Renascense by Leigh Goodison

Renascence by Leigh Goodison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb: In 2072, pollution and preemptive nuclear strikes have rendered earth a desolate wasteland. Individual countries no longer exist. Earth is now divided into four quadrants and governed by a new world order that sends Zeta, the chemist, and five other young scientists, led by a former US Marine, to colonize the potentially habitable planet, Arianrhod.

While collecting specimens from the planet, one of the team disappears. The others, believing their commander is responsible, take him prisoner until they can return him to earth. But as they prepare for departure they encounter the alien species that captured their teammate, and find themselves entangled in a space exploration mystery that has persisted for over a century.

Will the team be able to return to earth in time to save the remaining population? Or will they be stranded for eternity on a hostile planet millions of light years from earth?

Read for June book group.

Premise of the book is, Earth is on the cusp of catastrophic failure. A select group of seven has been chosen to travel to a planetary body to ascertain if Earth would have a future here. On the eve of their departure, world leadership tells them they have three months to complete their mission successfully, or they will be terminated upon their return. Better yet, don't bother to return of the mission is a failure. With words of doom hanging over their heads, they depart. Unbeknownst to the group, their Leader has secondary orders to follow, and what waits for them at their destination changes everything.

This book fell a bit flat for us in book group and myself as well. We finished it, but were left with more questions and comments than anything.

The FTL was not explained. Debatable if is needed to be. But if the world had access to FTL and hibernation coffins, why only build one ship and send out seven people? Build a fleet and seed the galaxy.

The premise of searching for phosphorus as part of a secret mission didn't work for me. If phosphorus is needed that desperately, have everyone looking for it. Put a secret out in the open and less people question it.

The discovery of the Russian cosmonauts, a 150 years old, dying slowly of gangrene, barely able to walk, eat, move...and then they are miraculously cured. Um. No. I can deal with the lack of FTL explanation, but this just moved into fantastical.

Three months to complete a mission or earth dies, also didn't work for me.

Nobody thought to pack a Geiger County on the ship? Could come in handy at ones final destination. Or return destination.

If this books target audience is YA, it would be spot on for the intended audience. But I didn't see any marketing as such, so while not a great read, it wasn't a total bust either. Kinda a solid, "meh". Book didn't work for me, but YA is more your inclination, it might work for you.



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