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jbojkov's review against another edition
4.0
Second book in the Dark Star series. This is a great, action-packed choice for kids who like fast-paced, sci/do thrillers! Can’t wait for the third book. So far it’s been one cliff hanger after another!
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic sequel. Questions are answered, yet many more pop up. More science explanations/discoveries in this one, but even when it got tough to completely understand, I could figure it out enough - I would tell readers who might not think science fiction is a genre they enjoy, there is so much action, adventure and suspense that makes it worth it! What a ride! Can not wait for book 3!
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
After a flashback explaining Phoebe's back story, this picks up right where [b:Last Day on Mars|25183019|Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the Dark Star, #1)|Kevin Emerson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468612284s/25183019.jpg|44890630] left off. Phoebe, Liam, and JEFF the bot, along with their injured parents in stasis are trying to catch up to main transport ship. There are so many twists and turns in this book, including trips to the past, future, and alternate realities, that any plot summary can't really do it justice without spoilers. A fantastic work of science fiction!! You must read the series in order. I am eagerly anticipating the next book! Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
About mid-way through the first book, my son declared: "It's going to end on a cliff-hangar, isn't it? Isn't it, Mom? There's no way they can resolve this in 24-hours!"
He loved the first one, loved counting down the hours chapter-by-chapter, and had to show me when it skips 7 hours or so. He put the second book, this one, on hold at the library. This was a new experience in reading for him, wanting to read something so much that he actually put it on hold (usually, it's me who follows series and puts them on hold when a new one comes out).
He loved it! It doesn't do the countdown thing again, but if you've watched the Netflix series, Lost in Space, this series has the same "natural disaster of the week" to survive feel, with a hint of something more sinister in the works.
There's a third planned and my son can't wait for it! This is science fiction done right.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.strikingly.com/
He loved the first one, loved counting down the hours chapter-by-chapter, and had to show me when it skips 7 hours or so. He put the second book, this one, on hold at the library. This was a new experience in reading for him, wanting to read something so much that he actually put it on hold (usually, it's me who follows series and puts them on hold when a new one comes out).
He loved it! It doesn't do the countdown thing again, but if you've watched the Netflix series, Lost in Space, this series has the same "natural disaster of the week" to survive feel, with a hint of something more sinister in the works.
There's a third planned and my son can't wait for it! This is science fiction done right.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.strikingly.com/
leannetr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
addielouwho's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I am speechless with this series.
It’s not often I find a book that can make me feel the emotions this one did.
It’s insane how quickly I read the first two books but I just couldn’t put them down!
If you think you know what’s going to happen, think again. You’re constantly left shocked and have to keep reading. The characters are amazing, so easy to love and you care so much what happens to them.
It has every Sci-Fi scenario you can imagine but it isn’t overkill, it all fits together brilliantly. Perfect science fiction. I’m just so impressed I can’t even say! So yeah, I DEFINITELY recommend this to really any age.
Guess I wasn’t speechless after all. XD
It’s not often I find a book that can make me feel the emotions this one did.
It’s insane how quickly I read the first two books but I just couldn’t put them down!
If you think you know what’s going to happen, think again. You’re constantly left shocked and have to keep reading. The characters are amazing, so easy to love and you care so much what happens to them.
It has every Sci-Fi scenario you can imagine but it isn’t overkill, it all fits together brilliantly. Perfect science fiction. I’m just so impressed I can’t even say! So yeah, I DEFINITELY recommend this to really any age.
Guess I wasn’t speechless after all. XD
aprildiamond's review against another edition
5.0
honestly kinda speechless.
I remember when I reviewed [b:Last Day on Mars|25183019|Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the Dark Star, #1)|Kevin Emerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468612284l/25183019._SY75_.jpg|44890630] I ended by saying I had a lot of theories about where this series could go. And then this book kicked me in the face and called me an idiot.
My expectations here were surpassed. There wasn't any of the filler content that I felt dragged the first book down. The characters were real and they were GREAT and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. (I feel like I say this for every book I like but then again that's probably why I like them.) Other than the truth about Aaru, I didn't see any of this coming so basically every page I reached a new level of being shook. I mean, the long time it took me to read this book does not correctly portray how much of a page-turner it was. Every minute of free time I could get, I was reading this, wanting to know what happened next.
One of the very major reasons I loved this installment was because for a middle book in a trilogy, it doesn't follow the pattern. For many series there isn't enough content for a middle book and it ends up being really boring. Or even when the middle book is good, we get a good amount of answers for the questions we had in book 1; not all of them, but enough. This book is the only one since the 2nd book of York that chooses to barely answer any questions to save for a dramatic finale (hopefully). And just like in York, it works very well.
In conclusion:
The stakes? Very high. Me? Wondering "what is actually happening right now oh my god." The ending? A cliffhanger but also a good stopping point. The finale? Almost here. Am I ready? Of course.
Yeah I definitely recommend this series
I remember when I reviewed [b:Last Day on Mars|25183019|Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the Dark Star, #1)|Kevin Emerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468612284l/25183019._SY75_.jpg|44890630] I ended by saying I had a lot of theories about where this series could go. And then this book kicked me in the face and called me an idiot.
My expectations here were surpassed. There wasn't any of the filler content that I felt dragged the first book down. The characters were real and they were GREAT and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. (I feel like I say this for every book I like but then again that's probably why I like them.) Other than the truth about Aaru, I didn't see any of this coming so basically every page I reached a new level of being shook. I mean, the long time it took me to read this book does not correctly portray how much of a page-turner it was. Every minute of free time I could get, I was reading this, wanting to know what happened next.
One of the very major reasons I loved this installment was because for a middle book in a trilogy, it doesn't follow the pattern. For many series there isn't enough content for a middle book and it ends up being really boring. Or even when the middle book is good, we get a good amount of answers for the questions we had in book 1; not all of them, but enough. This book is the only one since the 2nd book of York that chooses to barely answer any questions to save for a dramatic finale (hopefully). And just like in York, it works very well.
In conclusion:
The stakes? Very high. Me? Wondering "what is actually happening right now oh my god." The ending? A cliffhanger but also a good stopping point. The finale? Almost here. Am I ready? Of course.
Yeah I definitely recommend this series
barberchicago_books's review against another edition
5.0
The second book in the Dark Star series does not disappoint!! Liam and Phoebe’s adventures continue as they try to get their parents back with the rest of humanity as it travels through space toward their new home. Many of my questions got answered in this one, yet I asked so many more and am now biting my nails waiting for book three. Especially after reading THE LAST PAGE!!
shayemiller's review against another edition
4.0
I became enthralled with Emerson's Chronicle of the Dark Star series, last year. It's wonderful to see a science fiction series that doesn't dumb down the terminology for middle graders. Additionally, the story is intricate woven, but feels fast-paced. I'm very pleased to learn that my 13 year old son now wants to read it. YAY! Quick rehash from book number one, Last Day on Mars: The story starts in year 2213 and we learn that Earth is gone and all remaining humans fled to Mars. Liam's and Phoebe's parents are part of the scientific team who discovered a new solar system to terraform that will sustain humans long-term, so they prepare to make the lengthy journey. In the meantime, the two main characters discover proof of another intelligent being just before the sun dies. And now it appears that their sun might not have died on its own--perhaps there were other forces at work. We are left on a cliffhanger where The Oceans Between Stars picks up.
Aaaaaaand the second book did NOT disappoint! I don't want to spoil anything for those who will soon dive into this series, so... Liam is attempting to reconnect with his little sister, who left Mars before he did. He continues to experiment with a special watch he found and learns there are multiple outcomes to his future, depending on what he chooses. We learn a lot more about Phoebe's family, as well, and the theme of this book revolves a great deal around human behavior and the power of trust. These are a few of the quotes I bookmarked from book #2:
There's such depth to the relationships in this series. These books need to be in both middle grade and upper teen collections. I plan to squeeze in book #3 just as soon as possible!!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
Aaaaaaand the second book did NOT disappoint! I don't want to spoil anything for those who will soon dive into this series, so... Liam is attempting to reconnect with his little sister, who left Mars before he did. He continues to experiment with a special watch he found and learns there are multiple outcomes to his future, depending on what he chooses. We learn a lot more about Phoebe's family, as well, and the theme of this book revolves a great deal around human behavior and the power of trust. These are a few of the quotes I bookmarked from book #2:
"Trust is a power adaptation of three-dimensional beings. The hope or belief in something. It's your engine for still making a choice when you don't have all possible information."
"If there's anything I learned in all those history lessons I had to sit through on Mars, it's that [the human] species doesn't have the best track record when somebody else is living on the land that [they] want."
"One of the unfortunate things about a life lived in only three dimensions is that you do not know how or when you are going to die. You'd be surprised how much easier things are, knowing how long you have and what part you play."
There's such depth to the relationships in this series. These books need to be in both middle grade and upper teen collections. I plan to squeeze in book #3 just as soon as possible!!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!