YA story of Earth’s takeover by sinister aliens.
Comparable Titles: Victoria Lee’s The Fever King, Laura Pohl’s The Last 8.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
L. Galuppo
Galuppo illuminates a teenager’s personal reflections and family allegiances in this YA debut of a near-future Earth ruled by aliens. “They came and they conquered. There was no hero to save us,” narrates 14-year-old Lauren, as everyone—including her mother Jules and younger brother Matthew—in her California city is teleported into enormous hangars at a military base. The silver veined, white-skinned aliens, called Vellatros, disappear or burn up anyone who steps out of line, declaring that Earth is part of the infiniverse—a symbiotic system essential to life in the galaxy—and they can no longer allow humanity’s callous destruction of Earth’s resources. Though cognizant of the truth lurking behind those claims, Lauren marvels at their tactics: “Were these creatures claiming that they came to save Earth from us?” she wonders.
Galuppo’s atmospheric chronicle of humanity’s defeat evokes the powerlessness, petty squabbles, day-to-day terror, and valiant attempts at coping that accompany the unthinkable. Led by Jules, Lauren and Matthew learn to control their emotions and carefully observe their surroundings before acting, but when Lauren—prized for her uncanny telepathic abilities—is taken away and trained in obedience like a pet by the alien, Ula, she is also offered the gift of enlightenment, edging her closer to what feels like sympathy for her planet’s conquerors. Matthew’s arc sharply contrasts, as he gives hope by training humanity’s remnants to fight—prompting Lauren to question her newfound loyalties and wonder if there are still free humans surviving somewhere in Earth’s outer reaches.
Effortless and flowing, Galuppo’s prose conjures a poignant imagining of an alien invasion, invoking resonating themes of family bonds, human sensibilities, and our responsibility as stewards of Earth’s care. Even as they revel in Galuppo’s immersive world, readers will feel invested in Lauren’s growth and determination to do what’s right for her family, the environment, and humanity.
Takeaway: Immersive YA story of Earth’s takeover by sinister aliens.
Comparable Titles: Victoria Lee’s The Fever King, Laura Pohl’s The Last 8.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
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