Review by Booklist Review
Effie has only ever known life on Arca, a generation ship on the search for a habitable new planet; she's a "settler," a slave to the "citizens," the project's wealthy, powerful founders (and funders). As Effie, who secretly knows how to read, inches closer to 18, the age when settlers are finally relieved of their duties to the citizens and sent to another part of the ship to live in comfort, she finds a fragment of human bone in a garden bed and grows deeply suspicious, a feeling that intensifies as she uncovers more secrets. Jensen and Lonergan build tension and establish a rich backstory with flashback scenes that slowly mete out revelations about Arca and its leaders, as well as hint at some of the socioeconomic and racial inequality that pervades this so-called utopia. Lonergan's stylized inking renders the futuristic industrial design of the ship and the distinctive, expressive characters with equal adeptness. While some readers might anticipate some plot points, this will be a great choice for fans of sci-fi mysteries with sharp social commentary.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Jensen (The Flash series) and Lonergan (Ghosts of Science Past) craft an immersive futuristic setting for this sharp, socially canny sci-fi thriller. Teenage Effie (short for Persephone) has grown up on the Arca, a space ark containing the last survivors of humanity. Young people, dubbed Settlers, serve the older Citizens who run the ship while preparing for the future colonization of a planet. Disobedience and questioning are strictly punished, and Effie has to hide that she's learned the forbidden art of reading. As she begins to doubt the teachings of her elders, she becomes the center of an uprising against the Arca's stratified hierarchy. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal the machinations behind the Citizens' supposedly noble project to save humanity. Lonergan's fluid art and warm colors breathe life into the high-tech Arca and its many environments, from the Citizens' artificial-sun-drenched vineyards and tennis courts to the Settlers' crowded dorms and the dank jungle of pipes in the sanitation area. The plot moves quickly through twists and turns, building to a climax of all-out rebellion. Fans of smart dystopian storytelling will want to get on board. Agent: Lucy Cleland, Kneerim & Williams. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Years after the Earth has become an inhospitable wasteland, humanity's survivors search for a new home aboard a vast vessel dubbed the Arca. Society on the ship is divided into two groups. "Citizens" are the billionaire elites responsible for planning and funding the mission. They live in total luxury due to the hard work of the second group called Settlers, a workforce of children and teens who toil obediently in exchange for retiring to wealth and privilege when they turn 18. On the verge of her 18th birthday, a Settler named Effie discovers evidence that suggests the Citizens might not be totally trustworthy. The deeper she investigates, the more she suspects everything she and her friends believed about life aboard the Arca is a lie. It seems like the Citizens will do or say anything to ensure they stay in power, but if Effie can prove her suspicions, they won't be for much longer. VERDICT Author Jensen (Bylines in Blood) balances an exploration of truth and systemic power with propulsive action and suspense, while illustrator Lonergan's (Planet Paradise) page design and visual storytelling result in an uncanny sense of scale, movement, and pacing.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In a post-apocalyptic world, a teen girl grapples with classism, trust, and the power of stories. Arca is a spaceship built by a select group of billionaires as the Earth was dying. It's heading to Eden, the nearest habitable planet, with passengers divided into Citizens, those who hold all the power; Settlers, people under 18 who serve them in exchange for a promise of paradise; and Helpers, the Citizens' security forces. Shortly before her graduation from the Settlers, 17-year-old Effie discovers an object in the farm soil on Eden that leads her to question the Citizens' honesty--something that will reshape what Settlers and Helpers think they know about the Citizens and their world. Together with her friends, she must race against the clock as her birthday nears and her future is uncertain to try to uncover the truth and hold the corrupt Citizens accountable. Readers may wish for deeper character development, but this exciting, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic graphic novel tells an engaging story about perseverance and tenacity, friendship and loyalty, truth and lies. The illustrations are reminiscent of vintage comics with their muted color palette and fluid linework. People's faces are angular and expressive. Characters' names and physical appearances show an ethnically diverse cast; Effie has tan skin and straight black hair. A fun page-turner that skillfully explores social inequality. (guide to the Arca, main cast of characters) (Graphic dystopian. 16-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
