Revisited this one for old times' sake, remembering how it was all the rage when I was in middle school. Farmer has just the right ratio of futurism, cultural mysticism, political intrigue, and adventure to craft a perfect Gibson-esque sci-fi. I don't think Gibson has ever set his sights on Zimbabwe (or anywhere else in Africa) for a setting, but if he did, and if he were writing for a younger audience, it might look something like this.

Farmer's only flaw here is that she doesn't write action sequences very well, and that may be because of the younger audience; she seems to soften most of the hard action with PG humor that makes the reading a little absurd. Perhaps if she didn't have the caveat of a young audience, she could let the harshness and brutality of what she's actually writing about (lots of dark commentary about race relations, cultural exoticism and environmental degradation) speak for themselves rather than infusing them with a Disney-like flair.

All in all, Farmer has crafted a rich setting where that commentary and her imagination really shine through, so much so that when I was reading this in middle school, I remember plenty of friends saying how great of a movie it would make. That's true, but hopefully it wouldn't be fettered by a PG-13 clampdown on action and a Disney sense of humor.