"Waiting On" Wednesday: Stone in the Sky

"Waiting" On Wednesday is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine.

Last year, I fell in love with TIN STAR by Cecil Castellucci.  Thus, I cannot wait to read the sequel STONE IN THE SKY, which comes out next month (on the 24th).

Upon finishing TIN STAR, I said, "There is romance in TIN STAR, though it is rarely a focus.  I did, however, truly love the romance and wish that there was more time for it to be explored.  I understand that it wasn't the focus of TIN STAR, but I would adore a sequel.  I know I've been clamoring for more standalones, and now that I've got them, I keep falling in love and wanting sequels.  TIN STAR tells one heck of a story about a teen girl stranded in space."

Here is the publisher's blurb for that sequel:

Brother Blue.

His name, even the color, filled me with a furious fire of pure hatred.

 

Years ago, Tula Bane was beaten and left for dead on a remote space station far from Earth, her home planet. She started with nothing and had no one, but over time, she found a home, a family, and even love. When it's discovered that the abandoned planet beneath the station is abundant with a rare and valuable resource, aliens from across the galaxy race over to strike it rich. With them comes trouble, like the man who nearly killed Tula years ago—the man she has dreamed of destroying ever since.

 

In this sequel to Tin Star, Cecil Castellucci takes readers on an extraordinary adventure through space in a thrilling and thoughtful exploration of what it means to love, to hate, and to be human.

Review: Tin Star

By Cecil Castellucci
Available now from Roaring Brook Books (Macmillan)
Review copy

In the future of TIN STAR, humans are not the dominant species.  In fact, they're pretty low on the totem pole and mistrusted.  Tula is part of a group of colonists, heading out to start human planets and raise the interstellar power of the species.  Then she's abandoned and left for dead on a remote space station.

I loved TIN STAR from beginning to end.  The science fiction setting is used wonderfully.  The station is isolated and subject to mechanical and other problems.  It's populated by a variety of alien species, each with their own culture.  As Tula explores the station and encounters more people, she starts to realize everything she never knew.  TIN STAR is a glimpse at an expansive universe with complicated politics.  The status of humans is merely the tip of the iceberg.

Tula's used to sticking with humans and has to find a way to fit in and make money if she wants to survive.  The other inhabitants of the station are sympathetic to her abandonment, but they aren't just going to let her freeload.  Tula starts off simply wanting to escape the station and revenge herself on the man who beat her half to death.  But things start becoming more complicated as she forms bonds with others on the station - and when another group of humans becomes stranded.  Tula must decide on her priorities. 

There is romance in TIN STAR, though it is rarely a focus.  I did, however, truly love the romance and wish that there was more time for it to be explored.  I understand that it wasn't the focus of TIN STAR, but I would adore a sequel.  I know I've been clamoring for more standalones, and now that I've got them, I keep falling in love and wanting sequels.  TIN STAR tells one heck of a story about a teen girl stranded in space.

Review: Geektastic and So Punk Rock

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci



Stories by John Green, M.T. Anderson, Kelly Link, Cassandra Clare, Greg and Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kelly Link, Libba Bray, Tracy Lynn, David Levithan, Barry Lyga, Garth Nix, Wendy Mass, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr
Illustrations by Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley

Why does something I loved this much feel like such a misfire? This book contains stories for every kind of geek: lj RP, cosplay, D&D, Buffy, and more. For pan-fandom geeks, it's a godsend. Like any short story collection I loved some more than others, but the writing was generally strong.

However, I felt like I relied on the knowledge I've learned from seven or so years as a Queen of Nerds (ask me for my credentials). GEEKTASTIC is not inclusive. I think most people without geeky or nerdy inclinations will be left behind. And I hate to admit it, but geeks are the minority. (I could be wrong. As I said, I'm a knowledgeable audience. This is pure extrapolation.)

I hope there is a huge audience for GEEKTASTIC. It's a celebration of subculture. Who wants to be mainstream when having a hobby can be so rewarding? And these authors have a sizeable following for a reason - and I know some of their fanbases are pretty nerdy.

If you're a geek, do yourself a favor and pick up GEEKTASTIC. It's hard to choose a favorite, but it might be "Quiz Bowl Antichrist" by David Levithan, which brought back days of junior high Whiz Quiz and organizing my high school's St. Jude's Trivia Challenge.

So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)



By Micol Ostow
Illustrations by David Ostow

Which brings me to a book to which I am an outsider to the culture presented. Most of what I know comes from reading the Old Testament and talking to my friend at Girls State who had trouble with the meals. (Apparently you can only have one dairy item with a meal, which is difficult when everything has cheese on it.)

Ari Abramson knows who he is. He just doesn't know how to reveal that person to others. So he convinces his friend Jonas Fein, geeky Yossi, and Yossi's sister Reena to start a band. Though they start out not knowing how to play their instruments, pretty soon they're a MySpace sensation with a real gig. Of course, they still have SATs, parents, and holy days to worry about. It doesn't help that Jonas is kind of a jerk.

SO PUNK ROCK is a quick read that manages to share a great deal about being Jewish-American without bogging down the proceedings. There's a great glossary in the back, but I didn't need to use it while reading.

I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of standard prose with graphic novel sections. It makes you wonder whether the comics are supposed to be a representation of Ari's work or if Ari's work is totally different and they simply represent how he thinks. SO PUNK ROCK continues Flux's history of rocking my socks. It doesn't hurt Micol Ostow's track record with me either.