Dax Zander, Sea Patrol: The Hand in the Moon

by Noah Knox Marshall

His mom engineered habitats for colonists on Mars and Europa. His dad ended a long war.But Dax Zander spends his days surfing Kawela Bay with his brothers, hitching rides with whales and exploring the reefs around his family's undersea home. Life's sweet, the future is bright.Then one morning in 2077, three aliens arrive pleading for humanity's help against a horrific threat to their distant oceanic homeworld. As Earth's leaders ponder a risky mission of mercy, Dax feels a stirring in his gut to leave behind childhood thrills and embrace a greater, but far more dangerous preventing the extinction of an entire civilization.

Lexile 890L

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2018

Reviews

[Michael Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming-of age story set in a near future where humanity is on the verge of making contact with a larger (and potentially dangerous) universe. The Zander family, revealed through the POV of early-teen Dax, faces the realization of civilizations "out there" and tough choices about how to respond, both as a family and as representatives of Earth.

The first installment in what is clearly an ambitious series, Hand in the Moon focuses on introducing principal characters and the mystery of what lies in wait beyond Earth's atmosphere, but offers enough sense of present-day stakes to keep us engaged.

What distinguishes this novel is its optimism for human potential, even in the face of peril. The main characters are wunderkinds and experts, noble and principled despite being human and imperfect. It’s also worth noting that the expertise is earned: they’re accomplished (or budding) scientists and military heroes rather than passive heirs of super powers. In other words, heroism is portrayed as accessible, which is an important message for young readers. In its depiction of expertise and relentless enthusiasm for science, Hand in the Moon is sometimes reminiscent of the better works of Heinlein.

A lot of Y.A. sci-fi today is dystopian and postmodernist in flavor. Hand in the Moon offers a refreshing change of tone: positive without being pollyannistic, and warm-hearted without being fluffy. Young readers will enjoy the adventure, and parents will appreciate the positive perspectives which frame the story.

[Nick Burrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colleague and friend brought me this book and asked me to read it. This book isn’t at all what I was expecting. It reads with the maturity of adult science fiction but with a writing style that is appropriate as junior fiction. The Zander family isn’t like any other family and at the end of this first volume, you know them well.

The only concern that I have is that the plot moves slow. Personally, this isn’t a problem, but for younger readers there isn’t ready conflict to create a hook. My son’s favorite books are “intense” and this isn’t that. This builds to something that I am sure will be delivered in the next book, but the story is more about relationships than action. This isn’t bad, but may be a potential miss for less mature readers.

With that said, I loved the book and look forward to volume two. I hope a big publishing house picks this up so young people around the world can meet Dax.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful, clever, and enjoyable! The genius and creativity behind this book is palpable. This story contains wonderful content and vocabulary for young readers’ maturation in expanding their knowledge and understanding of language; cultural, historical, & literary references; science & faith; and more... And the greatest gift this book bestows upon the reader is a picture of family life and relationships that shapes the imagination with images of positive family dynamics. A true gift indeed, needed in our world and in our literature desperately! I’d highly recommend “Dax” to young and old readers alike.

[Tricia Fraser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The first chapter drew me in and I liked the characters. But then the book seemed to go on and on. I was waiting for something to happen. By the end of the book, the story was underway, but it took way too long to get there. All the details about the technology were particularly difficult to wade through and I started just skimming over them. I haven't read any subsequent books, but I think I would have liked this better if there was less technological detail, less long scenes about speeding around on boats, and if it had been one longer book instead of a trilogy.

[Kyle Duffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was gifted to me by the author, whom i met while visiting a friend in the LA area. he was very genuine and kind and very imaginative. when he said he had written a book that combines sci-fi and aquatic life i was hooked. this book was a page turner for me - i feel it tells enough to get you hooked and want to keep reading. i’m excited to see where this journey continues!

[Kaiser Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, compelling characters, and a world that’s such a joy to get to inhabit!

[Matthew Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent adventure book for all ages! Finally, an author that has a hopeful future in mind instead of all of the dystopian stuff that is out there. The science in the book is futuristic but is all real as well. Get this book for your pre-teens and read it as a family!