Middle-Grade Review: Horizon

NOTE: With this review, I am switching (at least for now) to shorter reviews for books, TV shows, and movies. This will allow me to hopefully catch up on my long backlog of reviews and also to have more time for other writing (and maybe my family, too!). Let me know what you think of the new approach!

During the R.I.P. Challenge last month, I listened to the start of a new middle-grade series on audio, Horizon by Scott Westerfeld. It's a fast-paced adventure that mixes a survival story with science fiction...and plenty of mystery!

Four kids are on a flight from the U.S. to Japan for a robotics competition when their plane suddenly crashes. Most of the passengers (and all of the adults) are gone, but eight survivors remain: the robotics team, plus four other kids. They know immediately that something is very wrong (besides the plane crash itself) because they'd been flying over the arctic, but they crash-landed in a jungle-like environment. Stranger still, all of the plant life, birds, and animals they see are bizarre things they have never heard of before. Luckily, the robotics team has some engineering know-how, and the other kids pitch in as they try to make the best of what's left of the plane while they explore their surroundings. The more they learn of this unique place, though, the stranger it becomes, leaving many questions unanswered.

This was a quick read (listen), with nonstop action and each chapter narrated by a different character. The kids are focused on trying to survive but are also trying to figure out where they landed...and how they got there. It's a great suspenseful mix for kids who enjoy adventure, thrillers, or science fiction, with elements of all three. My only complaint is that it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger - and few of their questions answered - because this is the first of a 7-book series. It looks as though each book will be written by a different top-notch author. Book 2 , written by Jennifer Nielsen, was released September 12, and book 3, written by Jude Watson, is due out on January 30, 2018. I may not read the entire series, but I was certainly intrigued enough to listen to book 2 (which I've already downloaded). I can't wait to see what happens next!

256 pages, Scholastic

You can listen to a brief audio sample of book 1 at the Amazon/Audible link below.

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Horizon 01
by Muller, Walter J.Hardcover

Horizon 02 Deadzone
by Muller, Walter J.Hardcover

Or you can purchase the first two books from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.