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Like every child in Is-Land, all Astra Ordott wants is to have her Security Shot, do her National Service and defend her Gaian homeland from Non-Lander ‘infiltrators’. But when one of her Shelter mothers, the formidable Dr Hokma Blesser, tells her the shot will limit her chances of becoming a scientist and offers her an alternative, Astra agrees to her plan.
When the orphaned Lil arrives to share Astra’s home, Astra is torn between jealousy and fascination. Lil’s father taught her some alarming ideas about Is-Land and the world, but when she pushes Astra too far, the heartache that results goes far beyond the loss of a friend.
If she is to survive, Astra must learn to deal with devastating truths about Is-Land, Non-Land and the secret web of adult relationships that surrounds her.
When the orphaned Lil arrives to share Astra’s home, Astra is torn between jealousy and fascination. Lil’s father taught her some alarming ideas about Is-Land and the world, but when she pushes Astra too far, the heartache that results goes far beyond the loss of a friend.
If she is to survive, Astra must learn to deal with devastating truths about Is-Land, Non-Land and the secret web of adult relationships that surrounds her.
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 25, 2014
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
If there's one thing I learned from reading Seoul Survivors and now Astra, it is that author Naomi Foyle has a remarkable way of making me feel. I have been shocked and disturbed by some of the ideas in her books, but likewise there have been times where the touching beauty of her writing has bought me to tears. Her stories might not necessarily read like heart-pounding thrillers or page-turners, but no matter what, they always pack a powerful punch.
That most certainly describes Astra, a bold dystopian tale about a girl growing up in a closed and isolated nature-worshiping community called Is-Land. The novel is divided into three parts, detailing the journey of its eponymous heroine as she ages from a child to young adulthood. Because of the format in which her story is told, it's probably going to be easier for me to summarize and give my thoughts and opinions on each part separately.
The first part begins when Astra is only seven years old. In this section, we learn a lot about the nation of Is-Land from her perspective. Life seems wonderful and perfect in her little town of Or, where the social structure is highly fluid and everyone lives as naked as the day they are born in harmony with Gaia's creatures. At the same time, advanced technology exists in his world, used to do things like engineer alt-meat for consumption, or to allow children to learn the ways of Is-Land and Gaia on devices called "tablettes". Starting with Astra's generation, children will also be getting the Security Serum, a shot that would make the subject physically stronger, but would also give them a more obedient and pliable personality.
Not surprisingly, many of the details we read about in this section are filtered through the lens of Astra's youth and innocence. She's lively, curious, and not just a little bit impish. It's challenging to write young characters, but I believe Naomi Foyle nailed it perfectly. Astra is good at driving her caregivers up the wall with her unending questions, quick temper and silly antics -- in other words, she thinks and acts like a very active and bright seven-year-old. Just thinking about the possible loss of that precociousness really hits home, which is what I think the author intended. Receiving the "Sec Shot" would be the end of everything that makes Astra who she is, and so her Shelter-Mother Hokma devises and carries out a plan to help the young girl avoid getting it.
Then the book skips ahead to when Astra is twelve years old. This is probably the longest section, but it was also the one I found the most interesting. While the previous part amazed me with the depth of the world-building, this part blew me away with its character development and unique take on the classic coming-of-age tale. All sorts of changes are happening to Astra at this point, both physical and emotional. The theme of sexuality also features heavily in this section, and I felt Foyle's bold and fearless writing style did an excellent job of describing this stage of Astra's life, conveying all the excitement and poignancy that comes with it. Once again, she gives her main character a voice that is both age-appropriate and believable.
This section also introduces Lil, an orphaned child rescued from the woods who comes to live with Astra in her community. An uncannily realistic "frenemy-like" relationship is forged between the two girls, one of friendship but also rivalry. Astra, who has always felt like an outcast knowing that she has not received her Sec Shot like the rest of her peers, takes an immediate fascination to Lil, who also doesn't seem to quite fit in. Eventually, the latter's ideas of the world begin to bleed into Astra's view of the world, and as everything Astra thought she knew begins to crumble, that's when things start getting very interesting...
The final part, which is also the shortest, focuses on Astra when she is seventeen. This is the section where everything comes to a head. For the last decade, she has grown up seeing the world differently than her "Sec Gen" friends, and that fateful decision Hokma made with her all those years ago finally leads to some widespread repercussions. A lot of dystopian novels come to a point like this, where the main protagonist's worldview is shattered by a life-changing event. I can honestly say, however, that there was no way I could have foreseen what happened afterwards. Indeed the conclusion may come as quite a shock.
Like I said, this book isn't exactly a page-turner, and don't go in expecting too much action or a grand adventure because that's not what it is about. But by following Astra through all three life stages, I feel like I've come to know her very well, and the author has managed to make me care deeply about her character. I didn't even realize how completely immersed I'd been until I reached the end, and tears started coming to my eyes while reading a scene that was particularly touching. I don't know if that would have hit me so hard emotionally if the book hadn't been so well-written overall.
The sequel will no doubt focus more on the bigger world, now that Astra has discovered some truths about herself and Is-Land. This book, however, was an intensely deep, complex and thought-provoking narrative of the main character's life. It's a beautiful story, unique and daring, which serves as a solid foundation for everything else to come.
If there's one thing I learned from reading Seoul Survivors and now Astra, it is that author Naomi Foyle has a remarkable way of making me feel. I have been shocked and disturbed by some of the ideas in her books, but likewise there have been times where the touching beauty of her writing has bought me to tears. Her stories might not necessarily read like heart-pounding thrillers or page-turners, but no matter what, they always pack a powerful punch.
That most certainly describes Astra, a bold dystopian tale about a girl growing up in a closed and isolated nature-worshiping community called Is-Land. The novel is divided into three parts, detailing the journey of its eponymous heroine as she ages from a child to young adulthood. Because of the format in which her story is told, it's probably going to be easier for me to summarize and give my thoughts and opinions on each part separately.
The first part begins when Astra is only seven years old. In this section, we learn a lot about the nation of Is-Land from her perspective. Life seems wonderful and perfect in her little town of Or, where the social structure is highly fluid and everyone lives as naked as the day they are born in harmony with Gaia's creatures. At the same time, advanced technology exists in his world, used to do things like engineer alt-meat for consumption, or to allow children to learn the ways of Is-Land and Gaia on devices called "tablettes". Starting with Astra's generation, children will also be getting the Security Serum, a shot that would make the subject physically stronger, but would also give them a more obedient and pliable personality.
Not surprisingly, many of the details we read about in this section are filtered through the lens of Astra's youth and innocence. She's lively, curious, and not just a little bit impish. It's challenging to write young characters, but I believe Naomi Foyle nailed it perfectly. Astra is good at driving her caregivers up the wall with her unending questions, quick temper and silly antics -- in other words, she thinks and acts like a very active and bright seven-year-old. Just thinking about the possible loss of that precociousness really hits home, which is what I think the author intended. Receiving the "Sec Shot" would be the end of everything that makes Astra who she is, and so her Shelter-Mother Hokma devises and carries out a plan to help the young girl avoid getting it.
Then the book skips ahead to when Astra is twelve years old. This is probably the longest section, but it was also the one I found the most interesting. While the previous part amazed me with the depth of the world-building, this part blew me away with its character development and unique take on the classic coming-of-age tale. All sorts of changes are happening to Astra at this point, both physical and emotional. The theme of sexuality also features heavily in this section, and I felt Foyle's bold and fearless writing style did an excellent job of describing this stage of Astra's life, conveying all the excitement and poignancy that comes with it. Once again, she gives her main character a voice that is both age-appropriate and believable.
This section also introduces Lil, an orphaned child rescued from the woods who comes to live with Astra in her community. An uncannily realistic "frenemy-like" relationship is forged between the two girls, one of friendship but also rivalry. Astra, who has always felt like an outcast knowing that she has not received her Sec Shot like the rest of her peers, takes an immediate fascination to Lil, who also doesn't seem to quite fit in. Eventually, the latter's ideas of the world begin to bleed into Astra's view of the world, and as everything Astra thought she knew begins to crumble, that's when things start getting very interesting...
The final part, which is also the shortest, focuses on Astra when she is seventeen. This is the section where everything comes to a head. For the last decade, she has grown up seeing the world differently than her "Sec Gen" friends, and that fateful decision Hokma made with her all those years ago finally leads to some widespread repercussions. A lot of dystopian novels come to a point like this, where the main protagonist's worldview is shattered by a life-changing event. I can honestly say, however, that there was no way I could have foreseen what happened afterwards. Indeed the conclusion may come as quite a shock.
Like I said, this book isn't exactly a page-turner, and don't go in expecting too much action or a grand adventure because that's not what it is about. But by following Astra through all three life stages, I feel like I've come to know her very well, and the author has managed to make me care deeply about her character. I didn't even realize how completely immersed I'd been until I reached the end, and tears started coming to my eyes while reading a scene that was particularly touching. I don't know if that would have hit me so hard emotionally if the book hadn't been so well-written overall.
The sequel will no doubt focus more on the bigger world, now that Astra has discovered some truths about herself and Is-Land. This book, however, was an intensely deep, complex and thought-provoking narrative of the main character's life. It's a beautiful story, unique and daring, which serves as a solid foundation for everything else to come.
August 14, 2014
Astra is a beautiful, beautiful book, featuring an intriguing post-apocalyptic world, and focused on its eponymous main character. Astra is just seven years old when Foyle invites us into her life and her utopian world, where the people live in harmony with Gaia, the earth mother, and work toward healing the earth after all the damage caused by war, neglect, and ignorance.
Foyle’s words are an elegant brush on paper, painting such vivid images across the reader’s mind as she builds her world through Astra’s young eyes. The story is told in third person, but from Astra’s point of view, which is a daunting task. Balancing effective story telling, while maintaining Astra’s immaturity is not easy, but Foyle does a stellar job, even as Astra grows into a teenager and deals with all the angst and anxiety that goes with. Unfortunately, while I think Foyle did an excellent job with this, it is also where the story simply does not work for me, because Astra’s personality becomes increasingly grating, outweighing her curiosity and the issues surrounding her.
As often happens in utopian stories, the utopia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that is no different here. While the people of Is-Land seem to have the right intentions, when we learn about the Security Serum, it becomes obvious that this utopia is, not unexpectedly, based on control and obedience, as well as ignorance of the past and the outside world. Which makes things all the more difficult for Astra when her Shelter mother, Hokma, secretly prevents Astra from receiving the security shot that would turn her into a passive contributor to society. The ‘wild child’ Lil, who begins as Astra’s rival but becomes more than her friend, also plays a big role in Astra’s life, tempting her with glimpses and ideas beyond the controlled teachings of Is-Land. On top of having to deal with teenage angst, Astra must fight to maintain control over her emotions in order to avoid suspicion. Unfortunately, her combative nature does not make this easy, which is where I began to become as frustrated with her as her other parents, Nimma and Khlor, who are not privy to Hokma’s deception. I appreciate Astra’s struggle, but I have trouble with young adult novels that focus too heavily on the whining, selfishness, and petulance of teenagers. I know this is very much a part of teenage life, but it’s not the only part of teenage life and I find it a disservice when authors don’t balance the emotions on display.
I was also disappointed that I really didn’t get to see the positive results of Hokma’s plans, aside from the obvious fact that she would not be mind controlled. Hokma convinced Astra to go along with this plan by filling her head with the promise that she could become a “genius” if her brain is not numbed like the other children. I was never quite certain what the term “genius” construed here, because Astra does not show any particular aptitude. Still, there is obvious potential for her future, because she is not bound by the serum, and by the end of the book, Foyle positions the story with a lot of possibilities in terms of what Astra will choose to do next.
Still, I enjoyed the views Foyle expressed on certain aspects, and especially liked that she didn’t shy away from sexuality. This is a society where the human body and sexuality is treated with as much respect as Gaia herself (with the act of intercourse actually referred to as “Gaia worship.”) Sexuality is a topic that we often don’t find properly explored in genre fiction, with authors either brushing over it, or going to the violent and sexist extreme.
While this book wasn't as enjoyable for me as I'd hoped, I will still give it four stars, because it is still so very deserving of it.
www.BiblioSanctum.com
Foyle’s words are an elegant brush on paper, painting such vivid images across the reader’s mind as she builds her world through Astra’s young eyes. The story is told in third person, but from Astra’s point of view, which is a daunting task. Balancing effective story telling, while maintaining Astra’s immaturity is not easy, but Foyle does a stellar job, even as Astra grows into a teenager and deals with all the angst and anxiety that goes with. Unfortunately, while I think Foyle did an excellent job with this, it is also where the story simply does not work for me, because Astra’s personality becomes increasingly grating, outweighing her curiosity and the issues surrounding her.
As often happens in utopian stories, the utopia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that is no different here. While the people of Is-Land seem to have the right intentions, when we learn about the Security Serum, it becomes obvious that this utopia is, not unexpectedly, based on control and obedience, as well as ignorance of the past and the outside world. Which makes things all the more difficult for Astra when her Shelter mother, Hokma, secretly prevents Astra from receiving the security shot that would turn her into a passive contributor to society. The ‘wild child’ Lil, who begins as Astra’s rival but becomes more than her friend, also plays a big role in Astra’s life, tempting her with glimpses and ideas beyond the controlled teachings of Is-Land. On top of having to deal with teenage angst, Astra must fight to maintain control over her emotions in order to avoid suspicion. Unfortunately, her combative nature does not make this easy, which is where I began to become as frustrated with her as her other parents, Nimma and Khlor, who are not privy to Hokma’s deception. I appreciate Astra’s struggle, but I have trouble with young adult novels that focus too heavily on the whining, selfishness, and petulance of teenagers. I know this is very much a part of teenage life, but it’s not the only part of teenage life and I find it a disservice when authors don’t balance the emotions on display.
I was also disappointed that I really didn’t get to see the positive results of Hokma’s plans, aside from the obvious fact that she would not be mind controlled. Hokma convinced Astra to go along with this plan by filling her head with the promise that she could become a “genius” if her brain is not numbed like the other children. I was never quite certain what the term “genius” construed here, because Astra does not show any particular aptitude. Still, there is obvious potential for her future, because she is not bound by the serum, and by the end of the book, Foyle positions the story with a lot of possibilities in terms of what Astra will choose to do next.
Still, I enjoyed the views Foyle expressed on certain aspects, and especially liked that she didn’t shy away from sexuality. This is a society where the human body and sexuality is treated with as much respect as Gaia herself (with the act of intercourse actually referred to as “Gaia worship.”) Sexuality is a topic that we often don’t find properly explored in genre fiction, with authors either brushing over it, or going to the violent and sexist extreme.
While this book wasn't as enjoyable for me as I'd hoped, I will still give it four stars, because it is still so very deserving of it.
www.BiblioSanctum.com
October 8, 2022
The Gaia Chronicles flow with such rich description that I would call Naomi Foyle’s writing Woolf-esque.
The characters burst forth with such vivacity and charm that the reader truly becomes at one with the dystopian world.
I would strongly recommend these charming, thought-provoking books to anyone with an appetite for true science fiction!
The characters burst forth with such vivacity and charm that the reader truly becomes at one with the dystopian world.
I would strongly recommend these charming, thought-provoking books to anyone with an appetite for true science fiction!
April 7, 2015
Originally posted on Roberta's Literary Ramblings
Overall Impression: There was an interesting concept here that just wasn't executed very well. The plot was bogged down with unnecessary scenes and exposition, and would have been better as a stand alone novel rather than the series it apparently is going to be.
Recommended for: Readers interested in environmental issues and post-apocalyptic literature
The world that Foyle has created is interesting in that it addresses many current environmental issues that we are facing and what could potentially happen if we don't start making changes now. Basically, the world has gone through a semi-apocalypse in which humans have ruined the Earth. Groups of people who refer to themselves as Gaians work to help the Earth become what it used to be by living in a highly environmentally conscious way that involves renewable energy and apparent veganism. (At least it sounds like veganism, but it's not completely clear.) It seems that the Gaians have been working with the government to not only help restore the Earth but to also keep those who would go against the government and Gaian ideals out of the safe oases they have created. It's a little difficult to explain, but hopefully that makes some sense.
This book definitely touched on some important issues about the environment, and a little bit about the terrors of total government control, however, I felt that it got a little preachy at times. The action was very slow throughout the book, and there were times when I just wanted the narrative to move a little faster. There was almost too much world building going on in this book, and there were huge sections that just acted as info dumps for the reader that would have been just as effective if they were woven into the plot. Because of these sections, I sometimes felt that I was being beaten over the head with a lot of ideas, many of which I couldn't totally keep track of. This book touched on a lot of things, and it probably would have helped if only two, maybe three, were the main focus. Instead, there are like six issues that it tries to examine which is just too much. This was my main complaint about the book.
I also thought that too much of the book was about Astra's young life. I would have liked to see the majority of the book be about her teen years since this is where the plot really starts to take off. While the first two sections are good for providing background and such, these could have been greatly reduced, and much of it could have come from reflections on her past when she is a teen. I believe that this book is going to be the first in a series, since the Goodreads page mentions that it is the first in The Gaia Chronicles, however, I believe that this book could have easily been a stand alone novel. I believe the story is stretched out more than it should be, and that makes this a rather slow read despite the fact that it's not very long.
Overall Impression: There was an interesting concept here that just wasn't executed very well. The plot was bogged down with unnecessary scenes and exposition, and would have been better as a stand alone novel rather than the series it apparently is going to be.
Recommended for: Readers interested in environmental issues and post-apocalyptic literature
The world that Foyle has created is interesting in that it addresses many current environmental issues that we are facing and what could potentially happen if we don't start making changes now. Basically, the world has gone through a semi-apocalypse in which humans have ruined the Earth. Groups of people who refer to themselves as Gaians work to help the Earth become what it used to be by living in a highly environmentally conscious way that involves renewable energy and apparent veganism. (At least it sounds like veganism, but it's not completely clear.) It seems that the Gaians have been working with the government to not only help restore the Earth but to also keep those who would go against the government and Gaian ideals out of the safe oases they have created. It's a little difficult to explain, but hopefully that makes some sense.
This book definitely touched on some important issues about the environment, and a little bit about the terrors of total government control, however, I felt that it got a little preachy at times. The action was very slow throughout the book, and there were times when I just wanted the narrative to move a little faster. There was almost too much world building going on in this book, and there were huge sections that just acted as info dumps for the reader that would have been just as effective if they were woven into the plot. Because of these sections, I sometimes felt that I was being beaten over the head with a lot of ideas, many of which I couldn't totally keep track of. This book touched on a lot of things, and it probably would have helped if only two, maybe three, were the main focus. Instead, there are like six issues that it tries to examine which is just too much. This was my main complaint about the book.
I also thought that too much of the book was about Astra's young life. I would have liked to see the majority of the book be about her teen years since this is where the plot really starts to take off. While the first two sections are good for providing background and such, these could have been greatly reduced, and much of it could have come from reflections on her past when she is a teen. I believe that this book is going to be the first in a series, since the Goodreads page mentions that it is the first in The Gaia Chronicles, however, I believe that this book could have easily been a stand alone novel. I believe the story is stretched out more than it should be, and that makes this a rather slow read despite the fact that it's not very long.
March 28, 2015
OK I thought this was a YA novel but I wouldn't recommend anyone under 18 try to read it there is a lot of esoteric concepts in it. I can't really even tell you what except that it is a modern twist on a free love commune of the 60's were it is reasonable for that multi-partner sex between 12-14 year olds is natural and living in harmony with Gaia means that you don't wear clothes and vegan is the good, but the capitalist regime are the bad guys. At least that is what I think it is trying to say I read the words but they didn't really make a lot of sense to me.
June 2, 2016
Beautifully written sensitive novel with environmental themes woven into a post apocalyptic narrative.
February 13, 2020
I would rate it no stars, or even negative stars, if I could. What started out to be an interesting spin on old time living and modern technology turned into a weird and quite disturbing story.
I didn’t get far enough into the book to actually find out what happens, I barely made it past the first third of the book, but once Foyle started to allude to an eight year-old - let’s not forget that Astra is a CHILD, at 8 YEARS OLD - thinking about masturbation and other people’s “Gaia gardens” or “Gaia ploughs” in a way that a child shouldn’t be thinking about, it was an immediate close of the book.
I understand that at a young age we are curious about others and our own bodies and it’s natural to wonder, but I don’t see how it is relevant to the story or why the author would even want to write about it, allude to it or even include it.
Quite strange and one of the first very weird sexual vibes I get from this book and if this is the beginning, I do not want to read on.
So disappointing as this plot sounded really good and the world Foyle built was unique, but I can’t look past the last paragraph on page 82.
I didn’t get far enough into the book to actually find out what happens, I barely made it past the first third of the book, but once Foyle started to allude to an eight year-old - let’s not forget that Astra is a CHILD, at 8 YEARS OLD - thinking about masturbation and other people’s “Gaia gardens” or “Gaia ploughs” in a way that a child shouldn’t be thinking about, it was an immediate close of the book.
I understand that at a young age we are curious about others and our own bodies and it’s natural to wonder, but I don’t see how it is relevant to the story or why the author would even want to write about it, allude to it or even include it.
Quite strange and one of the first very weird sexual vibes I get from this book and if this is the beginning, I do not want to read on.
So disappointing as this plot sounded really good and the world Foyle built was unique, but I can’t look past the last paragraph on page 82.
May 28, 2018
I had the pleasure of attending my third Sindbad Sci-Fi event in London last month. The theme this year was “The Dunes Strike Back!” As always, I left with an expanded literary universe and a deeper appreciation for the scope and power of science fiction to articulate truths that would not be possible in any other genre. My greatest delight this year was an introduction to the world of “Cli-Fi” (how had I not heard of that before?) and in particular the work of Naomi Foyle. I asked her after the event which of her books I should start with, and she suggested “Astra.” I don’t recall having connecting with and enjoying a text - particularly a coming of age story, although Nnedi Okorafor’s “Who Fears Death” now comes to mind as I write this- this much outside of my regular Octavia Butler/Ursula Le Guin/Doris Lessing bubble in years, and I am hungry to read the rest of the Gaia Chronicles and will add Seoul Survivors to my list as well.
April 14, 2014
Last year I reviewed Naomi Foyle's
Seoul Survivors
and while the book and I didn't really get along, I was very impressed with Foyle's writing. And the premise of Astra sounded quite interesting, so I was really looking forward to seeing whether I'd get along better with Foyle's sophomore effort. And I'm glad to say I did. Astra is just as thought-provoking as Seoul Survivors was, but without the problematic elements and Foyle's use of language and imagery is just as good, if not better as it was in her previous novel.
Astra is told from the third-person perspective of its titular main character. When we first meet Astra, she's seven years old and her voice reflects that. For example, I was bothered by the fact that every time Astra is out in the forest, even if just walking from home to somewhere else, she's pretending to be on patrol and protecting her village from infiltrators, until I realised that this is exactly what seven-year-olds do—everything is an adventure and they play any chance they get. A lot of the information we get about this dystopian future is filtered through her child-like lens and consequently it is a somewhat unreliable narration; we can never be sure that how Astra understands events is what actually happened. We see Astra at three different ages: seven, thirteen, and at seventeen. In each part of the book, Foyle manages to keep Astra's voice distinctly her own, but tempered with more experience and as a result Astra's perception and the narrative become more complex and sophisticated. She's a fabulous main character and I really enjoyed reading about her.
Is-Land is very much a dystopian society. On the surface it should be a utopia – a return to living in harmony with nature, while retaining some of our modern technological and scientific advances – but in reality it is a suffocating society, bound by rigid rules and laws, often living in small commune-like settlements, that feel somewhat claustrophobic in their high measure of social control. There is an intricate social structure with children having Code, Birth, and Shelter parents in different combinations. So your Code Mother is the one that donated an egg to conceive you, but she doesn't have to be your Birth Mother, i.e. the one who carries you to term, and neither of them has to be your Shelter Mother, who is the one who raises you. However, they can be a combination of all three. Every child has three Shelter parents, two who they live with and one that is Shared. It's incredibly complicated to keep all the lines clear, especially as it concerns all the sibling bonds within Or. But it also means that a child is never left alone, there is always someone to care for them, which was an idea that I really liked as it means no child can fall through the cracks. However, it doesn't mean that all family life is idyllic, as Astra's troubles with her Shelter Mother Nimma attest.
Gaian politics are all based on the worship and protection of Gaia, Mother Earth. Gaia worship can take the form of meditation, but can also be sexual in nature. In fact the consumption of a Bonded relationship is called Gaia worship. Gaian children are educated in Gaia-playing from as young as thirteen, it's even a compulsory class for Year Seven's and there is even a time set aside for them to Gaia-play at school. On the one hand, especially with the rules they've been given, it would seem a good way to change rape-culture. At the same time, the thought of children that young being encouraged to experiment, not just alone but with each other, felt wrong to me. However, there is complete acceptance of sexuality, be it male or female, with no shame or judgement attached, which is an equality we are still striving for in today's world.
One thing that sets Astra apart from the other children her age is the fact she hasn't had her Security Shot. This means she isn't a true Sec-Gen, whose emotional and hormonal reaction have been changed to be less extreme and volatile, to make them more prone to peaceful cooperation and obedience. I found it a completely creepy concept, as it takes away much of the individuality of these kids and while it doesn't turn them into drones, it is a move in that direction. The difference between Astra and her peers is only emphasized by the appearance of Lil, a feral child raised in the forest, who certainly hasn't had her shot and whose behaviour is closer to Astra's than Astra's behaviour is to those of her Sec-Gen siblings.
I enjoyed Astra immensely. The novel's plot is fascinating, with an intricate web of relationships between Astra and those around them and the adults amongst themselves and some compelling political shenanigans going on in the background, all of it set down in Foyle's smooth and flowing writing style. Astra is a far slower-paced novel than Foyle's debut, but this slower pace allows Foyle to build up her world in great detail and create a complicated history and society as a backdrop for Astra's story to unfold against. The ending of the novel comes at a natural break, with a lot of threads solved, but with new paths opened up to Astra. I'm looking forward to the next instalment of The Gaia Chronicles to follow Astra down her new path.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
Astra is told from the third-person perspective of its titular main character. When we first meet Astra, she's seven years old and her voice reflects that. For example, I was bothered by the fact that every time Astra is out in the forest, even if just walking from home to somewhere else, she's pretending to be on patrol and protecting her village from infiltrators, until I realised that this is exactly what seven-year-olds do—everything is an adventure and they play any chance they get. A lot of the information we get about this dystopian future is filtered through her child-like lens and consequently it is a somewhat unreliable narration; we can never be sure that how Astra understands events is what actually happened. We see Astra at three different ages: seven, thirteen, and at seventeen. In each part of the book, Foyle manages to keep Astra's voice distinctly her own, but tempered with more experience and as a result Astra's perception and the narrative become more complex and sophisticated. She's a fabulous main character and I really enjoyed reading about her.
Is-Land is very much a dystopian society. On the surface it should be a utopia – a return to living in harmony with nature, while retaining some of our modern technological and scientific advances – but in reality it is a suffocating society, bound by rigid rules and laws, often living in small commune-like settlements, that feel somewhat claustrophobic in their high measure of social control. There is an intricate social structure with children having Code, Birth, and Shelter parents in different combinations. So your Code Mother is the one that donated an egg to conceive you, but she doesn't have to be your Birth Mother, i.e. the one who carries you to term, and neither of them has to be your Shelter Mother, who is the one who raises you. However, they can be a combination of all three. Every child has three Shelter parents, two who they live with and one that is Shared. It's incredibly complicated to keep all the lines clear, especially as it concerns all the sibling bonds within Or. But it also means that a child is never left alone, there is always someone to care for them, which was an idea that I really liked as it means no child can fall through the cracks. However, it doesn't mean that all family life is idyllic, as Astra's troubles with her Shelter Mother Nimma attest.
Gaian politics are all based on the worship and protection of Gaia, Mother Earth. Gaia worship can take the form of meditation, but can also be sexual in nature. In fact the consumption of a Bonded relationship is called Gaia worship. Gaian children are educated in Gaia-playing from as young as thirteen, it's even a compulsory class for Year Seven's and there is even a time set aside for them to Gaia-play at school. On the one hand, especially with the rules they've been given, it would seem a good way to change rape-culture. At the same time, the thought of children that young being encouraged to experiment, not just alone but with each other, felt wrong to me. However, there is complete acceptance of sexuality, be it male or female, with no shame or judgement attached, which is an equality we are still striving for in today's world.
One thing that sets Astra apart from the other children her age is the fact she hasn't had her Security Shot. This means she isn't a true Sec-Gen, whose emotional and hormonal reaction have been changed to be less extreme and volatile, to make them more prone to peaceful cooperation and obedience. I found it a completely creepy concept, as it takes away much of the individuality of these kids and while it doesn't turn them into drones, it is a move in that direction. The difference between Astra and her peers is only emphasized by the appearance of Lil, a feral child raised in the forest, who certainly hasn't had her shot and whose behaviour is closer to Astra's than Astra's behaviour is to those of her Sec-Gen siblings.
I enjoyed Astra immensely. The novel's plot is fascinating, with an intricate web of relationships between Astra and those around them and the adults amongst themselves and some compelling political shenanigans going on in the background, all of it set down in Foyle's smooth and flowing writing style. Astra is a far slower-paced novel than Foyle's debut, but this slower pace allows Foyle to build up her world in great detail and create a complicated history and society as a backdrop for Astra's story to unfold against. The ending of the novel comes at a natural break, with a lot of threads solved, but with new paths opened up to Astra. I'm looking forward to the next instalment of The Gaia Chronicles to follow Astra down her new path.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
November 14, 2018
I started this book thinking it would be very good. Boy was I wrong! The book is so slow and boring! It’s also very confusing, it randomly changes to flashbacks without you realizing. I didn’t even finish this book! I got a little more than half way, in a month and a half, it usually takes me about a week to a week and a half to read a book. This is also the weirdest book I’ve ever read, the story is good, but just the way it’s told is bad. I also wouldn’t read this if you are younger, it talks about some adult stuff.
August 16, 2017
Not much plot. Reads like an intro book to a longer arc with focus primarily on character development. Pacing seems really slow until the last fourth of book when it overcompensates and is too fast. Peripheral characters hard to keep track of and seem one dimensional. Good world building, but wish there were more backstory and details into the current society.
April 19, 2019
I got about halfway through, but found it so slow and boring that I gave up. It goes against the grain to do this, but I don’t want to waste what reading time I have left! There are so many great books out there.
April 29, 2019
Meh
Confusing, really, and Astra is obviously the girl to take to your heart, but there's no warmth, no chance to like her. I was desperate to get to chapter 2,hoping the pace would pick up, but I didn't get there. Not for me.
Confusing, really, and Astra is obviously the girl to take to your heart, but there's no warmth, no chance to like her. I was desperate to get to chapter 2,hoping the pace would pick up, but I didn't get there. Not for me.
April 4, 2014
Declaration of interest: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher.
This is a big book with big themes - environmental collapse, colonialism, the corruption of noble ideals, totalitarianism. Most of all, perhaps, it's about growing up.
As the story opens, Astra is a young girl living a happy life in a rural commune in a remote corner of Is-Land. Is-Land is a state established following the Dark Times. It is a place devoted to Gaia, the Goddess of the earth. Is-landers are extreme vegans, living off the produce of the land, seeking to harm no animal or plant. Yet they have a sophisticated society, employing not only tablet computers (where and how are they made?) but advanced genetic engineering ("Code") which furnishes them with drought and radiation-resistant plants.
It also, however, allows for darker manipulation, and the driving force of the story is the inoculation of Astra's yeargroup with the "Security Serum". This will make them tougher and healthier - but also more trusting and controllable, less prone to emotions like fear and anger. It will turn them into the "Security Generation" or SocGen, natural cannon-fodder for Is-Land's anticipated invasion by "non-Landers", malign intruders who want to tear down all that the Gaians have built.
As the story develops, moving into its central section, we hear more about these non-Landers, though we never meet any. We do learn, however, that they have been expelled from Is-Land by force - it becomes clear that Is-Land itself is a darker place than it seems, and Astra's growing up, a lone non SocGen among her conformist peers, forces her to challenge not only her family but all that she thinks she knows about Is-Land.
It's a powerful book, with distinct echoes of other dystopias and stories of revolution-gone-wrong: the sinister, controlling but never explained Thought Police IMBOD is everywhere, and the rewritten words of the Is-Land anthem in the opening section reminded me of Animal Farm. There are nodes to Brave New World, too, in the frank attitude to sex - indeed this is a startlingly explicit (though never smutty!) book, and that enables Foyle to address some issues and show Is-Land at its best - for example in its tolerance of a spectrum of sexuality. But there are darker aspects to this, as well, and we're left in no doubt about the power that IMBOD wields in a particularly gruesome climax to the Blood and Seed Ceremony.
There is, as I said before, a lot in this book. Some might find its opening rather slow and be discouraged - Foyle has a lot of detail to establish, and she lets her characters grow in the imagination, and the plot flow from them - but it would be shame to give up on this book, as the details, the relationships and the characters are crucial for the events that follow later (in this volume and, I'm sure, in sequels).
It's a chewy read in another way - one of those books that needs to be taken slowly and carefully, letting the descriptions and the atmosphere sink in. A book that repays careful read many times over.
Highly recommended.
This is a big book with big themes - environmental collapse, colonialism, the corruption of noble ideals, totalitarianism. Most of all, perhaps, it's about growing up.
As the story opens, Astra is a young girl living a happy life in a rural commune in a remote corner of Is-Land. Is-Land is a state established following the Dark Times. It is a place devoted to Gaia, the Goddess of the earth. Is-landers are extreme vegans, living off the produce of the land, seeking to harm no animal or plant. Yet they have a sophisticated society, employing not only tablet computers (where and how are they made?) but advanced genetic engineering ("Code") which furnishes them with drought and radiation-resistant plants.
It also, however, allows for darker manipulation, and the driving force of the story is the inoculation of Astra's yeargroup with the "Security Serum". This will make them tougher and healthier - but also more trusting and controllable, less prone to emotions like fear and anger. It will turn them into the "Security Generation" or SocGen, natural cannon-fodder for Is-Land's anticipated invasion by "non-Landers", malign intruders who want to tear down all that the Gaians have built.
As the story develops, moving into its central section, we hear more about these non-Landers, though we never meet any. We do learn, however, that they have been expelled from Is-Land by force - it becomes clear that Is-Land itself is a darker place than it seems, and Astra's growing up, a lone non SocGen among her conformist peers, forces her to challenge not only her family but all that she thinks she knows about Is-Land.
It's a powerful book, with distinct echoes of other dystopias and stories of revolution-gone-wrong: the sinister, controlling but never explained Thought Police IMBOD is everywhere, and the rewritten words of the Is-Land anthem in the opening section reminded me of Animal Farm. There are nodes to Brave New World, too, in the frank attitude to sex - indeed this is a startlingly explicit (though never smutty!) book, and that enables Foyle to address some issues and show Is-Land at its best - for example in its tolerance of a spectrum of sexuality. But there are darker aspects to this, as well, and we're left in no doubt about the power that IMBOD wields in a particularly gruesome climax to the Blood and Seed Ceremony.
There is, as I said before, a lot in this book. Some might find its opening rather slow and be discouraged - Foyle has a lot of detail to establish, and she lets her characters grow in the imagination, and the plot flow from them - but it would be shame to give up on this book, as the details, the relationships and the characters are crucial for the events that follow later (in this volume and, I'm sure, in sequels).
It's a chewy read in another way - one of those books that needs to be taken slowly and carefully, letting the descriptions and the atmosphere sink in. A book that repays careful read many times over.
Highly recommended.
October 10, 2018
I thought Astra was worth five stars when I first read it, and a reread hasn't changed that at all. I am in awe of this book, the way it combines a deeply moving character-driven story with an intensely imagined and very interesting setting. (I say "combines" but they are inseparable from each other.) All the characters in the very diverse cast are so well-defined, even from a few lines, and the technology, politics (both progressive and regressive), ethics and culture of the Gaian state are very well thought out. But it's the story-arc of Astra herself that makes this book. As a young child, a committed and unquestioning member of her nation, she is forced to make a decision whether or not to go against a government directive to her whole age cohort to get injected with "security serum". This will make her healthier, stronger, emotionally better balanced, and more in tune with her friends (it's initially surprising, but made entirely credible, that the Gaians in this future fully embrace GMO). Against that, it might limit her intelligence, and she desperately wants to be a genius scientist when she grows up. Far too young, she is faced with the choice to go against the state, and keep a secret for the rest of her life, in order to later serve it better. But keeping that secret becomes an intolerable pressure, especially when she becomes subjected to the effects of all the normal teenage hormones, which all her stronger, happier friends are seemingly able to cope with, and the state itself is increasingly revealed as less idealistic and tolerant than it might have first appeared. And if the secret comes out, it won't be just she who suffers ...
The tension builds brilliantly to the story's conclusion, and though the viewpoint convincingly inhabits Astra at various ages, whether 7, 12 or 15, it never reads as a children's or YA novel. The only negatives I could find are that there might be some exposition in the first couple of chapters that could have waited till later, and the rebuilding of the world after the Dark Time seems to have been better handled and more successful than I think might perhaps be the case. But those really are quibbles. This series (now complete with the fourth book, Stained Light, hence my reread) might not be for everyone, but I really do think it deserves to be much more widely read than it is.
The tension builds brilliantly to the story's conclusion, and though the viewpoint convincingly inhabits Astra at various ages, whether 7, 12 or 15, it never reads as a children's or YA novel. The only negatives I could find are that there might be some exposition in the first couple of chapters that could have waited till later, and the rebuilding of the world after the Dark Time seems to have been better handled and more successful than I think might perhaps be the case. But those really are quibbles. This series (now complete with the fourth book, Stained Light, hence my reread) might not be for everyone, but I really do think it deserves to be much more widely read than it is.
August 13, 2015
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.]
In a dystopian future that has led to a culture who has turned back to a simpler life that is reverent to nature, Astra lives the life of a happy little girl. She has a bright future ahead of her, but all of that changes when one of her Shelter mothers shares a secret with her that causes her to rethink everything she knows. And when a young orphan girl comes to stay with them, Astra's life changes again, and so do the lives of everyone around her.
I wanted to love this book, and when I read the description, I thought I would. It's a dystopian story with some fantasy elements and everything about it screamed "THIS IS UP YOUR ALLEY!" And while the core of the story might be, there are some really, really problematic elements of this story that got in the way of what could be an otherwise great book. First, though the main character here is nearing adolescence, this is NOT a young adult book. There is a heavy focus on sex and sexuality, including between the children, and the focus on it really detracted from what the book could have been. There were several times I had to flip ahead and also considered stopping reading entirely at one point. It didn't advance the story, either, which made it seem even more gratuitous. As a result, I can't recommend this one...
In a dystopian future that has led to a culture who has turned back to a simpler life that is reverent to nature, Astra lives the life of a happy little girl. She has a bright future ahead of her, but all of that changes when one of her Shelter mothers shares a secret with her that causes her to rethink everything she knows. And when a young orphan girl comes to stay with them, Astra's life changes again, and so do the lives of everyone around her.
I wanted to love this book, and when I read the description, I thought I would. It's a dystopian story with some fantasy elements and everything about it screamed "THIS IS UP YOUR ALLEY!" And while the core of the story might be, there are some really, really problematic elements of this story that got in the way of what could be an otherwise great book. First, though the main character here is nearing adolescence, this is NOT a young adult book. There is a heavy focus on sex and sexuality, including between the children, and the focus on it really detracted from what the book could have been. There were several times I had to flip ahead and also considered stopping reading entirely at one point. It didn't advance the story, either, which made it seem even more gratuitous. As a result, I can't recommend this one...
February 16, 2014
...What I felt Astra has going for it, is the way Foyle handles what to reveal to the reader and how. The limited perception of the young Astra and the numerous unreliable tales spread throughout the novel make the reader feel uneasy about the true nature of Gaian society but als prevented me from jumping to conclusions. I don't think the pacing of the novel is perfect, Foyle does tend to elaborate on some aspects of the community Astra lives in, but the tension present in the mail character is very well built up. The climax of the novel left me curious about which challenges Astra would be facing next. I probably would have missed the release of this book without the giveaway but I'm going to be keeping an eye out for volume two.
Full Random comments review
Full Random comments review
August 21, 2014
I haven't read Seoul Survivors, so I was a bit lost at first. I did really like this though. It is so different from what I have read in the past. A new and very exciting concept for me. I found that I could easily picture myself in this world and relate to Astra very easily. I really do like this and I look forward to more of Naomi's work. This book had so much going on and so much happening around Astra as well as what was going on with Astra. I had a hard time keeping up in places, but I believe it was my lack of knowledge because of not reading book 1. I will now though, because I got so pulled into this fascinating world that Naomi Foyle has created for her readers.
September 14, 2023
ETA: For some reason this review was marked private? Anyway...
Great concept, well executed. I think it was a very interesting decision to start off the MC so young, but it really gave the author time to world build effectively. By the time reader are fully engrossed in the world, the plot really kicks in, leaving you wanting more. An excellent first book in a series, it is complete on it's won as well as providing a compelling lead in to the series as a whole. I eagerly await the next installment!
Disclosure: I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
Great concept, well executed. I think it was a very interesting decision to start off the MC so young, but it really gave the author time to world build effectively. By the time reader are fully engrossed in the world, the plot really kicks in, leaving you wanting more. An excellent first book in a series, it is complete on it's won as well as providing a compelling lead in to the series as a whole. I eagerly await the next installment!
Disclosure: I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
December 15, 2015
This story was beautifully written. However, I didn't love it. It dragged on for me. I had a hard time wanting to resume reading it after putting it down because I lost interest. Unfortunately it never clicked for me.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 23, 2016
Home sick with a cold, plowed thru this post apocalyptic novel. I thought some of the concepts were interesting, but the book is too long (and appears to be the first in... at least a trilogy, I guess, aren't they all these days?)
August 27, 2016
I enjoyed this book and I would give it four stars except for all the acronyms and the fact that I couldn't fully grasp the political environment. Maybe it was supposed to be unclear and revealed in later books but it would help to have a bit more understanding.
December 15, 2014
A little slow to get going, but once you get through all the ground work of the fantasy world, it turns into a bit '1984'esque. Interesting story, and good moral questioning.
November 3, 2015
Brilliant depiction of a future world and totally believable main character. I loved it.
November 12, 2015
I didn't particularly care for the style of writing, but the plot kept me going because it was not like other dystopic fictions I've read before.
June 29, 2016
This was a very strange book with strange sexual undertones that didn't really fit with what, in the end, wasn't much of a story. It was like a 400 page intro passage to book two.
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March 20, 2015Fiction F796a 2014
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