AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile
Narrators Alexandra Monir and James Fouhey create a high-stakes atmosphere with the pace of their delivery. In increasingly urgent tones, they recount a postapocalyptic story of 24 teens who are competing for the opportunity to colonize one of Jupiter’s moons. Author Monir portrays Naomi in a surprisingly professional performance. On par with seasoned YA narrators, she adds a personal touch to her character by infusing subtle inflections of personality throughout her dialogue. Fouhey's clear, earnest tone makes his character, Leo, more relatable as the humble teen is thrust into a dog-eat-dog program whose goal is to save humanity. A technical issue with the playback quality does reduce the listening experience. Each narrator’s segment plays at a noticeably different speed, requiring several manual adjustments throughout. N.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
A breathtakingly real look at love, loss, and the dangers of space, THE FINAL SIX skyrockets into twists and turns I never saw coming!” — Beth Revis, NYT bestselling author of Across the Universe series
“I sat down to read a bit before bed and then it was two a.m. and the book was half gone. This is a space competition of epic proportions, loaded with disturbing hidden secrets and intense action. Your eyes will be glued to the page.” — Kendare Blake, #1 NYT bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns
“Compelling, cinematic, and fascinating. I can’t wait to read what happens next in the mission to Europa!” — Romina Russell, New York Times bestselling author of the Zodiac series Romina Russell, New York Times bestselling author of the Zodiac series
“An ingenious thrill ride of a novel with memorable, diverse characters, The Final Six is a five-star read.” — Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals series
“Monir handles her action scenes elegantly, creating moments so intense the pages practically fly by.” — School Library Journal
“A stunning new take on the dystopian novel.” — Paperback Paris
“This novel is YA sci-fi grounded in a very plausible, only-just-in-the-future version of our world, with two relatable, compelling MCs and a relentless thriller pace. Read it!” — Barnes & Noble Teen Blog
“The Final Six is a mixture of Space Camp + Climate Change + Political Thriller…I highly recommend this book.” — Karen Jansen, Teen Librarian Toolbox
Kendare Blake
I sat down to read a bit before bed and then it was two a.m. and the book was half gone. This is a space competition of epic proportions, loaded with disturbing hidden secrets and intense action. Your eyes will be glued to the page.”
Alyson Noël
An ingenious thrill ride of a novel with memorable, diverse characters, The Final Six is a five-star read.
Barnes & Noble Teen Blog
This novel is YA sci-fi grounded in a very plausible, only-just-in-the-future version of our world, with two relatable, compelling MCs and a relentless thriller pace. Read it!
Karen Jansen
The Final Six is a mixture of Space Camp + Climate Change + Political Thriller…I highly recommend this book.
Paperback Paris
A stunning new take on the dystopian novel.
Beth Revis
A breathtakingly real look at love, loss, and the dangers of space, THE FINAL SIX skyrockets into twists and turns I never saw coming!”
Romina Russell
Compelling, cinematic, and fascinating. I can’t wait to read what happens next in the mission to Europa!
School Library Journal
01/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—In this tale of terror and dystopia, Earth faces its last days. No one knows how long they have. Humans are finally working together because they have a common enemy—the climate. Of course, the fate of humanity lies in the hands of six teenagers from around the world. The only answer is to force 24 teens (affectionately known as The Twenty-Four) to compete for six prized spots on a trip to Jupiter's moon, Europa, where they will begin to colonize it—unless it is already inhabited by intelligent life, but no one bothered to look that far ahead. Monir handles her action scenes elegantly, creating moments so intense the pages practically fly by. However, these moments are few and far between and struggle to be heard over the rest of the book. This sci-fi adventure is written from the first-person point of view of two narrators. The two protagonists, Naomi and Leo, though clearly meant to have distinct personalities, are difficult to tell apart. Leo stops using his distinct Italian words and phrases early on while Naomi's narrative never had something to distinguish it to begin with. The plot is also heavily reliant on popular young adult tropes and lacks originality, despite the possibility of aliens. VERDICT This is not standout; for large collections only.—Ruth Shaw, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
AUGUST 2018 - AudioFile
Narrators Alexandra Monir and James Fouhey create a high-stakes atmosphere with the pace of their delivery. In increasingly urgent tones, they recount a postapocalyptic story of 24 teens who are competing for the opportunity to colonize one of Jupiter’s moons. Author Monir portrays Naomi in a surprisingly professional performance. On par with seasoned YA narrators, she adds a personal touch to her character by infusing subtle inflections of personality throughout her dialogue. Fouhey's clear, earnest tone makes his character, Leo, more relatable as the humble teen is thrust into a dog-eat-dog program whose goal is to save humanity. A technical issue with the playback quality does reduce the listening experience. Each narrator’s segment plays at a noticeably different speed, requiring several manual adjustments throughout. N.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-11-22
Teens become astronauts in record time for an inaugural space mission.After losing his family to "the greatest flood Rome has ever known," skilled white Italian swimmer Leo Danieli would never have expected that in his darkest moment he would be drafted by the European Space Agency to attend the International Space Training Camp, where teens will train to terraform and colonize Jupiter's moon Europa for human settlement. California native Naomi Ardalan, a second-generation Iranian-American, has also been chosen for her expertise in science and technology. During a period of violent climate change worldwide, Earth's governments are desperate to draft teens for a space mission for which they have only a few weeks in which to prepare. Twenty-four teen finalists, many orphaned by cataclysmic natural disasters, have been chosen from all over the world to compete for this space colonization mission. Warnings come to Leo and Naomi that there is a more sinister aspect to this mission, especially after things go tragically awry with other candidates during the training. The relationship that develops between Naomi and Leo feels forced, as if their meeting necessitates speedy deployment of a romantic cliché. The use of predictable plot devices, along with the fundamentally ludicrous premise, undermines any believability that would make a reader invest in such an elaborate space journey.The shelves are already crowded with teens-training-for-space stories; there's no need to make room for this one. (Science fiction. 14-17)
