LitPick Review
UnEarthed, written by Rebecca Bloomer, is the story of sixteen-year-old Jodi Scarfield's relocation to the Martian colony of Anphobos. Although she is initially unenthusiastic about the move, the self-described "techno-geek" soon realizes that Martian technology is amazing, and she uses her hacking skills to skirt around Martian regulations. Life on Mars is not perfect, however, and Jodi soon becomes aware of the movement to liberate Mars from the control of Earth. With complaints of trade restrictions and inefficient communication, the rebels stage protests in Anphobos, even going as far as to damage the protective dome that makes human life on Mars possible. Eventually, Jodi must decide where she belongs- Earth, or Mars?
Opinion:
UnEarthed was a fun, imaginative story that explored the interesting diplomatic relations that could arise between Earth and a Martian colony. The details provided in the beginning on Jodi's earth background established her character early on and were a great resource as I continued reading. The changing relationships and power struggles between her family members were well thought out and realistic, as well. The friends Jodi met on Mars, however, were not explained deeply enough. I feel as though their histories and developing friendships, as well as their resolve to fight for independence, should have been a larger part of the book. I finished not fully understanding the rebel movement, and I wish the book had gone deeper into the situation and included more characters.
I would recommend this book to tweens and teens who enjoy science fiction and are looking for a short, exciting read with a surprise ending.
