Titan of the Stars

Gr 9 Up–Celeste’s determination has paid off; she has escaped life in the Rupt, the devastation following an earthquake that impacted half of Canada and is proud of her role as engineer on a cutting-edge, luxury spaceship headed for Mars. Dominic is less than enthusiastic about space travel, as being trapped on the ship means being trapped with his overbearing parents who are determined to ensure any dreams he has of art school are left on Earth. As Celeste and Dominic develop an unexpected friendship, they are also witness to a unique surprise brought aboard the ship: ancient aliens stored in display cases for the entertainment of passengers. But when the aliens are purposely released into the ship, not all of those passengers will reach an escape pod. In this work, readers will recognize the typical signs of a catastrophe in the making: an ecological disaster on Earth resulting in a plan to mine Mars, a gilded space shuttle with a stark class divide to travel there, and the hubris of those who built the shuttle making everything exponentially worse. But this is no stale redux of other works in the genre. The author’s attention to detail keeps readers immersed in the moment, while dual viewpoints gradually bring the characters alive, and a steady pace and eerie atmosphere propel the work forward. A fun Alien Easter egg is included via Dr. Ripley, the ship’s ethnobiologist.