Best for ages 12-15 years, AND Adults 🙂
CBC Books names Pulse Point is a Top Ten book to watch for this spring!
In Kaia’s world, setting foot Outside can be deadly. The safety of the City has kept humans alive as climate change destroys the world. But the City has found a way to survive sustainably: it is run by the energy generated by its Citizens. Th e energy that citizens create is calculated and displayed on their pulse point, a transmitter embedded in their finger.
Kaia is a Citizen, one of the few deemed genetically perfect enough to live under the protective dome of the City with her grandmother and father. But when Kaia discovers her mother is alive and living Outside, she escapes the safety of the City and learns the truth about the sinister world she left behind.

 

Colleen Nelson with Nancy Chappell-Pollack
COLLEEN NELSON is the award-winning author of YA fiction books Finding Hope (2016), 250 Hours (2015), The Fall (2013) and Tori by Design (2011). Colleen works as a teacher librarian in Winnipeg where she lives with her husband, two young sons and three grown step-children.
Colleen and her sister NANCY CHAPPELL-POLLACK have collaborated on many projects over the years but this is the first book that they have worked on together. Nancy lives in Winnipeg with her family.

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this MS Proof in exchange for my honest review.

Having a manuscript instead of a book left me without the insight as to what the cover was going to be; however, the photo on the press release is like the picture above which I think is absolutely perfect.

I want to gush and gush about this dynamic duo who wrote this story… but first I will say the only thing that I didn’t like about the story is how it ended too abruptly, but that’s typical of science fiction books.  And, naturally, I want the whole story NOW! LOL

Other than that, what a ride! The authors’ voices were magical and easy to follow. They hooked me in right away showing me the conflict and from there, built the tension to an explosive edge, before shoving me off a cliff to a brilliant conclusion leaving a faint indication that this isn’t the last of this story.  I want to get my hands on the next book. (waves flag at publishers/publicists).

This is a perfect YA/older tweens and adult sci fi that anyone could read, really, and come away feeling entertained and informed that this is one wacky world system.  There’s no crazy alien race, or complicated technology to follow along with, nor do you have to sort out flying space crafts, worldly planets and such.  All the adventure happens on good ole Earth after civilization is destroyed.  The system that takes its place is a crazy concept that is pulled off brilliantly by the authors.

The main character, Kaia, is developed perfectly, flaws and all, with a excellent secret involving her life and the horrible world she’s resided in all her life under a different understanding.  I love the differences between the races, their physical appearances, their mindset, their sense of family and community and morals.  I love the world-building that the authors created and their descriptive representation of both.

Some parts I did find weak, such as their defenses. For intelligent races, they seemed a bit too simplistic in their armament. Also, the ending just didn’t hit me in the face like it should have.  Don’t get me wrong, it was exciting, but stifled a bit and too abrupt.

The pace moved forward steadily, transitioning from one plot element to the next.  The plot didn’t jump but had lots of twists and turns to keep it exciting. Character arcs developed wonderfully and it was great to see a relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter that was appreciated by the granddaughter.  I’m really looking forward to the next book of the series.

I gave this book: