This book will be published on May 5, 2019. I read an advance reader's copy, and there will undoubtedly be differences between the version I read and the published edition.
That being said, there are also themes of immigration within this story and a lot of correlating themes as well. If that bothers you, perhaps skip this book and book review.
An amazon summary, "Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! From the creator of the Tapper Twins, New York Times bestselling author Geoff Rodkey delivers a topical, sci-fi middle-grade novel that proves friendship and laughter can transcend even a galaxy of differences.
The first time I heard about Planet Choom, we'd been on Mars for almost a year. But life on the Mars station was grim, and since Earth was no longer an option (we may have blown it up), it was time to find a new home.
That's how we ended up on Choom with the Zhuri. They're very smart. They also look like giant mosquitos. But that's not why it's so hard to live here. There's a lot that the Zhuri don't like: singing (just ask my sister, Ila), comedy (one joke got me sent to the principal's office), or any kind of emotion. The biggest problem, though? The Zhuri don't like us. And if humankind is going to survive, it's up to myfamily to change their minds. No pressure." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE
The humans have destroyed Earth and have colonized Mars. However, they're Mars colony isn't doing well, and they need to find another home, soon. There are three schools of thought; return to Earth, seek out a planet to terraform, or go coexist on planet Choom. This story is centered on the group that chose to coexist on planet Choom.
They travel 20 years while in deep sleep, but at the end of the 20 years, it turns out Choom was no longer interested in coexisting with the humans. A planet that once held 4 species only holds 3... what happened to the fourth species?
In a desperate attempt to prove that humans can coexist with the other species, Lan and his family are going to do a trial run of being down on the planet. Everything must go well for the other humans to stay on the planet as well (they're currently in the spaceship orbiting Choom). Lan and his sister Ila go to school while their parents try to work different jobs on the planet.
...but the Zhuri (main species on the planet - look like giant mosquitoes) are very resistant to humans and Lan's family has no idea why. As the kids attend school, they find out that not everyone agrees explicitly with the proclaimed views of the Zhuri government... and something definitely happened to the fourth species.
That's enough summary.
So there was a lot of culture shock portrayed throughout the story, as is appropriate when trying to live on a different planet with aliens. I really liked those aspects.
I also thought the family dynamics within Lan's family were interesting, as it felt like due to the ongoing tragedies they had experienced and their desperation to make it work, they were also determined to work as a family (a notable exception to Ila a few times).
The humans also seemed to be left with mostly the ideal people; people who strive for species survival and have given up many trivial customs and habits they had while on Earth. It also may be the year 2028, or sometime after that, and we're not given a concrete reason as to why Earth is dead. Presumably, some ecosystem disaster happened rendering the planet "dead", but that wasn't spelled out.
All that being said, I really liked how the alien technology was introduced, and also the subtle and overt differences in the species. I suspect there will be a book two where some nuances may be delved into, but I would also be content if this was a stand alone book.
I think the book did a good job of delivering a message of the benefits of understanding each other and achieving a coexistence, and it also did a great job of not beating the reader over the head with that message at every moment. It gave the scary moments their just due of being well, scary, and for all the right reasons.
It was a pretty solid book.
Happy reading!
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