Skip to main content

The Arctic Code

The Arctic Code is the first book in a new MG sci-fi series by Matthew Kirby. I tend to like Kirby's books and the way he writes character relationships. The Arctic Code is no exception and has an exciting fast-paced plot to pull readers along on the adventure.

In a not so distant future, the Earth is experiencing an unexpected Ice Age. The ice sheet has taken over, forcing most of the surviving inhabitants toward the Equator. Energy is a coveted resource and the UN has given a great deal of power to a company called GET. Eleanor is a girl living in Arizona while her geologist mother works on finding a new energy source in Alaska. Eager for adventure, Eleanor is often doing things that most consider unwise. When her mom goes missing after sending Eleanor files of information with the warning to keep it all a secret, Eleanor stows away on a plane headed for Alaska to discover what has happened to her mom. Upon reaching Alaska, Eleanor discovers that mysterious sites are appearing on the ice sheet and GET is enforcing all sorts of new and menacing rules. Eleanor and her new friends, sons of another missing scientist, decide their best bet is to head into the frozen wasteland themselves to find their parents. What they end up finding, will change their view of the world and lead to a whole new set of troubles.

I don't typically like futuristic doomsday type of books whether post-apocalyptic, dystopian, or earth in peril. I also typically don't like survival stories. I wouldn't have picked this up at all if it hadn't had Matthew Kirby's name on the cover. (The cover does grab the eye and make you curious on its own though.) Despite the presence of two things I tend not to enjoy, I did enjoy this book. Kirby set up his story very well, and it is mostly a fast paced, edge of your seat adventure. (There is a scene in a science class early on where there is a lot of information given in the form of a lesson, but even that is executed well as Eleanor herself is bored. Well played.) Eleanor's every step is shadowed by fear. She knows GET is not entirely honest, and she doesn't want them to get a hold of the files her mom sent to her. And her meeting with the CEO and his minions later on only makes her more determined. There is also a fear of death, because survival in the harsh climate is no small matter. In Alaska the air is so cold breathing it in might kill you. Then the story morphs from being a perilous futuristic adventure to a sci-fi thriller with some fascinating twists. Not all of the elements of the plot are handled as completely as I want. Eleanor has an ability that isn't entirely explained. I'm sure it will be in future volumes, but for this as a stand alone it made her seem like a little too special in comparison with everyone who couldn't do this thing.

Eleanor is an excellent heroine despite this unexplained specialness though. And not simply because she is special. She is reckless, impatient, and rebellious. She is also brave, loyal, and incredibly smart.  I do like that the reader gets to thoroughly know her as Eleanor before the reveals in the end. The opening scene has her creating snow using a fan and water at her school construction site while planning to sled down a dangerous incline from a partly finished building. She ends up getting arrested with two of her friends. Fortunately for the 12 year olds, no charges are pressed. But it is a perfect way to show everything Eleanor is to prepare for her actions as she recklessly hops a plane with a stranger to Alaska. That stranger is a pilot named Luke who wants no part in being responsible for a 12 year old girl, but given no choice he embraces his duty admirably. Luke is a good guy, but also a complicated one. I found myself really wanting more of him and hope that will happen as the series progresses. The other characters aren't developed quite as well, but Finn and Julian, the boys who set out with Eleanor into the frozen wild, have distinct personalities and interactions with her.

One aspect of the novel I particularly enjoyed was the fraught relationship between Eleanor and her mom. There is a lot of love there but also a lot of hurt and misunderstanding. This is the sort of relational writing Kirby excels at.

I'm eager to see where the next volume in this series takes the stories and characters. I know this will be an easy sell to kids. Kirby's books usually are.

I read an ARC received from the publisher, Balzer & Bray, at ALA Midwinter. The Arctic Code is on sale April 28th.

Comments

Unknown said…
thanks a lot admin on your information and sorry permission share
cara alami menyembuhkan jantung tachycardia

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t