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2nd Gen

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First Place Category Award Winner for The 2018 Dante Rossetti International Book Awards Finalist in the 12th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards HUMANITY'S LAST HOPE... With Earth rapidly becoming inhospitable to human life, G.S. Archean carries a one-way crew of courageous passengers to Uelara, an earth-like planet in the Cieri star system. Uelara is ideal, except for one minor detail—its distance from Earth. Traveling at sub-light speed, the generation ship won’t reach Uelara within the original crew’s lifetime. Thirty years into the journey, a new generation born on the Archean trains to fulfill the first generation’s mission. Eager to reach Uelara, the 2nd Gen crew prepares, as planned, to assume their parents’ responsibilities—that is, until. . . someone goes missing and a devastating secret is discovered, putting the future of the human race in jeopardy. Will the crew rally and carry out the mission—or is humanity doomed? It’s all up to the 2nd Gen. The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.
—Gaylord Nelson

376 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2018

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110 people want to read

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Andrea Vaughan

9 books4 followers

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5 stars
46 (20%)
4 stars
77 (34%)
3 stars
75 (33%)
2 stars
22 (9%)
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6 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for David.
Author 20 books403 followers
September 17, 2020
This was an Audible Daily Deal, and I like YA novels that remind me of Heinlein's classic juveniles. But 2nd Gen, while not a terrible book, was thoroughly mediocre.

The protagonists are the "2nd Gen" of kids learning to crew the Archean, a generation ship carrying the first interstellar colonists to another planet. Their parents, the 1st Gen, have been teaching them the ropes and preparing them to settle on Uelara in about 20 years.

The novel opens with a bunch of late teens/early 20s playing an elaborate game of hide 'n go seek. Even though they justify this to themselves, acknowledging that they're too old for such games, and saying it's just a tradition they are trying to hold onto before they have to transition to adulthood for good, it set the tone for the rest of the book. These kids act like punks, and while it seemed the authors were trying to emulate Heinlein, in which juveniles thrust into unexpected precarious situations have to man up and take charge, the characterization was all so flat that from the "leader" who did the take-charging to the punks who represented the "rebels," it still all felt very much like high school cliques, not a crew of survivors representing humanity's last, best hope.

There is a Big Reveal at about the halfway point, in which the 2nd Gen learns that the 1st Gen has been lying to them about their mission. Then a conveniently-timed tragedy leaves the 2nd Gen on their own to deal with it. The reactions (including the cause of the tragedy) are more juvenile whining, some of it unforgivable. When some of the kids are determined to continue the mission, while others decide to play Lost Boys and actively screw with the crew trying to do their jobs, someone should have taken a more authoritarian stance, but instead, they just waffle about how "these are our friends, they are just reacting to trauma differently." Yeah, your "friends" are selfishly threatening to doom everyone aboard the ship, and all the people back on Earth whose only hope is a successful extrasolar colony. Time to start spacing people. I'd probably be a terrible starship captain.

Besides the juvenile tone, there are a lot of amateur writing mistakes. The dialog is replete with saidisms. Whenever there is a need for drama, someone does something stupid. I can't fault the book too hard for young people acting like young people, but at times, it was hard to remember that these are twenty-somethings and not tweens. The social structure of the ship did not make much sense — everyone has their job and their life partner selected for them, like in some authoritarian dystopia, but otherwise they mostly act like 21st century Westerners.

The book ends with a clear opportunity for a sequel, but I'm not really interested in reading it.
Profile Image for Adrian.
1,154 reviews16 followers
February 17, 2020
3.7 stars
I picked up this book because of Audible promoting it so I kind of had no idea what to expect. I guess if Luke Daniels is narrating then maybe it’s going to be somewhat lighthearted. Right away, there are a ton of characters. I’m not sure which ones are the ones I need to focus on. As the book goes on, we stay in the 100-character realm and it’s not too helpful. I feel like I need a chart of who’s who with lineage, job descriptions, ages, and what hive number.

That aside, and after we get through a large chunk of the book, we get to the ‘mystery’ and fun part. I enjoyed this book – it was fast and mainly fun and semi-interesting. Will there be a sequel?

Audiobook narrator Luke Daniels rating: 4.5 stars
4.5 stars just because when I hear certain voices, all I hear are voices of characters from other books! Otherwise, he’s a 5-star narrator!
Profile Image for Michelle Hansen-corbin.
2 reviews
June 7, 2019
My two teenagers and I were reading at the same time and enjoying our heated discussions about the mission during dinner. I got so caught up in the book that I finished quickly and now waiting on the kids to hurry up! There is so much to review with them and I anticipate their responses to some of the twists that unfold. This young adult sci-fi is very intriguing and I highly recommend reading.
Profile Image for Leisa.
74 reviews
February 3, 2020
I downloaded this book on Audible. The book sounded interesting. I think there could have been more of a climax and not so much fluff. Also, I hate vile language in books. This book has some pretty hefty swearing in parts. I did LOVE Luke Daniels reading it however. His voices for the characters are phenomenal and he portrays them so well. It was overall a good book.
22 reviews
December 23, 2019
Lord of the flies in space. If that type of chaos, selfish, power hungry action is entertaining to you, you will love this ride.
Profile Image for Gummih.
315 reviews8 followers
November 16, 2023
A simple and enjoyable young adult SciFi. We follow the 2nd generation of astronauts on a colony ship headed for a new solar system.
For what happens in this story there are entirely too many characters included in the book, it sure feels like you are following an entire generation of people at times. At times I also felt let down by the plot. Not all bad, it managed to renew interest from time to time.
On a side note, I wouldn't be surprised if this inspired the script to the Netflix movie Voyagers.
Profile Image for Eric Korte.
62 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2020
Just ok. Love the idea of generation ships but this just didn't touch on why I find them interesting. Simple and fine. The generation ship is more of a back drop. This is for a young adult audience and I just wanted a little bit more.
Profile Image for Libby May.
Author 4 books85 followers
May 13, 2020
I was not impressed. I couldn't find anything about the authors and the beginning was just a whole bunch of teenagers playing ghosts in the graveyard. Buildup took way too long. Might give it another try sometime soon
Profile Image for Suzanne Jones.
Author 2 books53 followers
November 20, 2019
It's been a while since I read a YA novel but I'm glad I chose to listen to 2nd Gen on audible! The book takes its time setting the stage and developing the characters and setting, and just when I started to wonder if anything interesting was going to happen, BOOM! The second half of the book is a non-stop thrill ride with twists and turns every step of the way. I only wish my kids were still at an age when I read to them at night before bed. This book would go down with some of our favorites like the Percy Jackson series or Harry Potter. Do yourself a favor if you read to your kids...put this next on your list!
Profile Image for Kaisievic.
67 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2020
Disappointing

The premise was interesting but the writing was very poor. Very little depth of characterisation. Such a shame as the authors could have done so much more with the idea.



Profile Image for Samyann.
Author 1 book84 followers
June 29, 2020
If this wasn't purchased via 'Daily Deal', I'd be executing a refund. It's YA. Kids, the 2nd Gen, playing hide-n-seek on a space ship, so far. Can't go any further - still have 5 hours left. But, I'm done, can't finish. You may like it if you're under 12.

Narration is fine. Story, not so much.
Profile Image for Mark.
48 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2020
Interesting story with a bit Lord of the Flies thrown in for good measure. I would have liked a few more story lines fleshed out a bit more but overall not a bad read.
Profile Image for Jasmine.
170 reviews18 followers
November 15, 2020
3.5/5 stars

 S U M M A R Y 
Thirty years ago, a generational ship left Earth on a mission to reach Uelara, humanity's last hope of a new home as Earth slowly dies around them. The second generation of this ship has been training to eventually replace their parents and continue the mission as humanity's last great hope. But a deep running deception is discovered by one of the most beloved of the 2nd generation, and that discovery sparks a tornado of accidents, poor decisions, and other things that threaten the destruction of everything their parents had been working towards. Can the 2nd generation salvage everything in time?

 C H A R A C T E R S 
I do think that there are possibly too many points of view in this book, and sometimes when they switch I did struggle to remember who was who and what was what. But most of the time I didn't have much of a problem. This probably could have been solved by having a full cast narration. As for the characters themselves, on the whole I liked them all right, though I had some trouble with some of the instant mood switches of a few. But Fisher and Sam (mostly) were my favorites in this. 

 P L O T 
I did buy into the plot, and was also glad that the science wasn't overly belabored in this. While I enjoy a good hard scifi, the fact that this is young adult would have made over-exposition a huge flaw. I even understand the labyrinth of deceptions that the 1st gen employed over time, though I don't agree with all of their logic. This story was really slow to get going, as the authors laid out a lot of world building that probably could have been incorporated more into the story itself. But once the plot really started off, it chugged along nicely and I enjoyed the ride a lot.

 N A R R A T I O N 
Luke Daniels did a good job. However I really do feel that this book would have done better with at least two narrators, male and female, or even better, a full cast.

 O V E R A L L
A solid YA sci-fi romp! I think that most people who like the genre in the age group intended would really enjoy this (and want more). As an adult, it probably lost a few things due to my age and pickiness, but on the whole, good read, especially for an independently published work.
Profile Image for Gilbert Stack.
Author 96 books77 followers
March 7, 2025
2nd Gen centers upon a group of young adults or late teens who have been born on and grown up on a multi-generational colonizing space ship roughly thirty years before it is scheduled to reach its generation. The protagonists' parents are the original starship crew, having left earth because it is no longer capable of sustaining life (or at least, civilization). The group of young people are very likeable, but the reader will almost immediately begin to suspect that something is seriously wrong. The first thing I noticed is that while the young people are being trained to fly and maintain the spacecraft, there is no serious preparations being made for colonizing a planet. The heroes don't even appear to understand that the planet needs to be colonized. They talk about what they will do when they get there and most of them seem to think they will just be able to laze around in paradise. Now, I can understand that in thirty years these people might not be the front line colonists, but it was weird that none of them gave any evidence that they understood that the real work would begin once the world was reached.

Then there is the father who becomes hostile at any talk about the future. Obviously, he is worried about how his son will respond to something he isn't sharing. When you consider that the parents are even planning to determine who each of the members of the 2nd Gen will marry, I started to think that we were dealing with a strange cult and wondered if maybe earth isn't even in bad shape. Neither of those two questions are answered, but the secret that the 1st Gen are concealing does create a great amount of tension in the plot. And the circumstances in which that secret is revealed provided a great crisis that turned this book from a fairly humdrum slow moving story into a very interesting space adventure.

3,970 reviews14 followers
February 12, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"Ships don't close doors. People do."
Like the lovely cover, the novel, 2nd.Gen, is simple but engrossing. Although aimed at a young adult readership, this is a book to be enjoyed by all ages.
2nd Gen follows events occurring in the ship Arcean as it heads away from earth towards a new home for humanity, and is told from the point of view of the now adult children of the original intrepid explorers. Their parents will never live to see their prospective planet and it will be another thirty years before the 2nd generation themselves arrive at the destination. These young people have lived their entire lives in space, having been born aboard the Arcean, and have formed close family groups of both friendship and antagonism. This closeness will soon be put to the test.

Although slow aced, this story quickly captivates the reader and holds them close throughout. This is very able assisted by the excellent narration of Like Daniels who give a flawless performance, with great pacing, and all protagonists individually and appropriately voiced. A good melding of text and reader, the latter breathing even more life into the characters.

I was fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of 2nd Gen, by the rights holder at my request. Thank you. The book was easy to read, intriguing and left me wanting more. Is this the beginning of a series? I have no idea, but certainly hope so. I definitely want to know more about the journey and crew of the Arcean. Recommended to all fans of the S.F. genre.
Profile Image for Kayla Roskopf.
1 review
April 17, 2018
2nd Gen a wonderful science fiction tale that brings elements of philosophy, psychology, mystery, romance and human nature full circle in an incredibly imaginative narrative. It is just as intelligent as it is exhilarating. I was unable to put the novel down for more than a few minutes at a time without pondering the fate of the Archean and it's crew. It is truly an inspiring story that will keep you glued to the pages and on the edge of your seat the whole ride!

Andrea and William bring the crew of the G.S. Archean to life with astonishing individual character depth. The reader is able to intimately experience the lives of each character as their time unfolds aboard the "Arc", a starship with an incredibly critical mission that all of humanity is depending on. The plot is incredibly thought provoking and will leave the reader constantly wanting more.

The exciting journey will fill the reader with a whole spectrum of emotion in a truly inventive way. I absolutely loved 2nd Gen and highly recommend it to readers of all ages. There is literally something for everyone.

Prepare yourself for a wonderful voyage among stars and vivid dreams of Uelara!
Profile Image for Ido.
20 reviews
March 16, 2021
What a great read. At first I had to get used to the pace of the story, its not as other Sci-fi books I have listened to. Usually these books have more actions and stuff happening, this book takes it slower and focusses more on the effects actions have on people and the group.
I was really sucked into the story half way the book, the first 2 hours is always getting into a story and discovering the writing style.
I also read a few reviews where people were complaining about the characters being flat en not developed. I think this book does take a lot of time giving the different characters life. Reading about the individual struggle and the struggle in a group. The book also offers some great topics you also start to think about and is fun to discuss with others, who haven't read the book.
So all in all, its has been a great read for me.
2 reviews
March 11, 2021
2nd Gen
Overall my reading experience was good, I have a couple reasons why I like the book. The first reason Is that My aunt and her husband wrote the book. The second reason is that I was a character in the book. I don't necessarily dislike the book, But i would have portrayed my character differently. It helps answer one of our essential questions because the book for me showed me what one of my family members thought of me. That helped me better understand myself. “Actually Dom is right, We aren't playing the game right!” (Vaughan 37.) I would recommend this book to anyone who likes space, and mystery.

Profile Image for Carolyn.
1,516 reviews12 followers
June 23, 2020
I would probably go 1.5 if that were an option. The first half of the book is nothing but description. It is a well-imagined essay about the implications of life on board a space vessel with a decades-long journey in front of it. But nothing happens. The characters are flat. When something finally DOES happen, things get very dramatic very fast. I might have been inclined to say 1.0 for the first half and 3.0 for the second half, but, by the end, the dialogue was so full of cliched new-agey ultra sensitive dialogue that I got really sick of it.
Profile Image for Fate's Lady.
1,433 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2021
A generational ship is sent toward a distant world to create a rapid space-travel corridor for the people of the near-uninhabitable Earth left behind. When a shocking death puts question to everything the second generation has been taught, it leads to an even greater tragedy and fractures the remaining crew of the second generation in dramatic ways.

The plot is super straightforward and simple but the emotional dramas are well-explored and the setup for the group that becomes known as The Ghosts is strong. Decent story if not complex or all that nuanced. I'd probably read the sequel.
Profile Image for Lynda Engler.
Author 7 books75 followers
January 21, 2023
Not my favorite book. Too much time spent on the minutiae of a bunch of 20 somethings playing hide and seak for the first quarter of the book. A lot of unrealistic drama. Without spoilers, when the tragedy occurs, it's so unrealistic. How could that whole group be in one place, hundreds of people, and no one from the 2nd gen there? Didn't anyone work the night shift? Or was in the kitchen, or visiting elsewhere in the ship? I know it's scifi, but circumstances were really pushed to the limits.
Profile Image for John.
340 reviews3 followers
March 31, 2020
Coming of age.

Age has a very..., flexible, relationship with growing up. And the process pretty much sucks. But, amazingly enough, many seem to make it to the other side - or close enough to fake it. Many of the characters in this book showed the pain, and the gain.
It didn’t really make for pleasant reading, but it sure took you there.
Profile Image for Kimberly Simon.
511 reviews34 followers
April 16, 2020
A vessel of Earthlings is mid trip to a new planet to maintain the species. Allusions are destroyed about the mission in this first installment of a new series of what feels like a ya book. The writing is simple and the story not very complex. The light reading was pleasant distraction that didn't inspire me to feel I needed the second installment.
Profile Image for Vicky.
284 reviews4 followers
June 2, 2020
Trigger warning: suicide

Shallow characterization, disappointingly simple plot hinging on unnecessary lies

If this hadn't been purchased with a deal of the day price, I'd ask for my money back

Pros:the narrator was clearly understandable, but the widely varying accents really don't make sense for a cast of 60 2nd gen characters that all grew up on a single ship.
1 review
June 25, 2020
Very interesting concept in sci-fi with surprising twists!

Slow start, but I'm glad I stuck it out through the first few chapters to read an exciting new slant on life during space travel to distant stars!! Very unique plot development as seen through the eyes of the different characters. Youthful readers will particularly like their different story lines.
Profile Image for Laurel.
605 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2019
This was an engrossing story that, while slow to grab me, held on once it did. There were several times I thought I knew what was going on, only to have my suppositions blown away by an unexpected twist.
Profile Image for Stacey.
908 reviews28 followers
February 10, 2020
A simple YA sci-fi light. Character development was a strength, and the story was good. There were a couple of areas that were thrilling and I felt jazzed about, but I never had truly strong emotions. It was good.
Profile Image for Jeff.
1,381 reviews7 followers
April 4, 2020
This is half of a good story. The novel really ends in the middle of the climax. The story and concepts are good. The character development is excellent. Then it ends when the real story begins. I like the concept, but not sure if I'll continue with the next novel.
Profile Image for Soo.
2,928 reviews346 followers
May 18, 2020
Notes:

Narration by Luke Daniels was great but this was a story that I could have lived without ever reading. I spent 75% of the book wondering when it would end and being disappointed by the uncompelling plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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