Pacifica

February 1, 2018

Gr 7-10-In this futuristic adventure, the narrative flips between the privileged Cliffdweller President's son, Ross, and a hardscrabble Shoreling girl, Marin, who eventually kidnaps him. Facing climate crisis and population crowding, the President and his cabinet have contrived an elaborate scheme to select a lucky 500 Shorelings to be the first relocated to Pacifica, a supposed island paradise, although the promotional materials all appear to have been digitally enhanced. When Ross and the less high-born Vice President's son, Adam, are out "slumming" among rioting protestors, they quickly find themselves in harm's way and lured into the hands of actual pirates. A picaresque series of swashbuckling episodes ensues, cementing the romantic bond between Ross and his "captor," Marin. Although readers may be tempted to "ship" the two boys, Adam and Ross, the author creates a very tame romance between Marin and Ross, complicated by the fact that Marin wrestles with her own issues of familial abandonment. What starts as an extremely strong dystopian concept novel dissolves into a pirate action story, complete with a cliched jailbreak (including shooting the lock off a cell). The conclusion attempts to recapture the political intrigue laid out in the early chapters but falls flat, allowing the President to escape culpability by simplistically claiming naivete. Likewise, the contrast between social classes, a theme that was introduced early on, is never completely explored. VERDICT A solid but not necessary addition for sci-fi action shelves.-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2018
In the year 2193, or 81 Post Melt, a president's son and a pirate's daughter reluctantly sail the treacherous seas to rescue a friend. The future is grim: Natural catastrophes have resculpted the continents, and epidemics have wiped out half of humanity. What used to be inland Sacramento is now the coastal Noram City, the Alliance's capital, where the wealthy "kanshu" live at a safe elevation and the struggling Shorelings below. To address resource shortages, the president has announced a Relocation Act, ordering 500 people (nearly all Shorelings) to a man-made island, Pacifica. The resulting riots bring together pirate-turned-smuggler Marin with president's son Ross Torres, both 17, and his friend Adam Baker, son of the vice president. After Adam is abducted, Marin offers Ross her help--for a price. Although it suffers from uneven pacing, the twist-filled story does pick up, exploring a host of political, social, and environmental themes. The cast is ethnically diverse, and the characters' English is peppered with Spanish, French, and Japanese. A thoughtful author's note reveals that the story was inspired by her Japanese-American family's internment during World War II and offers poignant historical context for readers who do not make this connection on their own.Simmons' slow-building post-apocalyptic adventure and opposites-attract love story should satisfy readers who miss dystopian romances. (author's note, suggested reading) (Fiction.12-17)

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March 12, 2018
A post-apocalyptic American wasteland is the backdrop for this romantic adventure from Simmons (Metaltown). Seventeen-year-old Marin was raised to be a corsario, a pirate. As an exile from her home, Marin puts her skills to use scrounging and creating a drug called tar in the harsh barter economy as she plans a way to earn her a place back in the seafaring lifestyle. Enter Ross Torres, the president's son. A chance meeting, during a riot protesting the government's relocation of some 500 of Noram's poorest citizens, unites the pair. The world-changing government program, designed to give Noram's citizens a new start in a tropical paradise called Pacifica, leaves Marin and others skeptical: is Pacifica really the advertised haven, or is the government disguising something sinister? Throughout her epic story, Simmons explores themes of political corruption, wealth disparity, and the question of whether socio-economic status and happiness are intertwined. Detailed world-building transforms a fictional world into something much more realistic and terrifyingly possible. Ages 14-up. Agent: Joanna MacKenzie, Nelson Literary Agency.

Starred review from February 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Simmons (Article 5, 2012; Metaltown, 2016) excels at dystopian fiction, and her admirable latest takes to the sea. Marin Carey is a corsario, a pirate, barely surviving on the mainland with the other Shorelings, the poor living closest to the water. Ross Torres, the president's son, lives a life of privilege further inland. When Ross convinces his best friend Adam to attend a Shoreling riot with him, Adam is taken by rioters. Ross escapes but later returns and makes a deal with Marin to help him find his friend. What follows is a breathtaking story full of high-seas adventure, power struggles, romance, betrayal, and more. The two main characters, though they come from different walks of life, are both tough, resourceful, and determined. These shared traits and genuine concern for each other add credence to their blossoming romance. Simmons' great-grandmother was taken to a Japanese internment camp during WWII, and her experiences influence those of Marin and the pirates. The science behind the post-Melt era, in which this book takes place, is plausible, and rather than front-loading the story with world building, Simmons walks Ross through a museum that describes how our modern era transformed to his. Nonstop action and surprises will keep readers enthralled through rough waters and smooth sailing alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)