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The Keeper of the Isis Light

(Isis #1)

Monica Hughes

3.85 · Rating details · 1,237 ratings · 103 reviews

It was her tenth birthday on Isis. By Earth years, she would be sixteen. But Olwen Pendennis had never been to Earth. She had been born on Isis. And since her parents' death, she had lived there alone, manning the Isis Light -- a "lighthouse" in space designed to aid ships, and to bring settlers from Earth. And now, on the day of her tenth year, the settlers are coming at ...more

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Paperback, 232 pages

Published June 1st 2000 by Aladdin Paperbacks (first published 1980)

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Nov 18, 2008 else fine rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: misanthropes and monkey wrenchers

Shelves: favorites, reread, read2009, kids

This was my favorite book as a kid. It held up well: the perfectly timed build-up of the plot, the vivid and beautiful descriptions of a high desert world, and the believability of the main character were all as riveting as they seemed when I was ten. Though the book deals with Serious Issues, as young adult books do, it doesn't offer any simple solutions, and the resolution, though quietly satisfying, isn't quite the happy ending you'd expect. It offers a moral lesson I enjoyed as much this tim ...more

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Sep 22, 2009 Wealhtheow rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, ya

After her parents died in a freak storm, Olwen has grown up alone on the alien world of Isis. She spends her days roaming the planet she considers her own. The only person she speaks to is the Guardian of Isis. But at last, colonists are coming to Isis.

This book feels very dated. The style of writing, the gender norms, the tech, all felt very golden-age scifi. Additionally, the OMG PLOT TWISTs are excrutiatingly obvious. Once they're out of the way, the story improves. Overall, I did quite like ...more

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Jul 31, 2018 StarMan rated it really liked it

Shelves: predictable, cover-art-not-in-book, not-enough-science, bestest, nice-art-design, juvenile-sci-fi, young-adult, science-fiction, girls-with-unusual-names, redhead

[First book I read & reviewed in 2019]

A short but memorable read. Pretty good if you like older, somewhat predictable juvenile/YA sci-fi tales. First published c. 1980, THE KEEPER OF THE ISIS LIGHT is the first book in a trilogy, but it stands alone (pay heed, modern 'cliffhanger' authors!).

First line: It was a day like any other day on Isis, and yet, when it was over, nothing would ever be the same again.

Note: As at least one other GR reviewer has noted, this is one of those books where whoe ...more

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Mar 04, 2017 Cheryl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

(Goldfield not permitted. The excellent cover that was on the edition I borrowed is not avl. here; too bad.)

Very good SF, especially given that it's directed at young teens & 'tweens, a decidedly under-served group. I kinda sorta saw where things were going, but it still surprised me in many ways. Thought-provoking and charming. I will continue to struggle (!) to find more by the author. ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Sophie Guillas rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-club

I don't think this book was made for me. The romantic elements felt very true for being 16, but it just made me remember how unintentionally obnoxious 16 year olds can be. There were some decent twists but I just couldn't relate to any of the characters. ...more

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Dec 12, 2017 LauraW rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction

I read this long before I joined Goodreads, along with a LOT of other science fiction. Someday, I will add more of the ones that I know I read. I won't be able to write full reviews though, as I have only vague recollections of most of them. I know that I liked this one, though. ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 An Odd1 rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Olwen Pendennis p 41 16 has lived her whole life alone on the planet Isis with Guardian after a radiation storm killed her parents Gareth and Liz p 203. To her more than a robot "a thousand times friend .. much much wiser" p 150, he could not protect the baby human body from such a harsh climate. (view spoiler) When "eighty settlers" p 25 come from Earth, she no longer needs to operate the Lighthouse, "only the Olwen Pendennis p 41 16 has lived her whole life alone on the planet Isis with Guardian after a radiation storm killed her parents Gareth and Liz p 203. To her more than a robot "a thousand times friend .. much much wiser" p 150, he could not protect the baby human body from such a harsh climate. (view spoiler) When "eighty settlers" p 25 come from Earth, she no longer needs to operate the Lighthouse, "only the shipping signal .. practically automatic" p 210, her job changes to "advisor" p 139. Mark 17 p 90 and her care deeply for each other, yet Guardian "never illogical" p 89 insists she wear a face mask and suit. When Mark sees beneath, her world changes.

Mark suffers "a blow to the head causes loss of memory". With Guardian, she sends a photo for after "he's read my letter" p 167, wait for a reply. One little boy, Jordan likes the "funny lady" p 193, sees "Halloween .. She's fun"beauty. When he is lost before a radiation storm, Olwen rescues the "black face" p 193 lad.

(view spoiler)

I think the ending should have been sooner. She shapes everyone's future according to her imagination. But none of us can know what will happen next, even a single moment later. "Her hair .. a rich torrent of coppery red .. the most desirable woman he would ever see in his whole life" p 94. (view spoiler) Her claim "I must be free" p 209 sounds pretty, but is unjustified balderdash. Also too many dreams / nightmares. Yawn.

(view spoiler)

The beginning is meant to draws us inside oh-so-normal Olwen, "strange aching emptiness" p 30 is loneliness. From the first, to Guardian she is "perfect in all particulars" p 73. Almost ordinary is teenage courtship, empty orphan and secure newcomer Mark. Her protective jumpsuit seems wrong before her small physical aberrations are revealed. Jordan "child with the negroid features" p 145 is one more lesson "young enough not to be prejudiced" p 199 too many. I like exciting scenes, pull rating higher, almost enough.

Typo?
p 121 "a computer terminal and consules" is more likely consoles ...more

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Jan 01, 2021 DiscoSpacePanther rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult

I read this book way back in the 1980s, as it was one of the few SF novels on the shelves of my secondary school library. I was a little trepidatious of re-reading it, as there is no guarantee that something you enjoyed as a kid will retain its appeal when you are an adult. Happily, I still thoroughly enjoyed it: it gives me the same sort of feeling of space exploration on alien worlds that I get from early Star Trek: TNG or The Forbidden Planet, although without any of the sinister undertones o ...more

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Jun 03, 2020 Colette rated it it was amazing

Read this for my English class in junior high. I remember being gripped by this character's reality and the ending had taken my breath away. This book has returned to my consciousness during confinement and wonder why we don't hear about this author any more... ...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Shaun rated it really liked it

I first read this in 7th grade and was truly fascinated by the story of the girl Olwen living alone on a planet with her robot keeper. Everything is turned upside down when she is 16 and colonists arrive from Earth. The story covers themes of loneliness, prejudice and what makes someone human. I found myself fiercely loyal to Olwen while not truly knowing her at all (or did I?)

Rereading The Keeper of the Isis Light (20 years later) I was similarly intrigued by the story. This book has a few unf ...more

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Jun 19, 2017 Stephanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult

DO NOT READ THE BOOK SUMMARY ON THE DUST COVER! It essentially tells you the plot and the unsaid parts. That is, unless you do not want to read the very short 136 pages. I really enjoyed that Monica Hughes does not lay out every detail for you. That method is so very different than books written now, which seemingly feel the need to mention everything repeatedly, however unnecessary. Leave something to our imagination already! The main character, Olwen is likable, though naive. What I ended up l ...more

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Aug 07, 2013 Kaila marked it as to-read

Shelves: tor-com

It's always fairly jolting to me when I discover this rad new book from whatever various blog I'm reading and go to mark it as to-read, only to discover I already did at some point in the past. Case in point: this book. ...more

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Jun 27, 2013 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I remember loving this book

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Mar 13, 2020 Sara Why rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Olwen Pendennis and her Guardian are the only inhabitants of a planet 6 parsecs from the overpopulated Earth. The planet is called Isis, and Olwen is the keeper of the Light (space-aged lighthouse of sorts) located in the upper reaches on the surface of the planet.
On the day of her 10th birthday (16th on Earth) a transmission is received by Guardian informing them that the first human settlers are en route in a ship called the Pegasus Two. This news spins Olwen’s world out of control and sends h Olwen Pendennis and her Guardian are the only inhabitants of a planet 6 parsecs from the overpopulated Earth. The planet is called Isis, and Olwen is the keeper of the Light (space-aged lighthouse of sorts) located in the upper reaches on the surface of the planet.
On the day of her 10th birthday (16th on Earth) a transmission is received by Guardian informing them that the first human settlers are en route in a ship called the Pegasus Two. This news spins Olwen’s world out of control and sends her down a path of self-discovery and acceptance of things she cannot control.
In my opinion, the first couple of chapters are a little slow, but once you hit the third chapter where Mark London, a teenager on the Pegasus Two, is introduced. I liked Mark in the beginning, I thought he was a wonderful addition to the story and would make an excellent friend for Olwen. Boy oh boy, was I ever quick to change my opinion.
To meet the settlers, Guardian has Olwen dress up in a specially made hazmat suit, he claims is designed to keep possible germs from infecting her. The suit is made of a light material, and the vented mask is an appealing, smooth-faced apparatus — for functionality and comfort, it seems.
Olwen’s offer to show the settlers her part of Isis, the upper mesa, is rejected by all except Mark, who is more than willing to explore the unknown. He has to wear a special suit to protect him from Ra (Isis’s sun), along with an oxygen tank because of Isis’s thin air.
The two become close, and as love begins to blossom, Olwen begins to question Guardian’s logic as to why she has to wear the suit. Maybe, just maybe, he is being overprotective. Mark brings her to see the colony’s doctor, who also questions Guardian’s logic and takes a sample of Olwen’s blood to test for her.
Olwen and Guardian later get into a dispute, which leads to Olwen telling him about her trip to the doctor. Guardian wastes no time in heading to the colony to confront the doctor. Mark overhears much of their argument but is dismissed by the doctor before Guardian explains as to why he has Olwen wear the suit.
Concerned for Olwen’s safety, Mark suits up and attempts to climb the mesa alone, in search of Olwen. He finds her at the top of the mesa, without her suit on, and when she turns to look at him he stumbles backwards and falls off the mesa, nearly getting himself killed.
The aftermath of the incident, along with a hunting accident that kills Olwen’s trusted pet, Hobbit, finally brings forth the truth of Olwen’s heritage and the reason she has to wear the suit.
Olwen is the daughter of the former Light Keepers, who died during a solar storm on Isis when she was only 4 earth years old. They left her in the care of Guardian, whom at this time I still wasn’t sure if he was human or robot. Guardian did his best to ensure her happiness and safety, which included changing her to suit Isis’s harsh environment.
He genetically thickened her skin to protect against Ra, widened her nose and deepened her ribcage to make it easier for her to breathe, protruded her brow and gave her second set of eyelids to add extra protection from Ra’s light, and enhanced her metabolism which gave her a bronze-green hue to her skin. As the Captian of the Pegasus Two observed, she looked almost reptilian.
This is where my hatred for Mark and many of the settlers come into play. They make it clear that if she weren’t human they would find her exotic and attractive, but because she was human she was disgusting to look at. It ultimately leads to Mark rejecting her and his feelings for her. Even though towards the end of the story he sort of recants, claiming he could get used to her appearance over time.
Other things in between, but in the end, no one except for a little boy named Jody is accepting of Olwen’s appearance. This leads to Olwen inevitable deserting the valley, taking Guardian with her, to live in another valley a few days journey away, so she can be at peace like she was before the Pegasus Two arrived. It is from here that she and Guardian can better warn the settlers of any oncoming solar storms before it reaches them.
This is a coming of age story, where are lessons are learned the hard way. I got so angry reading it, but I am very happy with how Olwen handled everything. She grew up through the story, and the fact that she never settled for Mark’s hesitant feelings, or the offers to take her back to earth to make her look more human-made me so happy for her.
Monica Hughes knew how to capture your heart, and paint a beautiful picture of an alien world that anyone would love to call home. I highly recommend this book, and I give it a 5/5. ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 Dave rated it it was amazing

It's ironic that we frequently think of YA books as stories that have to be "scaled down" in some ways, as if the way to prepare young adults for the world in front of them is by taking away things that are more "mature" ... leaving behind threads that often weave together a story that is better for the absence of explicit sex and violence that is the hallmark of many inadequate videogames. (I remember reading somewhere that if you had to use sex to sell something, you had nothing to sell. There It's ironic that we frequently think of YA books as stories that have to be "scaled down" in some ways, as if the way to prepare young adults for the world in front of them is by taking away things that are more "mature" ... leaving behind threads that often weave together a story that is better for the absence of explicit sex and violence that is the hallmark of many inadequate videogames. (I remember reading somewhere that if you had to use sex to sell something, you had nothing to sell. There are plenty of games that prove that theory.)

If the lesson is that young adults should be reading good stories, not mediocre ones that have "and then I killed him" or explicit descriptions of what went where and how often, then The Keeper of the Isis Light is likely on the syllabus. I'm sure it won't resonate with everyone the way it did with me; then again, not everyone was just the right age when the book was originally published, so perhaps it's fitting that I'm reading it now. (James Davis Nicoll has a series of posts on tor.com titled Fighting Erasure; I've made it a goal to work through some of those authors, both the listed works and related titles.)

It is also fitting that the book won the 2000 Phoenix Award, not just because it's a quality book, or because I'm just now reading it nearly thirty years after it was first published, but also because it's set on a planet with a significantly hotter sun, where people are settling as part of a long-term plan to escape Earth because of the usual stuff. To Hughes' credit, she tells very little of the Earth-sucks-because story, which keeps that part of the story from becoming dated ... in fact, the book generally ages well in large part because it's more of a story about people than about technology. (There is at least one exception; a better word could have been chosen in one place, and I'm not referring to tech this time. You'll know it when you see it.)

The tale of Olwen Pendennis and her role in welcoming settlers to Isis from Earth is one you should experience for yourself, so I'll go into it even less than I typically do in my reviews. I will say that while there were parts of the story that seemed fairly predictable, I never felt like I knew exactly how it would end, and even during the parts that seemed obvious, there were details that didn't pan out as I'd thought they might.

This is the first (obviously, I'm sure you can see the "Isis, #1" text) in a trilogy; the other two books are arriving this week or next. I'm looking forward to them ... and I have no idea what to expect from them. If they're anything like this, I won't be disappointed. ...more

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Jul 20, 2017 E.H. Nolan rated it it was amazing

I didn’t think I’d like this book. I thought it was written for teenage boys, and I’d be bored to tears by the alien planet setting. I was wrong. This is a fantastic book. Truly fantastic.

A sixteen-year-old girl, Olwen, has lived on an alien planet all her life; her parents were sent from Earth to explore an inhabitable planet, since Earth has been abused and needs to be evacuated. Olwen has been free, happy, and alone. She’s had an entire planet to herself, besides the man appointed as her guar ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 Elise Rogers rated it really liked it

Olwen lives alone with a computer companion on a planet called Isis. Her parents have passed away and she's the remaining guardian of "the Isis Light," which is like a beacon to draw possible settlers to the planet. She knows nothing of companionship or culture, but her whole life has built to the moment where human settlers would arrive. But what will she do upon encountering the humans and finding the companions she's been craving would no longer recognize her as one of them?

The way this story ...more

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Aug 26, 2017 Bethany Lawrence rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed this random find. I was in high school during library time. I randomly found this on the shelf. I had to return the book and have been looking for it again as an adult. I finally found it! I hope to order it soon. Very interesting Science fiction about a young girl left along with a robot to care for her. This book got me hooked on science fiction and fantasy.

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Aug 05, 2019 Teri rated it really liked it

Shelves: re-reading

4/5 It's funny when you go back and reread a book you loved as a child, how familiar and new at the same time. I have fond memories of this book but I could only recall bits and pieces of the story. I don't know that I ever read the rest in the series, but I think I need to try to find them. ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Andrea added it

Still holds up! Enjoyed it more than I expected to. However, due to current events it was quite jarring to read the word Isis so casually. A little unsettling.

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Mar 14, 2018 Natalya rated it really liked it

Actual rating: 3.7

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Jun 17, 2018 Allison rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book combined my love of sci-fi with my love of ancient history. A very intriguing read.

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Mar 14, 2019 Jenna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

One of my favorites as a kid. It might not be as good a story as I remember, but I'll always have a soft spot for this book. ...more

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Apr 10, 2019 Sung Ju rated it it was amazing

Different than what I was expecting.

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Mar 14, 2020 Kirsten rated it liked it

This is a little predictable, but I definitely enjoyed the process of getting there. It was fun.

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Apr 08, 2020 Sara Grimes rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 20, 2020 Marsha Valance rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, 20th-century-classic

A lonely 16-year-old girl is rejected by planetary colonists due to her mutated appearance. Phoenix Award.

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Mar 04, 2015 Betty rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of early YA novels

Shelves: 2015, young-adult, sf

Title: The Keeper of the Isis Light
Author: Monica Hughes
Genre: YA, SF
Setting: The planet Isis, current population only two - a young girl and her guardian.
Reason for Reading: I believe I saw mention of this trilogy online, and was intrigued.
Finished In: Days, maybe two of them.
Pages: 240
Copyright Date: 1980
Cover: A girl with long red hair wearing a metallic suit.
First line: "It was a day like any other day on Isis, and yet, when it was over, nothing would ever be the same again."
Themes: Ident ...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Rachael rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, comingofage, ya

Olwen has lived alone on the planet of Isis with her Guardian for as long as she can remember. She is the Keeper of the Isis Light and reports back to Earth the status of the planet for future colonists. Olwen loves her life, she loves belonging to the planet and being with Guardian. Shortly after her 10th (earth's 16yrs) birthday a rocket ship lands. Her guardian insists she wear a protective suit whenever she meets the new arrivals who are making a home on her planet. Then she falls in love wi ...more

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Sep 22, 2014 Beth rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014-books, youth-fiction

Olwen Pendennis and her companion, Guardian, are the only beings on the planet Isis. They tend the lighthouse, and send regular reports back to Earth about the living conditions on Isis.Everything changes when, at the beginning of the story, a group of 80 settlers from earth arrive to colonize the planet. Olwen's perfect paradise has been shattered. The rest of the plot revolves around her interaction with the settlers, her romantic interest in Mark (one of the settlers), and disconcerting revel ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Canadian grade 8, read in 2000, YA. Earth or planet like Earth, teen girl w/green skin wears space suit to fit in. [s]	5	15	Feb 03, 2020 09:32AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Scifi - teenage girl on another planet with bronze hair when new settlers arriving. [s]	5	109	Apr 25, 2018 05:24PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA novel about a girl who grew up on Mars with only her uncle until a colony ship arrives from Earth. [s]	3	23	Aug 13, 2016 04:43PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. book about a genetically modified teenage girl in a post apocalyptic world [s]	9	82	Dec 14, 2015 06:03AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Girl with green skin named juniper [s]	11	62	Aug 19, 2014 07:28AM
What's the Name o...: sci fiction (trilogy?): girl raised by robot who hides mirrors from her b/c she doesn't look human, boy from different planet settles with colony [s]	6	43	Mar 14, 2013 08:23PM

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About Monica Hughes

Monica Hughes

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Monica Hughes was a very popular writer for young people, and has won numerous prizes. Her books have been published in the United States, Poland, Spain, Japan, France, Scandinavia, England, and Germany. She has twice received the Canada Council Prize for Children's Literature, and was runner-up for the Guardian Award.

She is the author of Keeper of the Isis Light, an American Library Association B ...more

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“If you inhabited a world and a colony of tongueless people landed, would you consent to having your tongue cut out so that you could be like them?” — 1 likes

“The scent of cactus flower still lingered in the air, although it was many hours since she had thrown the golden flower into the incinerator. When she walked out onto the terrace, the scent became even more powerful and she realised that it was being wafted to her on the evening breeze from the eastern mountain. The whole upper slope, above the grassline, was a mass of blooming cactus.

She could no more rid Isis of the scent than she could rid herself of her feelings towards Mark - unless she made Guardian fire the whole mountainside and destroy the flowers. He would do it if she were to ask him. He would take away the memory of her love for Mark too, if she were to ask it of him.

She walked to the edge of the terrace and looked across the river valley. To do violence to the mountains and the creatures that lived there, just because she could not bear the scent of the cactus flower, would be hideously wrong. To do violence to her mind, so as to forget her unhappiness, would be equally wrong.” — 0 likes

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