Emmett and nine other teenagers have been selected by Babel Communications to travel to Eden, a distant planet, and mine nyxia, a substance that can be changed and manipulated and is secretly the most valuable resource in the world. Nyxia is found in abundance on Eden, but the species that inhabits the planet destroys anyone who tries to get it--except children. Thus, Babel Communications has requited these teenagers to be the ones who mine nyxia. As they journey toward Eden, they are pitted in competitions against one another, as Babel Communications reveals that only eight of the ten will be chosen to go to Eden--and receive the billions of dollars that are the reward for making the cut. As Emmett competes, he makes friends with some of the recruits, enemies of others, and comes to suspect that there's a whole lot that Babel Communications isn't telling them. Although not making the final cut isn't an option for him, the twists and turns that turn up make it difficult for Emmett to know if he'll truly make it--or what Babel Communications really wants.
I was instantly drawn into this book. The plot is interesting and moves forward quickly, and I loved Emmett and the other characters (okay, some of them I disliked, but those were the ones you were sort of supposed to not be so fond of). There are really interesting themes, too, such as what you're willing to do for a chance at a dream--who are you willing to become or not become as you fight for that chance? There's a look at humanity and mercy and friendship. There's a lot to enjoy in this book, and I can't wait for the next one in the series!
4.5 stars.
Okay, I'm afraid by the time I get to read the second book in this series, I'll have forgotten pertinent details, so I'm putting a summary--with spoilers--of all of it down here. So, don't read any farther if you don't want spoilers! If you want a summary of who's who and what happens, read on.
Babel Communications recruits a bunch of poor, broken kids for a secret mission. They've discovered a planet, Eden, with an extremely valuable substance, Nyxia, which they'd like to mine but the native species of Eden, humanoids called Adamites, destroy all who they encounter--except children. There was a child, Jacquelyn Requin, a young girl who was born on the original flight to Eden, who was spared in an assault; all the others of the party were killed; at the beginning of the book Defoe (the head of Babel) says their satellites indicate she is still alive (I'm assuming she's the daughter of one of the other Babel big-wigs, David Requin, and we'll find out more about that in the next book) and that the Adamites revere children, especially since it seems they can no longer reproduce and the youngest of their own species is 21.
Emmett and the others sign their contracts, get on their spaceship, Genesis 11, and head out into space. They have to compete against each other in things like combat, manipulation of nyxia, and more, to determine which eight of them will go to Eden. There are team competitions and individual competitions.
These are the ten competitors:
Emmett--black kid from Detroit, uses music to manage his emotions; he worries about losing his humanity as he competes and wonders what Babel isn't telling them; his mom needs a kidney transplant and winning this competition will make sure she gets the best medical care out there and that his dad can stop busting his back getting nowhere
Kaya--Japanese, a strategist; Emmett's ally and suite-mate; they quickly become friends and he thinks of her like a sister; she was abandoned by her family and she sees colors/auras around each person
Roathy--perhaps the most damaged of all of them, he and Emmett become enemies when Emmett injures him in a combat competition; Emmett didn't mean to, but Roathy and his partner Isadora aren't forgiving and are determined to get revenge
Isadora--Brazilian, secretive and angry; is determined that Roathy will make it to Eden with her, no matter what she has to do to get him there (we don't really get to know much about her beyond that; I'm assuming we will in the next book)
Longwei--Asian, a loner and the highest scorer in their competition; he and Emmett don't hit it off but they do occasionally work together when they're on the same team and have to; has a chip on his shoulder
Jamie--Swiss, farm boy; Emmett initially thinks he's not really poor like the rest of them and is a jerk to him but comes to realize he was wrong; Jamie is competent at everything but excels at nothing
Azima--African, besides winning, she also wants to find a man strong enough to marry her
Jazzy--American, friendly, her main strength is staying calm
Katsu--Japanese, jokester, solid competitor
Bilal--Palestinian, the sweetest of the bunch; he's kind to everyone and even forgives Longwei when he intentionally/unnecessarily breaks his leg; he becomes like a brother to Emmett.
Emmett makes a lot of enemies--he and Longwei instantly dislike each other; when he injures Roathy, he makes an enemy of both him and Isadora. He initially offends Jamie. Kaya approaches him with the offer to be allies, which he accepts--and which he needs in order to stay human and not be too swept up in the competition. He also needs Bilal's friendship and goodness.
Down on earth, a reporter has published an article about Babel and their mission and the contestants, which Babel doesn't want the teens to know about or access. (Emmett realizes they use technology to scramble the airwaves when his dad is trying to talk to him about it.)
Kaya and Emmett's doctor (each pair has a doctor assigned to them) is Vandemeer, and he said he chose Emmett and Kaya because he believed in them. Roathy and Isadora's doctor, Karpinski, tries to kill Emmett because Roathy and Isadora told him to, and Emmett is allowed to kill him or forgive him; he forgives him. (In one of their simulated fights, he put a real sword in so that Jamie really cuts Emmett open.) Defoe cuts off one of Karpinski's ears.
Emmett swipes Vandemeer's extra access pass and he and Kaya explore the ship. Kaya is determined to figure out how to make it through a certain door; when she finally figures it out, Emmett doesn't want to go with her but he does. They go to a part of the ship where there is no nyxia--and find an Adamite, strapped down, blindfolded, and clearly having been tutored. He, not realizing it's a child (teen) near him, is able to manipulate the nyxia that Kaya is wearing and kills her. Emmett is forbidden to tell any of the others how she died. Defoe tells Emmett that the Adamite, Erone, was removed from the ship (but I don't know if that's actually true).
There's a chapter where we see Defoe videocalling with colleagues, discussing the problem with the newspaper article about their mission, which is very accurate and Defoe thinks there was probably a leak in the company. Defoe and Requin talk about making a bet about who will end up being the commander of the mission; Defoe says he won't take the best until he can find the aces he normally keeps up his sleeves. He also tells Rquin that Erone killed Kaya. Requin tells him to be more careful and "If he'd managed to overcome you, he would have torn the ship to pieces." Defoe responds, "Knowing Erone, he would have followed the flight pattern back so that he could tear your ship to pieces. He's fond of me. He hates you." Requin says, "Well, I did abduct him." (p. 233).
Defoe announces that with Kaya's death, the remaining three girls are guaranteed spots on Eden. This leads to Isadora intentionally throwing competitions to help Roathy, since she is guaranteed a spot.
Longwei injures Bilal; Emmett is furious about his cheap shot and attacks Longwei. Bilal's leg is broken and he can't compete in some of the competitions.
They arrive at the Tower Space Station, where they find out that Babel has a whole other set of recruits--10 teens who have been on Genesis 12 with Requin--and that the two teams will compete against each other twice a day on the Waterway, plus there will be individual combat competitions, and only the top fifteen will get to go to Eden--but the girls are all guaranteed spots. The other group works together as a team, and their leader, Morning, is way better at the competitions and strategy and manipulating Nyxia than any of the Genesis 11 kids. She and Emmett are attracted to each other, but she has promised her team she'll get them all on Eden; Emmett wants to win a spot, but his team loses, time and time again, to Morning's team; Emmett was initially the captain but th
Morning and Emmett talk; he tells her what happened to Kaya and she tells him one of her guys, Anton, got the Babel Files article and that they're wondering if something bigger is going on. She tells Anton permission to get more info (but we don't see what that info is or if he gets it)
Roathy and Isadora corner Emmett and try to hurt him when he's unarmed so Roathy will make it onto Eden; he has a hidden bit of nyxia that pretty much takes over and absorbs Roathy's nyxia and hurts Roathy. Emmett is safe from them, but freaked out because the nyxia manipulated him. Defoe seems to want Emmett to punish them--to kill them with the sword he could've used on Karpinski--but he doesn't. Vandemeer tells him he doesn't trust Babel anymore and that Emmett will be safer if they can get him to Eden.
It finally comes down to Bilal and Emmett and Loche (from 12) fighting for the final spot; in order for Emmett to go, he has to win his individual combat, Bilal has to lose his, Loche has to lose to Longwei, and 11 has to beat 12 in a Waterway competition. Defoe tells Emmett to change things up, to think like Kaya did and change how the game works; he says he's telling Emmett that because Emmett reminds him of himself and that he will work hard, whereas Loche will treat it like a vacation. All four things happen, so Emmett makes it.
Vandemeer gives him a nyxian charger he made for his mp3 player; Emmett gives him a copy of a photo of him and Kaya together. He wants to find Bilal to say good-bye but can't; Bilal leaves him a note--"Babel says I will be given another chance. I'm not sure what it will be, but perhaps I'll see you on Eden after all."
Emmett gets his key to his pod and heads to it to depart; while he's waiting to go, Morning tells him she wanted him to make it but she's still mad about what he pulled to win (he pulled her out of her boat so her team had to compete without her). Karpinski tries to talk to him--to tell him "he's waiting for you. I don't know why, but he's waiting for you." When Emmett goes to his station, he finds Roathy there. Roathy explains the four losers all have a second chance--each of them was allowed to fight one person for their spot on Eden. Roathy says that whoever doesn't win the fight will be sucked out into space. Again, Emmett's nyxia helps protect him. He uses it to create an air lock so Roathy won't get sucked out into space. Emmett leaves in his pod, wondering what happened with Bilal, and sees Isadora waiting in her pod, hoping to see Roathy. And then Emmett heads out into space.
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