Contagion

April 1, 2018

Gr 6 Up-In this sci-fi thriller, Bowman switches genres once again in this first installment of a planned duology. After a distress signal is received from a far-off moon, a rescue team is hastily assembled to investigate; members include Dr. Tarlow, an aging microbiologist; Thea, her teen intern; and Nova, a temp pilot who was forced to leave the military due to a medical condition. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, which helps to move the narrative along and to build empathy for some of the protagonists. Some characters, though, are less developed, such as Toby, the computer specialist who spends most of his time either picking on Thea or spouting conspiracy theories, and Dylan, the leader of their team, who is unbelievably incompetent and impulsive. Nova's crush on her has no discernible basis, other than serving as a plot device. Appropriate technology is explained and does not overtake the story. World-building is handled in a short prologue and in brief descriptions embedded in the story which do not detract from the action. The plot does rely on several tropes, namely a powerful, evil corporation, a secretive rebel military, as well as a mysterious infection. VERDICT A strong pick for readers seeking a fast-paced story with capable female protagonists, limited gore, and an emphasis on survival rather than romance.-Judy Poyer, Anne Arundel County Public Library, MD

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 14, 2018
Hevetz Industries intern Althea Sadik is in the Trios planetary system assisting renowned microbiologist Dr. Lisbeth Tarlow when a storm forces the evacuation of their research facility. Most personnel are sent home, but the forewoman orders Thea and Lisbeth to board the Odyssey, which is traveling to the planet Achlys to investigate a distress call. The ship arrives to discover the remote rock strewn with corpses. A now-deceased engineer has left a disturbing video advising Hevetz to abandon the operation, plus a note scrawled in blood: “It got in us and most are dead. Decklan flew for help. Don’t trust the kid.” The Odyssey crew combs Achlys in search of survivors and the cause of the carnage. Unfortunately for them, they find both. First in a duology, this horror-tinged sci-fi thriller from Bowman (Retribution Rails) unfolds from multiple viewpoints via a kaleidoscopic narrative, developing character while escalating pace and ratcheting up tension. Bowman’s plot is intricate and action-packed, her worldbuilding is impressive yet economical, and the book climaxes in a gripping cliffhanger that sets up the sequel. Ages 13–up.

May 15, 2018
A search-and-rescue mission on a hostile planet results in a horrific discovery in this dread-filled sci-fi thriller.In response to a distress signal, the Odyssey crew sets out to investigate a drilling base on Achlys, a fringe planet harboring something sinister beneath its harsh surface. Seventeen-year-old Thea Sadik certainly values her internship at drilling conglomerate Hevetz Industries working for esteemed microbiologist Lisbeth Tarlow, but the young intern suspects that Tarlow's tragic past may help to uncover Achlys' evil secrets. Nova Singh, an 18-year-old brown-skinned pilot, meanwhile tries to act as peacemaker for her fiery cousin, a Hevetz mechanic, and wrestles with her feelings for the headstrong female captain, Dylan Lowe. The team's search for survivors leads them to an abandoned ship full of deceased personnel as well as a stack of bodies in one of the drilling sites. Using an omnipresent third-person narration to clue readers in at key moments, Bowman (Retribution Rails, 2017, etc.) sets up an intriguing universe, providing small doses of political intrigue that suggest something more grandiose in a potential sequel. Self-serving acts plague the Odyssey crew from the onset, and the author does an admirable job of explaining their motivations even if the answers prove unsatisfying at times. When one of their own is infected by an unknown contagion, the group must fend off an aggressive outbreak. The book assumes a white default.A solid, creepy page-turner. (Science fiction/horror. 13-adult)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Bowman's newest (Retribution Rails, 2017) is a twisting, turning, edge-of-your-seat blend of sf, thriller, and horror. Althea, an ambitious teen girl who harbors a love for science, works as an intern for Hevetz Industries, a multibillion-dollar drilling conglomerate. Nova, a savvy teen girl seeking a permanent job, is also employed by Hevetz. Althea's and Nova's fates become intertwined when both are dispatched as part of a crew on a search-and-rescue mission. When they arrive on Achyls in the Fringe, the search and rescue is revealed to be not at all routine. The inhabitants of the base on which they arrive are dead, and few clues are left behind as to what caused the tragedy. As Althea and Nova unravel the mystery, a chilling dark truth comes to light that threatens the lives of both girls. The pace, action, and tension are explosive from page one, and readers will automatically sense not every person in Althea and Nova's crew will make it out of the ordeal alive.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
An unfit crew answers a distress call from a drilling operation on the horrific planet Achlys and finds everyone dead--except for one boy. As the crew members uncover the history of Black Quarry, it becomes clear that one of them has a personal connection with this terrible place. Well-paced and tense, Bowman's novel is a successful mash-up of bio-horror and industrial science fiction.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)