Looking for a good young adult science fiction book with romance, mystery and adventure?
Conscript blends Ender’s Game with Aurora Rising.
Check out my book review video to learn more!
Click https://youtu.be/XjgZa2Rbcc8 or on play button below:
Want to read the transcript instead of watching the video? Keep scrolling :)
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Brave New Girls
Ender’s Game
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The Rose Gate Video Book Review
Transcript of Conscript Book Review Video:
My love language is traveling. I spent some time exploring all around Colorado including climbing up the snow covered Helen Hunt Falls. One of the coolest places I’ve visited was the Paint Mines in Colorado. They are also well known for their naturally colored sandstone with shades of pinks, yellows, and oranges. As you can guess by the name of the location, the sandstone was used to paint things like pottery. Artifacts as old as 9,000 years reveal people have visited this location for a long time.
Along with traveling, I love to read (or listen to audiobooks when I have a migraine). Lately I’ve been getting into science fiction with young main characters. One of the books that got me interested was Ender’s Game. It has an amazing story with a fantastic payoff. I recommend reading the book before watching the movie if you’re interested.
Part of the reason I began filling my digital bookshelf with young adult science fiction is because I like learning about what life could be like in the future, especially from a teenager’s perspective. Have we discovered aliens, and if so, what are they like? Does the main character start off on earth and travel? Or is she raised on another planet? If so, what is that planet like?
While exploring many locations, I take photographs of books while I’m there. I like the theme, main elements of the book, or its cover to relate to the location. I picked the book Conscript for the Paint Mines because the spot is so other-worldly looking. And the main character named Vega was raised on a planet distant from earth. I’m not sure how similar the Paint Mines look compared to Vega’s home, especially since she grew up on a farm, but I can’t help but feel a connection to her when hoodoos are more common than cars.
How different would my life have been if I, too, were raised somewhere that looked more like the Paint Mines and less like my hometown of Washington, D.C.? I’ll probably never know, so for now I’ll settle with seeing the world (or should I say universe) through Vega’s eyes.
Now onto my review for the book Conscript.
Conscript by Pamela Stewart
Audiobook narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo
To start off my review of Conscript by Pamela Stewart (audiobook narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo), here are two haikus (or bite-sized poems).
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Haiku 1
Aliens invade
Marching into the unknown
Star Defenders war
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Haiku 2
A comet burning
Embers glimmer and brighten
Vega wars brighter
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Branded as “the girl who cried aliens” after living through an attack, Vega Volante is conscripted into the military to prepare for an invasion. She is stationed on Lazarus, a decrepit mining ship being repurposed into an instrument of war. The young woman is at odds with herself. Part of her wants to return home to her family farm while another part yearns to pilot a spaceship that races through the inky darkness of space. Will she get a chance to decide which path to take? Or will accidents on the ship take more than just her choices away from her?
Vega looks deeper than the surface level with not only trying to puzzle out the cause behind the accidents, but also what’s going on with her fellow crewmen. She says, “I see you, the real you.” She’s a character you can’t help but cheer for.
This first book in the Star Defenders Series has a great mix of modern-day sayings and terms with original ones. It’s full of sci-fi descriptions like “If it were possible for blood to run cold, mine instafroze.” I was impressed with how Conscript balanced necessary scientific explanations with imaginative original ideas like the plant that consumes bees called “sticky’s.” I also enjoyed the fun futuristic inventions like the junk food called Guzzle Bits. They smell like potato chips drizzled with chocolate and are designed to match your taste buds.
Conscript blends Ender’s Game with Aurora Rising. If you’re looking for a romantic young adult story set in space with a strong and kindhearted female lead, you won’t be disappointed with reading or listening to the audiobook Conscript.
Ratings: PG-14 for language, violence, and brief sexual content.
Don’t forget to check out the Behind the Scenes video featuring The Paint Mines.