Light Years

September 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-A lyrical science fiction novel about a sensitive and creative teenager tasked with saving herself-and the world. In a near future, Luisa Ochoa-Jones, 16, is a brilliant coder and has just been accepted into a high-profile internship program at a leading tech company. She is eager to begin her career and get out from under the thumb of her controlling mother. But Luisa's plans change abruptly when a mysterious virus erupts that affects thousands of people, including her best friend and her father. Luisa and her brother Ben, along with her crush Kamal and friend Phoebe go on a cross-country journey to find a cure and stop the spread of the virus. The protagonist gets hints in the form of mysterious poems and has to learn to trust faith and intuition that extend beyond science and logic. Luisa also experiences overwhelming sensory effects similar to synesthesia (colors, sounds, tastes) when under stress or in highly emotional situations. Griffin crafts a gorgeously written tale with depth, suspense, intriguing characters, and an engaging plot that moves along like a gripping action film. The ending is a cliffhanger, leaving open the strong possibility of a sequel. VERDICT Unlike many sci-fi novels, the fast pacing doesn't come at the expense of thoughtful character development. Highly recommended for older adolescents.-Margaret A. Robbins, University of Georgia, Athens

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
A deadly pandemic killing hundreds of thousands can only be stopped by one girl's unique way of interacting with the world. Sixteen-year-old Luisa Ochoa-Jones' senses misfire when her emotions run high. Stress causes her to see flashes of color. She can hear a shift in the hue of the night sky. Her crush, Kamal, causes her to smell pine trees, while a meeting with an eccentric zillionaire triggers the scent of roses. Biracial Luisa is desperate to begin her life--to win a prized mentorship with a computer genius and find freedom from her hypercontrolling Mexican mother, but the outbreak of a deadly virus puts everything on hold. Modern medicine and governmental sanctions fail to curtail the outbreak, so when Luisa receives a mysterious computer message that hints at a cure and her white father falls ill, she decides to risk everything to save those she loves. Luisa draws upon her Mexican Catholicism, Kamal's faith in Islam, and her shadowy correspondent's references to Eastern belief systems and literature to find a deeper path toward a cure. The intersection of spiritualism, physical health, and a global community creates an evocative message that hints at the butterfly effect one person can have. Griffin's near-future worldbuilding is stylish, immersive, and entirely plausible; a jumbled ending does not significantly undercut it. A supernatural romantic thriller that defies convention. (Science fiction. 12-16)

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