The Life Below (The Final Six #2)Author: Alexandra Monir
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release Date: February 18, 2020
Publisher: HarperTeen
Synopsis:
As Naomi lifts off into space and away from a rapidly deteriorating
Earth, she watches the world fade away, and along with it Leo, a Final
Six contestant she grew close to during training. Leaving Earth behind
is hard, but what’s ahead, on Europa, could be worse. The International
Space Training Camp continues to hide the truth about what happened to
the last group of astronauts who attempted a similar colonization but
failed mysteriously. With one shot—at this mission and to Europa—Naomi
is determined to find out if there is alien life on Europa before she
and her crew get there.
Leo, back on Earth, has been working with renegade scientist Dr. Greta
Wagner, who promises to fly him to space where he can essentially latch
on to Naomi’s ship. And if Wagner’s hypothesis is right, it isn’t a
possibility of coming in contact with extraterrestrial life on
Europa—it’s a definite. With Naomi unaware of what awaits, it’s up to
Leo to find and warn her and the others.
With all the pieces of their journey finally clicking into place,
everything else starts to fall apart. A storm threatens to interfere
with Leo’s takeoff, a deadly entity makes itself known to the Final Six,
and the questions the ISTC has been avoiding about the previous failed
mission get answered in the worst way possible. If the dream was to
establish a habitable domain on Europa… the Final Six are about to enter
a nightmare.
The Life Below is the fantastic second book in a great young adult science fiction series that
will suck readers in from the beginning until the very end. I
personally like the genre, and have read other books by the author -
which I also liked - but for some reason I was blown away by how much I
loved this book. It was as described, but it ended up being so much more. I know that doesn't make much sense, but it's the best way I can
describe it. I started reading it not quite expecting to be blown away,
but I was immediately drawn into the story line and ended up reading the
entire novel in one sitting without stopping. The plot might not have
been wholly original, but the author put a lot of personalized touches
to make it fresh and different than others I've read. The story line had
something for everyone - science fiction, action, mystery,
suspense, adventure, and romance.
Two main things about the book really stood out for me. First were the characters. The main characters - Leo and Naomi - were well rounded and complex. They both had intricate personalities, histories, and were incredibly realistic. I connected with each of them almost immediately. Being the two main characters, there's bound to be a romantic aspect to the story, which is what happened here. I normally don't like when that happens because it feels like the romance overshadows the actual plot. I didn't feel that way with these two. I loved watching them meet for the first time and then watching their feelings grow throughout the story. It was sweet and actually made the novel better for me instead of detracting from it.
Two main things about the book really stood out for me. First were the characters. The main characters - Leo and Naomi - were well rounded and complex. They both had intricate personalities, histories, and were incredibly realistic. I connected with each of them almost immediately. Being the two main characters, there's bound to be a romantic aspect to the story, which is what happened here. I normally don't like when that happens because it feels like the romance overshadows the actual plot. I didn't feel that way with these two. I loved watching them meet for the first time and then watching their feelings grow throughout the story. It was sweet and actually made the novel better for me instead of detracting from it.
The
second huge positive was the author choice of writing style. She used
the first person point of view, but alternated between Leo and Naomi as
narrators. This way, the reader gets to see the story unravel from both
perspectives and we get to really know each character on a personal
level. That is always a huge bonus for me and this was no exception. I
loved learning each of their hopes, dreams, fears, memories, and
everything in between. It made them feel all the more realistic to me,
which also turns their romance into something more alive and true.
Overall, this book went way above any hopes or expectations I had for it and was an explosive second novel in the series. I definitely recommend it for fans of YA, science fiction,
contemporary, romance, action/adventure, and space travel.
Alexandra
Monir, Iranian-American author and recording artist, has published five
novels for young adults, including her popular debut, Timeless. A
Barnes & Noble best-seller and one of Amazon’s “Best Books of the
Month,” Timeless and its sequel, Timekeeper, have been featured in
numerous media outlets and been published in different countries around
the world. She followed the duology with Suspicion and The Girl in the
Picture, both standalone YA thrillers. Her upcoming science fiction
novel, THE FINAL SIX (March 6, 2018) was acquired by HarperCollins and
Sony Pictures during the same week, in two major pre-emptive deals.
Alexandra is also a singer/songwriter who often integrates music into
her books’ pages. She wrote and recorded three original songs to
accompany Timeless and Timekeeper, which were released as the album “The
Timeless EP” and distributed by Jimmy Buffett’s record label, Mailboat
Records. She also recorded a song that was released with the publication
of Suspicion, and is composing a stage musical geared toward Broadway.
Her musical roots are deep, as she is the granddaughter of the late
Monir Vakili, the foremost Iranian opera singer.
Alexandra Monir is a frequent speaker at middle schools and high schools
across the country, and at major events including fan conventions,
women’s leadership conferences, and book festivals. She is a member of
the Iranian American Women Foundation,
an organization near to her heart. Alexandra currently lives in Los
Angeles with her husband and newborn son. To learn more about Alexandra,
visit her online at www.alexandramonir.com.
Win a copy of THE LIFE BELOW by Alexandra Monir (US Only)
Starts: February 18, 2020
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