The Mark of Noba

The Sterling Wayfairer #1

by G.L. Tomas

Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career—distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: He and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.

If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Paranormal, LGBT, Aliens

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

G.L. Tomas is a USA Today bestselling twin writing duo and lover of all things blerdy, fearless and fun.

When they're not spending their time crafting swoon-worthy heroes, they're battling alien forces in other worlds but occasionally take days off in search of mom and pop spots that make amazing pasteles and tostones fried to perfection.

They host salsa lessons and book boyfriend auditions in their secret headquarters located in Connecticut..


For Romcoms and Contemporary Romance, sign up here---> smarturl.it/GLTomasRomanceNews

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Reviews

[Norah Una Sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG.I am obsessed.

I can't believe I read this book in one sitting.Wow.
Also,how freaking beautiful is this cover?



I loved reading this.Oh my God.The characters are phenomenal-Sterling is extremely funny,sarcastic & sometimes pretty awkward.However,his life will completely change when he "meets"(you'll understand why I've put it like this when you read the book) Tetra(phrimaportacheeq♥) and realizes that he is not a normal teenage boy from Geo.He and Tetra(as Sterling decides to call her) are from this place called Noba and they are haunted by a shapeshifting monster called Naga.As you can imagine,it's a bit too much for Sterling to take in,especially when he's got problems of his own-"normal" problems such as trying to get the attention of the girl he likes,being grounded for sneaking out of his house on a school day,trying to get his grades up,etc.Tetra,on the other hand,has problems with adapting to Sterling's world.She doesn't understand slang expressions and,most importantly,how to behave as a normal Geo girl because everything is so different on Noba.

"Brittany was "hot".Perhaps she was.She wore many layers and summer weather was still in reach."

She is an extremely diverse character and I really liked reading her POV.(Did I mention that there's a dual POV?)



I also loved the supporting characters-Grey(♥),Kip,Waverly,Gen.Also,and this is very important to me,there was just the right amount of swearing. Just the right amount .

However,as the time passes by things will get even more complicated...both for Sterling and Tetra.You'll have to read this great book to find out what happens to them.

Favourite quotes:

"Sai-Liber is my family name.Much like Wayfairer.You may call me Tetraphrimaportacheeq.It is much simpler."
To who? I'd barely got it out the first time.

"So,like,what if she wakes up one night with an uncontrollable need to hook up with me?"
When my mom had wiped the tears from her eyes and caught her breath from laughing,she patted my face the way you pet an animal that you might find pathetic but in a cute kind of way.
"Sterling,honey?I'm almost positive you won't have that problem."

*E-copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.*

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge thanks to G.L. Tomas better known as "The Twinjas" who sent me a copy of The Mark of Noba after I kept pestering them to hurry the hell up and finish writing the damn thing.

Now they need to hurry the hell up and finish the second book.

Update 11/30/16: can we talk about that brand spanking new cover and how if there was an award for Best Feminist Book Cover Ever, this book would win it hands down. I mean look at it. The heroine is at the top. She's front and center. She's shown as powerful. She's wearing clothes and has the attitude which indicates she's ready to kick ass and ignore names. Add to the fact that she's a gorgeous dark skinned Black teenage girl put above the White teenage boy character. She's not secondary or a sidekick. With that said, there's an interesting egalitarianism happening here. She's the main powerful figure, but he doesn't come off as weaker. There's a sense these two are going to be partners in whatever this adventure may be.

Normally, when authors/publishers redo covers, especially when we're talking about if the lead character is PoC, there's a horrible tendency of whitewashing or erasing the character altogether (which annoys the crap out of me). I loved the original cover, but this new one is simply all kinds of awesome!!! If I hadn't already read this before, I'd be scooping this up stat. Since there are those of you who haven't, I suggest you grab your copy now. Right now. What are you waiting for? Move!

I didn't really know what to expect with this, but to say that I'm doing all kinds of geek girl happy dances is an understatement. First, the cover is all kinds of boss. In an era of New York publishing whitewashing and erasure, to have a PoC featured prominently and ready to kick ass is enough for me to pick this up if I saw it at a bookstore. Not only that, but the heroine is shown in front of the hero, which indicates she factors heavily in the action and isn't the handy sidekick.

Storywise, this is the kind of fantasy adventure story that doesn't waste time on backstory, but just pulls you along for the ride. The worldbuilding is top-notch. Geo is a world much like our own and the young people who populate it are no different than real life young people. Sterling Wayfairer (great last name) is the kind of young adult hero there just aren't enough of. He's a regular teenage guy, average grades, not a jock, thankfully not a man-slut either, though he definitely is a normal bundle of raging adolescent hormones. He's also losing track of time and other strange things that keep happening to him. Then he meets Tetra, and things get stranger and more dangerous.

Then. There's. Tetra. Can I fangirl over Tetra? No, she's not the typical young adult heroine. Then again, she's not a typical heroine period. She's maddening at times, a bit patronizing towards Sterling, even if she doesn't mean to. She's a girl on a mission and Sterling is her responsibility. The archetypal stranger in a very strange land, Geo's mores, especially in regards to normal teenage behavior, are completely beyond her and her attempts at trying to fit in make sense in light of what she knows. The scene where she brings up the topic of oral sex with Sterling's parents at the dinner table (she's disguised as an exchange student) was hilarious, and yet keeping in character with who she is. Sterling's parents' reaction was priceless as well.

Of course, this novel scores high on the diversity meter. The other characters really shine; they're not just window-dressing. I cared about them as much as I cared about Sterling and Tetra. Kip especially won my heart. Waverly was awesome too.

I just realized another reason this novel scores way high on my list. YA, especially YA fantasy/paranormal tends to have the annoying habit of hijacking the normally kick-butt heroine the moment she gets a whiff of testosterone from the mysterious hawt boy du hour. The Mark of Noba doesn't commit this kind of epic heroine fail. Tetra is always aware of her duty and never shrinks from it, despite becoming emotionally involved with Kip. In short, she never loses her autonomy. Seriously, other YA authors would do well to read and emulate Tomas' example of striking the perfect balance.

Again, hurry up with book two!

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fafa's Book Corner (Wordpress)
Fafa's Book Corner (Blogger)

I recieved this E-ARC via Netgalley and Rebellious Valkyrie Press in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

Once I saw this on Netgalley I thought that why not give it shot. While it didn't sound like my kind of read (a lot of books I've enjoyed didn't) I thought that it would be entertaining if anything. But I was wrong.

The book is written in first person specifically with Sterling's point of view. Sterling explains readers that back when he started high school he was just this nobody. He was solely associated with his friends. Not as himself. To start making a reputation for himself by attending some parties. This involves him breaking some rules specifically curfew rules.

As he makes his own through the window into his house his mom is waiting for him. His mother naturally gets mad at him and the two get into a fight. Sterling argues that he wouldn't be breaking any rules if he had a later curfew time. While his mother retorts that he would have a later curfew time if he actually starts getting good grades. His mother then explains that some boys in the area are missing and that's part of the reason she was worried.

I didn't really like Sterling's character. Back when I was in high school I didn't care too much about trying to make a name for myself whereas Sterling does. Honestly I've never understood why people care about that, when there is more to life than high school and reputation. Due to this I didn't see the point of proceeding. Sterling isn't a character that I want to read about.

Overall this was not enjoyable. I can't bring myself to recommend this to anyone.

[Kiran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up last night from the Kindle Prime Lending library, though I am totally going to buy it, too. As I advise basically everyone reading this to do.

I read an even split of YA, NA, and fantasy. When I heard that GL were writing a book together, this was legit the coolest thing to happen in 2015. It's always great when you see other people you respect writing great books. Makes the whole indie/small press publishing world feel warm and cozy, rather than shouting across an abyss.

Speaking of diversity, this book has it. Plenty of characters of color, with skin tones clearly stated so people can't racebend everyone to be white. If you don't quite grasp the coding that the Twinjas have given skin color/race, there's a glossary in the back of the book to tell you just that.

Anyway, on to the fun part, plot!

Sterling is a character that reads like exactly what he is, a teenage boy. I can relate to that, having been a teenager once. Admittedly, a trans teen, but still. Sterling is cisgender from what I gathered, though that doesn't mean he's automatically annoying/uninteresting. I've read a lot of books with cis male leads that aren't awful lately, Sterling was no exception. He's written with a tone that's all his own, with a unique voice that springs off the page. I've never seen a book really nail how teenage boys talk to one another, until MARK OF NOBA. This feels exactly like high school. Sterling has a lot on his plate, between dealing with his mom's mental illness, trying to pull his grades up, and dealing with getting grounded every other week.

Sterling sets out to enjoy his senior year, but things quickly go to hell when he starts noticing a girl in class that nobody else can, until she wants them to. When Tetra arrives in his gym class, Sterling is beyond confused. More so when she proceeds to move in with him. Awkward. He deals with this about as well as a teenage boy would, considering having an attractive girl in his room is a recipe for disaster.

Tetra is great. She's completely out of her world [literally] and not at all thrilled with Sterling's attitude. She has no grasp of societal concepts, nor personal privacy as she begins to talk about sex during dinner with Sterling's parents. Throughout navigating a strange new world, Tetra tries to get Sterling to realize the bond the two share. Eventually, Sterling grasps the concept--even embracing the abilities he has been blessed with. That is, until Tetra tells him that everything he knows is a lie, and that he has to kill a soul-sucking evil that may or may not be inhabiting the body of someone he knows.

Whoops. Minor detail, Tetra.

Eventually, Sterling comes into his own. It's a slow process, with him gaining confidence throughout each chapter. He doesn't pick things up instantly, his glacial progress sometimes really annoying Tetra. While they have to hunt down the soul-stealing Naga--they're also trying to plan going to prom. Typical teenager stuff, minus the fact that neither of them are truly what they seem.

This was a longer book then I had anticipated, which took me by surprise. I am used to shorter YA reads, though MARK OF NOBA hit a length that wasn't too long or too short. It got a bit laggy at points, though I'm not going to take a star off there because it was valuable information and I was reading the book at 3:00 in the morning. I'm sure if I was reading during the day I wouldn't have noticed at all.

I really enjoyed how things were done in MARK OF NOBA, including the twist & cliffhanger ending. I laughed aloud at more than a few points, which I hadn't expected, either. I knew GL were funny, but they've crafted characters that are really amusing and multi-faceted in NOBA. Everyone has their own goals, worries, and personalities. It's nice to see a cast that isn't all just a cookie-cutter mold. The world is refreshing, as is the conflict setup. There's more ahead for Sterling and Tetra, and I can't wait to see where their journey takes them.

[Mary Fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sterling Wayfairer just wants what every high schooler wants: to stand out as his own person. To stop being overshadowed by his athletic best friends. Maybe finally ask out his crush. But things get much more complicated when the new girl, Tetra, enters his life. For one thing, no one else seems to notice she exists. For another, he finds himself losing time... waking up in places he doesn't remember going to wondering what happened in between. And what's more, students are vanishing, and no one knows why. Eventually, Sterling tracks down Tetra, but the answers she gives him are far beyond anything he could have expected... a secret past, an alternate world, supernatural powers, and a monster out for his blood.

G.L. Tomas' young adult novel, THE MARK OF NOBA, is difficult to genre-fy. It sits in that gray area between sci-fi and fantasy... the land where superheroes and space-faring wizards live. For one thing, Sterling lives in on an alternate Earth of sorts. It feels like our Earth, in that he goes to a regular high school, lives in a regular neighborhood, and has regular teen problems (no dystopian dictator or magic lessons or anything). But there are subtle differences--the comic book-esque generic names of places (the planet is Geo, the city is City, etc), the categorization of skin tones as Type 1, Type 2, etc. based on shade rather than place of origin. And we soon learn that it's not the only one out there... in fact, Tetra is from a place called Noba, which exists in an alternate dimension. There's magic and time travel and shapeshifting monsters and superpowers... all against the backdrop of a high school life.

In that sense, it kind of reminded me of the Harry Potter books. School is still the central setting for everything that happens, and Sterling and Tetra (who both narrate) deal with both normal teen issues (dating, popularity, etc) and extranormal issues (superpowers, alternate worlds, and monsters!). Tetra eventually poses as an exchange student living with Sterling's family, and it was fun watching her try to adjust to everyday life (while still keeping an eye out for monsters).

I love love loved both characters and their somewhat co-dependent, somewhat dysfunctional relationship. They couldn't be more different... Sterling is kind of your "typical teenager," full of sarcastic comments and snarky attitude. Tetra is an alien warrior who takes everything too literally (often resulting in hilarity). And their narrations reflect this--Sterling's is conversational and sounds the way you'd expect most teens to talk while Tetra's is more formal. I really enjoyed the contrast in styles and the way it brought the characters to life.

THE MARK OF NOBA is a richly imagined, delightfully written, truly magical YA read full of drama and excitement, inviting you into a world that's both so familiar and so far from reality. I started reading it while stuck at the airport and found myself weirdly okay with being stuck in that noisy purgatory as long as I could keep reading...

[Tricia Drammeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sterling is always in trouble. His parents are furious he's broken curfew - again. Something weird happened at school, and he was blamed for it. And there are strange lapses in time he can't explain. But things are going to get worse. Much worse. When Tetra begins popping in and out of his life, Sterling fears he's losing his mind. She claims to be from another world and says the two of them share a unique bond. If they are going to defeat their enemy, Sterling is going to have to accept the truth of who he is and learn to control the power inside him.

I loved this book so much, it's hard to know where to begin with this review. I'll start with Sterling because it was his unique voice that hooked me from the very beginning. He's such a fun character. He's clever, engaging, and easy to relate to. In addition to typical teen struggles (trying to fit it, not being as athletic as his friends, crushing on a hot girl who seems to have him in the friend zone), he's also dealing with a mentally ill parent. Sterling's point of view is often amusing and always authentic. His character is very well written.

Tetra is harder to relate to. She's from another world, so her tone is more formal. Her way of looking at the world and relating to others is the opposite of Sterling, so their alternating points of view really work in this story. As Tetra learns to adjust to the world she's in, she shows the vulnerability hidden behind her strength.

In terms of diversity, this book earns an easy five stars. It's refreshing to read a book where diversity is the norm and color of skin has nothing to do with race. Sexuality is dealt with in a matter of fact way, and gender roles are explored through Tetra's introspection.

The world-building in this book is among the best I've ever seen. It's a very well-written book I would highly recommend. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

[Lola]

I DNF'd this book at 57%

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

I was really looking forward to this book, maybe it was a case of too high expectations or wrong expectations, but this book just didn't work for me. It basically follows a normal guy called Sterling, I liked how Sterling wasn't one of the popular guys, but still had friends. Weird things are happening and he loses parts of time, although he doesn't seem overly concerned about this. Then he meets Tetra who tells them they are bonded. Beside that it's mostly school life, the fantasy parts were very limited in the part I read, I kept thinking it would improve soon, but it didn't. When I started skimming I decided to just put the book down and accept this wasn't the book for me. The pace was very slow and the story didn't keep my attention. I also wasn't a fan of the writing style, it was very descriptive and we got a whole explanation of every character we met at first, which really took the pace out the story. And there just wasn't enough fantasy interwoven in the normal school life.

The world building and fantasy elements were very limited and the story and characters weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged. I did like how Tetra came from another planet/ world and didn't know many of the customs on Geo, the planet where this story takes place. So there are some scenes were she says the wrong things or doesn't understand things. I was interested in how Tetra and Sterling would interact and how their bond worked, but we don't get much info about that. Then there is the Naga that Tetra is hunting, but Sterling forces her to attend school with him, so there isn't much Naga hunting she can do, which seemed way more important than school as it was abducting humans. And even if she does do some Naga hunting the reader doens't hear about it so far. I did like how we got both Tetra and Sterling their point of view from around 25% and onwards, that did improve the story a bit as I always like seeing more point of views.

This story takes place on Geo, at first I had a bit of a hard time grasping what Geo was. As far as I understand it's a planet similiar to earth, but slightly different. Like how they categorize people on skin colour with Type 1-5. I thought this felt a bit unnatural and it didn't seem like they had different cultures or pasts, just different skin colours.

Except for City we don't learn much more about Geo. I also wondered if the City really was called City or if that is because I had an ARC? I was really jarring how things were called City, Metropolis and Woodlands, especially because I couldn't figure out if this was intentional or not and if it was intentional how they knew which City was their City. I also was a bit confused by the Type indication for skin colour at first, but I picked that up quite soon, Type 1 is light skin and Type 5 is dark skin basically.

Once Tetra arrived I hoped for more focus on Noba, their bond and the fantasy elements like the Naga she's hunting. But besides Tetra now living with Sterling (which no one finds weird), the story continues as usual. There are a few mentions of the fantasy things, like some of Tetra's skills, what the culture on Noba is like and how they are bonded and can shoot light from their marks. But it was just loose pieces and it was confusing as I wanted to know more, but Tetra doesn't seem in the mood to explain and Sterling doesn't seem curious enough. There were just so many questions and things that remained unclear.

So the story couldn't hold my attention and it felt like the pace was very slow. I kept hoping for things to happen and more fantasy elements, but if that will happen it is in the later half of the book. It just wasn't the book for me, even though there were some interesting parts it couldn't hold my attention.

[Gia · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK!! ❤️





I was lucky enough to have received my copy of The Mark of Noba through a giveaway from the authors of the book, GL Tomas. With out a doubt, anyone can sit down with this book and not realize they’ve been reading for six or seven hours without stopping. 0__0 I do not want this to turn into an essay or anything, but there were a lot of things that were so great about this book.


The GL Tomas duo have fashioned a realistically believable, angsty yet pleasingly comical Young Adult/ Science Fiction story that takes place on an alternate Earth-like planet called Geo. The authors were smart to not only give us First Person POV but give us the story from both Tetra and Sterling’s POV so the reader is able to immerse themselves in the story from two different angles without any of the mystery or the story being blatantly obvious or ruined. In addition, the reader will not feel ridged or confided to feeling like they’re reading a YA fiction that’s just for boys or just for girls.


I thought it was funny that when I got to the back of the book, the writers ask the reader which team they were on, #TeamTetra or #TeamSterling, but as it goes back and forth between the two of them in the book I found that I couldn’t just choose one side. The writers do a great job at exploring each character individually as well as they do a unit.



Without giving too much away, I do not want to say that Tetra and Sterling end up as a couple, because they aren’t. Their relationship and connection is so much more than that. The two of them have this amazing bond {do you see what I did there? ;-) }

If you are the type who enjoys reading/watching a thing/a connection between two people grow, I guarantee you that The Mark of Noba is the book for you.



However, there were a few things about this book that I did not like or felt if-y about but they DO include spoilers, so if you want to continue with a spoils-free impression about The Mark of Noba, then please stop here.



Okay, I did not like Kip and Tetra together, like at all. I was 100% #TeamSetra from start to finish. I mean everyone knew that Sterling was in love with Tetra except Sterling (which I thought was adorable) but I also got the feeling that Tetra was only with Kip because she promised Sterling to be a ‘normal’ high schooler and go to school everyday. Her being with Kip felt like a “beard” situation.

Do not get me wrong, I liked Kip especially after learning he truly had feelings for Tetra and my heart broke when I learned the Naga had killed him. That was so sad!! ;-(


I did not like learning that Sterling’s mother’s condition was a result of Tetra’s Phantom Riding (hope that’s the correct term for it) That was really sad to get through, but like I said earlier with both of their POVs I understood them both and I just wanted to hug them.|-:


This was a great book and I highly recommend to any avid/ YA fiction reader, strong/independent/smart/athletic female protagonists, diverse and relatable book seeker out there.


For the longer review version (yes, I said longer), feel free to check out my blog ☺

[B.R. Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Notes on Diversity
Given that the authors of The Mark of Noba are so deeply involved in the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement, I set my expectations high in terms of diversity. I am happy to say they delivered!

The book starts with Sterling Wayfairer, who is a blond, blue-eyed cishet straight dude, but he is basically the only one of his kind in the book. And unlike in  The Windup Girl , where this viewpoint dominates the narrative and makes the diversity surrounding the central White dude ornamental, Sterling Wayfairer is not put in a position of power or privilege in his world due to his Whiteness/cis-ness/het-ness. Virtually all of his friends are teens of color, and their presence is not especially noteworthy. Like with  Niko , G L Tomas pushes back against White supremacy by creating a world where people of color are thoughtlessly acceptable, desirable, perfect just as they are. Racial tensions where Sterling lives seem not to exists, and this in itself is a strong pro-diversity statement 1.

AND THEN WE GET TETRA. Tetra is Black, like very dark Black, and she's beautiful and strong and smart and flawed (so flawed) but so redeemable. AND she is offhandedly queer, which made my heart flutter. (You can already tell I have a massive thing for Tetra, huh?). Tetra is a great character, and she is an especially great Black woman character. That she is so dark-skinned and consistently seen as desirable is another example of G L Thomas going the extra distance here in terms of visibility and diversity in their work.

But wait! There's more! With Sterling's mother we get a character grappling with mental disability, and with Sterling himself we see how that affects the people she loves. Laurel, Sterling's mother, was written with such nuance. As both the child of a parent with severe mental health issues and as a parent who struggles with mental health themself, the delicate and fraught relationship between Sterling and Laurel really got to me. That kind of relationship is very easy to write badly in fiction, and I've seen it written badly more than I've seen it written well--but G L Tomas got it right. They captured the layers of dependence and complication that the mental illness of a parent causes--the way it turns a child into a caretaker, and the way that muddies the relationship between the child and the parent.

Sterling Wayfairer is just trying to make the most of his senior year, but all he actually seems to do is get in trouble. And then things start to get weird: there's a girl at school in all his classes that only he seems to remember. He starts losing time. And then this girl, Tetra, moves into his house, convincing his parents that she's a 'foreign exchange student.' She says they know each other. She says they are bonded. She says their from some other world? And things get even weirder after that.

From Tetra's perspective, she's stumbled into a foreign world to get her bonded Traveler up to speed, but he remembers nothing. Literally nothing. And there's a monster loose, trying to find them to eat their souls. She has to protect this entire world, get Sterling up to speed, and protect him from the monster literally all by herself. While blending into at a local high school.

The book bounces back and forth between Sterling and Tetra's perspectives, giving us insight between how each of them is dealing with this enormously complicated situation. What's lovely about the back and forth is that both Sterling and Tetra have clearly defined and very, very different voices. Sterling is so young, and untempered, and so casual. Tetra, by comparison, is much more formal, and more wary, and starts of more focused on the task at hand. But, over the course of the book, she loosens up and relaxes into Sterling's space, his circle of friends, his family. Both of these characters grow a lot of the course of the book--Sterling matures, and Tetra seems to get younger and looser and warmer. I think we don't see Tetra's sort of reverse-arc enough, especially in YA books. It's especially meaningful to me because I feel like I've gone on a similar emotional journey as Tetra.

All the hallmarks of a YA high school book are here--midterms, prom prep, party hookup--but with the threat of a sci fi monster in the background. If there's one thing I would have changed about the book, it would have been a better balance between the high school foregrounding and the monster quest background arc. The hunt for the mysterious Naga hunting Sterling and Tetra slips in and out of the foreground to the extent that by the time the requisite showdown happens the stakes don't quite feel high enough. It's foreshadowed well at the beginning, but there's a lull in the middle of the book where the Naga seems to go into hibernation while Sterling and Tetra hang out and do high school things (which is great fun and excellent for their character development). Still, a better balance between both sides of the plot would have added tension all the way through the book and added even more emotional punch to an already gut-wrenching ending. Whoo boy, that ending is killer.

Even with the uneveness in the pacing and tension, this book is well worth the read. I am excited to see what Tomas does with the second book. The characterization is so strong, and the writing is lovely. The teaser chapter for the second book had me so intrigued!

Also, and this is a small but important point, the book design is beautiful. Just lovely to behold, from the cover to the chapter headings.

1For examples along other axes of this, see Malinda Lo's statements of writing fantasy worlds without homophobia.

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in an exchange for an honest review, kind regards to Lola's Blog Tours and the Author




This book is very interesting, it's nothing like I thought it would be. Time travel and Sci-Fi mixed in to one? Nice. I can tell you the Author did a very good job of it, this book is definitely intriguing!

Two main protagonists; Sterling and Tetra. Both are very alike but different at the same time. Both Sterling and Tetra are shown to be from another world called Noba, than the one they are currently on, Geo. I have to say the naming of the planets, worlds or galaxies or whatever you want to call them is very interesting! I was a couple of chapters in before I realised the names were actually the names of the places of where they live, like worlds not countries according to my understanding.

Sterling is a very interesting character and what I would describe as a very common one who we can relate to in some form or another as he shares some of the dilemma's we might have experienced or will do so in the future as a teenager (depends on the present or future). He is not very athletic, popular or academically gifted, yet he is shown to be friends with the popular crowds who they refer to as the 'Golden ones' I think. He has only one aim in his senior year, to make his senior year worth it, how you may ask? Well he does not know that himself. Interesting things begin to happen in a PE lesson, after that? Well lets just say that is where the plot begins. Enters Tetra...who Sterling believes he is hallucinating as no one else can see her except him. I can tell you that the name introductory scenes would have to be my all time favourite scene, I loved it! It made me laugh so much! :D

Tetra....is what I would say rigid and does not fully understand the way of life on Geo so she faces certain obstacles in the way. This kind of reminds me of like a robot in my head, as there would be certain things that cannot be explained. She is a very interesting character, simple, honest and straightforward are the qualities which I admire in her, which is also how she wins everyone's attention. I love the depth of her character, even if she does not understand something, she would do what is required of her to do to make someone happy. I really loved that about her. Without giving any spoilers away, there are many interesting twists and turns that await for both of these characters.


I was heartbroken and still am when I think of poor Kip, I wasn't very happy with his ending. I really liked his character :( Why did you do this???

[Thelonious Legend · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is "The Hero's Journey" and why is it so widely used? In short "The Hero's Journey" is a pattern narrative driven by an archetype hero who finds him/herself newly gifted with extraordinary powers/magical items and goes on a symbolic journey to right a wrong or vanquish an enemy returning home changed forever. And "The Hero's Journey" is so popular because it works. Every person can see themselves as a Harry Potter or a Katniss. A well-developed hero is easy to identify with and root for. Enter The Mark of Noba.

Premise: Nothing special about Sterling Wayfairer. Nothing special at all. He is not an exceptional student and even worse athlete. But he's friends with the cool kids and gets to have some fun when his parents aren't nagging him to death. And all Sterling really wants is to ask Waverly out. But who doesn't? Waverly is the ‘it’ girl at school. Beautiful, athletic, smart, popular, and did I mention she was beautiful? Yep the world would stop on its axis if Waverly would just notice him. Then Tetra shows up(and I'm calling her Tetra because her real name broke my spell check. Twice). Or does she? Is Sterling going crazy? Why is he the only one that notices this alluring girl? Turns out she is from Sterling's home planet Noba. So as it turns out Sterling is special after all. Very special. He's a True Traveler and is bonded to Tetra. But get this, they have to stop and/or kill a being that can't be stopped or killed. I betcha Sterling is going to regret wanting to be special and noticed now.

Summary: The book was a great starting point for what promises to be a fantastical fantasy series. Sterling started out as a bit too normal for my taste. He was a paint by the numbers clueless protagonist that didn't have much depth. But the arrival of Tetra changed that. She is my favorite character and provided a vivid contrast to Sterling that more clearly defined him. Also Tetra is very literal and from another planet which provided some laugh out loud fish out of water exchanges with the other students. I'm still a bit confused with how they vanquished their enemy at the end and thought it was over complex. I think when writing action scenes you want to make them as concise and easy to understand as possible. You want the reader to be engaged and they can't do that if they have to think too much. But all in all it was a good book and one I highly recommend.

[TinaNoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will straight up say that YA is out of my lane. I barely read YA when I was YA, so there you go. And I get squiffy when I trawl through the YA shelves in bookstores looking for books for my kids because it is a challenge to find diversity in both characters and storyline. My 16 y.o son once said when I pointed out a book to him "Let me guess, the world is dystopian and the young people are re-enacting some version of Lord of the Flies again?" He is a cynic. I wipe a tear of pride.

But this book caught my eye because the cover. I make no bones about the fact that a POC on a cover is going to get me to give the book a second look and then a probably a look at the blurb and probably a read if the blurb is interesting. Even in a YA, which is not my thing.

I am glad I took the minute to read the blurb. I enjoyed this quite a bit. Here's what I liked:

1) The world building. It was well done and didn't appear in clumps but rather you understood the world as the story unfolded.

2) The pace. Well paced with just the right amount of suspense. I also liked that you were dropped in the middle of things and learned things right along with Sterling.

3) The characters. All of them were well done. Sterling was immediately relatable and I liked his sarcasm and his frustration and just his worldview. Even if it wasn't really ... correct.

4) Tetra. Great character. She was consistent and on a mission. I liked that she made hard decisions because she had to. I think the author did a great job of making her seem just the right kind of out-of-place. Not too much but enough so it felt realistic. I thought she was very well constructed. She made sense! And she didn't get watered down for plot purposes. .. Actually I have to say that for a lot of the characters that they didn't feel like they existed for plot but rather like characters who were caught up in events.

5) Sterling's parents. I liked the decision the author made on how to conceive them. It felt very smart and a little heartbreaking too.

6) Actually there were some real heartbreaking moments in this book, mostly with how some thing ended up and one of the reasons I didn't rate this higher. I loved Sterlings friends.

This was an enjoyable read that I think even my so-over-it 16 y.o would enjoy.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Review @ http://sandrathebookworm.blogspot.com...

The authors were kind enough to provide me with a copy of their book in exchange for an honest review.

Sterling is entering his senior year of high school and is determined to leave a mark, but when he meets Tetra the new girl at school she turns his world upside down. She tells him that he is not from the world Geo and that they both come from a whole different world called Noba and that they are being hunted by a shapeshifter called a Naga.

I really enjoyed this novel, I found the characters very easy to relate to and very down to earth. I loved that this was written in dual perspective, it lets the reader understand both the main characters so much better! Tetra was such a funny and lovable character, I found her very intriguing since she comes from a different world she is trying to adjust to the this new worlds slang and their way of life; one being that in Noba being female or male doesn't really matter everyone is treated equally; so, when Tetra moves in with Sterling she finds it very confusing that he's uncomfortable with her staying in his room; this also led to some very funny and uncomfortable situations for Sterling. Sterling was such an amazing character, he is so caring and very easy to relate to and I loved his sarcasm; he was such a well written character. I really liked how the authors focused on both Sterling and Tetra’s character development in this book, I really liked reading how they're getting to know each other, as well as themselves. This book had me hooked from the get go! I found the world Tetra and Sterling come from very interesting and I can't wait to see if the next book takes us there. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new fantasy read.

-SandraTheBookWorm

[T.M.B.A. Corbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like YA books and it doesn't matter how old I get I will always like YA. This book has all the characteristics of YA that I love. A determined young person with his mind set on making a change, who then encounters new abilities and an evil plot he must end. All the characters in this book are some of the best written characters in YA. They are all diverse, have their own distinctive personalities, and all have their own agendas. This led to a well written plot full of twist, laugh out loud moments, and a great cliffhanger! I liked the world building in this book because it not only creates original captivating sci-fi aspects but allows for the authors to cleverly analysis our world's gender roles. Tetra the other main protagonist plays a big part in this because in her world gender is not significant and her lack of understanding in our world is funny. I thought that I wouldn't like the connection described between the two main characters in the synopsis because I thought it would allow for an automatic unrealistic bond. However I was happy that this was not the case. Tetra just assumes she can insert herself into Sterlings life and he will trust her, but that wasn't the case. I feel like because of Tetra actions, in gaining him as an alley, it will lead to realistic relationship issues they will have to work through. This facet of their relationship, the awesome sci-fi, and that cliffhanger has left me wanting more!! I recommend this book to everyone because it will captivate them and leave them more open minded just like the Harry Potter did for my generation!
Let me know what you thought of this book and my review here. Also enter for your chance to win a book!

[Heather Heffner · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Warning! Spoilers!*

IN THE DEBUT NOVEL OF GL THOMAS, otherwise known as the mighty Twinjas, space adventure and time travel collides on the Earth-like “Geo,” a modern-day high school setting where people are classified by Types. However, a ruthless Naga has come to Geo with the intent to eradicate the last of the Nobans…an unsuspecting boy named Sterling Wayfairer.

Sterling is a likeable high school boy. His world isn’t very big outside of attending classes, parties, and athletic events, but he always means well. However, little does he know that the nightmares he is plagued with are actually suppressed memories of a world far different from Geo. His time traveling partner, a kick-ass Noban girl named Tetra, arrives to open up his world and enlist his help to track down a dangerous space-traveling serpent known as the Naga, whose single-handed intention is to annihilate entire races.

Tetra is a true gem, and the story really came to life with her viewpoint. She is blunt, thoughtful, and loyal to her friends. Particularly entertaining was the part where she straight up tells Kip how bad his kissing is, which was very refreshing outside of the typical YA fiction where kisses with boys is always fireworks and rainbows. From my recollection, high school had some pretty awkward kisses and dating sequences, and I was very glad that The Mark of Noba fully embraces all of high school’s growing pains to make it more realistic...

Read the rest of the review on my blog:
http://heatherheffner.blogspot.com/20...

[Lisa Cresswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was really good! It had a bit of a Buffy feel to it. My actual score is 4.5 out of 5 because there were moments that confused me. Reading the ebook, I didn't realize there was a glossary in the back until I got to the end. It might have helped me out had I known. My confusion might stem from the fact that I'm not a hard-core scifi reader, but I did manage to get through quite a bit of the Dune series, so I'm not too shabby. The main characters were well crafted and diverse. I liked that Tetra reminded me of a female Spock sometimes; she was perfect, but her explanations of Noba and how Sterling was bonded and came to be in Geo left me confused. I just sort of went with it and the book steadily improved. I did wonder if the situation was so dire, why did Tetra stay in Geo for an entire school year? I enjoyed the story more when it moved past Sterling's teenage angsty stuff and got more into the science fiction action. I imagine the second book might appeal to me even more.

[Ellie Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first page, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. the pages flew by and I loved the mystery, but most of all the characters! Sterling had just such an awesome voice and world--from his mother to his best friends, I connected to everyone. AMAZING writing. Then the adventures and mystery begins and that sucked me in even more. Oh man, it's one of the best books I've read this year! SO GOOD. Can't wait for more.

[Anthony Otero · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rare to see black women in lead roles and I am down for it. Tetra is one of those characters that I really enjoyed getting to know. This is a brilliant story that is engaging, thoughtful and funny.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

EDIT:I don't know if I should rate it 1 or 2 stars, so my final rating is 1.5 stars.

So. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I should stop having high expectations about books with pretty covers. *sigh* Full review coming soon!

Thank you netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange of a honest review!

For once I am going to rely on the goodreads rating system to rate this book. So yeah, this brings me to "2 stars=it was okay". I am not used to rate books lower than 3 stars, because I think it's not fair. But recently I decided to be more honest about ratings and reviews, so here we have it.

I had quite some high expectations about this book.
Pretty cover? check
Nice synopsis? check
Element of fantasy/magic/sci-fi? check



Here's my answer: EVERYTHING

The beginning was so promising. It was light and funny, and a very good introduction to the novel. Even though I was a little confused by the names of the towns; City, Suburb, Seaside... I am torn between thinking it is original or lazy to think of such names to describe the towns. And apparently the planet/world is named Geo? Not that I have something against the name, but it's just that it took me a while to found out that this actually the name of the planet. Maybe a little introduction to the world would have been nice? I would have liked to know more about the planet, the culture... Things like that. For, you know, a nice world development...? Okay, anyway.

Now, in this book, they categorise people by skin colour. SKIN COLOUR PEOPLE.

Why for the love of everything that's Holy would you do that? I get that it's not a utopic world but for what reason would you put up this "barrier"? It makes no sense. So that means they all share the same culture? The same religion? I don't know, but I did not like that part at all. And the way the narrator kept describing people and say, "he's a Type 2", "she's a Type 3"... It annoyed me. A lot.


Anyway. The characters.
Sterling was a nice narrator. He's not one of the popular, but he gets by. He has his own problems, and he's not very brilliant at school, but otherwise he's fine. I liked him. Up until the 10% mark. Where he saw a girl and "drowned in her eyes". Hmmm, cliche much?

Otherwise, I thought he was... okay.

Tetra, on the other hand, is another story. Basically, she's maybe, 3 decades old at least. And, if I understood everything correctly, it's been 17 years since she's been on Geo to track the Naga, right? Then could you please explain to me how she doesn't know most of the basic things she should know? You can't live on a planet for 17 years and not know what is a freaking party??? You need to socialise at least once! Or even be a pretty good observant of the world around you! Or read newspapers! I don't know, you are an adult for god's sake, act like one! Never have I felt so angry and disappointed about a character!


I also thought a lot of things weren't properly addressed. The synopsis mentions people disappearing. Yes, there's a part about it in the beginning, and a few nods here and there, but then? That's it. Also, Sterling is supposed to have powers. He gets out of control once or twice. Um, hello, doesn't that mean it's high time for training? Besides explanations I mean?

There are quite a lot of other things too, but that would be spoiling, so I am going to stop there. Never in my life have I been so disappointed. I tried to like it, but even the "great finale" seemed forced and rushed. It was great, yeah, but... I don't know. It lacked something. What? I don't know.

I may read the second one out of curiosity, but that's it. Then again, maybe the second one would contain some of the answers I need. You may never know.

[Maberan Potato · Rating 1 out of 5]

This isn't the most nothing book I've read, but it's up there. The stuff the blurb mentions, the missing teenagers, Sterling losing time, the Naga trying to kill Tetra and Sterling, their bond and powers? Barely 10% of the book. Nah, it gives us what people really want in these "you're a wizard harry" stories; high school drama! Oh, will Tetra go out with Sterling or Kip? Will Waverly reciprocate Sterling's feelings? What about prom, who are they going to invite! Wait, you think... you think that's boring? You think that's false advertising? Well get used to this garbage friend, this is Wrath and Ruin! Here we drop quality for giving any idiot who can form a sentence the chance to publish their vomit.

SO what's the plot? Good question. I'll ask the same thing. Sterling gets Tetra to tell him what's going on pretty quickly- that they are aliens from a planet called Noba that was attacked by things called Nagas and that there is one right now on this planet hunting them down. He also learns he has powers and that he's bonded to Tetra and I honestly can't tell you what that means. They share strength and thoughts I guess, and it makes them able to feel/detect each other is my best guess. All the questions about what this bond does, what it means culturally, why people don't do it- apparently the ones who do are called "true travelers" and I recall Tetra saying that some of the stuff True Travelers do isn't the norm on Noba so what are true travelers, why do they exist and what differentiates them from non-true travelers? Don't tell me the bond because that's circular logic. "they bonded so they are true travelers, and they are true travelers bc they bonded". Why was their planet attacked? How did people survive and escape (Tetra says that there are others on other planets)? Why did Tetra bond with a child? Was it because there was no one else? How does bonding work? Did she need the parents' consent or smt?

All these questions and more not to be answered! Instead, the "plot" focuses on the extremely boring school life of Sterling and Tetra. Oh no, Sterling is grounded! which doesn't affect the plot in anyway bc he just needs to guilt his mom into letting him accompany Tetra to events. What about the Naga? Barely mentioned after Tetra's original explanation until the last chapters. What about Sterling's powers? The ones that Tetra keeps making Sterling feel bad about not being able to control when he didn't know he had them until she told him? Eh they can wait /seriously she doesn't start teaching him until past the halfway point, and until that she kept complaining that he was weak and putting them in danger bc of his lack of control... am I supposed to like her?

For those not familiar with this urban fantasy-type outsider genre, this isn't how this works. You might have a few chapters establishing the MC's situation while foreshadowing the supernatural aspect, until the big reveal of the MC being some magical type being and being dragged into a new fantastical side of the world they knew. Harry Potter, City of Bones, Splintered are all examples at the top of my head. While the real life world comes into play in these books, we don't spend 85% of our time in it, because that's not the reason why we're reading. This is why I would absolutely say this book falsely advertises. It promises some cool magical bond and a battle against alien snakes but what we get is boring high school drama. I can get that in the contemporary shelf at my local library, with better writing, drama, characters and without that alien subplot, so please focus on what you're trying to be.

This is a nice segue into a big issue with the book: going halfway. By trying to be too many things, it ends up being something no one will like. Take what I said above; the people who are expecting a story about Tetra and Sterling working together on their bond and powers to defeat the Naga threat are going to be disappointed most of the plot is focusing on high school life. On the other side, the people who enjoy contemporary (that's how we call these fictional stories set in the present day if you didn't know pogchamp) aren't going to like the high school parts bc it's incredibly sub par compared to other contenders in the genre and it keeps getting interrupted by this alien subplot.

This, ladies and gentlemen, was a lead in for the subject of the day: SEX. I've been complaining about the sexual aspect that's bizarrely common in these box sets, so much I added a counter in my Sigils and spells review , and this book is no different. As soon as Tetra moves in with Sterling we are treated to all his complaints about Tetra seeing him with some morning wood. There's also that wonderful scene where Tetra asks what oral sex is at the dinner table.

I was not impressed.

But why, you ask? Sex is good. And it is! But the issue is going halfway, again. Despite all the sexual content we never get a full on sex scene, which breaks the whole point of it. The people who don't like sexual content are going to be mad about it being there, and the people who do like are going to frustrated bc there's no resolution for all that referencing. Also I don't really want to know about Sterling's teenage dick, thanks.

Ok so the characters. Are they good at least? Hell no. They aren't awful, but I would never call them good. They're more like ideas of characters than actual characters. Take Tetra, for example. She's from Noba and lived there until like young adulthood or smt? Then she bonded with Sterling and took him to Geo, the planet everthing is happening on. At one point it's revealed that she and Sterling met a lot of times throughout their lives and that she erased his memories of her. So that means she's been living on this planet for quite a while, or at least visiting a bunch of times a year to keep an eye on Sterling. And yet... she's this emotionless, expressionless, filterless robot who doesn't know what oral sex and a boyfriend is. When she's watched TV shows about high school too!

Her character doesn't work. Someone who's been this planet for so long, meeting with Sterling and watching TV should've caught on the meanings of words and the culture already. Especially since she can like, read minds and erase people's memories.

Sterling's parents seem like they're going to be important at first but then they're slowly erased from the story altogether, until Sterling is literally erased from their lives at the end. His mom only gets a "it'll be harder with her" and that's it. It's honestly insulting how the book wastes my time on Laurel's schizophrenia and the family life when it doesn't affect the rest of the story at all. Sterling's friends are barely characters, I can't even tell you who Grey was supposed to be (apparently he's friend with Tetra too? News to me) and Kip was just this macho sports dude, there was nothing there to make him stand out or feel human. Waverly... exists? They try to make her this cool badass at the end but it fell flat bc we barely spent 10 pages with her.

And Sterling. On the surface he doesn't seem so bad, just a dude wanting to hook up with his crush and live life with a sick mom and his friends. But then you get to a certain point of the story, way past when everything is explained to him- especially the part that he's an alien. At the time I thought it was weird that he didn't ask about his parents when that was told to him, I would think that's what 99% of people would ask. But then I hit that certain part, and I understood why the writer had done this.

Because, somehow, it hadn't entered Sterling's brain that him being an alien = him being either adopted or his mom or dad are aliens. So when Tetra confirms that he was adopted, he loses his mind over her not telling him when... dude, she told you you were an alien, and said nothing about your parents. What do you think that means? And then it's played like a twist! Sterling won't speak with Tetra and keeps angsting over his parents not being his parents, it was ridiculous.

Last thing is that I'm ready to bet that the author never reread, or got an editor.

Nothing ever happened in City. Hell, nothing ever happened in Province, Borough, or Suburb, the regions that neighbored City. If I managed to pull my grades up to get into a decent school, I would move somewhere cooler like Megalopolis, Geo’s capitol. Or somewhere where girls walked around like it was spring break all the time, like Seaside. Now that sounded like a plan.

This, dear, sweet readers, is 100% a case of placeholders names being forgotten before publication. The other scenarios are even worse so I doubt the author will argue with me on this one. Still, what more could you want to prove that these anthologies are cheap ass garbage hidden behind some cool cover and blurb?

Shove this box set up your butt!

[Amanda Minnock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was not what I expected, it’s something totally new and had me wanting to read more and more that I actually read it in one sitting.

Sterling is a normal 17 year old with 17 year old problems which a lot of us can relate to (damn you mum and dad for the god damn early curfews!) then you find out his life at home with his family is a little more complicated, which I can totally relate to and it is nice to see what I would call my normal family life in a book rather than what people class “the norm”.

He likes a certain girl (Waverly), his two best friends Kip & Grey are jocks, ones a ladies man and the others totally obsessed in comics.

Then everything changes, Tetra appears and he finds out he has this bond, he isn’t who he thinks he is and it takes him some time to come around to everything.. this part I loved! He didn’t just instantly believe everything was true (which is what usually happens in YA novels).

I like how the story made your brain work for it, you had to really think and it flowed pretty well. Some parts I thought jumped a bit (like when they first met and they went to the park and suddenly they went into some past vision?) yeah it confused me because it jumped for one thing straight into something completely different.

It also has a love story which made my heart melt! I fell head over heels for the guy *swoon* because you never expected it and at the start of the book you sort of took him for a douche (I would say his name but I don’t want to ruin it as this was my fav part of the book).

I am so glad I read this it has to be one of my favorite books I have read in months! (I’m currently nearly at the end of the fallen series and it has not been for me at all).
Well done G.L. Thomas use have captured my heart and I can’t wait to read more.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured on All Our Worlds!

Before the strange girl showed up at his high school, Sterling Wayfairer only had mundane troubles to deal with: getting his grades up, dealing with his mother’s mental illness, explaining his strict curfew to his friends.

Now, he now has a glowing hand, gaps in his memory, and a bizarre new roommate who can control water and read minds. Tetra tells him they’re both from a world called Noba- and that they’re spiritually bonded. Her mission: to take down a body-stealing monster.

Most of the troubles Tetra and Sterling deal with are typical high school issues: relationships, dating, friends, prom planning. Even though I’m not personally a big fan of mundane things like that, it was a lot of fun to see Tetra trying to fit into a culture that’s so different from that of her home planet. It takes her a while to get things, such as the fact that a “boyfriend” isn’t just a boy you know, and that you shouldn’t talk about sex at the dinner table.

Gender roles are another thing that confuse Tetra. On Noba, gender doesn’t really matter that much, so things like girls and boys being separated for gym puzzles her.

The issue of trust was very well done. Tetra can’t just swoop into Sterling’s life and recruit him, she has to earn his trust first. And manipulating his family into accepting her as an exchange student isn’t the best way of doing that. Neither is keeping secrets.

There are even more problems on the horizon for the duo. The Naga is getting closer, and Sterling’s visions of a fiery apocalypse are getting stronger.

The books leaves off on a cliffhanger. I’m really looking forward to the next books in the series, and especially to seeing Tetra’s world.

[Alexandra Engellmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I got a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review

This book is about Sterling, a young boy who is unhappy with his life as it is. On top of it, strange things begin to happen around him, and they bring him even more trouble. He feels like a nobody, he fights with his parents, and his goal to make his senior year special seems to be out of reach.
My favorite thing about this book was the two characters’ relationship. Sterling’s careful attitude plus Tetra’s blunt actions and words equal a hilarious new relationship that had me laughing out loud. The way she sees our world, and her total ignorance of privacy and social norms was described with my favorite, ironic kind of humor. Its subtle nature leaves just enough space for the reader to fully feel the situation, not just laugh at a one-dimensional joke.
I also liked that Sterling wasn’t some kind of a prodigy kid who instantly became a superhero once he found out about his true nature. No, he took his time and learned something in every chapter, and so it seemed realistic and believable. Too many authors forget that it’s not just the characters who need time to adjust to the new situation – the reader needs it as well. Together with the fantastic world-building, the pace of the novel made it a really interesting and grasping read.
If you’re into speculative fiction and YA and fantasy and diversity – this is THE book for you. I’m glad I had the chance to read it, and I had a lot of fun moments with it!

[Rê · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this premise and cover – the colors are really pretty together, as well as by the fact that the story was supposed to be written from the POV of a high school boy. Though I’ve been reading a lot of YA in dual POV, those books are often led by the female protagonist, which wasn’t what this one suggested. I was surprised that Tetra also had a POV, but I guess it’s safe to say that this was Sterling’s story.

Sterling had a good voice. Funny, real and a bit sarcastic in a good way. I thought he sounded authentic and, even if at first he was this normal teenage boy with “normal” problems, he did a good job carrying the story until Terra came into the picture.

This wasn’t as fast-paced as I expected from a book with that kind of premise, but things got better when Tetra and Sterling discovered their connection. I needed more from the world-building, though, because the world Sterling lived looked a lot like Earth. I didn’t get much of what differentiated one from another.


Tetra’s character was another positive aspect of the story. She did sound out of this world (if you know what I mean) and some of her interactions with Sterling’s friends and his parents were pretty funny.

I wanted a little more romance, because I'm a romance addict, but I understand why it had to take a back seat to other aspects of the story, like Sterling's connection with Noba, Tera adapting to this new world and both of them reconnecting. But there was still a little bit of romance, so that's always a good thing.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how the perspective swapped between Sterling and Tetra (once Tetra was in the story). Sterling was your average high school student, not the jock type but had popular friends. He has a love interest in Waverly (who is one of his best friend’s cousin) but he keeps seeing this girl that no one else sees. Then others start to see her, she moves in with Sterling and his whole life changes. It was interesting to learn about Geo (the planet Sterling lived on) from Tetra’s point of view – it was different to her planet, Norba, and she didn’t understand lots of things. The book is YA fantasy and touches on relationships (family, friendship, love).

One thing I didn't understand was the labelling of people as types (type 1 etc). When I got to the end I saw there was a glossary where it was all explained (along with many other useful explanations). This would have been useful to know up front. I know glossary's are traditionally at the back but given I was reading on my kindle and I don't expect to find a glossary in a fiction book I didn't think to look for it. So a tip for readers - read the glossary!!

Overall it was a great book well worth the read.

[Tamara Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Note*** I haven't finished reading The Mark of Noba so this review will be amended when I do.

So far I'm enjoying the book. Interracial YA novels and in general diverse books automatically get me interested so The Mark of Noba was right up my alley. This book did not disappoint. I want to know more about the planet Geo, more about the different districts. The world building in this story was HUGE, like i found myself rereading paragraphs to fully grasp the descriptions. There is so much potential for many more stories about Geo and Noba (a prequel perhaps?) Speaking of Tetra, I started to enjoy the story so much more when it was from her point of view especially since I found Sterling unimpressive and a bit stilted at first. Tetra was very alien and impartial but nonethless complex and interesting. I wanted to know more about what she did in those months before Sterling befriended her. like I said before I'm not finished with the book yet because life got in the way, but I can't wait to finish it and update this review. but in general I feel like GL Tomas's debut novel was a great start to their author career, and with each book their craft will grow and improve.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I would like to thank the author(s) for sending me a copy.


I enjoyed this book. It's a book about a high school boy named Sterling. Everything in his life seems to be normal (except for his mom) until one day Tetra shows up. She tells him how he really isn't from Earth. Then she stays with him on Earth for a little while. It was enjoyable reading about her learning to live on Earth. Compared to her world everything was so different. I will leave you with this that if you have read and enjoyed the Pendragon series then you will like this.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need more!!

[Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again I voluntarily reviewed a copy from the "Rachel E. Carter's YA Book Club" on Goodreads. If you guys haven't joined yet, you really should, it is so much fun to get to review books :)

As you know I enjoy Science Fiction so I was excited to see that this book was to fit in this genre. I was immediately grabbed by this book and the only reason it took me so long to read was that I had some other book deadlines get in the way and I traveled with my family to the other side of the world.

I enjoyed the two characters, Sterling who is in the classic coming of age portion of his life, but to add a twist he discovers that is in fact an alien who possesses a gift that he doesn't even know about and must learn to control. Tetra is also an alien but is currently in the body of a teenage girl and she is to lead Sterling on to the next stage of his life.

There were unfortunately a lot of grammatical and wrong word errors in this book, which seems to be happening a lot lately in ebooks. I am wondering if there is not as much editorial reviews and proofreading?

I also felt at times that the plot was a little too far fetched, and it cleaned up a little fast as though the author had hit her word limit and need to finish the book quickly.

However the world building was good and I would read more about the adventures of Tetra and Stirling. Overall an enjoyable read.

[Dannah Leizl]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy from the “Rachel E Carter YA Book Club” on Goodreads.

I’m going to make my review short.
I was expecting something like I Am Number Four when I read the blurb. Although there were similarities between the two books, the LC being of another world with special skills, sadly, The Mark of Noba didn’t catch my attention long enough to finish it.

I loved the plot, and the characters seem interesting, but I didn’t get to finish the book. Hence, I am not going to give stars or ratings.

I would still recommend it to my friends who love YA books.