Today's read comes from one of my favorite batch of books from Orca Publishers. They have an entire row of various reads, which are directed toward high school (teen) readers, who may be a bit slow on the reading end or simply don't have the attention spans for longer reads. The ones I've read so far often head in the mystery, thriller, or difficult situations in life direction...all of which have been grabbing, quick reads. But I think this is the first one I've picked up from them, which dives into science fiction. The cover immediately reminded of certain animes and mangas, which if done right, might be quite interesting.
So, let's open this one up and see what it holds.
DELTA OBLIVION
by Elizabeth J.M. Walker
Orca Publishing
YA Science Fiction
144 pages
COMING APRIL 14th!!!
Sixteen-year-old Tallie and her best friend Diego have always shared the same dream: to become mechbot pilots and compete in the Mech Battles, a hugely popular sport that promises fame and fortune to successful pilots.
On the day that copilots are assigned, Tallie is devastated when she doesn’t get paired with Diego. Instead, she has to partner with Zaina Chandra, a troubled pilot who got kicked off her last team. But to drive a mechbot, pilots have to connect their minds, which means sharing your deepest thoughts and secrets. Tallie was ready to share her secrets with Diego, but Zaina? She's a complete stranger. With her dreams and pride riding on the partnership, Tallie will have to find a way to open up and convince Zaina to do the same.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading-level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
MY TIDBITS
A future world of mecha-tech and giant bots hits teen dreams and hard work to form an engaging, short read.
Tallie has been preparing for years to become a pilot of a mechbot and join in the professional Mech Battles despite her parents' uncertainty. She has no choice but to succeed, not only to keep them from dictating her future but also to prove to herself that she is capable of something impressive. Being autistic has often left her feeling inadequate. When the day comes to find her future partner and connect with them on a complete mental level to smoothly control the bots, she hopes it will be her best friend but knows that's unlikely due to his relationship with his girlfriend, another very close friend of hers. What Tallie could have never suspected is that she'll be partnered with an expelled student from another school. While a great pilot, this other girl has some major issues, and no matter how determined Tallie is to make it work, she realizes this might be an impossible task...and the end of all her dreams.
The author builds an exciting world of high-tech bots and quick-paced action scenes, while still weaving in the drama and worries surrounding high school relationships. There's determination and there's heart. Both balance nicely, never letting one side take over the other to create an engaging read with enough depth to make the situation matter and connect with the reader. Tallie's fears are understandable, but so are those of the girl, who she needs to work with. There's just the right amount of tension to completely understand Tallie's frustration and root for her the entire way through, especially since she does have a heart of gold. There is romance on the best-friend side, but this remains completely detached from Tallie to add a hint without influencing the plot. It creates an engaging read with depth to make readers care.
These pages keep less excited readers in mind and offer action and scifi battle goodness to keep the pages turning. The world building is just enough to make the scenes sit but never grows long or wordy. While there is character depth, this is also kept as concise and potent as possible, making sure the pacing of the tale doesn't slow down. The end wraps things up quick and clean, since the entire tale doesn't stretch with sophisticated weaves and subplots. This makes it great for anyone not wanting to give hours and hours to a story, but still wants to dive into something interesting and enjoy the tale.
And here she is...
Elizabeth J.M. Walker has always enjoyed reading, writing and being creative. She was the author of a long-running zine of short stories and participated in community dance theater productions for many years. She writes books for young readers and teens, including Slip Jig Summer and Delta Oblivion. She lives with her husband in Windsor, Ontario with their collection of animals.
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