Sound (Salvage, 2) - Hardcover

Duncan, Alexandra

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062220179 ISBN 13: 9780062220172

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2015

Synopsis

Sound is the stand-alone companion to Alexandra Duncan's acclaimed debut novel Salvage, which was praised by internationally bestselling author Stephanie Perkins as "brilliant, feminist science fiction." For fans of Beth Revis, Firefly, and Battlestar Galactica.

As a child, Ava's adopted sister, Miyole, watched her mother take to the stars, piloting her own ship from Earth to space making deliveries. Now a teen herself, Miyole is finally living her dream as a research assistant on her very first space voyage. If she plays her cards right, she could even be given permission to conduct her own research and experiments in her own habitat lab on the flight home. But when her ship saves a rover that has been viciously attacked by looters and kidnappers, Miyole, along with a rescued rover girl named Cassia, embarks on a mission to rescue Cassia's abducted brother, and that changes the course of Miyole's life forever. Harrowing, provocative, and stunning, Sound begins roughly a decade after the action in the author's critically acclaimed Salvage, and is a powerful stand-alone companion.

About this title

About the Author

Alexandra Duncan is an author and librarian. She lives in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband and two monstrous, furry cats.

From the Back Cover

Miyole has made mistakes.

The first was lying about her age to secure a spot on a Deep Sound Research Institute mission to the edges of known space.

The second was failing to stop the pirates who attacked her ship and destroyed a smaller vessel before her eyes.

The third was falling in love with Cassia.

In the wake of the attack, Miyole finds herself drawn in to a reckless quest to rescue Cassia's brother. Along with a meddling pilot caught up in their plans, the girls fight their way through criminal dens, abandoned space stations, and the harsh oceans of an ice-bound moon.

Soon, the reality Miyole has so carefully constructed for herself begins to crumble. Can she trust Cassia? Is the DSRI everything they say? Can she control the memories of a past she has struggled so hard to forget?

And most of all, can she bear the cost?

Reviews

Gr 7–10—Miyole is a young scientist on a space research vessel in the not-so-distant future. Despite being only 16, she has secured her position on the mission by forging her papers and pretending to be older. When Miyole's ship is attacked by slaver pirates and a guest on the vessel is kidnapped, the protagonist volunteers to lead an illicit rescue mission to find him. Along with the man's teenaged sister, Cassia, and a reluctant pilot named Rubio, Miyola sets off on a dangerous space adventure. Unfortunately, the heroine's motivations for abandoning her post ring hollow. She has lied and put her family at risk in order to be a research scientist, and her decision to help Cassia—a stranger—feels forced and abrupt. Despite Duncan's best efforts to show that Miyole's own past makes her sympathetic toward the kidnapped man's family, the characters feel underdeveloped, and readers will struggle to feel invested in their conflicts and relationships. Diverse characters populate this novel. Miyole, in addition to being a brilliant female scientist, is a lesbian of Haitian descent who has grown up in foster care in India. Two other lesbian characters are included, as well as a character who is Deaf. While Miyole's sexuality does play a role in her character's actions throughout the story, the romance is light and the action is fast-paced. VERDICT Overall, while weak on character development, this adventure novel will appeal to readers looking for science fiction with strong female heroines and abundant diversity.—Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GA

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062220179
• ISBN 13: 9780062220172
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 496