Praise for While We Run : "Compelling and gripping ...it's the social justice consciousness she brings to these elements that make this title stand above most others. Her cast of characters is diverse but not tokenizing or whitewashed...the series is an excellent read for high school students."—School Library Journal "Like its predecessor, Run succeeds simply as a sci-fi thriller; there's plenty of action (including some grisly violence), a frightening villain, and a well-imagined (and refreshingly diverse) future society. But the novel is elevated by its social commentary , emphasizing the importance of fighting for justice in a world that has little of it-even if it means making difficult political and moral decisions."—The Horn Book "The more I read of Karen Healey's work, the more impressed I become... I believe [she] may well be one of the best voices writing science fiction today ."—Tor.com Praise for When We Wake : * "Science fiction done right."—Kirkus, starred review "A stirring and century-spanning adventure story that vividly shows how the future is created by our mistakes, our triumphs, and our love."—Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan and Uglies) "A gripping human story set against the backdrop of a chillingly plausible future."—Sean Williams (#1 New York Times bestselling author)
"A gripping human story set against the backdrop of a chillingly plausible future."
Sean Williams (#1 New York Times bestselling author)
"A stirring and century-spanning adventure story that vividly shows how the future is created by our mistakes, our triumphs, and our love."
Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan and Uglies)
04/01/2014 Gr 9 Up—In this gripping sequel to When We Wake (Little, Brown, 2013), the schemes, betrayals, and heroics of a group of teenagers living in Australia in 2127 are told from the perspective of Abdi Taalib, who was last seen through the eyes of Tegan, the first novel's protagonist. The story opens with Abdi and Tegan in captivity, used and abused in order to quell the unrest they created with Tegan's last telecast that uncovered various governmental wrongdoings. There is, of course, a thrilling escape, shifting loyalties, tough decisions, and romance. The future world Healey creates is all the more terrifying for being entirely plausible. Her chosen dystopian plot points (regeneration of cryogenically frozen youth, environmental destruction, and dreams of fleeing a dying planet) are compelling and gripping. However, it's the social justice consciousness she brings to these elements that make this title stand above most others. Her cast of characters is diverse but not tokenizing or whitewashed. A Muslim girl scrupulously performs her prayers in between her journalist/hacker crusades. The trans lesbian chemist helps bring medicine to struggling nations but refuses to engage in top-down cultural imperialism. Abdi is a rape survivor, and Healey offers one of the rare instances when an abusive sexual dynamic between an older woman and a teenage boy is effectively dealt with in young adult fiction. There are some four-letter words and sexuality, but nothing gratuitous or overly graphic, and while the themes are fairly intense, the series is an excellent read for high school students.—Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School, New York City
★ 2014-03-17 In the follow-up to When We Wake (2013), a diverse, skilled and politically committed group of teenagers fights a chillingly sinister government in a future Australia. The first volume saw Tegan Oglietti, revived from cryonic suspension in the year 2128, expose the Australian government's secret plot to send a starship into space with cryogenically frozen third-world refugees to perform slave labor. Pragmatic, politically savvy Abdi Taalib, the "thirdie" from Djibouti who became close to Tegan in the previous installment, narrates here. When the story opens, both teens are in the control of government handlers, coerced by physical, emotional and sometimes sexual torture to publicly promote the government's starship scheme. The villains and their tactics are believable and frightening, and the political and ethical questions raised are satisfyingly complex. Is it ever right to sacrifice human life for political expediency? Are any lives more important than others? This is the best kind of speculative fiction, combining diverse, well-realized characters with thought-provoking dilemmas. Abdi's strong voice and keen awareness of his own ability to manipulate situations provide a compelling window into a future world. Suspenseful, well-crafted and visionary. (Science fiction. 12-18)
Narrator Bernard Setaro Clark has no trouble conveying the emotion and suspense of this futuristic adventure. The sequel to WHEN WE WAKE, the story is told by Abdi Taalib, a third-world immigrant from Djibouti whose scholarship and visa to Australia were granted on the strength of his singing voice. Abdi, along with Tegan (the first frozen and successfully revived person, featured in the first installment), is being tortured by the government. When the two teens are rescued, it isn’t always clear who can be trusted. While Clark’s pacing and tone keep listeners on the edge of their seats, he’s not equal to the demands of the Australian accent—all the supporting characters sound the same and seem to hail from a grating not-quite-down-under nation. A.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Narrator Bernard Setaro Clark has no trouble conveying the emotion and suspense of this futuristic adventure. The sequel to WHEN WE WAKE, the story is told by Abdi Taalib, a third-world immigrant from Djibouti whose scholarship and visa to Australia were granted on the strength of his singing voice. Abdi, along with Tegan (the first frozen and successfully revived person, featured in the first installment), is being tortured by the government. When the two teens are rescued, it isn’t always clear who can be trusted. While Clark’s pacing and tone keep listeners on the edge of their seats, he’s not equal to the demands of the Australian accent—all the supporting characters sound the same and seem to hail from a grating not-quite-down-under nation. A.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine