Happy Birthday, Ticket to Mars by Kieran Fanning!

Whose up for some more science fiction goodness? Today's read heads to Mars and should hold a dystopian touch. While it's sold as 'children' fiction, I'm getting Tween vibes from the blurb.  I'm expecting adventure and mystery, since this is about a 13-year-old chasing a thief and finding out more about himself. Or something like that. I try not to dive in too deep before reading these to keep my expectations pretty wide open. At 200 pages, it's not overly long, so I'm hoping that's a plus. Otherwise...

Let's open it up and see what the stars hold!

TICKET TO MARS

by Kieran Fanning

Our Street Books

Tween Science Fiction

200 pages

If a thief stole your dreams, would you travel to Mars to get them back?

Thirteen-year-old Veon Windbourne dreams of escaping the flooded ruins of Newer York for the gleaming city of Harmonia on planet Mars. When he discovers a hidden fortune, hope finally feels within reach - until it is stolen. Desperate for justice, Veon follows the trail of the thief to the red planet, but Mars isn’t the paradise he imagined, and if Veon wants to reclaim his future, he’ll have to fight for it. A thrilling tale of courage, survival, and the fight for justice in a world where only the rich can escape.

    GOODREADS   /  PUBLISHER

 

MY TIDBITS

Tension rises as every page discloses a little more about the dangerous lies behind living on Mars and Veon's difficult past.

Veon and his mother were just about to reach their dream of leaving the dismal and heavily class-orientated life on Earth for a more ideal one on Mars. But shortly before they could go, their chance was stolen away. Veon knows exactly who's responsible and is determined to seek revenge, especially since his mother now suffers from mental issues and has been admitted to a very questionable hospital to get 'help'. The first step takes him to Mars, and it's probably the easiest. When he gets there, he knows he might have trouble finding the culprit and dishing out revenge, but Veon is not prepared for what really exists on Mars. Instead of a societal paradise, everything is dictated and controlled. Every move he makes is monitored and recorded to ensure that each person is doing their job to benefit society...and that means adding or subtracting points. Even letting the water run a little too long in the shower can demote an individual's status and rights. After earning a few, first credits, Veon heads to the market area, but an explosion in the market leads to a brief meeting with a rebel, opening him up to an entirely new problem. Soon, Veon finds himself swept up in a possible rebellion that he isn't even sure he wants to be a part of, especially since he still only intends to pursue his original gaol, but that might not only be harder than he thought, he might not survive long enough to complete it.

This is a quick-paced read with more going on than the first glance at 200-pages would suggest. Even the world building doesn't suffer from this shorter, scifi length, but rather, is well done and holds depth. The author switches between backflashes and Veon's adventure on Mars every other chapter. At first, I thought this might hurt the flow, but the two directions work nicely, side-by-side. Veon's adventure on Mars builds with a steady pace, starting with the last dangers of the Mars' travel and allowing the new world and the first hints of its darker side to sink in. It builds tension without a hint of boredom. The flashbacks are just as grabbing and bring the difficult life Veon faced on Earth as well as his personality to life. This also allows a bit of familiarity to come across so that the reader can better connect with Veon. Despite the very different world and circumstances, he's a fairly normal 13-year-old. There are many secrets and layers, which slowly unfold as the tale progresses, and this opens up to action and danger. 

The writing works very well for the 10 to 14 age group, although older readers are sure to enjoy the tight weave and tension, too. The vocabulary and such place this at a comfortable reading level, making it accessible for those, whose reading skills are by no means low but might not feel as comfortable in longer, in-depth YA reads. But even solid readers will have no problem sinking in as this is well done. Science Fiction fans who enjoy quick-paced reads, action, and secret agendas, are sure to enjoy this one. 

And here he is...

Kieran Fanning is a children’s author and primary school teacher in County Meath, Ireland. His first publications were a series of four Middle Grade books called CODECRACKERS which were published by Mentor Books in Dublin. The series was also published in America and the Czech Republic. More recently, he published THE BLACK LOTUS with Chicken House in the UK, but also in Germany and America. It was shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards, The Brilliant Book Award and The Bangkok Book Awards. IRISH FAIRY TALES, MYTHS AND LEGENDS, was published by Scholastic. This was followed by a self published Middle Grade adventure called THE ARRIVAL. HAUNTED IRELAND, is a book of ghost stories from every county in Ireland and was published by Gill in 2024. A sequel called ENCHANTED IRELAND will be published in October 2025. TICKET TO MARS will be published by Collective Ink in 2026. For further information on the author or his books, please see my website www.kieranfanning.com.