Just Finished Reading ... Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Spark (Skychasers Book #2)
by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Published by: St Martin's Griffin
on July 17, 2012

Source: bought from independent bookstore



Can you read book two without refreshing your memory on book one? There is recap of major plot points, but I was still a little lost on some of the backstory and characters.

My 99% spoiler free-summary of both books: In book one,  fifteen year-old Waverly knows nothing except life on a spaceship. Waverly was born on the Empyrean which, along with sister ship the New Horizon, is headed to a distant planet after the collapse of earth. Repopulation is an important goal of the space mission, and Waverly has pledged to marry ship captain-to-be Kieran. Then the Empyrean is inexplicably attacked by the New Horizon. In the chaos, children are torn from their parents. Stubborn, opinionated Seth takes advantage of the chaos to assert control, and lead the crew of the Empyrean into a high-risk rescue mission.

In book two, the Empyrean is now almost completely populated by kids. Kieran has re-established control and locked up Seth. Just as Anne Mather, captain of the New Horizon, insists that she wants to negotiate peace, Waverly becomes convinced that a saboteur is hiding on the Empyrean. Estranged from Kieran, she decides to investigate on her own.

My take:  At the outset, Glow seemed like a sci-fi romance and I really wasn't feeling the whole Waverly-Kieran relationship. But as I kept reading, I realized Glow was more of a sci-fi thriller  -- well-plotted, with a whole lot of twists and turns. It's not dissimilar to Across the Universe, but darker in tone. 

As book two in the series, Spark really hits the ground running. Once again, the plotting in this book really stands out. Multiple third person POVs aren't typical in YA, but the fact that Spark alternates between Kieran's, Waverly's and Seth's point of view worked well for the story. Since the three of them are all at odds and operating at cross-purposes, this narrative technique added a lot of suspense by allowing the reader to know what each of them was up to and why.

I also loved the fact that Amy Kathleen Ryan really delves into the moral implications of her characters' choices and shows the consequences of their actions.  One character says:

"It's time for all of you to grow up. You might want some final showdown like in the storybook, but this isn't a storybook. This is war ... war doesn't have a happy ending."

Ryan allows her characters to be complex and imperfect. There aren't obvious heroes and villains here -- or when you think there are, you soon change your mind. Spark centers around Kieran's struggle to maintain order on the Empyrean, and the concurrent search for the saboteur aboard ship. Seth, Kieran and Waverly are constantly butting heads in a way that made this feel way more interesting than the usual love triangle. When the devious Anne Mather (awesome female villain!) wants to negotiate peace, the kids have to decide how much they can trust her, and what they are willing to risk to be reunited with their parents.

Spark ends in a big cliffhanger --  I'll definitely be checking out book three to see how this story wraps up.

P.S. Random question: why was the typeface in this book so TINY? I have great eyesight and don't need glasses, but as I read this book, I seriously felt like I was going blind.  As a basis of comparison, Delirium, Mockingjay, and Clockwork Prince are set in 12 point size. Spark was in 9 point type. And there were a few lines in 7 point. I mean, I'm all for saving paper, but sheesh....

Edited to Add:


Okay, I was mostly kidding about the font, but St. Martin's Griffin reminded me about the audiobook version. You guys know how I love audiobooks! To listen to a sample of Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan on the Macmillan website, just click here!