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Surfacing
After a nuclear war has ravaged the planet, children of the few survivors are sent to renowned scientist Dr. Parkman and his subterranean Parkman Institute of Science and Solutions, to learn, create, and test the latest technologies until they turn 18 and are sent back to the surface to help rebuild society. Balt and Zoe, sixteen-year-old students, have begun to realize something is amiss when Zoe is given a glimpse of an entirely different reality during a freak accident, one completely foreign to what Parkman has always described to his students.
With the help of Balt and his midterm robotics project, the talkative head of an A.I. called Smith, the three devise a plan to escape the institute and travel through the ruins of the old labs to get to the surface. As they draw closer to their destination, they begin to see that their biggest threat might be each other.
The old lab is full of secrets, and some answers are perhaps better left buried.
With the help of Balt and his midterm robotics project, the talkative head of an A.I. called Smith, the three devise a plan to escape the institute and travel through the ruins of the old labs to get to the surface. As they draw closer to their destination, they begin to see that their biggest threat might be each other.
The old lab is full of secrets, and some answers are perhaps better left buried.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2015
5 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Mark Magro
1 book156 followersMark Magro grew up on an island in New York and left with only the slightest hint of an accent. From there, he spent time teaching in middle schools and high schools, getting more tattoos than he should, and earning more than 6000(and counting!) trophies while playing Playstation. He lives in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania with his wife and spoiled dog.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 15, 2016
Title: Surfacing
Author: Mark Magro
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press, 2015
Genre: YA Dystopian, YA Science Fiction
This review can be found on my Blog and TeacherofYA's Tumblr, as well as my Goodreads account
My Review:
So unexpected: I remember grabbing the book at the library, thinking that the description sounded interesting. I hoped to get a chance to read it, but I knew it was just one of those books I pick up more out of curiosity than out of extreme desire to read.
I am so glad I came across this unbelievably riveting piece of literature.
I had low expectations...I had seen the five star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but I was skeptical. The book was mint (not anymore thanks to actually reading it!), so I had a feeling it would be mildly entertaining at best.
Let me start with telling you what Surfacing is about, and then we can get into more of my reactions...
Baltazar (NOT Balthazar, like my autocorrect wants to type!) is a good student at the Parkman Institute of Science and Solutions (lovingly nicknamed PISS). At sixteen years old, he has memorized all the protocols and his midterm project is an AI that can eliminate the other AIs that went rogue in the old labs. His plan is an ambitious undertaking, but he imagines all the accolades he could receive if he could get all the students and instructors back into the sealed off old labs. What Balt doesn't count on is new student Zoe, a blue-eyed distraction fresh from Level H, and the only survivor of a fire that killed all her other classmates.
In his infatuation, Balt starts making Smith, his AI project, at the same time he tries to logically work out how to interact with Zoe. Tired one night, he leaves the lab, only to realize that when asked his Prime Directives, Smith has two, not one. He still has the directive to eliminate the variant AI in the old labs, but his second protocol?
When Zoe starts actually paying interest to Balt, it's like his dreams have come true. She seems interested in his AI project, and one night she comes to him in tears asking to stay in his room overnight. Ever the gentleman and head over heels, Balt says yes. But when he wakes in the morning to find Smith gone, Balt starts to wonder what her intentions with his robot head might be.
Zoe Culth is tired and scared. All her friends, especially Helena, her best friend, are dead. The scientists want to continue Project Wind, a highly classified experiment, and they need Zoe's help, willing or not. Zoe needs to escape the Institute and go to the one place she knows has been lied about: the Surface. Though all students are told they are underground to help save the Earth from devastating destruction years ago, Zoe knows this is a lie. And when she sees that Balt's midterm is an AI designed to get past the old labs, where there is an Emergency entrance to the surface, she'll take whatever methods necessary to escape more tests...because Zoe is hiding a secret that can make her valuable in the wrong hands.
Is it Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes! No sex, no swearing, just a real adventure with two teens trying to get answers. Perfect for a Dystopian unit to avoid using The Hunger Games all the time, Surfacing is an original story that sucks you in from beginning to end. With POV shifts between Balt and Zoe, it guarantees that both girls and boys alike can identify with the characters. It's well-written and clever. I actually want to write a lesson plan using this book right now!!
Age Range:
Easily 12 and up. Though not available on Lexile.com, I would easily feel comfortable letting my niece read it. I think I'll buy her a copy and see if she likes it: she's a fan of dystopian novels, but I'm always wary of what to give her to read. But this book is innocent with the feelings between Zoe and Balt, and I think it appeals to readers of varying ages.
End Result:
Easily ★★★★★. There is no "cliffhanger," but it is left open-ended and I hope Magro will write a sequel. The story and the end is full of unexpected twists and turns, and I put down the book feeling satisfied but sad. I honestly want more, and I can imagine other readers feeling the same way. I can also see this as a major motion picture.
But enough about how I feel...
Does it sound appealing to you? I usually am nervous about recommending a book for others to read, but I don't feel this way when it comes to Surfacing. I say give it a shot, and I don't believe you will be disappointed. It had way more character development than the average plot-based book, and I found myself rooting for Balt, Zoe, and Smith, the AI head.
Magro's interview with another blogger suggests he's working on several projects right now: Surfacing is his debut novel.
As always, happy reading! Don't know what will be next, but it better be pretty good for me to transition from this to it.
Author: Mark Magro
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press, 2015
Genre: YA Dystopian, YA Science Fiction
This review can be found on my Blog and TeacherofYA's Tumblr, as well as my Goodreads account
My Review:
So unexpected: I remember grabbing the book at the library, thinking that the description sounded interesting. I hoped to get a chance to read it, but I knew it was just one of those books I pick up more out of curiosity than out of extreme desire to read.
I am so glad I came across this unbelievably riveting piece of literature.
I had low expectations...I had seen the five star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but I was skeptical. The book was mint (not anymore thanks to actually reading it!), so I had a feeling it would be mildly entertaining at best.
Let me start with telling you what Surfacing is about, and then we can get into more of my reactions...
Baltazar (NOT Balthazar, like my autocorrect wants to type!) is a good student at the Parkman Institute of Science and Solutions (lovingly nicknamed PISS). At sixteen years old, he has memorized all the protocols and his midterm project is an AI that can eliminate the other AIs that went rogue in the old labs. His plan is an ambitious undertaking, but he imagines all the accolades he could receive if he could get all the students and instructors back into the sealed off old labs. What Balt doesn't count on is new student Zoe, a blue-eyed distraction fresh from Level H, and the only survivor of a fire that killed all her other classmates.
In his infatuation, Balt starts making Smith, his AI project, at the same time he tries to logically work out how to interact with Zoe. Tired one night, he leaves the lab, only to realize that when asked his Prime Directives, Smith has two, not one. He still has the directive to eliminate the variant AI in the old labs, but his second protocol?
"Smith, could you tell us your directives again?" Zeke asked for the thousandth time, and now I was the one delivering a punch before hiding my face in my hands.
"I suppose, although I'm not seeing the humor in it. Directive 1: Infiltrate and observe the variant AI found in old labs. Track their movements in an attempt to discern a definite pattern. Assess threat levels and possible solutions for deactivation. Report back with notable data."
There was a pause as I could detect Zeke and Tern trying to hold back their laughter. Malfunctions, both of them.
"Directive 2: Help Baltazar Harris court and obtain the love of Zoe Culth."
When Zoe starts actually paying interest to Balt, it's like his dreams have come true. She seems interested in his AI project, and one night she comes to him in tears asking to stay in his room overnight. Ever the gentleman and head over heels, Balt says yes. But when he wakes in the morning to find Smith gone, Balt starts to wonder what her intentions with his robot head might be.
Zoe Culth is tired and scared. All her friends, especially Helena, her best friend, are dead. The scientists want to continue Project Wind, a highly classified experiment, and they need Zoe's help, willing or not. Zoe needs to escape the Institute and go to the one place she knows has been lied about: the Surface. Though all students are told they are underground to help save the Earth from devastating destruction years ago, Zoe knows this is a lie. And when she sees that Balt's midterm is an AI designed to get past the old labs, where there is an Emergency entrance to the surface, she'll take whatever methods necessary to escape more tests...because Zoe is hiding a secret that can make her valuable in the wrong hands.
Is it Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes! No sex, no swearing, just a real adventure with two teens trying to get answers. Perfect for a Dystopian unit to avoid using The Hunger Games all the time, Surfacing is an original story that sucks you in from beginning to end. With POV shifts between Balt and Zoe, it guarantees that both girls and boys alike can identify with the characters. It's well-written and clever. I actually want to write a lesson plan using this book right now!!
Age Range:
Easily 12 and up. Though not available on Lexile.com, I would easily feel comfortable letting my niece read it. I think I'll buy her a copy and see if she likes it: she's a fan of dystopian novels, but I'm always wary of what to give her to read. But this book is innocent with the feelings between Zoe and Balt, and I think it appeals to readers of varying ages.
End Result:
Easily ★★★★★. There is no "cliffhanger," but it is left open-ended and I hope Magro will write a sequel. The story and the end is full of unexpected twists and turns, and I put down the book feeling satisfied but sad. I honestly want more, and I can imagine other readers feeling the same way. I can also see this as a major motion picture.
But enough about how I feel...
Does it sound appealing to you? I usually am nervous about recommending a book for others to read, but I don't feel this way when it comes to Surfacing. I say give it a shot, and I don't believe you will be disappointed. It had way more character development than the average plot-based book, and I found myself rooting for Balt, Zoe, and Smith, the AI head.
Magro's interview with another blogger suggests he's working on several projects right now: Surfacing is his debut novel.
As always, happy reading! Don't know what will be next, but it better be pretty good for me to transition from this to it.
February 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this one! Great comedic moments and a well-told story in a sci-fi world with fun characters to get to know. There was the occasional grammar or spelling error that distracted me, but this was a fun read and I hope to read more like this in the sci-fi genre.
October 18, 2015
I enjoyed this debut novel very much - however it wasn't exactly what I expected. It has all the elements of a solid dystopian/sci-fi YA novel, however, I enjoyed the character relationship the best. It was more of a coming-of-age book than I was prepared for, which I found pleasantly surprising. It is also very clean - allowing the parent of a younger/eager middle-grader access without a worry! The story grabs you quickly, with gaming/coding references connecting easily to the reluctant reader. Looking forward to future stories from this author!
January 5, 2020
A debut with a dynamic plot filled with the best tropes found in dystopian sci-fi: plucky AI companions, winsome protagonists, likable minor characters, diabolical admin, innovative futuristic technology.
Clean, fun, suspenseful, with a couple of verisimilitude bending plot points and an ambiguous ending—a recommended reading for fans of Hunger Games and the Divergent series.
Clean, fun, suspenseful, with a couple of verisimilitude bending plot points and an ambiguous ending—a recommended reading for fans of Hunger Games and the Divergent series.
August 3, 2020
Book theme song: Momentum by Aviators https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMYkE...
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, conspiracies, and sci-fi. Content warnings: some brief human experimentation scenes, some gore.
The characters have great personality. I really like how Balt's friends aren't forgotten, even though they can't join him on the adventure (I don't think that's a spoiler because if you read the back of the book it's kind of obvious). I wasn't a fan of the slang, but it doesn't appear too much past the beginning.
Spoilers beyond this point
I was simultaneously intrigued and apprehensive about this book because I like secrets and conspiracies, but laboratory settings in fiction tend to include torture and surgery scenes, which are something that can lead to me putting the book down and not picking it back up for a long time.
And then the book starts with people throwing themselves off a hundred foot ledge to "test" a technology they probably knew didn't work by the time two or three kids had pancaked. I still don't understand the logic, and I kind of skimmed over that part. Luckily they have respawn technology.
Aside from that first scene and another brief torture scene later (that thankfully doesn't go into detail) it was relatively tame. It's on par with Hunger Games with the violence and death.
The characters have a lot of personality. Zoe especially was interesting. Coming from an... interesting past myself, I could really relate to her.
The ending was definitely interesting. I had a bunch of theories in my head about the world beyond the lab, but never expected that it wasn't Earth. Which makes me wonder where they found Zoe's live blade of grass. Are they terraforming the Moon, or did her friend manage to teleport all the way to Earth and back again? I'm all for ambiguous endings, and I like the final scene, but the big reveal is a bit confusing. It doesn't pull an Allegiant and ruin the journey, though.
In general a very good debut novel. It defies, downplays, and subverts a lot of overused/obnoxious tropes: the convenient superpower (subverted), the obligatory romance (downplayed), characters leaving on an adventure and forgetting their friends and family (defied), laboratory settings being endless torture (subverted).
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, conspiracies, and sci-fi. Content warnings: some brief human experimentation scenes, some gore.
The characters have great personality. I really like how Balt's friends aren't forgotten, even though they can't join him on the adventure (I don't think that's a spoiler because if you read the back of the book it's kind of obvious). I wasn't a fan of the slang, but it doesn't appear too much past the beginning.
Spoilers beyond this point
I was simultaneously intrigued and apprehensive about this book because I like secrets and conspiracies, but laboratory settings in fiction tend to include torture and surgery scenes, which are something that can lead to me putting the book down and not picking it back up for a long time.
And then the book starts with people throwing themselves off a hundred foot ledge to "test" a technology they probably knew didn't work by the time two or three kids had pancaked. I still don't understand the logic, and I kind of skimmed over that part. Luckily they have respawn technology.
Aside from that first scene and another brief torture scene later (that thankfully doesn't go into detail) it was relatively tame. It's on par with Hunger Games with the violence and death.
The characters have a lot of personality. Zoe especially was interesting. Coming from an... interesting past myself, I could really relate to her.
The ending was definitely interesting. I had a bunch of theories in my head about the world beyond the lab, but never expected that it wasn't Earth. Which makes me wonder where they found Zoe's live blade of grass. Are they terraforming the Moon, or did her friend manage to teleport all the way to Earth and back again? I'm all for ambiguous endings, and I like the final scene, but the big reveal is a bit confusing. It doesn't pull an Allegiant and ruin the journey, though.
In general a very good debut novel. It defies, downplays, and subverts a lot of overused/obnoxious tropes: the convenient superpower (subverted), the obligatory romance (downplayed), characters leaving on an adventure and forgetting their friends and family (defied), laboratory settings being endless torture (subverted).
August 25, 2016
3/5 stars
Balt - logical, analytical, good scientist, falls in love with Zoe
Zoe - only survivor of her class, can teleport, wants to escape the Parkman Institute and the doctors who are still experimenting on her
Smith - AI created by Balt, wants his own body and to be free
Dr. Parkman - wants to "live forever" and be a "god," Zoe's biological father, killed her mother (Elizabeth)
This was an ok sci-fi. Some of the reveals were pretty good - artificially grown children, Parkman is the huge robot. Book definitely gets more interesting after the trio gets into the old labs. However, why does Balt like Zoe so much? She is pretty dismissive of him most of the time until the very end, yet she could not have excaped the school without him.
Balt - logical, analytical, good scientist, falls in love with Zoe
Zoe - only survivor of her class, can teleport, wants to escape the Parkman Institute and the doctors who are still experimenting on her
Smith - AI created by Balt, wants his own body and to be free
Dr. Parkman - wants to "live forever" and be a "god," Zoe's biological father, killed her mother (Elizabeth)
This was an ok sci-fi. Some of the reveals were pretty good - artificially grown children, Parkman is the huge robot. Book definitely gets more interesting after the trio gets into the old labs. However, why does Balt like Zoe so much? She is pretty dismissive of him most of the time until the very end, yet she could not have excaped the school without him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2016
Balt enjoys science and building his AI while a student in the underground Parkman Institute of Science and Solutions, a facility created to help rebuild society after a nuclear war devastated Earth; then he falls for Zoe, a transfer into his class who witnessed a tragedy and is determined to escape the institute with or without his help. The futuristic slang and banter between Balt and his guy friends is fresh, and the dual POV adds page-turning tension near the climax. One chapter is jarring before one of Zoe's secrets is revealed, but overall this sci-fi novel has a great, adventurous flow and ending that begs a sequel.
May 22, 2016
Add this to your summer reading list. It's a good book for middle school with no language, romance no farther than a kiss and most violence is against giant bugs and robots. The story is filled with classic sci-fi elements, including the plot twist at the end. Reminds me of City of Ember.
I'm not a fan of the two person, alternating narrator but both viewpoints advance the story rather than rehash the same events from different perspectives.
I'm not a fan of the two person, alternating narrator but both viewpoints advance the story rather than rehash the same events from different perspectives.
March 31, 2017
Told from the viewpoint of two characters, Balt and Zoe. The story is about a Utopian futuristic society where everyone has moved underground into a scientific institute due to nuclear war. The Point of view is Third person omniscient. The author uses this view, to add intensity to the chapters and keep you turning pages. What I liked the most about this book is how the plot develops. It starts off as a peaceful normal story of the survival of the human race. Then when the main character, Balt meets the blue-eyed female Protagonist in the story Zoe, secrets pour out and Balt’s whole world flips upside down. Another thing I like is how the Author used Foreshadowing. When Zoe was experiencing visions of a woman in blue eyes, the reader gets a feeling they’re connected, but cannot connect all the dots until later on. It gives the book almost a detective-like feel.One thing I hate is how the Author gave us a taste of Zoe’s powers at the beginning of the story but didn’t explain the power to the reader until later on in the story. This book is a real page turner with one bombshell after another. I would recommend this book for people that enjoyed the Maze Runner or Hunger Games series and would give it a 9.99999999999989 /10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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