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A Crack in the Sky
Thirteen-year-old Eli Papadapoulous is worried. Even though he's part of in the most powerful family in the world. Even though his grandfather founded InfiniCorp, the massive corporation that runs everything in the bustling dome-cities. Even though InfiniCorp ads and billboards are plastered everywhere,
DON'T WORRY! INFINICORP IS TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING!
Recently, Eli noticed there's something wrong with the artificial sky. It keeps shorting out, displaying strange colors and random, pixellated images. And though the Department of Cool and Comfortable Air is working overtime, the dome-city is hotter than it's ever been.
Eli has been raised to believe that the dome-cities are safe and comfortable; that the important thing is to keep working, keep consuming; that InfiniCorp knows better than he, and he should leave everything in their hands.
But now he begins asking questions.
DON'T WORRY! INFINICORP IS TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING!
Recently, Eli noticed there's something wrong with the artificial sky. It keeps shorting out, displaying strange colors and random, pixellated images. And though the Department of Cool and Comfortable Air is working overtime, the dome-city is hotter than it's ever been.
Eli has been raised to believe that the dome-cities are safe and comfortable; that the important thing is to keep working, keep consuming; that InfiniCorp knows better than he, and he should leave everything in their hands.
But now he begins asking questions.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
25 people are currently reading
801 people want to read
About the author
Mark Peter Hughes
9 books91 followersMark Peter Hughes was born in Liverpool, England in the Oxford Street Maternity Hospital, the same hospital as John Lennon. His family moved to the U.S.A. when he was one and most of his childhood was spent in Barrington, Rhode Island.
Mark’s first novel, I Am the Wallpaper, is the the story of a girl who feels unnoticed and ends up being an unwitting online sensation. Soon after its publication he began work on Lemonade Mouth, a novel that taps into his experiences playing in oddball rock bands and trying to change the world. In a style loosely based on the interviews of the fab four in The Beatles Anthology, the five oddball members of the band called “Lemonade Mouth” tell the band’s chaotic story and their own individual stories in their own voices. The Disney Channel adapted Lemonade Mouth into the #1 cable movie of 2011, and the highly-praised book sequel, Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up, came out in 2012.
A Crack In The Sky is Mark's award-winning futuristic adventure of a boy and a mongoose on an overheated Earth at the end of the world. Mark is currently working on the follow-up to A Crack In The Sky, which will be called The Keepers of Tomorrow.
Mark lives in Massachusetts with his wife, three kids, and a dog named Wendel.
More Fun Facts:
… Mark was once kicked out of eighth grade music class for throwing a spitball.
… He plays trumpet and guitar with his band, The Church Ladies.
…He did a commentary about the writing life for National Public Radio. You can listen to it by going to his website.
Mark’s first novel, I Am the Wallpaper, is the the story of a girl who feels unnoticed and ends up being an unwitting online sensation. Soon after its publication he began work on Lemonade Mouth, a novel that taps into his experiences playing in oddball rock bands and trying to change the world. In a style loosely based on the interviews of the fab four in The Beatles Anthology, the five oddball members of the band called “Lemonade Mouth” tell the band’s chaotic story and their own individual stories in their own voices. The Disney Channel adapted Lemonade Mouth into the #1 cable movie of 2011, and the highly-praised book sequel, Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up, came out in 2012.
A Crack In The Sky is Mark's award-winning futuristic adventure of a boy and a mongoose on an overheated Earth at the end of the world. Mark is currently working on the follow-up to A Crack In The Sky, which will be called The Keepers of Tomorrow.
Mark lives in Massachusetts with his wife, three kids, and a dog named Wendel.
More Fun Facts:
… Mark was once kicked out of eighth grade music class for throwing a spitball.
… He plays trumpet and guitar with his band, The Church Ladies.
…He did a commentary about the writing life for National Public Radio. You can listen to it by going to his website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
August 26, 2010
Let us discuss the plot of A Crack in the Sky and see if you can’t pick up on our current political and economic model seeping into the tale of a future society that has otherwise never existed: Thirteen-year-old Eli Papadopoulos lives in a futuristic dome city. I don’t want to give everything away, but in the future the environment is so bad that humans can’t live outside, so we all gather in domes. Citizens of the domes are assured this is not a permanent situation. They are waiting for the Cooldown at which point they can go back outside, though there are those who believe the Cooldown may be a myth.
At the heart of all things is Infinicorp, the major corporation responsible for all aspects of life in the dome cities. Their slogan is “Don’t worry. Infinicorp is taking care of everything.” They manufacture and sell all products and own everything and everyone. At age thirteen, citizens of the dome cities officially become employees of Infinicorp and they work out their lives in service to the corporation. Not our Eli, though. He’s being groomed for upper management. His grandfather founded Infinicorp and his family runs things. It is fascinating to read the parallels Hughes draws between kingdoms of old and the corporate structure.
Anyway, prince Eli, if you will, is sitting pretty. He is in the top 1% and all he has to do is mind his manners and he could one day rise to CEO if he can survive the rivalry of his cousin. Of course, something comes along that changes Eli’s world forever, or there wouldn’t be a book. Hughes takes his time in fully revealing what that something is, so I won’t spill the whole story here. But for those of you fellow writers looking for a way to work in conflict from the first page on, you could do worse than the first line from A Crack in the Sky (not counting the prologue): Something was wrong.
While sitting in class being taught by a robot instructor (awesome), Eli witnesses an explosion in the dome sky. There is no need to worry, of course. Infinicorp is taking care of everything. But Eli does worry and he sneaks out of class to investigate, leading to an encounter with an Outsider. Outsiders are people who live outside the dome cities in the harsh desert heat of a destroyed environment. They are not fans of Infinicorp and are dismissed as “practically animals… Cannibals, cutthroats, and criminals… if starvation doesn’t get them, brain fever rots their minds away. It’s very sad.”
At this time, Eli also finds a copy of Alice in Wonderland, which is appropriate. This encounter leads to further encounters with the Outsiders and Eli chases them down the rabbit hole where he gains a new perspective on Infinicorp and how their actions impact the rest of the world.
Here is what one Outsider has to say, and I’ll let this speech stand for all the rest:
"Consider how Insiders are kept sedated with hollow jobs and empty aspirations. They're distracted with products and meaningless entertainment. Have you ever asked yourself what the purpose is?" Behind the mask the boy narrowed his eyes. "It's a diversion, Eli. A reassuring ruse to maintain a semblance of the old ways. For now it appears safe, but the fantasy comes with a cost. The Great Sickness wasn't the end of the trouble--it was barely the beginning. Harsh reality is still building up out there. It's knocking at the door, rattling the domes' foundations. It won't be ignored much longer--you can be sure of that. But you already sense this. I can see it. It's not Outside that's dead. The wasteland is the only truth we have left, the land of the real survivors. Look around. It's your world that's a living death."
There is more plot than what I have described to you and I haven’t even touched on the revolutionary Tabitha Bloomberg, but you get the idea. The plot of this first book in what promises to be an exciting series is a little like The Matrix. Eli, like Neo, with the help of outside revolutionaries discovers that everything he knows about the world around him is wrong. Perhaps a giant corporation controlling the lives of an entire society isn’t so great after all. And it’s no coincidence that the novel cleverly opens with a falling bit of “sky.” Eli is a chicken little of sorts and of course his revelations are not really intended for the employees of Infinicorp, but for the readers who live in a corporate controlled environment with disaster impending from all sides. The metaphor holds and provides Hughes with an opportunity to satirize and criticize our own world. Fun stuff.
I don’t want to spoil this book for you, Esteemed Reader, so I’ll stop now. But I will spoil one small thing that is revealed in the first fifty pages anyway. Eli has a pet mongoose. The mongoose had a chip implanted in her head in an illegal operation that enhances her in some way, though no one knows how. Well, it turns out she is telepathic and can have mental conversations with Eli. How awesome is that? In a world of fiction riddled with every type of cliché, Hughes finds all sorts of original twists on conventions. Better yet, he occasionally tells the story from the perspective of the telepathic mongoose. Love it!
I see we are way past our word count. I went over because I felt bad for taking up so much of this review with rantings about how Ayn Rand was wrong (of course she was; virtue of selfishness indeed) and the wealthy don’t always use their cash to provide a greater world for the rest of us, holding industry upon their mighty shoulders like Atlas holds the world. Sometimes they use it to play money grabbing games on the market and bankrupt the country. Sometimes they blow it on every selfish desire they have, including paying Justin Bieber to sing at their daughter’s sweet sixteen party while their fellow Americans lose their health insurance, their jobs, their homes, and slide into oblivion.
But A Crack in the Sky is a great read. You’re going to the bookstore today anyway to get Mockingjay, so why not pick up this book and make it a week of dystopian rage? Come on, everybody! We’re as mad as heck and we’re not going to take it anymore! I, for one, will be demonstrating my populace rage by continuing to review children’s books:)
Let me close with one last observation from a book filled with witty observations because I just really liked this one. Projected on the dome's ceiling is not only the sky, but also various advertisements. At one point, Eli sees something on the ceiling that is projected, but not selling anything, and he is lost as to why anyone would want to project something without a sales pitch. Fascinating stuff. I shall leave you with an early quote from the text regarding the advertisements that I think resonates: "Nurturing a customer's sense of well-being through positive message repetition," Dr. Toffler was saying, its voice cracking with age, "not only encourages complacency but is also a useful tool that ultimately leads to widespread respect for authority and obedience to rules."
To read an interview with author Mark Peter Hughes, check me out at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
At the heart of all things is Infinicorp, the major corporation responsible for all aspects of life in the dome cities. Their slogan is “Don’t worry. Infinicorp is taking care of everything.” They manufacture and sell all products and own everything and everyone. At age thirteen, citizens of the dome cities officially become employees of Infinicorp and they work out their lives in service to the corporation. Not our Eli, though. He’s being groomed for upper management. His grandfather founded Infinicorp and his family runs things. It is fascinating to read the parallels Hughes draws between kingdoms of old and the corporate structure.
Anyway, prince Eli, if you will, is sitting pretty. He is in the top 1% and all he has to do is mind his manners and he could one day rise to CEO if he can survive the rivalry of his cousin. Of course, something comes along that changes Eli’s world forever, or there wouldn’t be a book. Hughes takes his time in fully revealing what that something is, so I won’t spill the whole story here. But for those of you fellow writers looking for a way to work in conflict from the first page on, you could do worse than the first line from A Crack in the Sky (not counting the prologue): Something was wrong.
While sitting in class being taught by a robot instructor (awesome), Eli witnesses an explosion in the dome sky. There is no need to worry, of course. Infinicorp is taking care of everything. But Eli does worry and he sneaks out of class to investigate, leading to an encounter with an Outsider. Outsiders are people who live outside the dome cities in the harsh desert heat of a destroyed environment. They are not fans of Infinicorp and are dismissed as “practically animals… Cannibals, cutthroats, and criminals… if starvation doesn’t get them, brain fever rots their minds away. It’s very sad.”
At this time, Eli also finds a copy of Alice in Wonderland, which is appropriate. This encounter leads to further encounters with the Outsiders and Eli chases them down the rabbit hole where he gains a new perspective on Infinicorp and how their actions impact the rest of the world.
Here is what one Outsider has to say, and I’ll let this speech stand for all the rest:
"Consider how Insiders are kept sedated with hollow jobs and empty aspirations. They're distracted with products and meaningless entertainment. Have you ever asked yourself what the purpose is?" Behind the mask the boy narrowed his eyes. "It's a diversion, Eli. A reassuring ruse to maintain a semblance of the old ways. For now it appears safe, but the fantasy comes with a cost. The Great Sickness wasn't the end of the trouble--it was barely the beginning. Harsh reality is still building up out there. It's knocking at the door, rattling the domes' foundations. It won't be ignored much longer--you can be sure of that. But you already sense this. I can see it. It's not Outside that's dead. The wasteland is the only truth we have left, the land of the real survivors. Look around. It's your world that's a living death."
There is more plot than what I have described to you and I haven’t even touched on the revolutionary Tabitha Bloomberg, but you get the idea. The plot of this first book in what promises to be an exciting series is a little like The Matrix. Eli, like Neo, with the help of outside revolutionaries discovers that everything he knows about the world around him is wrong. Perhaps a giant corporation controlling the lives of an entire society isn’t so great after all. And it’s no coincidence that the novel cleverly opens with a falling bit of “sky.” Eli is a chicken little of sorts and of course his revelations are not really intended for the employees of Infinicorp, but for the readers who live in a corporate controlled environment with disaster impending from all sides. The metaphor holds and provides Hughes with an opportunity to satirize and criticize our own world. Fun stuff.
I don’t want to spoil this book for you, Esteemed Reader, so I’ll stop now. But I will spoil one small thing that is revealed in the first fifty pages anyway. Eli has a pet mongoose. The mongoose had a chip implanted in her head in an illegal operation that enhances her in some way, though no one knows how. Well, it turns out she is telepathic and can have mental conversations with Eli. How awesome is that? In a world of fiction riddled with every type of cliché, Hughes finds all sorts of original twists on conventions. Better yet, he occasionally tells the story from the perspective of the telepathic mongoose. Love it!
I see we are way past our word count. I went over because I felt bad for taking up so much of this review with rantings about how Ayn Rand was wrong (of course she was; virtue of selfishness indeed) and the wealthy don’t always use their cash to provide a greater world for the rest of us, holding industry upon their mighty shoulders like Atlas holds the world. Sometimes they use it to play money grabbing games on the market and bankrupt the country. Sometimes they blow it on every selfish desire they have, including paying Justin Bieber to sing at their daughter’s sweet sixteen party while their fellow Americans lose their health insurance, their jobs, their homes, and slide into oblivion.
But A Crack in the Sky is a great read. You’re going to the bookstore today anyway to get Mockingjay, so why not pick up this book and make it a week of dystopian rage? Come on, everybody! We’re as mad as heck and we’re not going to take it anymore! I, for one, will be demonstrating my populace rage by continuing to review children’s books:)
Let me close with one last observation from a book filled with witty observations because I just really liked this one. Projected on the dome's ceiling is not only the sky, but also various advertisements. At one point, Eli sees something on the ceiling that is projected, but not selling anything, and he is lost as to why anyone would want to project something without a sales pitch. Fascinating stuff. I shall leave you with an early quote from the text regarding the advertisements that I think resonates: "Nurturing a customer's sense of well-being through positive message repetition," Dr. Toffler was saying, its voice cracking with age, "not only encourages complacency but is also a useful tool that ultimately leads to widespread respect for authority and obedience to rules."
To read an interview with author Mark Peter Hughes, check me out at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
September 10, 2010
Take the fake, domed town in The Truman Show and drop it in the middle of the video game Fallout 3, add a dash of The Matrix, a smidge of Dune, the sidekick from His Dark Materials, and a touch of A Clockwork Orange, and you've got A Crack in the Sky. Not necessarily a bad thing, but there are some HEAVY influences going on here which can sometimes be distracting (and I'm sure I'm missing a ton). Characterization is pretty good, though the over-the-top, creepy bad guy is a bit wearing, and I found myself rooting for the secondary, female character over the main male character sometimes (He sometimes lands in that "Boy, you really are kinda dumb, aren't you?" trap confused characters often land in, though Hughes does a pretty good job of making Eli likeable, so it's not too bad). Overall, not a bad dystopian novel, but it falls into the category of recent series books where the book itself isn't a self-contained story; this is very obviously just a setup for the next book and that doesn't make for a very satisfying read. I'm intrigued enough that I'll probably pick up the next book, but I won't be waiting with bated breath.
February 3, 2011
"Who says you can't learn anything from a work of fiction? This Young Adult novel is surprisingly fast-paced, intelligent, and poignant. Here, we meet a young man, Eli, who is one of the great members of a powerful corporate family - a family who runs...moreWho says you can't learn anything from a work of fiction? This Young Adult novel is surprisingly fast-paced, intelligent, and poignant. Here, we meet a young man, Eli, who is one of the great members of a powerful corporate family - a family who runs great dome cities to protect its citizens from the envronment. Yes, this takes place in a future society where global climate change is reaching its peak. But who cares? The people in the dome cities don't believe in global climate change and are laughing it up while everything starts to go to hell. But, then, Eli notices that something just isn't right about these dome cities and he starts to investigate. Enter a friendly genetically-altered mongoose and you've got yourself a story. This novel is complex in that it is more that about a society facing impending disaster. It's also a novel about a child searching for his purpose in the world (a common theme in YA literature). It's also about loyalty, truth, and doing what is right - after you figure out what that is. A great novel for 7th graders interested in the genre or for middle school science teachers looking for a good summer reading book. The author does include extra information about global climate change at the end - what it is, what is truth, what is speculation, etc. He also provides research sources for students/readers to explore the subject on their own. I suspect this is a first in a series (go figure) but it was such an enexpectedly delightful read. And...I got to learn about the greenhouse effect. Good times!
January 2, 2015
Young Adult fiction typically deals with the angsts of its target market - first love, discovering personal identity/purpose, and forming one's own world-view. In many ways, the YA market today presents some of the best stories in SF/Fantasy - where was this outpouring of imaginative authors when I was a kid? Unfortunately, A Crack in the Sky addresses its themes in a derivative and almost formulaic manner.
To be fair, Mark Peter Hughes mixes an original plot, but most elements feel borrowed and familiar in light of my other recent reading. Crack struck me as yet another story where a kid lives in an artificial dome/vault city and comes to believe the world is a lie. City of Ember covered this territory pretty well recently, and in several places I was reminded of the classic Logan's Run. Hugh Howey's recent Wool series, while not YA, likewise addresses the "lie of the artificial sky" but with much more interesting characters (especially in the first 3 parts).
Where Logan's Run served as a warning to cold-war era readers regarding the power and nature of socialist governments, Mark Peter Hughes lays the blame on corporations and management philosophy. As a management consultant, I certainly found some of his depictions of corporate culture amusing and rooted in truth.
But Crack's other failing is that story is sometimes secondary to the author's ecological agenda. I'm sympathetic with his lectures on sustainability, global warming, and consumerism...but this wears thin. For a more engaging and less preachy post-oil, global-warming setting in YA fiction, see Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker.
Crack was amusing and I don't regret exploring it - but I won't seek out a sequel.
To be fair, Mark Peter Hughes mixes an original plot, but most elements feel borrowed and familiar in light of my other recent reading. Crack struck me as yet another story where a kid lives in an artificial dome/vault city and comes to believe the world is a lie. City of Ember covered this territory pretty well recently, and in several places I was reminded of the classic Logan's Run. Hugh Howey's recent Wool series, while not YA, likewise addresses the "lie of the artificial sky" but with much more interesting characters (especially in the first 3 parts).
Where Logan's Run served as a warning to cold-war era readers regarding the power and nature of socialist governments, Mark Peter Hughes lays the blame on corporations and management philosophy. As a management consultant, I certainly found some of his depictions of corporate culture amusing and rooted in truth.
But Crack's other failing is that story is sometimes secondary to the author's ecological agenda. I'm sympathetic with his lectures on sustainability, global warming, and consumerism...but this wears thin. For a more engaging and less preachy post-oil, global-warming setting in YA fiction, see Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker.
Crack was amusing and I don't regret exploring it - but I won't seek out a sequel.
February 17, 2011
What’s Cool About this Book:
The Genre: A Crack in the Sky covers a lot genres. This book has something for everyone! First off, it’s pure middle-grade. It doesn’t carry over into YA as far as content/violence, though any teenager would be completely in love with this book. It’s dystopian, urban fantasy, sci-fi, and even has a very clever mongoose, so a bit of animal fantasy as well.
The Main Character: After the first few page, you already start caring about Eli. He’s this young, smart guy, who can’t understand why nobody is interested in what’s happening with the sky dome. I liked him from page one. I’m so disappointed when I read a book I’m excited about and can’t connect with the main character at any point in the book.
World Building: Hughes creates a believable world of the future…and an incredibly cool one! People can die the whites of their eyes and have pink flashing hair (I've seriously always wanted pink hair!), not to mention the Sky-Net, don’t get me started on that. It’s vegging out in front of the TV to the extreme!
Style: Hughes writes this in a down-to-earth style, that today’s middle-grader will love, but at the same time dumbs nothing down. He kept it smart, yet attainable.
Overall: I really enjoyed this book, the first in the Greenhouse Chronicles. Eli’s odd journey is rich with imagination, but scarily believable, with a strange new world’s domed cities and mutant animals that live in the new America, which is a dry desert with red seas that reek of sulfur. I’m not going to give any spoilers, but I loved Marilyn, you will too!
The Genre: A Crack in the Sky covers a lot genres. This book has something for everyone! First off, it’s pure middle-grade. It doesn’t carry over into YA as far as content/violence, though any teenager would be completely in love with this book. It’s dystopian, urban fantasy, sci-fi, and even has a very clever mongoose, so a bit of animal fantasy as well.
The Main Character: After the first few page, you already start caring about Eli. He’s this young, smart guy, who can’t understand why nobody is interested in what’s happening with the sky dome. I liked him from page one. I’m so disappointed when I read a book I’m excited about and can’t connect with the main character at any point in the book.
World Building: Hughes creates a believable world of the future…and an incredibly cool one! People can die the whites of their eyes and have pink flashing hair (I've seriously always wanted pink hair!), not to mention the Sky-Net, don’t get me started on that. It’s vegging out in front of the TV to the extreme!
Style: Hughes writes this in a down-to-earth style, that today’s middle-grader will love, but at the same time dumbs nothing down. He kept it smart, yet attainable.
Overall: I really enjoyed this book, the first in the Greenhouse Chronicles. Eli’s odd journey is rich with imagination, but scarily believable, with a strange new world’s domed cities and mutant animals that live in the new America, which is a dry desert with red seas that reek of sulfur. I’m not going to give any spoilers, but I loved Marilyn, you will too!
November 27, 2012
I read this book because I had picked it up at the library hoping it would spark some intrigue in my son who is very "techie" and into science. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down and read it all in about a day and half. The author really make an important topic of today come to life in a fictional (and yet completely tangible) story 100 years in the future. The author perfectly correlated the events that transpire in 100 years to our obtuse political and social non reactions regarding today's global crisis, which will affect our future generations and our ultimate existence. My son loved the book too, except that we are hoping that there will be a second book because we thought the end left us at sort of a cliffhanger.
September 4, 2012
The plot idea was captivating, but the ending seemed a bit too rushed. (SPOILER): at the end when Eli is removed from the dome cities and left Outside to die, it doesn't feel like the actual book is ending. Instead, it feels more like there should be a sequel to it. I don't know if there actually is, but it was still a good read. At the end of the book there are some facts about global warming which made me feel that the whole book was just to prove some sort of point. Aside all this, 3/5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2010
I read the first couple of chapters to 5th grade students and they LOVED it. I have about 10 kids from each class that are on waiting lists for this book. This book is so good! It is a future horrible world where people live in domes because global warming and other disasters have ruined the environment.
March 27, 2011
Frightening and fun at the same time. Loved the dystopian element to this book. Will be interesting to see where series goes after this debut.
September 26, 2013
it was a very futuristict book it had a good theme and setting with it.
September 30, 2010
People who have read a lot of dystopias (and seen a lot of science fiction movies) will recognize elements from sources like The Matrix, Wall-E, Terry Brooks’ Genesis of Shannara series, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver (an obligatory reference, to be sure, but apt), as well as countless others. In fact, people who have read a lot of dystopias and seen a lot of movies may be too busy making connections among them all to fully sink into this perfectly enjoyable but not entirely original entry into the genre. This has pretty much everything but the kitchen sink: ecological disasters are rampant; the science fiction “solutions” are imperfect; the all-seeing corporate entity keeps everyday people in the dark, for their own protection; they use media saturation and virtual reality to keep people docile; a revolutionary group wants to bring down the all-seeing corporate entity, no matter the cost; and a single person with special qualities stands among them as a savior/destroyer. Oh, and there’s a telepathic mongoose who can hack computers. With her mind.
Eli is a reactionary character, so reading from his POV can be a little frustrating; though he asks the big questions, he is otherwise thrust into events by the machinations of others. Most of the time, he is clueless as InfiniCorp and Friends of Gustavo move him around on an invisible chessboard: Eli asks a question; InfiniCorp gives a pat, corporate response through official channels; Foggers spew some crazy religious sermons in secret meetings Eli attends without understanding what it means to be seen with terrorists; Eli is confused; InfiniCorp lays the smack down. His search for capital-T Truth leads him into capital-T Trouble, but he never sees it coming, and once it hits, he blunders around until something happens to push him in another direction. He develops more of an active role once he winds up in the Tower (where bad little InfiniCorp employees go to be re-educated) but even then he is staggeringly naïve until the end. There is another character, Tabitha, who is a foil for Eli; she is as cynical and distrustful as he is naive; he worships InfiniCorp and his family, while she thinks all Papadapolus' are evil. She joined the Foggers for a boy and ended up getting caught and sent to the Tower, where she meets Eli. Her character is less well-developed, since she only comes in as a narrator later in the novel, but she gives readers an outlet for frustration over Eli's seemingly impossibly good nature. I believe she will have some kind of redemptive arc in later books, where she learns not to be so cold-hearted all the time.
Eli’s character illustrates the hypnotic, repressive nature of the dome-city he’s grown up in: he implicitly trusts InfiniCorp, is only trying to be a good employee, and if they had tried harder to placate him, he might have just droned on like the tool they wanted him to be. He might even have gone along with the Horrible Truth, if they had just told him and made it sound reasonable. On the other hand, it’s annoying how long it takes him to realize he’s unearthing a massive conspiracy and that this is one of those things you should do with a little circumspection. I get that he’s a very decent kid, with a strong sense of responsibility and a desire to take care of others, but at some point he has to wake up and say, “Hey, even though I am all of those things, the paranoids at InfiniCorp are not going to see my meeting with terrorists as my honest attempt to help out.”
A few chapters are also narrated by Marilyn, the mongoose, especially once her and Eli are separated, but we're ignoring those bits. She's also too much of a deus ex machina for my liking, with all her telepathic computer skills in a future specifically built around digital realities. Her powers change and increase over the course of the book, too, so each new revelation (like, "hey, I can suddenly talk to Eli with my mind"; and, "hey, now I can manipulate virtual content with my mind!"; and so on) felt like she was constantly leveling up in a video game. Maybe in the second book will we learn more about Marilyn's history -- what was done to her to make her this way and why she was mysteriously given to Eli as a present -- and this won't annoy me so much. It is good that she seems to have much more common sense than Eli does and is always warning him about the repercussions of his actions -- maybe in the second book he will listen to her more.
What I liked about this book is that both InfiniCorp and the Foggers have good intentions, sort of. (Obviously they both have good and bad people working for them, but their whole point for existing is well-intentioned). InfiniCorp constructed the dome cities to protect people temporarily, having dithered too long over how to save the world to really save it; they are basically medicating people into blithely living their lives up to the end. I can see how this happened and understand why they’re continuing to support living in denial. It’s unclear to me what the Foggers point is – what they think bringing down InfiniCorp and telling people the truth will do, besides cause batshit hysteria – but they believe a messiah will lead chosen people into one protected area before everything collapses, and that these people will create a new life there (this is the part that really reminded me of Terry Brooks). Both InfiniCorp and the Foggers seem to believe the end of the world is imminent, which is why I will read the second book, just to see how Eli is supposed to fix it. The build-up makes it seem kind of impossible, so I’m rooting for an interesting resolution that either melds Fogger’s religious beliefs with InfiniCorp’s science or throws everything out.
Overall, this premise of this book is a winner, and it is certainly plotty enough to keep readers turning the pages. I would call this more of an idea-driven book than a character-driven one. The world-building is an amalgamation of lots of different dystopias in movies and books, but all together it makes for an intriguing setting. The author's notes at the end are great fun to read, as he actually takes the time to explain how he extrapolated real science to come up with his ideas. They're also very well organized by subject and could possibly spur kids into doing some of their own nonfiction reading about the environment. Finally, Eli is a character I think kids will relate to -- after all, he's just gotten into big trouble and he didn't even really do anything wrong. Any kid can relate to the injustice of that feeling.
Eli is a reactionary character, so reading from his POV can be a little frustrating; though he asks the big questions, he is otherwise thrust into events by the machinations of others. Most of the time, he is clueless as InfiniCorp and Friends of Gustavo move him around on an invisible chessboard: Eli asks a question; InfiniCorp gives a pat, corporate response through official channels; Foggers spew some crazy religious sermons in secret meetings Eli attends without understanding what it means to be seen with terrorists; Eli is confused; InfiniCorp lays the smack down. His search for capital-T Truth leads him into capital-T Trouble, but he never sees it coming, and once it hits, he blunders around until something happens to push him in another direction. He develops more of an active role once he winds up in the Tower (where bad little InfiniCorp employees go to be re-educated) but even then he is staggeringly naïve until the end. There is another character, Tabitha, who is a foil for Eli; she is as cynical and distrustful as he is naive; he worships InfiniCorp and his family, while she thinks all Papadapolus' are evil. She joined the Foggers for a boy and ended up getting caught and sent to the Tower, where she meets Eli. Her character is less well-developed, since she only comes in as a narrator later in the novel, but she gives readers an outlet for frustration over Eli's seemingly impossibly good nature. I believe she will have some kind of redemptive arc in later books, where she learns not to be so cold-hearted all the time.
Eli’s character illustrates the hypnotic, repressive nature of the dome-city he’s grown up in: he implicitly trusts InfiniCorp, is only trying to be a good employee, and if they had tried harder to placate him, he might have just droned on like the tool they wanted him to be. He might even have gone along with the Horrible Truth, if they had just told him and made it sound reasonable. On the other hand, it’s annoying how long it takes him to realize he’s unearthing a massive conspiracy and that this is one of those things you should do with a little circumspection. I get that he’s a very decent kid, with a strong sense of responsibility and a desire to take care of others, but at some point he has to wake up and say, “Hey, even though I am all of those things, the paranoids at InfiniCorp are not going to see my meeting with terrorists as my honest attempt to help out.”
A few chapters are also narrated by Marilyn, the mongoose, especially once her and Eli are separated, but we're ignoring those bits. She's also too much of a deus ex machina for my liking, with all her telepathic computer skills in a future specifically built around digital realities. Her powers change and increase over the course of the book, too, so each new revelation (like, "hey, I can suddenly talk to Eli with my mind"; and, "hey, now I can manipulate virtual content with my mind!"; and so on) felt like she was constantly leveling up in a video game. Maybe in the second book will we learn more about Marilyn's history -- what was done to her to make her this way and why she was mysteriously given to Eli as a present -- and this won't annoy me so much. It is good that she seems to have much more common sense than Eli does and is always warning him about the repercussions of his actions -- maybe in the second book he will listen to her more.
What I liked about this book is that both InfiniCorp and the Foggers have good intentions, sort of. (Obviously they both have good and bad people working for them, but their whole point for existing is well-intentioned). InfiniCorp constructed the dome cities to protect people temporarily, having dithered too long over how to save the world to really save it; they are basically medicating people into blithely living their lives up to the end. I can see how this happened and understand why they’re continuing to support living in denial. It’s unclear to me what the Foggers point is – what they think bringing down InfiniCorp and telling people the truth will do, besides cause batshit hysteria – but they believe a messiah will lead chosen people into one protected area before everything collapses, and that these people will create a new life there (this is the part that really reminded me of Terry Brooks). Both InfiniCorp and the Foggers seem to believe the end of the world is imminent, which is why I will read the second book, just to see how Eli is supposed to fix it. The build-up makes it seem kind of impossible, so I’m rooting for an interesting resolution that either melds Fogger’s religious beliefs with InfiniCorp’s science or throws everything out.
Overall, this premise of this book is a winner, and it is certainly plotty enough to keep readers turning the pages. I would call this more of an idea-driven book than a character-driven one. The world-building is an amalgamation of lots of different dystopias in movies and books, but all together it makes for an intriguing setting. The author's notes at the end are great fun to read, as he actually takes the time to explain how he extrapolated real science to come up with his ideas. They're also very well organized by subject and could possibly spur kids into doing some of their own nonfiction reading about the environment. Finally, Eli is a character I think kids will relate to -- after all, he's just gotten into big trouble and he didn't even really do anything wrong. Any kid can relate to the injustice of that feeling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2025
Global warming has arrived. InfiniCorp has domed the large cities and created a mindless, controlled life for the citizens. But Eli Papadopoulos is a bit of a rebel. He begins to notice small imperfections and malfunctions in the city of New Providence. Together with his chipped mongoose Marilyn, he begins to question his existence. When he is contacted by the Friends of Gustavo about the final collapse of civilization, he becomes a danger to his cousin Spider who has all but seized control of the company. When Eli is kdnapped and taken to the center for Waywards, Marilyn sets out on a journey to rescue him. While she is battling the dangers outside the dome, Eli is trying to retain his own mind and keep it free of the influences of the CloudNet. Another Wayward, Tabitha, notices Eli's ability to fight the mind control. She decides to recruit him in her attempt to escape. Together, they formulate a plan to get away from the oil rig platform in the Gulf of Mexico where they are incarcerated. When Marilyn, battered and starved, arrives, Tabitha has an epiphany - Eli and his mutant animal are the prophets the Children of Gustavo have been awaiting. This book was a bit slow in the beginning but the action did become more fast paced. The author certainly delivered his message about reaching the tipping point - the place where global destruction can no longer be reversed. Eli was a sympathetic character but Marilyn stole the show. This little mongoose was a feisty character who was bent of saving her Eli. I don't know if the author is planning a sequel but the story needs a next chapter.
April 24, 2019
Closer to 2.5 stars but I'm feeling generous and rounded up. This book was..... okay? I really enjoy anything post-apocalyptic and I liked the Fallout vibes you get from the Outside. Overall though, the book was just kind of meh. The characters were pretty bland and the only one I thought remotely interesting was Marilyn. The timeline doesn't make much sense either. I figured they had been living in the domes for years but apparently not? If the world Outside is so horrible it probably would have been that way for a long time so how did they get the resources to build the domes? And how do the domes continue to function? I know they have the towers but all we ever see them do there is sort clothes. Do they have towers built for farming or are there domes specifically for that? It takes a lot of land to farm and they mention oranges in the book so they must be growing that stuff somewhere. There just wasn't a lot of information on how the world functions. Also why are all the kids working? Are there no more adults? The guards are kids, the drivers are kids, the corporate workers are kids. Why? There is never an explanation for that. The book also reads very young, more like a middle grade book than a young adult book. The writing was very simple. I was very surprised by that. It's not a terrible book by any means but probably not something I would recommend.
July 4, 2017
The reason I picked up this book to read is because it is billed as an eco-thriller. It takes place in a futuristic United Sates, where nobody every did anything to curb climate change, and, as a matter of fact, they are still in denial.
Eli's family, headed by Grandfather, runs Infinicorp, which runs the country. That's because Grandfather developed the Domes that everybody lives under, because Earth isn't really inhabitable anymore. Eli has some questions though, especially when things start going wrong with the sky. It's all blamed on the Foggers, of course, but is it really their doing, or is something going wrong that the company isn't being honest about?
When Foggers start trying to recruit Eli, he ends up in trouble with the family. He wants to be loyal to the family, but, what's up?
There is a map in the front that's worth taking some time to look over. Also, make sure you don't skip the questions at the end that explains some scientific truth about climate change and also how the author twisted the facts a bit for his story.
Eli's family, headed by Grandfather, runs Infinicorp, which runs the country. That's because Grandfather developed the Domes that everybody lives under, because Earth isn't really inhabitable anymore. Eli has some questions though, especially when things start going wrong with the sky. It's all blamed on the Foggers, of course, but is it really their doing, or is something going wrong that the company isn't being honest about?
When Foggers start trying to recruit Eli, he ends up in trouble with the family. He wants to be loyal to the family, but, what's up?
There is a map in the front that's worth taking some time to look over. Also, make sure you don't skip the questions at the end that explains some scientific truth about climate change and also how the author twisted the facts a bit for his story.
October 16, 2023
A decent story on the edge between middle-grade & YA. A story about a young boy living in a literal bubble city to protect against the harsh environment of a dying Earth, it's not subtle in its environmental messaging and corporate dystopia. It's a solid story, but not particularly stand-out. But then again, I'm not the target audience, so take this with a grain of salt.
My only major critique/surprise/confusion is that the privileged, corporate-driven world that the main character hails from is populated/employed seemingly entirely by other kids. The higher-up power players are adults, but the rank-and-file worker population are all somewhere between 12 and maybe 18, tops. Which gives the world an odd flavor. Is this supposed to be a statement on child labor? Were most of the adults killed off in the plague? It's never explained, and it's a strange choice because most stories with young protagonists have them pushing back against a world of adults. I had no idea what the author was trying to imply/suggest with this, or how it added to the story.
My only major critique/surprise/confusion is that the privileged, corporate-driven world that the main character hails from is populated/employed seemingly entirely by other kids. The higher-up power players are adults, but the rank-and-file worker population are all somewhere between 12 and maybe 18, tops. Which gives the world an odd flavor. Is this supposed to be a statement on child labor? Were most of the adults killed off in the plague? It's never explained, and it's a strange choice because most stories with young protagonists have them pushing back against a world of adults. I had no idea what the author was trying to imply/suggest with this, or how it added to the story.
November 7, 2023
This book is by far one of the most intriguing books I’ve read this year from the story telling to the use of real world problems I was pulled into the world and it’s story. Hughes’ ability to reference so many different real world problems and objects was incredible as well as his way of intertwining so many different plot points throughout the story, I was brought back to so many different parts of the story the more I read. The writing was extremely well done and l found myself relating with each side of the story (often changing which side I felt was “in the right” as the characters did so). While also feeling remorseful for all three perspectives shared. I enjoyed this story cover to cover and I look forward to reading more by this author!!
March 13, 2021
A fun read that explores a world devastated by global warming and a young teen’s attempt to understand what is behind his family’s corporate secrets. The characters are well develop and you can’t help but want to turn the next page. However, as I neared the ending, I began to wonder how the author was going to wrap up the story. I felt the ending left me feeling incomplete. I did look to see if he wrote a sequel to complete the story, but for now, I don’t see a second book. A shame really.
April 27, 2024
Wish the author wouldn't have decided to abandon this masterpiece. 5/5 all the way and I haven't read it in a hot minute but this was a multiple time read and I hope one day Mark Peter Hughes will end up releasing a second (or third)!
October 27, 2018
The story is well written but paints a very grim future. It appears this was written with a follow on story in mind. Not sure where the story will go to achieve the vision.
January 13, 2020
really good book I recommend this book for people who like adventure
December 23, 2020
I loved this book!
April 30, 2022
The book itself is very intriguing and a quick read, but I'm salty that there's not a sequel.
July 5, 2023
I must’ve read this one four or five times when I was younger—I couldn’t tell you now how the story went (without rereading it again), but I know I’ve enjoyed it hugely each time I’ve picked it up.
Read
November 16, 2024I always wished that he could’ve gotten a pub deal for the whole series! I liked this book a lot. Recommend if you enjoyed Nancy Farmer’s House of the Scorpion, it’s the same vibe but less intense.
November 22, 2010
As with his earlier books, Hughes gives readers a chance to explore Rhode Island as he chose the setting for this novel. The one thing that is different is that it is set in a Providence of the future, in which environmental catastrophes have driven the surviving humans into the remaining domed cities scattered throughout the country.
This is the world in which Eli Papdopoulos, a thirteen year old living in this dark futuristic Providence. His family is one of the most influential in the country, largely because they own InfiniCorp, a massive corporation that has become entwined with the federal government. This started to happen decades earlier when InfiniCorp, under the leadership of Eli's grandfather, designed and distributed a treatment for the Great Sickness. This illness decimated the world's population before it could be stopped.
As time passed, InfiniCorp became more important throughout the country as it took over running most of the dome cities and caring for the people on various levels as they tried to compensate for the extreme nature of the worsening global warming. While most people don't realize it, humanity is fighting to survive as the planet is wracked by the horrors of the growing ecological disaster. Eli is about to learn the truth and find his whole will crash in on him as the harsh reality hits.
Outside of the domes, there is only a harsh, desert-like environment. It is not impossible to survive, but life in the Outside is filled with health issues, food shortages, and mutations. Those living in the Outside believe that one day a savior would come into the world to help everyone.
The Outsiders are not alone in hoping for change. Foggers, environmental activists willing to do anything to halt InfiniCorp, are hoping to bring about a change in leadership in the hopes of saving humanity. Eli is approached by some of these Foggers and finds himself starting to question everything about his culture, even his family and their ties to the company. Things clearly are not as good as they seem.
It is this questioning, and some incidents that bring the eyes of the authority at InfiniCorp his way. He is accused of treason and sentenced to imprisonment and word duty at an Offshore Reeducation Facility in the Gulf of Mexico. It is there that he meets Tabitha, a Fogger who has also been imprisoned on the former oil well. She identifies him as being able to resist the electronic brainwashing that has been taking place and hopes they will be able to work together to escape.
This is definitely a timely tale that explores the ecological dangers we are just starting to confront on a global scale. Hughes has done a good job of predicting what might happen in a worst-case scenario in which governments and business decide to ignore the problem for short-term gain. The result is a world that draws a bit on The Matrix and Dune and setting it in a unique world for younger readers. It really challenges them to think about the issues.
The book is definitely filled with action and interesting characters. Eli has a nemesis in the form of his cousin Spider, but he also has a really interesting ally in the form of Marilyn, a pet mongoose given to him by Grandfather. Marilyn is not your average pet as she has been technologically enhanced with a microchip in her brain that allows her to telepathically talk with him and remotely interact and control technological devices.
The characters are interesting and pretty unique, though the dystopian elements are not tremendously original, but then that is rarely the case with the sub-genre. Locals will be thrilled to read about streets and other locales within Providence that are mentioned and play pivotal roles in the storyline.
I thought the story was really interesting, but it somehow seemed to lag, even with all of the action. I think it is because there is an awful lot of introspection going on for Eli, Marilyn, and Tabitha, who all get turns as being stars in certain chapters. The constant pausing for thinking does slow things down quite a bit, but it also helps the reader to fully understand what is going on in this new, otherworld presented by the future.
This is very clearly the first book in a series. Besides a note highlighting it on the cover, the book does end without any sort of conclusion, leaving readers with quite the cliffhanger as they await the likely volume 2.
I did like the fact that Hughes included an Author's Note highlighting how he came up with the ecological details within the story. This includes his research as well as what scientists are saying has happened and might happened. Like most such notes, there is also an indication as to what was included due to creative license. Young folks looking for more information about the environmental issues included in the book will also find a pretty extensive list of resources with which to kick off their investigations.
This is the world in which Eli Papdopoulos, a thirteen year old living in this dark futuristic Providence. His family is one of the most influential in the country, largely because they own InfiniCorp, a massive corporation that has become entwined with the federal government. This started to happen decades earlier when InfiniCorp, under the leadership of Eli's grandfather, designed and distributed a treatment for the Great Sickness. This illness decimated the world's population before it could be stopped.
As time passed, InfiniCorp became more important throughout the country as it took over running most of the dome cities and caring for the people on various levels as they tried to compensate for the extreme nature of the worsening global warming. While most people don't realize it, humanity is fighting to survive as the planet is wracked by the horrors of the growing ecological disaster. Eli is about to learn the truth and find his whole will crash in on him as the harsh reality hits.
Outside of the domes, there is only a harsh, desert-like environment. It is not impossible to survive, but life in the Outside is filled with health issues, food shortages, and mutations. Those living in the Outside believe that one day a savior would come into the world to help everyone.
The Outsiders are not alone in hoping for change. Foggers, environmental activists willing to do anything to halt InfiniCorp, are hoping to bring about a change in leadership in the hopes of saving humanity. Eli is approached by some of these Foggers and finds himself starting to question everything about his culture, even his family and their ties to the company. Things clearly are not as good as they seem.
It is this questioning, and some incidents that bring the eyes of the authority at InfiniCorp his way. He is accused of treason and sentenced to imprisonment and word duty at an Offshore Reeducation Facility in the Gulf of Mexico. It is there that he meets Tabitha, a Fogger who has also been imprisoned on the former oil well. She identifies him as being able to resist the electronic brainwashing that has been taking place and hopes they will be able to work together to escape.
This is definitely a timely tale that explores the ecological dangers we are just starting to confront on a global scale. Hughes has done a good job of predicting what might happen in a worst-case scenario in which governments and business decide to ignore the problem for short-term gain. The result is a world that draws a bit on The Matrix and Dune and setting it in a unique world for younger readers. It really challenges them to think about the issues.
The book is definitely filled with action and interesting characters. Eli has a nemesis in the form of his cousin Spider, but he also has a really interesting ally in the form of Marilyn, a pet mongoose given to him by Grandfather. Marilyn is not your average pet as she has been technologically enhanced with a microchip in her brain that allows her to telepathically talk with him and remotely interact and control technological devices.
The characters are interesting and pretty unique, though the dystopian elements are not tremendously original, but then that is rarely the case with the sub-genre. Locals will be thrilled to read about streets and other locales within Providence that are mentioned and play pivotal roles in the storyline.
I thought the story was really interesting, but it somehow seemed to lag, even with all of the action. I think it is because there is an awful lot of introspection going on for Eli, Marilyn, and Tabitha, who all get turns as being stars in certain chapters. The constant pausing for thinking does slow things down quite a bit, but it also helps the reader to fully understand what is going on in this new, otherworld presented by the future.
This is very clearly the first book in a series. Besides a note highlighting it on the cover, the book does end without any sort of conclusion, leaving readers with quite the cliffhanger as they await the likely volume 2.
I did like the fact that Hughes included an Author's Note highlighting how he came up with the ecological details within the story. This includes his research as well as what scientists are saying has happened and might happened. Like most such notes, there is also an indication as to what was included due to creative license. Young folks looking for more information about the environmental issues included in the book will also find a pretty extensive list of resources with which to kick off their investigations.
July 8, 2012
Okay, this book was...extremely insipid. I couldn't stand about 4/5 of it due to the apocalyptic scenario of the plot. I mean, protecting the environment is one thing; writing a book that, no matter the author's fictional intentions, would freak out most younger children is fear mongering. The planet warming up is key to his story line though, and maybe I would overlook it if it weren't such a boring and crummy rip off of Lewis Carroll's wonderful characters and stories. Also, the big bad company is out to get you is another of the main plots. They want to brainwash and infect you with their lies. My, my, Mr. Hughes. Come up with that one all by yourself? Some many people preach about global warming and how companies are to blame. I wonder where they build their computers, pens, televisions...where they process their paper, food, lumber...oh, wait...I guess they buy those from the same companies they hate so much. Circular reasoning at its finest.
All of that being said, I believe in being a good steward of this planet, but I refuse to make the eco-system-cause into a fear fueled propaganda machine. Getting back to the book though, the characters are flat and very, VERY stupid. The main character, Eli is perhaps the dumbest of them all. He walks into obvious traps and then suddenly he will feel way too comfortable with more of the same even when just moments before he was consumed with tormenting emotions that conflicted with world views. I think he needed the chip in his skull, not the mongoose. Speaking of which, what the heck is up with the mongoose? It's cool and lame at the same time. With all the know how the mongoose has, why have the human. Raise your hand if you think Marilyn the mongoose should have been the main character! Tabitha, Sebastian, Spider...they were all okay, but nothing to brag about. Tabitha was the only character to experience any growth really, and even she disappointed me in the long run. The end of the world set up and surroundings in this book were the only things that I will stand behind. Hughes actually managed to get that much about right.
Overall: If you're thinking of picking this book up and reading it, allow me to save you some time. Don't. Just don't do it. Go read Lewis Carroll. That is a far better investment of your time than this drivel.
All of that being said, I believe in being a good steward of this planet, but I refuse to make the eco-system-cause into a fear fueled propaganda machine. Getting back to the book though, the characters are flat and very, VERY stupid. The main character, Eli is perhaps the dumbest of them all. He walks into obvious traps and then suddenly he will feel way too comfortable with more of the same even when just moments before he was consumed with tormenting emotions that conflicted with world views. I think he needed the chip in his skull, not the mongoose. Speaking of which, what the heck is up with the mongoose? It's cool and lame at the same time. With all the know how the mongoose has, why have the human. Raise your hand if you think Marilyn the mongoose should have been the main character! Tabitha, Sebastian, Spider...they were all okay, but nothing to brag about. Tabitha was the only character to experience any growth really, and even she disappointed me in the long run. The end of the world set up and surroundings in this book were the only things that I will stand behind. Hughes actually managed to get that much about right.
Overall: If you're thinking of picking this book up and reading it, allow me to save you some time. Don't. Just don't do it. Go read Lewis Carroll. That is a far better investment of your time than this drivel.
December 29, 2017
2.5 stars
Finally!! I'm finished!
This book felt like it would NEVER END. It literally took me 2 weeks to read.
The subject matter was so interesting, but it was so hard to get into and never really concluded. I was unsatisfied.
But I never thought I would feel empathy for a mongoose. Have you?
Finally!! I'm finished!
This book felt like it would NEVER END. It literally took me 2 weeks to read.
The subject matter was so interesting, but it was so hard to get into and never really concluded. I was unsatisfied.
But I never thought I would feel empathy for a mongoose. Have you?
December 1, 2010
Global warming has arrived. InfiniCorp has domed the large cities and created a mindless, controlled life for the citizens. But Eli Papadopoulos is a bit of a rebel. He begins to notice small imperfections and malfunctions in the city of New Providence. Together with his chipped mongoose Marilyn, he begins to question his existence. When he is contacted by the Friends of Gustavo about the final collapse of civilization, he becomes a danger to his cousin Spider who has all but seized control of the company. When Eli is kdnapped and taken to the center for Waywards, Marilyn sets out on a journey to rescue him. While she is battling the dangers outside the dome, Eli is trying to retain his own mind and keep it free of the influences of the CloudNet. Another Wayward, Tabitha, notices Eli's ability to fight the mind control. She decides to recruit him in her attempt to escape. Together, they formulate a plan to get away from the oil rig platform in the Gulf of Mexico where they are incarcerated. When Marilyn, battered and starved, arrives, Tabitha has an epiphany - Eli and his mutant animal are the prophets the Children of Gustavo have been awaiting. This book was a bit slow in the beginning but the action did become more fast paced. The author certainly delivered his message about reaching the tipping point - the place where global destruction can no longer be reversed. Eli was a sympathetic character but Marilyn stole the show. This little mongoose was a feisty character who was bent of saving her Eli. I don't know if the author is planning a sequel but the story needs a next chapter.
February 1, 2011
First off, I must comment on the absolutely
gorgeous
cover illustration. As an art student studying to be an illustrator someday, I do have a bit of a pet peeve over the photoshopped teen covers that are currently saturating the market (Seriously, if I see one more book that uses the red/white/black photoshop motif in its cover, I'll scream.), but A Crack in the Sky has a beautiful, painterly cover that perfectly illustrates a moment in the book and the light used is absolutely amazing. Seriously, this is how a cover should be done!!!
Now to the story: I thought that the description of Wall-E meets the Giver is a pretty accurate description, with an emphasis on the Wall-E part. Except in this story, humanity didn't leave the earth to become obese vegetables being fed by a giant corporation that took care of everything. Instead, they moved inside domed cities to become enslaved to media while a giant corporation took care of everything. While the story is sort of slow to move along at first, the characters are well developed and the world building is absolutely fantastic.
It's impossible to read A Crack in the Sky without noticing some statements about society as it is today. The influences of global warming are part of the whole problem that cause the retreat to the idealistic domes, and the over-saturation of media is illustrated to an even greater extent with the "clouds" in the "sky" of the dome being eye-catching ads that no one can take their eye off of.
the one thing that I want to know, however, is...where can I get the cover of this book as a poster?
Now to the story: I thought that the description of Wall-E meets the Giver is a pretty accurate description, with an emphasis on the Wall-E part. Except in this story, humanity didn't leave the earth to become obese vegetables being fed by a giant corporation that took care of everything. Instead, they moved inside domed cities to become enslaved to media while a giant corporation took care of everything. While the story is sort of slow to move along at first, the characters are well developed and the world building is absolutely fantastic.
It's impossible to read A Crack in the Sky without noticing some statements about society as it is today. The influences of global warming are part of the whole problem that cause the retreat to the idealistic domes, and the over-saturation of media is illustrated to an even greater extent with the "clouds" in the "sky" of the dome being eye-catching ads that no one can take their eye off of.
the one thing that I want to know, however, is...where can I get the cover of this book as a poster?
June 19, 2012
This was pretty good, I loved his book Lemonade Mouth, and this was so different it kind of took me aback. It's a dystopian novel, again placed well into the future, as well as an ecological disaster novel. A lot of the same bits and pieces as a few other realistic futuristic science fiction books: global warming, melting icebergs, vast deserts and domed cities. The notes in the back are great, he did a lot of research and there's a lot of information about how this particular scenario came to be. The back and forth between the science and the fiction is well done.
It's the story of one of the heirs of the only company left in the US. The Papadopoulos family owns everything and were the saviors of the country when a massive plague swept through. They were able to rig enough domed cities that they saved almost all of their employees, all of whom now live and work in and under the domes. One day, Eli, they young hero of the story, sees the domed ceiling send down sparks. When he escapes his robot teacher to investigate, he gets involved in the world that exists outside the domes, with the Outsiders that still "live" in the deserts surrounding the domes.
It was pretty fast-paced,a good selection for those kids who like fat books that still move along. I didn't have to read every word to get the gist of the scenes (sorry, Mark! I know you worked hard on all of them.) but it was still a good way to spend an afternoon).
Eli is a good boy, his uncle and cousin are really evil, and I loved his grandfather. I really liked his mongoose, Marilyn, although I think she could have been made a more sympathetic character.
It's the story of one of the heirs of the only company left in the US. The Papadopoulos family owns everything and were the saviors of the country when a massive plague swept through. They were able to rig enough domed cities that they saved almost all of their employees, all of whom now live and work in and under the domes. One day, Eli, they young hero of the story, sees the domed ceiling send down sparks. When he escapes his robot teacher to investigate, he gets involved in the world that exists outside the domes, with the Outsiders that still "live" in the deserts surrounding the domes.
It was pretty fast-paced,a good selection for those kids who like fat books that still move along. I didn't have to read every word to get the gist of the scenes (sorry, Mark! I know you worked hard on all of them.) but it was still a good way to spend an afternoon).
Eli is a good boy, his uncle and cousin are really evil, and I loved his grandfather. I really liked his mongoose, Marilyn, although I think she could have been made a more sympathetic character.
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