Meteorite Strike by A. G. Taylor
Mar. 15th, 2010 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
A meteorite has struck earth without warning, unleashing a deadly alien virus. Thousands fall victim ... but not Sarah and Robert.
Instead they develop strange side effects – psychic abilities. And that makes them a target for HIDRA, a rogue international agency determined to turn them into lab rats, just like the other kids they’ve already captured – kids who can control fire, create storms and tear steel with their minds.
If they can work together, these kids might stand a chance against HIDRA ...
Superpowers and conspiracy collide in this unmissable, action-packed sci-fi thriller.
Sarah and Robert are flying to Australia with Daniel, the father who disappeared from their lives when they were very young but who agrees to look after them after their mother dies. Sarah is unhappy at the arrangement, particularly because she suspects that he’s hiding something from them but before she can find out what this is a meteorite hits the earth and the ensuing dust storm brings down their plane. Those who aren’t killed in the crash seem to be falling ill because of a strange virus that seems to come from the red dust that continues to billow around them.
Sarah, Robert and Daniel escape the scene, only to fall into the hands of HIDRA, a quasi-military organisation that splits them up and takes them to a military facility that they’ve established in the middle of the Australian Outback. There Sarah and Robert are subjected to tests and discover that the red dust has given them the ability to communicate telepathically with each other. More than that though, Sarah finds that she can influence the thoughts of others, something that makes her particularly attractive to the sinister Colonel Moss, who has plans for children with special abilities.
As Sarah learns about other children in the facility, she realises that she and Robert have to escape. Although they have the support of the sympathetic Dr Rachel Anderson, Colonel Moss always seems to be one step ahead of her and he will stop at nothing to make to sure that Sarah does exactly what he wants.
A fast-paced paranormal thriller, this is a solid addition to the range of books focusing on teens with superhero abilities. The family conflict between Sarah, Robert and Daniel is well depicted and Taylor largely avoids trite clichés to resolve the same. There are some stunningly dark scenes – including the plane crash itself, which is unsentimental and chilling and while the superhero abilities themselves are nothing particularly new, Taylor has fun with the abilities and the revelation of what the characters can do.
There are nitpicks – the end set-piece showdown is a little by-the-numbers – and the resolution of a storyline between warring brothers Octavio and Nestor is a little too easy. Even so, these aren’t enough to bring the story down, which remains entertaining.
The book ends with a set-up for a sequel – ALIEN STORM – which promises to be a similarly exciting read.
The Verdict:
A fast-paced addition to the genre of YA paranormal superhero books, this is an entertaining read that has fun with its subject matter.
A meteorite has struck earth without warning, unleashing a deadly alien virus. Thousands fall victim ... but not Sarah and Robert.
Instead they develop strange side effects – psychic abilities. And that makes them a target for HIDRA, a rogue international agency determined to turn them into lab rats, just like the other kids they’ve already captured – kids who can control fire, create storms and tear steel with their minds.
If they can work together, these kids might stand a chance against HIDRA ...
Superpowers and conspiracy collide in this unmissable, action-packed sci-fi thriller.
Sarah and Robert are flying to Australia with Daniel, the father who disappeared from their lives when they were very young but who agrees to look after them after their mother dies. Sarah is unhappy at the arrangement, particularly because she suspects that he’s hiding something from them but before she can find out what this is a meteorite hits the earth and the ensuing dust storm brings down their plane. Those who aren’t killed in the crash seem to be falling ill because of a strange virus that seems to come from the red dust that continues to billow around them.
Sarah, Robert and Daniel escape the scene, only to fall into the hands of HIDRA, a quasi-military organisation that splits them up and takes them to a military facility that they’ve established in the middle of the Australian Outback. There Sarah and Robert are subjected to tests and discover that the red dust has given them the ability to communicate telepathically with each other. More than that though, Sarah finds that she can influence the thoughts of others, something that makes her particularly attractive to the sinister Colonel Moss, who has plans for children with special abilities.
As Sarah learns about other children in the facility, she realises that she and Robert have to escape. Although they have the support of the sympathetic Dr Rachel Anderson, Colonel Moss always seems to be one step ahead of her and he will stop at nothing to make to sure that Sarah does exactly what he wants.
A fast-paced paranormal thriller, this is a solid addition to the range of books focusing on teens with superhero abilities. The family conflict between Sarah, Robert and Daniel is well depicted and Taylor largely avoids trite clichés to resolve the same. There are some stunningly dark scenes – including the plane crash itself, which is unsentimental and chilling and while the superhero abilities themselves are nothing particularly new, Taylor has fun with the abilities and the revelation of what the characters can do.
There are nitpicks – the end set-piece showdown is a little by-the-numbers – and the resolution of a storyline between warring brothers Octavio and Nestor is a little too easy. Even so, these aren’t enough to bring the story down, which remains entertaining.
The book ends with a set-up for a sequel – ALIEN STORM – which promises to be a similarly exciting read.
The Verdict:
A fast-paced addition to the genre of YA paranormal superhero books, this is an entertaining read that has fun with its subject matter.
