Voyager

Demetria #2

by Jan Mark

Starved, sun-scorched, and dangerously dehydrated Demetria is barely recognizable as human when she is rescued from the ocean. Having risked everything to escape her oppressive life on High Island she desperately hopes she is finally free. But the world beyond the island is even more terrifying; here people are condemned for their beliefs and castaways like Demetria are accused of being enemy spies. Snatched first by the government who want to interrogate her, then `rescued` by the resistance, Demetria fears she will never be free. But as she learns about the political situation, about those who go `missing` and those forced into exile, Demetria begins to understand that there are more important things to fight for than her own freedom...

Genres: Science Fiction, War

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Janet Marjorie Mark (1943-2006) was a British children's author and two time winner of the Carnegie Medal. She also taught art and English in Gravesend, Kent, was part of the faculty of Education at Oxford Polytechnic in the early 1980s and was a tutor and mentor to other writers before her death from meningitis-related septicaemia.

Meet the author:

What is your favourite animal?
The noble rat

What is your favourite boy’s name?
George

What is your favourite girl’s name?
Marjorie

What is your favourite food?
Pickled herring

What is your favourite music?
Klezmer

What is your favourite hobby?
Listening to music

Reviews

[Sula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gutted that this series will never be finished.

[Floppy (Sus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is good book but the writing is simplistic. The narrative is quite interesting.

[Amanda Woolley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story of courage and hope. I didn't read the first book in the series so I am not sure how much difference that would make but it does seem to work as a standalone title.

[Meredith Nigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this one up not realizing it was the second book in a sci fi series. Regardless of my usual aversion to sci fi and having to follow along with world building and jargon, this one was actually fine. I’m sure the first one was good, because this one was not bad. I think it helped that the main character (as far as I could tell) came from a setting that resembled simple earth, so we were learning about all of the new world stuff along with her. Which made it definitely easier for me to follow.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frustratingly ending on a note of hope and hooks for a sequel Jan Mark never lived to write, this is the sequel to "Riding Tycho".

A young girl, Demetria, has risked death to escape her brutal and claustrophobic home, and is rescued on the brink of death. She slowly learns much about the very different society she finds herself in and the determination of a small group of people determined to resist a growing militarism, corruption and totalitarianism of those in power.

Beautifully-written and observed, this book stays firmly with the perspective of a girl to whom everything is new, confusing and frightening.