Iceling by Sasha Stephenson - OPTIONAL

Stephenson, Sasha Iceling, 253 pages.  Razorbill (Penguin), 2016.  $18.  Language: R (100+ swears, 2 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some death, missiles, flamethrowers).

Lorna, 17, has always loved her adopted sister, Callie, even though Callie has never said a word her entire life, nor really communicated any personal feelings towards Lorna.  Callie was discovered along with hundreds of other babies, abandoned on a large boat in the Arctic.  Then one day Callie does does something really over the top, even for Callie, and the pair start a journey north.  Along the way they meet other Icelings, as Lorna calls them, and their siblings – all headed north for some unknown reason.  What they don’t know is that hey are headed into danger and betrayal on a massive scale.

What really needs to happen is to have this book be a single, stand-alone book – no sequels.  Otherwise it is just a long set-up for a science fiction that probably won’t go anywhere that we really want it to – kind of like the Fringe TV series.  As is, it can at least be a commentary on how we treat people who are different than us.  While there are a ton of unanswered questions, I don’t see how the author can answer them in a way that won’t send the book in totally different, and unappealing directions.

HS – OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher