Ascension (The Indigo Project) by Christopher DeSousa (2016)
-eARC Review-
YA Fiction | Science Fiction
Blurb:
“Katherine Munroe is most definitely not your typical teen and just about the only thing typical are her high school boy problems. She does however have quite the amazing ability to draw and much to her own confusion she accidentally lights things on fire. Even more plaguing are her reoccurring hallucinations, always thinking she is losing it, or so she thought. But then, after a horrific attack on her life resulting in the death of her father, she realizes there is something…more. Anzu, a winged beast of a different sort, and subject of Katherine’s hallucinations, saves her and become’s her guardian.
Bereaved over the loss of her father, she quickly discovers the unthinkable. Her entire township, as she knew, is a secret government experiment. And her father? Well, he was more of a caretaker since her birth. This rogue operation, better known as Project Indigo, is at war with a corrupted race of celestial beings.
In order to save the world and defeat The Corrupted they need the help of Katherine. Through special training and the discovery of her abilities, Katherine and Project Indigo battle the entities set to destroy them while she discovers the truth about her family, her lineage, and her future.”
–Goodreads
Expected Publication Date: April 01, 2016
pooled ink Review:
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review!
An interesting mixture of mythological deities and science fiction, Ascension tells the story of the aftermath of a crippling alien invasion. The Naacal defeated Namtar but the invaders do not give up so easily and this time the humans have Project Indigo as a secret defense.
The prose was unexpected. The writing was much more refined and formal than I would have expected for a YA Sci-fi novel. It’s not a bad thing, just unexpected. As for the plot, it was thought-out, decently paced, detailed, and interesting. The concept for this book is pretty enticing but the execution has me a tad torn. If I had gone into this expecting Adult Sci-Fi then I’d understand but as it is this book is labeled Young Adult Sci-Fi and so I feel indecisive as to my overall opinion.
In blunt honesty I admit I found the blurb/book description far more compelling…or perhaps not more compelling but rather simply…unfitting? The description I read sounded like a thrilling YA sci-fi with a female protagonist, aliens, government secrets, and typical teenage relationship problems. And while all of that is true of this book, the story I read was far more…highbrow. It’s not a terrible book by any means; it’s just not a YA book. The whole feel of this book is more akin to adult fiction except that the protagonist is 17 years old, which is why I assume it was placed in the YA genre. I do think that there are science fiction fans of different ages out there who will enjoy this book but I also think that most readers who come across it will be confused and thrown off by it.
This novel is definitely full of creativity, intellect, and some seriously good ideas, but I just feel like the author doesn’t quite have a steady grasp on teenage girls, or at least not when it comes to translating them into text on a page. The dialogue and such for the adults and the Corrupted are far better than the forced utterances of the younger characters. Having the protagonist be a teenager is a solid idea but it just doesn’t quite go with the author’s writing style.
If you’re a science fiction fan, if you like black-ops, aliens, paranormal powers, and the like, then I recommend giving Ascension a try. Who knows? It just might be the thrill you’ve been searching for. But as for me this wasn’t quite a win.
Cheers.
Purchase here: Ascension
Meet Christopher DeSousa!
Christopher De Sousa was born in Nelson, New Zealand. Upon completion of college, he went on to study at Victoria University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Triple Major in Theatre, Film, and Criminology. Once finished, he travelled to the USA and worked on a couple of feature films before returning home to his native New Zealand where he pursued a degree in Accounting. He now works as an Accountant and is in the process of studying to become chartered whilst writing books for you all to enjoy including his new HIT debut series THE INDIGO PROJECT!
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