Eleven-year-old Candy Foster-Smith is a genius, a prodigy, and due to her unauthorized exploration of the family bomb shelter, possibly the only survivor of a Russian bioweapon attack (note: published 1984). Upon emergence from the shelter, Candy finds evidence that she represents another form of emergence--that of a new species, Homo post hominem, consisting of the best and brightest as well as the most dangerous malcontents, but all possessing a natural immunity to most human disease, and therefore likely to have survived the biowar. With only her hyacinth macaw, Terry, for company, and armed with only her karate black belt, Candy sets off across the country to find others. Her journey leads her from the depths of loneliness, through soaring (literally) adventure, and ultimately to a decision point: when is it necessary to kill--or to die--for those one loves, and for those one has never even met? Told in the form of journal entries, the book's abbreviated, yet surprisingly rich, writing style takes some getting used to, but is well worth it. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of book - very upbeat - FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes Explore: Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers Yes magical powers: Inner Struggle Yes Plotlet: - - search for identity/new understanding Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Main Character Identity: - Female Profession/status: Age: - a kid Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Earth setting: - 20th century - Spaceship setting: - primative (present, near future) human spaceship Takes place on Earth? Yes Takes place in spaceship? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only) - an average amount of scientific explanation Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only - How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |