Crescent

Gr 6 Up—Crater Trueblood is no longer the naive, untested 16-year-old whom readers met in Crater (Thomas Nelson, 2013). Nearly three years of war have unfolded, with residents of Moontown conscripted to fight off endless waves of crowhoppers, leaving Crater battle-hardened and cynical. It seems inexplicable, then, when he captures rather than kills an enemy crowhopper. He brings it (or her, it turns out) back to Moontown, but Crescent, as she calls herself, is soon accused of a murder that Crater is sure she didn't commit. He sets out to find the killer and winds up a fugitive himself. Maria, Crater's former love interest, is nearly kidnapped, and a conspiracy seems to be building. In a structural departure from the first book, which was told largely from Crater's point of view, Crescent follows Crater, Crescent, and Maria in alternating chapters. While this allows readers to see both sides of Crater and Maria's romance and gives insight into Crescent's background and ideas, it also makes the narrative feel jumbled. More of the world that humans have created on the Moon is revealed, and the political and business intrigue is deepened. Crater's Wild West flavor has been traded in for a mystery vibe in Crescent. However, at their hearts, both novels are quintessential old-school science fiction, where the men are noble and logical, the women are emotional, and the geopolitical future rests on one savior's shoulders. Give this installation to fans of Orson Scott Card.—Gretchen Kolderup, New York Public Library