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Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
When an Earth-like planet is discovered, a team of six teens, along with three veteran astronauts, embark on a twenty-year trip to set up a planet for human colonization—but find that space is more deadly than they ever could have imagined.
Have you ever hoped you could leave everything behind?
Have you ever dreamt of a better world?
Can a dream sustain a lifetime?
A century ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. She predicted that one day humans would travel there to build a utopia. Today, ten astronauts are leaving everything behind to find it. Four are veterans of the twentieth century’s space-race.
And six are teenagers who’ve trained for this mission most of their lives.
It will take the team twenty-three years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years locked in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong.
And something always goes wrong.
Have you ever hoped you could leave everything behind?
Have you ever dreamt of a better world?
Can a dream sustain a lifetime?
A century ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. She predicted that one day humans would travel there to build a utopia. Today, ten astronauts are leaving everything behind to find it. Four are veterans of the twentieth century’s space-race.
And six are teenagers who’ve trained for this mission most of their lives.
It will take the team twenty-three years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years locked in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong.
And something always goes wrong.
520 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2019
About the author
Temi Oh
7 books160 followersTemi Oh was born in 1993 in London, to Nigerian parents. She studied at Bishop Thomas Grant and then Emanuel School, Battersea. In 2015 she graduated from King’s College London with a BSci in Neuroscience. Her degree provided great opportunities to write and learn about topics ranging from ‘Philosophy of the Mind’ to ‘Space Physiology’.
After her final year she decided to pack up and pursue her dreams. She married her high-school boyfriend, and moved to Edinburgh to study for an MA in Creative Writing and finish her book.
After her final year she decided to pack up and pursue her dreams. She married her high-school boyfriend, and moved to Edinburgh to study for an MA in Creative Writing and finish her book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 977 reviews
October 26, 2021
The premise sounded awesome, especially for yours truly who really is fascinated with the idea of generation ships or at least long space voyages. People stuck in close quarters on a long and perilous voyage, needing to be able to work together and not go crazy, and eventually build a (hopefully) functional society elsewhere. The potential for things to go wrong and go right, the claustrophobia of a tiny closed society, the stakes involved — all that is my space brain candy.
That’s what I thought the blurb promised. That was not what I got.
What I got was a bunch of clearly painfully dysfunctional teenagers, all undisputed geniuses but each with such a barrage of deep psychological issues that there should have been absolutely no way they would have been tasked with something so monumental. Who would even think that sticking all those high-strung and deeply messed up kids together for 20-plus years in tight quarters would be a good idea? When even older, more stable people would find this an extremely trying endeavor?
The psychologists for that space program should be fired stat.
For the most of the book, we get long pages describing depression, religious obsession, deep apathy, aggression, bullying, hallucinatory delusions, eating disorders — basically little else but misery. And it doesn’t help that the characters in this character-driven book are hard to care for and pretty flat — at least they left me completely cold unless you count persistent irritation and annoyance. I felt like I should have been pondering the cruelty and difficulty of a mission that isolates you for 23 years and forever tears you away from everything on Earth, and the types of personalities that would be ok with that. But any kind of deep contemplation about those matters kept being interrupted by another bout of annoyance with the teen crew — and then with the weird religious-ish hallucinatory meditations interspersed with overwrought whininess and drama, drama, drama, angsty drama. And the adults tasked with keeping this dysfunctional teen crew together are, I guess, also there.
And the pacing - oh the pacing. We drag through most of the book at the snail speed, and then the climax whooshes by at the breakneck speed, to the point where I thought I may have accidentally skipped a chapter or two.
So the only lesson I learned from this book is the wisdom of not sending volatile high-strung kids on important missions. The lesson that should have been obvious to anyone from the get-go.
2 bored stars.
That’s what I thought the blurb promised. That was not what I got.
What I got was a bunch of clearly painfully dysfunctional teenagers, all undisputed geniuses but each with such a barrage of deep psychological issues that there should have been absolutely no way they would have been tasked with something so monumental. Who would even think that sticking all those high-strung and deeply messed up kids together for 20-plus years in tight quarters would be a good idea? When even older, more stable people would find this an extremely trying endeavor?
The psychologists for that space program should be fired stat.
For the most of the book, we get long pages describing depression, religious obsession, deep apathy, aggression, bullying, hallucinatory delusions, eating disorders — basically little else but misery. And it doesn’t help that the characters in this character-driven book are hard to care for and pretty flat — at least they left me completely cold unless you count persistent irritation and annoyance. I felt like I should have been pondering the cruelty and difficulty of a mission that isolates you for 23 years and forever tears you away from everything on Earth, and the types of personalities that would be ok with that. But any kind of deep contemplation about those matters kept being interrupted by another bout of annoyance with the teen crew — and then with the weird religious-ish hallucinatory meditations interspersed with overwrought whininess and drama, drama, drama, angsty drama. And the adults tasked with keeping this dysfunctional teen crew together are, I guess, also there.
And the pacing - oh the pacing. We drag through most of the book at the snail speed, and then the climax whooshes by at the breakneck speed, to the point where I thought I may have accidentally skipped a chapter or two.
So the only lesson I learned from this book is the wisdom of not sending volatile high-strung kids on important missions. The lesson that should have been obvious to anyone from the get-go.
2 bored stars.
July 30, 2019
Shit! This effing book made me cry 😫
This is definitely NOT what I thought it was going to be and it’s not what you’re thinking it’s going to be. This is about a handful of young adults and adults leaving Earth to go live far far away. Yes, that’s kinda what it says in the summary ..BUT.. this IS NOT some book about getting somewhere and all kinds of shit ensues. This book is about the voyage and the shit everyone goes through on the trip. A lot of people are going to be turned off by this book just from that dumbass comparison of the 1oo meets whatever in the hell it said! THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK! Don’t read this book thinking that, this is about each persons life, thoughts, and decisions. Basically, it’s all just that simple and I bloody damn loved it 😉
Happy Reading!
MEL 🖤🐶🐺🐾
September 13, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
I wanted to read this debut ever since I saw it described as "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet meets The 100." I know nothing about The 100 but sadly this book did not live up to the comparison to the Becky Chambers work. In fact this book walks the plank!
Pros:
- The author's writing shows promise. For a debut novel, I felt the writing style itself was decent.
- I finished it in one day.
- I really enjoyed the concept of ten astronauts going on a mission to set up a colony on an Earth-like planet.
- I enjoyed the set-up of the novel and how the author chose to countdown to the launch and beginning of the mission.
But there were a bit too many problems to make me like this book:
Cons:
- The character point-of-views were the six young teenage astronauts on the mission. I really would have liked some of the chapters to have been from the experienced adult astronauts.
- The teenagers all seemed to have an extreme problem - an eating disorder, depression, hallucinations, etc. I found it hard to believe that every one of them would have got through the selection process with a major illness.
- Actually, two of the adults had major problems - a terminal illness and a grief/anger problem.
- At no time was there any real oversight from the supposedly in-charge adults on the ship.
- The characters were not really fleshed out and I often didn't know which character was speaking during dialogue sections because they sounded too similar in tone. In addition the blurb claims there were four adults on board. I just finished it and I can only remember three? Captain, Engineer, and Medic. Who was the fourth? If that person existed then I mixed them in with the Engineer.
- The world-building of the shipboard life did not seem realistic or detailed enough.
- The majority of the story centered on the teens fighting with each other and odd relationship dramas.
- Once the actual countdown to the launch occurs, the plot began to disintegrate. The middle of the story was too long and drawn out. The 520 page story could have used substantial trimming.
- Also the ending in particular seemed a bit ridiculous with a deus ex machina rescue and lackluster ideas of what happened to the characters. The story really doesn't have a good resolution. There were also a lot of mystical occurrences that I didn't like involving dreams and other woo-woo.
I am sad that this book didn't meet any of me basic expectations. I do think I could read the author's potential future books but I think I would have to read reviews of them first before committing to the time.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Saga Press!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
I wanted to read this debut ever since I saw it described as "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet meets The 100." I know nothing about The 100 but sadly this book did not live up to the comparison to the Becky Chambers work. In fact this book walks the plank!
Pros:
- The author's writing shows promise. For a debut novel, I felt the writing style itself was decent.
- I finished it in one day.
- I really enjoyed the concept of ten astronauts going on a mission to set up a colony on an Earth-like planet.
- I enjoyed the set-up of the novel and how the author chose to countdown to the launch and beginning of the mission.
But there were a bit too many problems to make me like this book:
Cons:
- The character point-of-views were the six young teenage astronauts on the mission. I really would have liked some of the chapters to have been from the experienced adult astronauts.
- The teenagers all seemed to have an extreme problem - an eating disorder, depression, hallucinations, etc. I found it hard to believe that every one of them would have got through the selection process with a major illness.
- Actually, two of the adults had major problems - a terminal illness and a grief/anger problem.
- At no time was there any real oversight from the supposedly in-charge adults on the ship.
- The characters were not really fleshed out and I often didn't know which character was speaking during dialogue sections because they sounded too similar in tone. In addition the blurb claims there were four adults on board. I just finished it and I can only remember three? Captain, Engineer, and Medic. Who was the fourth? If that person existed then I mixed them in with the Engineer.
- The world-building of the shipboard life did not seem realistic or detailed enough.
- The majority of the story centered on the teens fighting with each other and odd relationship dramas.
- Once the actual countdown to the launch occurs, the plot began to disintegrate. The middle of the story was too long and drawn out. The 520 page story could have used substantial trimming.
- Also the ending in particular seemed a bit ridiculous with a deus ex machina rescue and lackluster ideas of what happened to the characters. The story really doesn't have a good resolution. There were also a lot of mystical occurrences that I didn't like involving dreams and other woo-woo.
I am sad that this book didn't meet any of me basic expectations. I do think I could read the author's potential future books but I think I would have to read reviews of them first before committing to the time.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Saga Press!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
August 23, 2019
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/08/13/...
Not that such a great book deserves to be pigeonholed in any way, but Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh is a bit of a tough one to categorize. Like its title, there’s an element of the illusory, a pensive quality about it that inspires wonderment and hope, loses you in thought. Yes, it is a space adventure, but one that emphasizes the human drama rather than the action, though the plot also features a space disaster twist towards the end. In addition, despite the central characters being all in their early twenties and the tone of the novel giving off strong young adult vibes, the story tackles mature themes in a thoughtful, eloquent manner, increasing its cross-genre appeal. Whatever it is, something about this book just really spoke to me, because I loved it.
Set in a more technologically advanced version of our present world, the novel follows six young candidates for a highly competitive British space exploration program to establish a colony on far-flung Terra-Two, a pristine Earth-like planet possessing ideal conditions for life. Having spent years studying at the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science since they were preteens, our six astronaut hopefuls have trained their hearts out for the opportunity, beating out millions of others across the country. But just days before the launch of their space vessel Damocles, a sudden tragedy strikes, altering the course of the mission forever. At the last moment, a backup candidate named Jesse is tapped to be the hydroponics replacement on the program, joining five other exceptional prodigies: Harry, pilot extraordinaire and commander-in-training; Poppy, language expert and a natural spokeswoman for the group; Eliot, a budding engineer; and sisters Astrid and Juno, two extremely talented and brilliant young women who have worked their entire lives for Terra-Two, though for very different reasons. Along with a few adjustments to the command crew which consists of a team of older and more experienced astronauts, the mission is saved and allowed to move forward as planned.
However, with emotions already raw from having to leave their loved ones behind and knowing that they will all be living within the tight confines of a spaceship for the next twenty-three years, the original five young candidates aren’t feeling particularly welcome towards the newcomer, resenting him for the way he joined their program. With such a long journey ahead of them, Jesse hopes that he will eventually be accepted, though getting used to life aboard Damocles is proving to be a rough process, with homesickness, self-doubt, depression and other personal fears plaguing each of them in turn.
As you can probably tell, Do You Dream of Terra-Two is a story more about relationships and the human experience than it is about space travel, even though most of it takes place aboard a spaceship. Admittedly, the science fiction elements are on the lighter side, glossing over much of the physics and specific details as it relates to Terra-Two—including how scientists learned so much about such a distant world and the technology to reach it—by simply providing the explanation that science has come a lot further in a much shorter period time in this universe than in ours. It also doesn’t explore the implications of this on other aspects of culture and society, leaving those areas hazy and indistinct.
At the same time, there’s an element of the mystical surrounding Terra-Two, going back to the namesake of our characters’ prestigious academy, Tessa Dalton. Long before anyone even knew to look for the planet, Tessa had visions of this untouched utopia in her dreams, and later when scientists found Terra-Two, they couldn’t help but notice the uncanny similarities to her descriptions. Consequently, some called Tessa a prophet, while others chalked her clairvoyance up to nothing more than mere coincidence and a chemical imbalance in the brain. But this background knowledge also sets a precedent for the dreams and visions our characters experience in this book, leaving readers speculating why it is happening and what it could mean.
But like I said, the focus is mainly on the dynamics between the six young adults of our crew, all of them starry-eyed, lacking in self-discipline and life experience, barely out of their late teens—what could go wrong? Except, of course, all these developments make for a fascinating, engaging read. The book addresses a number of topics including the yearning for social acceptance, dealing with feelings of inadequacy, mental health issues as a result of crushing expectations, relationship woes, and fears of the unknown. True, all of these are relatively common themes in coming-of-age fiction, but to the author’s credit, she tackles these conflicts in a way that doesn’t trivialize or overplay very real problems for the sake of sensationalism. The members of our young crew are all phenomenally fleshed out and fully realized, each one of them a complex individual with his or her own unique dreams, desires, and motivations. Just when you think they start to fall into predictable patterns, you learn something new about them that makes you change your perspective and view them in a whole new light.
As you know, stories that are first and foremost concerned with characters are very much my cup of tea, so despite some of its more vague and unconvincing aspects, I still felt a deep and irresistible connection to this novel. I also think it’s important to look at the big picture and recognize the kind of story Temi Oh wanted to tell. After finishing this book, I believe the concept of Terra-Two and the premise of traveling there was merely a backdrop for what truly mattered—the people and the lessons they learn about themselves.
And so, it’s probably no surprise that I, being a huge fan of books devoted to telling human stories, absolutely adored Do You Dream of Terra-Two? If you enjoy character-oriented tales with interesting relationships dynamics and lots of personal growth, then this is one you can’t afford to miss. A genuinely beautiful, emotional, and inspiring novel, this one moved me deeply and kept me riveted from beginning to end.
Not that such a great book deserves to be pigeonholed in any way, but Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh is a bit of a tough one to categorize. Like its title, there’s an element of the illusory, a pensive quality about it that inspires wonderment and hope, loses you in thought. Yes, it is a space adventure, but one that emphasizes the human drama rather than the action, though the plot also features a space disaster twist towards the end. In addition, despite the central characters being all in their early twenties and the tone of the novel giving off strong young adult vibes, the story tackles mature themes in a thoughtful, eloquent manner, increasing its cross-genre appeal. Whatever it is, something about this book just really spoke to me, because I loved it.
Set in a more technologically advanced version of our present world, the novel follows six young candidates for a highly competitive British space exploration program to establish a colony on far-flung Terra-Two, a pristine Earth-like planet possessing ideal conditions for life. Having spent years studying at the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science since they were preteens, our six astronaut hopefuls have trained their hearts out for the opportunity, beating out millions of others across the country. But just days before the launch of their space vessel Damocles, a sudden tragedy strikes, altering the course of the mission forever. At the last moment, a backup candidate named Jesse is tapped to be the hydroponics replacement on the program, joining five other exceptional prodigies: Harry, pilot extraordinaire and commander-in-training; Poppy, language expert and a natural spokeswoman for the group; Eliot, a budding engineer; and sisters Astrid and Juno, two extremely talented and brilliant young women who have worked their entire lives for Terra-Two, though for very different reasons. Along with a few adjustments to the command crew which consists of a team of older and more experienced astronauts, the mission is saved and allowed to move forward as planned.
However, with emotions already raw from having to leave their loved ones behind and knowing that they will all be living within the tight confines of a spaceship for the next twenty-three years, the original five young candidates aren’t feeling particularly welcome towards the newcomer, resenting him for the way he joined their program. With such a long journey ahead of them, Jesse hopes that he will eventually be accepted, though getting used to life aboard Damocles is proving to be a rough process, with homesickness, self-doubt, depression and other personal fears plaguing each of them in turn.
As you can probably tell, Do You Dream of Terra-Two is a story more about relationships and the human experience than it is about space travel, even though most of it takes place aboard a spaceship. Admittedly, the science fiction elements are on the lighter side, glossing over much of the physics and specific details as it relates to Terra-Two—including how scientists learned so much about such a distant world and the technology to reach it—by simply providing the explanation that science has come a lot further in a much shorter period time in this universe than in ours. It also doesn’t explore the implications of this on other aspects of culture and society, leaving those areas hazy and indistinct.
At the same time, there’s an element of the mystical surrounding Terra-Two, going back to the namesake of our characters’ prestigious academy, Tessa Dalton. Long before anyone even knew to look for the planet, Tessa had visions of this untouched utopia in her dreams, and later when scientists found Terra-Two, they couldn’t help but notice the uncanny similarities to her descriptions. Consequently, some called Tessa a prophet, while others chalked her clairvoyance up to nothing more than mere coincidence and a chemical imbalance in the brain. But this background knowledge also sets a precedent for the dreams and visions our characters experience in this book, leaving readers speculating why it is happening and what it could mean.
But like I said, the focus is mainly on the dynamics between the six young adults of our crew, all of them starry-eyed, lacking in self-discipline and life experience, barely out of their late teens—what could go wrong? Except, of course, all these developments make for a fascinating, engaging read. The book addresses a number of topics including the yearning for social acceptance, dealing with feelings of inadequacy, mental health issues as a result of crushing expectations, relationship woes, and fears of the unknown. True, all of these are relatively common themes in coming-of-age fiction, but to the author’s credit, she tackles these conflicts in a way that doesn’t trivialize or overplay very real problems for the sake of sensationalism. The members of our young crew are all phenomenally fleshed out and fully realized, each one of them a complex individual with his or her own unique dreams, desires, and motivations. Just when you think they start to fall into predictable patterns, you learn something new about them that makes you change your perspective and view them in a whole new light.
As you know, stories that are first and foremost concerned with characters are very much my cup of tea, so despite some of its more vague and unconvincing aspects, I still felt a deep and irresistible connection to this novel. I also think it’s important to look at the big picture and recognize the kind of story Temi Oh wanted to tell. After finishing this book, I believe the concept of Terra-Two and the premise of traveling there was merely a backdrop for what truly mattered—the people and the lessons they learn about themselves.
And so, it’s probably no surprise that I, being a huge fan of books devoted to telling human stories, absolutely adored Do You Dream of Terra-Two? If you enjoy character-oriented tales with interesting relationships dynamics and lots of personal growth, then this is one you can’t afford to miss. A genuinely beautiful, emotional, and inspiring novel, this one moved me deeply and kept me riveted from beginning to end.
September 3, 2019
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh is a young adult science fiction fantasy. The story is set in the future at a time when the “space race” era has been renewed as all around the globe countries tested the boundaries of just how far and what could be discovered in space as it had come to be believed someday the Earth wouldn’t be habitable.
The British have discovered a planet far off that just may be able to sustain human life in Terra-Two. The journey however to actually travel to this new world is much much farther than man has gone before. It will actually take a team of astronauts twenty-three years to reach their destination at light speed while decades pass on Earth.
In order to actually have hope to make the journey and be able to begin colonization of Terra-Two the British began a whole new astronaut training program. The new recruits were all pre-teens with the intention of picking the top six of the program and teaming them with three adults. Soon the six are chosen and it seems the launch will happen as planned and they journey will begin.
Picking up Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the concept behind the space program and where the world was at with space travel. One of the things about exploring beyond our own moon is simply the time it takes to make those distances so teenage astronauts makes sense and I was curious as to how it would play out. Now of course things don’t go as planned giving plenty of drama before and after takeoff but somehow the more that came the more I felt it slowed the story and my interest down. Not a bad story at all but one that I felt ended a bit so-so to me.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The British have discovered a planet far off that just may be able to sustain human life in Terra-Two. The journey however to actually travel to this new world is much much farther than man has gone before. It will actually take a team of astronauts twenty-three years to reach their destination at light speed while decades pass on Earth.
In order to actually have hope to make the journey and be able to begin colonization of Terra-Two the British began a whole new astronaut training program. The new recruits were all pre-teens with the intention of picking the top six of the program and teaming them with three adults. Soon the six are chosen and it seems the launch will happen as planned and they journey will begin.
Picking up Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the concept behind the space program and where the world was at with space travel. One of the things about exploring beyond our own moon is simply the time it takes to make those distances so teenage astronauts makes sense and I was curious as to how it would play out. Now of course things don’t go as planned giving plenty of drama before and after takeoff but somehow the more that came the more I felt it slowed the story and my interest down. Not a bad story at all but one that I felt ended a bit so-so to me.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
September 9, 2018
I'm in love with this book.
It is a hugely compelling character driven drama, from the feet on the ground to the start of an epic journey through space, by the time you come to the end of this gorgeously immersive debut you will almost certainly be dreaming of Terra-two.
Mere children still when they start their training, Harry, Jesse, Juno, Astrid, Aria Eliot and Poppy have different feelings and reasons for their determination to be part of the beta crew who will spend over two decades in space attempted to colonise a new earth. Revered by the nation, thrown into the spotlight, all of this has an affect on their psyche. Temi Oh is a brilliantly descriptive writer when it comes to characterisation and interaction- you will be absorbed into their world, living and dying with them through every up and down.
As alliances grow and develop, as actions and consequences abound in various ways, as this small gang of pioneer's go from being classmates among many to only having themselves and each other to rely on, you'll be hooked, emotional and devouring every page. Do You Dream of Terra-two is a very human story, in a lot of ways the fact that it is set in space is almost a secondary concern.
What it does is give the author a unique set of challenges and moral dilemma's to throw at her group dynamic and within that explore every aspect of humanity and personality.
It is a beautiful, sprawling, literary delight with an unforgettable cast undertaking an unforgettable journey.
Completely brilliant, insightful and melancholy, thisis a stunning debut and I adored every damned fine moment of it.
Highly Recommended.
It is a hugely compelling character driven drama, from the feet on the ground to the start of an epic journey through space, by the time you come to the end of this gorgeously immersive debut you will almost certainly be dreaming of Terra-two.
Mere children still when they start their training, Harry, Jesse, Juno, Astrid, Aria Eliot and Poppy have different feelings and reasons for their determination to be part of the beta crew who will spend over two decades in space attempted to colonise a new earth. Revered by the nation, thrown into the spotlight, all of this has an affect on their psyche. Temi Oh is a brilliantly descriptive writer when it comes to characterisation and interaction- you will be absorbed into their world, living and dying with them through every up and down.
As alliances grow and develop, as actions and consequences abound in various ways, as this small gang of pioneer's go from being classmates among many to only having themselves and each other to rely on, you'll be hooked, emotional and devouring every page. Do You Dream of Terra-two is a very human story, in a lot of ways the fact that it is set in space is almost a secondary concern.
What it does is give the author a unique set of challenges and moral dilemma's to throw at her group dynamic and within that explore every aspect of humanity and personality.
It is a beautiful, sprawling, literary delight with an unforgettable cast undertaking an unforgettable journey.
Completely brilliant, insightful and melancholy, thisis a stunning debut and I adored every damned fine moment of it.
Highly Recommended.
Read
January 31, 2020Group of teens are hand picked for the first mission to a new habitable planet, which involves 23 years travel in a small spaceship to get there.
This is space opera setting but it's entirely a character piece, very much focused on the individuals and the effects their journey and being shut up together starts to have on them. It's a brilliant concept, well executed and well written.
Unfortunately I stuck on nitpicky issues. The teens have been hand picked as the best possible candidates but of the seven we see, two suffer from severe mental illness, two are worryingly delusional, the trainee commander is a bullying, belittling arsehole who couldn't build a team out of Lego, and no thought seems to have been given in the selection to whether they all get along, or how to handle sexual tension between horny teens. I want a word with whoever was doing the psychological tests.
I think it would have worked for me with more handwavium. If we didn't have the initial chapters focusing on the intense testing and competition in the academy, I doubt I'd have questioned the selection process. And of course this all makes for great drama--and that's really what this book is about, six ill-assorted people trapped in a small space. If you enjoy character-based YA/NA with drama and intense teens (and aren't bothered by SF trappings / can apply your own handwavium), I imagine this will be a perfect read. Didn't work for me because I basically wanted something different from the story, which definitely puts this in the category of "it's not you, it's me".
DNF at 60% but obviously engaged me enough to write all this so I will look out for the author's next.
This is space opera setting but it's entirely a character piece, very much focused on the individuals and the effects their journey and being shut up together starts to have on them. It's a brilliant concept, well executed and well written.
Unfortunately I stuck on nitpicky issues. The teens have been hand picked as the best possible candidates but of the seven we see, two suffer from severe mental illness, two are worryingly delusional, the trainee commander is a bullying, belittling arsehole who couldn't build a team out of Lego, and no thought seems to have been given in the selection to whether they all get along, or how to handle sexual tension between horny teens. I want a word with whoever was doing the psychological tests.
I think it would have worked for me with more handwavium. If we didn't have the initial chapters focusing on the intense testing and competition in the academy, I doubt I'd have questioned the selection process. And of course this all makes for great drama--and that's really what this book is about, six ill-assorted people trapped in a small space. If you enjoy character-based YA/NA with drama and intense teens (and aren't bothered by SF trappings / can apply your own handwavium), I imagine this will be a perfect read. Didn't work for me because I basically wanted something different from the story, which definitely puts this in the category of "it's not you, it's me".
DNF at 60% but obviously engaged me enough to write all this so I will look out for the author's next.
July 16, 2020
I could not get past how badly this space program is run, and I've listed some of the issues below (lots of spoilers!):
I liked the idea, a crew slowly on its way to a possible paradise. I also liked the author's prose. But immersion was impossible for me, because of all of the issues above.
PS: I actually wanted to like this book so much that I accidentally bought it twice. Two different covers.
I liked the idea, a crew slowly on its way to a possible paradise. I also liked the author's prose. But immersion was impossible for me, because of all of the issues above.
PS: I actually wanted to like this book so much that I accidentally bought it twice. Two different covers.
June 25, 2019
Putting people in space suits does not make it science fiction.
August 4, 2019
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? is set during our lifetime, but in a world in which space exploration has advanced much further than in our own. There have already been successful human missions to Mars and Europa, and now, the ultimate goal is being frantically pursued.
Terra-Two is an Earth-like planet light years away, uninhabited but with atmosphere, geology, and natural resources suited for human life. With advanced technology, it will be possible for an initial expedition to reach Terra-Two with a 23-year flight.
The UKSA (United Kingdom Space Agency) is leading the way, and they've come up with a controversial approach: Train children from the age of 11 or 12 in an intensely competitive learning environment, so that by age 18, when the expedition is ready to launch, there will be a crew with a senior team and a younger generation in training. After all, even if they launch as teens, they'll be in their 40s by the time they land. And once they land, it will be their role to prepare Terra-Two for the colonists coming after them.
As the book opens, we meet the students at Dalton Academy, the space training institution. They're all fiercely smart, but motivated by different dreams and goals. There's the rich pretty boy who's the all-star athlete, who seems to have the easiest, most cushioned life; the twins, who each have secret dreams and desires motivating them; the beautiful girl who speaks over 20 languages but has her own demons, and more.
When an unexpected tragedy occurs the day before launch, the remaining crew is thrown into tumult, and a last-minute substitute is both elated at his opportunity and miserable over feeling like he'll never be accepted or be good enough.
The book really gets going once the mission has launched. One striking element is how well we readers get a sense of the practically unbearable claustrophobia and monotony of being stuck in a contained vessel with the same small group of people FOR DECADES. Can you imagine how awful that must be, knowing that these other nine people are the only ones you'll ever see or interact with for twenty-three years? I don't know how they could manage to not go completely bonkers. (It's not a spoiler to say that there are some pretty spectacular meltdowns and conflicts along the way -- these are high-strung teens, after all.)
The plot of Do You Dream of Terra-Two? is fascinating and thrilling. I'm a sucker for a good space story, and I loved reading about the terror and the challenges of prolonged space flight, as well as the intricate interpersonal relationships that ensue when you have a small group in an enclosed space for such a long time.
I did feel that the book was possibly longer than it needed to be. At 500+ pages, it's a lot, and sections dragged. Again, I don't feel it's a particular spoiler to say that the book does not cover all 23 years, but rather focuses on the lead-up to launch and mainly the first year after that -- but it does wrap up in a way that's both hopeful and satisfying (although one character's conclusion particularly bothered me, but that's by intention.)
Is it realistic that a space agency would train teens in this way and then send them into space? Well, maybe not -- but even in this book,, we see that this is a controversial program that leads to international inquiries and protests. And because these are teens, despite their advanced training, there are moments of disobedience, rule-breaking, and emotional upset that wouldn't occur with a more mature crew, yet serve here to create some of the drama between characters that drives the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading Do You Dream of Terra-Two?, and by the halfway point, just couldn't put it down. It's a great story, very unlike anything else I've read lately, and I'm really glad I gave it a chance. If you like stories of space exploration, check this one out!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
Terra-Two is an Earth-like planet light years away, uninhabited but with atmosphere, geology, and natural resources suited for human life. With advanced technology, it will be possible for an initial expedition to reach Terra-Two with a 23-year flight.
The UKSA (United Kingdom Space Agency) is leading the way, and they've come up with a controversial approach: Train children from the age of 11 or 12 in an intensely competitive learning environment, so that by age 18, when the expedition is ready to launch, there will be a crew with a senior team and a younger generation in training. After all, even if they launch as teens, they'll be in their 40s by the time they land. And once they land, it will be their role to prepare Terra-Two for the colonists coming after them.
As the book opens, we meet the students at Dalton Academy, the space training institution. They're all fiercely smart, but motivated by different dreams and goals. There's the rich pretty boy who's the all-star athlete, who seems to have the easiest, most cushioned life; the twins, who each have secret dreams and desires motivating them; the beautiful girl who speaks over 20 languages but has her own demons, and more.
When an unexpected tragedy occurs the day before launch, the remaining crew is thrown into tumult, and a last-minute substitute is both elated at his opportunity and miserable over feeling like he'll never be accepted or be good enough.
The book really gets going once the mission has launched. One striking element is how well we readers get a sense of the practically unbearable claustrophobia and monotony of being stuck in a contained vessel with the same small group of people FOR DECADES. Can you imagine how awful that must be, knowing that these other nine people are the only ones you'll ever see or interact with for twenty-three years? I don't know how they could manage to not go completely bonkers. (It's not a spoiler to say that there are some pretty spectacular meltdowns and conflicts along the way -- these are high-strung teens, after all.)
The plot of Do You Dream of Terra-Two? is fascinating and thrilling. I'm a sucker for a good space story, and I loved reading about the terror and the challenges of prolonged space flight, as well as the intricate interpersonal relationships that ensue when you have a small group in an enclosed space for such a long time.
I did feel that the book was possibly longer than it needed to be. At 500+ pages, it's a lot, and sections dragged. Again, I don't feel it's a particular spoiler to say that the book does not cover all 23 years, but rather focuses on the lead-up to launch and mainly the first year after that -- but it does wrap up in a way that's both hopeful and satisfying (although one character's conclusion particularly bothered me, but that's by intention.)
Is it realistic that a space agency would train teens in this way and then send them into space? Well, maybe not -- but even in this book,, we see that this is a controversial program that leads to international inquiries and protests. And because these are teens, despite their advanced training, there are moments of disobedience, rule-breaking, and emotional upset that wouldn't occur with a more mature crew, yet serve here to create some of the drama between characters that drives the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading Do You Dream of Terra-Two?, and by the halfway point, just couldn't put it down. It's a great story, very unlike anything else I've read lately, and I'm really glad I gave it a chance. If you like stories of space exploration, check this one out!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
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October 9, 2019
3.5 stars
Terra-Two. A planet just like Earth. Habitable. Sustainable. A new beginning. And about to be colonized by six teenagers and six adults, who will launch into space and travel twenty-three years through deep space to reach their new home.
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. And I did like it.
However, I felt like there were some serious issues with the book that could have been resolved with some heavy editing/pacing adjustments.
I loved all of the space stuff. The preparations to go into space, the competition, the well thought out physiological and psychological adjustments and issues of going into space, and the dangers of space travel and space exploration. This was also an alternate history (which I love) and I was super duper intrigued to see where the timeline was the same as ours and where it branched off (people in Mars! people around Europa! actual space travel past the moon!).
But.
The middle draaaaaagged on and on and on. I felt like it could have been trimmed substantially. But I also am not a huge fan of slice of life stories that are all about documenting trivial things (like Poppy's long bed stays) where I felt disconnected from characters who didn't feel fleshed out. This is also why I didn't like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, so if you enjoyed that book, then this might be a good one to pick up as well.
And that ending.
WHAT was that ending? Did I miss the last chapter or two of the book? After reading about every bowel movement and each bedridden day and thirty hours of pilot simulation training, I wanted more of the excitement that was happening in the last ten percent. I NEED IT.
But then again, sometimes the idea of something is enough.
I guess.
Anywho, the last thing that I was not thrilled with was the lack of real fleshing out of the characters. We have six points of view, and all feel more or less pretty similar (minus Harry. Harry is just a colossal douche), and all teens have an Issue of some sort.
But that was just the Betas, who are 18-20 (classifying this as more New Adult than Young Adult IMO). There is Super Duper Pooper verrrrry little actual adult oversight from the um, ADULTS. The adults who I suppose just do their own thing in their own section of the crew and don't ever question when Really Fucked Up™️ things happen. Like, never question. Just praise on how ~good~ their kids are (until two decide to take matters into their own hands and complete the mission).
If the Betas aren't very well developed (despite a bajillion pages devoted to their woes and hopes and fears and seriously wtf Astrid), the Seniors are even less so. They are names on a page, with specific quirks and not much else.
However, despite the lack of character development, I did absolutely ADORE the amount of diversity within the crew. Yay! And the idea that space and new beginnings wasn't just for the chosen few, but an option for everybody (this was a topic that was mentioned but not explored much). I did want a little more exploration of what the diversity and the selection of teens and Seniors meant based on the later revelations in the book, but that was not forthcoming. Just an ending that felt very rushed and unfinished.
Anywho, this was a solid space book about space travel and long journeys, and that part I definitely did enjoy.
Definitely something for fans of both The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and The 100 (things I did not enjoy but also understand why others like them). This feels like a perfect mash-up of the two.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
Terra-Two. A planet just like Earth. Habitable. Sustainable. A new beginning. And about to be colonized by six teenagers and six adults, who will launch into space and travel twenty-three years through deep space to reach their new home.
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. And I did like it.
However, I felt like there were some serious issues with the book that could have been resolved with some heavy editing/pacing adjustments.
I loved all of the space stuff. The preparations to go into space, the competition, the well thought out physiological and psychological adjustments and issues of going into space, and the dangers of space travel and space exploration. This was also an alternate history (which I love) and I was super duper intrigued to see where the timeline was the same as ours and where it branched off (people in Mars! people around Europa! actual space travel past the moon!).
But.
The middle draaaaaagged on and on and on. I felt like it could have been trimmed substantially. But I also am not a huge fan of slice of life stories that are all about documenting trivial things (like Poppy's long bed stays) where I felt disconnected from characters who didn't feel fleshed out. This is also why I didn't like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, so if you enjoyed that book, then this might be a good one to pick up as well.
And that ending.
WHAT was that ending? Did I miss the last chapter or two of the book? After reading about every bowel movement and each bedridden day and thirty hours of pilot simulation training, I wanted more of the excitement that was happening in the last ten percent. I NEED IT.
But then again, sometimes the idea of something is enough.
I guess.
Anywho, the last thing that I was not thrilled with was the lack of real fleshing out of the characters. We have six points of view, and all feel more or less pretty similar (minus Harry. Harry is just a colossal douche), and all teens have an Issue of some sort.
But that was just the Betas, who are 18-20 (classifying this as more New Adult than Young Adult IMO). There is Super Duper Pooper verrrrry little actual adult oversight from the um, ADULTS. The adults who I suppose just do their own thing in their own section of the crew and don't ever question when Really Fucked Up™️ things happen. Like, never question. Just praise on how ~good~ their kids are (until two decide to take matters into their own hands and complete the mission).
If the Betas aren't very well developed (despite a bajillion pages devoted to their woes and hopes and fears and seriously wtf Astrid), the Seniors are even less so. They are names on a page, with specific quirks and not much else.
However, despite the lack of character development, I did absolutely ADORE the amount of diversity within the crew. Yay! And the idea that space and new beginnings wasn't just for the chosen few, but an option for everybody (this was a topic that was mentioned but not explored much). I did want a little more exploration of what the diversity and the selection of teens and Seniors meant based on the later revelations in the book, but that was not forthcoming. Just an ending that felt very rushed and unfinished.
Anywho, this was a solid space book about space travel and long journeys, and that part I definitely did enjoy.
Definitely something for fans of both The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and The 100 (things I did not enjoy but also understand why others like them). This feels like a perfect mash-up of the two.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
May 3, 2019
I loved this character exploration into a group of young adults who are launched into a space mission to populate a distant planet - covering everything leading up to the point where they form a crew and learn to work with one another. Definitely more character-driven than action-packed and I really enjoyed it!
Trigger warnings: anxiety & depression, suicide
Full review here.
Check out Happy Indulgence Books for more reviews!
Trigger warnings: anxiety & depression, suicide
Full review here.
Check out Happy Indulgence Books for more reviews!
Read
January 22, 2019Review to come.
There were issues, but this was also an advanced proof copy, so maybe these will be fixed in the final copy?
There were some problems with pacing around the middle, though the last 100 pages rushed by. Some characters were a lot more well-formed than others, and I did NOT have a clear picture of the ship in my mind.
BUT.
I will say, this was not what I expected going in, but I am glad to have read it. It's something of a space-romp but with a lot of introspection and character exploration, looking more at the ways in which space might challenge people differently. It's not something I can say I've seen before. Most books in this vein tend to be about the catastrophes and attempting to survive them, and this had some of that, too, for sure. But this seemed to be a more... human exploration of space than we've seen in a lot of books recently.
There were issues, but this was also an advanced proof copy, so maybe these will be fixed in the final copy?
There were some problems with pacing around the middle, though the last 100 pages rushed by. Some characters were a lot more well-formed than others, and I did NOT have a clear picture of the ship in my mind.
BUT.
I will say, this was not what I expected going in, but I am glad to have read it. It's something of a space-romp but with a lot of introspection and character exploration, looking more at the ways in which space might challenge people differently. It's not something I can say I've seen before. Most books in this vein tend to be about the catastrophes and attempting to survive them, and this had some of that, too, for sure. But this seemed to be a more... human exploration of space than we've seen in a lot of books recently.
February 21, 2021
this was nearly physically taxing to read. My chest is still heaving from some of those descriptions. The writing and pacing and character development and relationships and the psychology of isolation and community and human bonds is explored expertly here. Magnificent !!! I felt that the ending sentences to chapters often felt contrived though. The limited setting and time period of this story is really well worked out and constructed. This took a long time for me to be able to digest, like typically with really engrossing sci fi and fantasy it takes me like a day or two to gobble through it, but this took a solid week it feels like... or maybe I’m just in a reading slump lol
Shelved as 'will-probably-not-finish'
April 10, 2019There is nothing wrong at all with this book - it just couldn't hold my attention. I read around 20% before calling it quits and those took me months to get through. I found the narrative tone too juvenile; it reads like a YA novel and as such is sure to appeal to lots of other readers. I am not in a good enough reading mood this year and I have too much going on outside of my bookish life to continue reading books I am not enjoying.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK in exchange for an honest review.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2019
Taking a different approach to the standard space exploration story, Temi Oh's characters, while astronauts, are just barely out of adolescence when they are sent to colonize a distant, Earth-like planet named Terra-Two. This is a journey of many years, and the main characters won't arrive at their destinations till their middle age. So, this is a voyage demanding a mental and physical toughness, and a willingness to leave all Earth ties behind.
Oh's cast of young characters are put through the wringer mentally. I loved this. It's an unusual approach to really dive into what it would take to leave everything behind, to also deal with the deep isolation of space and the stress of the claustrophobic setting and interactions between the characters. It's no wonder that each character suffers through the beginning of the voyage, with all the stresses piling on top of one another.
There were some really poignant moments between the cast; Temi Oh had me wondering about the viability of the mission, and how the many remaining years would pass on board. I really liked this book.
Oh's cast of young characters are put through the wringer mentally. I loved this. It's an unusual approach to really dive into what it would take to leave everything behind, to also deal with the deep isolation of space and the stress of the claustrophobic setting and interactions between the characters. It's no wonder that each character suffers through the beginning of the voyage, with all the stresses piling on top of one another.
There were some really poignant moments between the cast; Temi Oh had me wondering about the viability of the mission, and how the many remaining years would pass on board. I really liked this book.
August 31, 2021
3.5 Stars
While this science fiction novel was classified as adult, it read much more like young adult contemporary fiction. The focus of the story was on the characters and their personal struggles when I wished more time had been spent focusing on the mission itself. My biggest issue was that the book required a lot of suspension of disbelief because I didn't understand how these teenagers could have possibly passed their psychological examinations. However I did appreciate the eating disorder representation. I know a lot of people love this novel, but it was just not for me.
While this science fiction novel was classified as adult, it read much more like young adult contemporary fiction. The focus of the story was on the characters and their personal struggles when I wished more time had been spent focusing on the mission itself. My biggest issue was that the book required a lot of suspension of disbelief because I didn't understand how these teenagers could have possibly passed their psychological examinations. However I did appreciate the eating disorder representation. I know a lot of people love this novel, but it was just not for me.
January 8, 2019
2.5 - 3 stars
This sci-fi appealed to me on a number of levels. The idea of six young adult astronauts trained from early adolescence for the mission of their lives, alongside seasoned and more mature astronauts really excited me. Add that to a one-way trip to Terra-Two in another star system and I literally asked netgalley to sign me up! The concept was pretty amazing but slow to get off the ground, quite literally. I thought at one point they were never going to leave earth.
You’ll be glad to know that they did launch. The young astronauts went from interesting to messed up and somewhat annoying. There actually wasn’t one of them I liked. I did like a number of the mature astronauts and craved more focus on them or more focus on the relationship between the two age groups. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. There was drama, there were unexpected incidents and I just didn’t find it very satisfying. The culmination left me deflated.
I really wanted so much from this story but I found it lacked execution with pacing issues throughout. The story had great potential and some parts were interesting but ultimately it wasn’t enough to satisfy my need to enjoy the read.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
This sci-fi appealed to me on a number of levels. The idea of six young adult astronauts trained from early adolescence for the mission of their lives, alongside seasoned and more mature astronauts really excited me. Add that to a one-way trip to Terra-Two in another star system and I literally asked netgalley to sign me up! The concept was pretty amazing but slow to get off the ground, quite literally. I thought at one point they were never going to leave earth.
You’ll be glad to know that they did launch. The young astronauts went from interesting to messed up and somewhat annoying. There actually wasn’t one of them I liked. I did like a number of the mature astronauts and craved more focus on them or more focus on the relationship between the two age groups. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. There was drama, there were unexpected incidents and I just didn’t find it very satisfying. The culmination left me deflated.
I really wanted so much from this story but I found it lacked execution with pacing issues throughout. The story had great potential and some parts were interesting but ultimately it wasn’t enough to satisfy my need to enjoy the read.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
May 3, 2022
I finished reading Do You Dream of Two-Terra and I'm still trying to put my thoughts into words. This is a character heavy sci-fi story containing multiple povs. 10 astronauts are chosen to embark on a journey to inhabit a new world. 4 of the 10 are decorated veterans and 6 are teens on the brink of adulthood. The story alternates in chapters between Jesse, Poppy, Astrid, Juno, Harry, and Eliot. It's a lot of people to follow and I was glad I got the ebook and audiobook. The smooth narration kept me interested but the ebook was great for sections I wanted to go over again or when I wanted to speed things up in the middle. Throughout the book we discover what drew each young person to the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science and hear about the lives they left behind.
Read more of my review at
http://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.c...
Read more of my review at
http://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.c...
December 15, 2020
I really enjoyed this one! Like others have mentioned, this isn't a nail-biting, exciting space adventure, although it does have its moments for sure. It's more of a slow burn that focuses on the mindset of this young group of astronauts and shows how they deal with all this crazy space stuff.
I thought it was very well done, and it made me think about a lot of things. It also has one of the best descriptions of death I think I've ever heard.
I thought it was very well done, and it made me think about a lot of things. It also has one of the best descriptions of death I think I've ever heard.
November 1, 2018
Hmmm. I don’t think the elevator pitch captures this book at all. Those hoping for a Wayfarer vibe are likely to be disappointed. If I’m honest, this didn’t really work for me; I found it a mixed bag of intriguing character drama followed by unconvincing/convenient right turns. I’m conscious I read an early ARC, so possibly some of these things will polish up in a final edit? Even if this isn’t the case, there’s plenty to enjoy along the way, and I’ll keep an eye open for more books by Temi Oh in future.
Full review to follow.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Full review to follow.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2019
This might be the last book I read for the year, and it was a great book to end on.
October 6, 2020
'"We need to start again.[...] We're supposed to make things better," she said, heading towards the ladder. "We're supposed to build a beautiful new world. No violence. No arguing. No selfishness."
2.5* I will not deny that this book has merit, but it is not fun reading and has left me rather miserable.
Do you dream? is a book about what it means to set off on a journey when you must leave all you love behind and everything ahead is but a dream and a hope. In 2012, ten people leave Earth for Terra Two, 4 senior astronauts and 6 Betas, teenage astronauts in training. Their journey in the Damocles will take 23 years, with readers shown the run up to departure (one third) and their first year to Saturn (two thirds).
'Twenty years of Fae's resentment and Poppy's self-centred sorrow. Eliot's broken heart. Harry's competitiveness. Jesse's desire. Astrid's dreams, which no one could share. And the cold and this loneliness.'
The book largely explores the psychological impact of such an adventure, with different characters reacting in different ways, some falling into depression, some finding religion, and so on. It shows that, no matter how perfect someone may appear on the outside, they may still be crumbling on the inside.
Darkness and misery aside, my problem with the book was two fold. Firstly, I didn't care for any of the characters. In fact, some of them I actively disliked and would have pushed out the airlock *cough* Harry *cough*. Which brings me to my second problem with the book, I just didn’t believe that some of the decisions made pre-trip were plausible. For one, who picks a boy with zero emotional intelligence to be commander-in-training on a long-haul, small crew mission, no matter how good of a pilot he may be? I could go on but won’t for spoilers.
Perhaps my real problem is that I’ve been spoiled. I’ve read To Be Taught and seen the potential for team work among a long haul crew, even when depression looms; I’ve read Ender’s Game and know what true genius looks like, even when facing impossible odds; and I’ve read Semiosis and know that, though colonisation may not be all sunshine and rainbows, the sun does come out occasionally. In all of these, I cared about the characters and I cared about the destination; I just couldn't quite bring myself to care about Terra Two or the people trying to get there.
On the other hand, it could be that my real problem is that I resented having my rose-tinted glasses so forcibly removed. All of a sudden I feel silly for imagining that space travel, at least in the early days, would be a joyful and bonding experience. I'm sure it could be, but I also can't quite stop imagining the depression, aggression and craziness that is sure to ensue. For now, I think I'd rather stick with my hodge-podge Martian survivalists, speed-of-light inter-world cruisers, and welcoming aliens.
Will you enjoy this book? Maybe. I'm sure many find the characters' psychological journeys interesting, no matter how young and annoying the teenage astronauts are. But it was not for me.
January 9, 2020
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? follow six teenagers as they prepare to embark on a once in a lifetime mission of discovering a new habitable planet with the goal of getting it ready for future generations. Since the journey will take twenty-three years, these teenagers have been extensively trained for years for their future roles.
Maybe it was my own misunderstanding of the synopsis, but this is book is not what I expected. This is both good and bad. The trope of discovering and exploring a new planet is one that I will never tire of because of the immense possibility. However, Do You Dream of Terra-Two? went in a direction I was not anticipating, though I didn't hate it.
The pacing of this novel is slow. Readers get to simmer with the characters and their challenges while also really getting to know them. Unfortunately, the characters are only explored on a surface level. Each character is given a specific characteristic that is never developed further or into something more. Though, because of this distinction it's easy to quickly distinguish who the characters are and their different motivations and feelings.
There's a lot of moving pieces happening in Do You Dream of Terra-Two?, while also having nothing happen at the same time. Temi Oh introduces a lot of world building pieces that are used as plot devices and never touched upon further. I would have liked to see more from these pieces, especially the one at the end.
Overall, Do You Dream of Terra-Two? was not what I was expecting. It kept me reading until the end, despite figuring out the novel was not going to be what I wanted it to be. Would I recommend it? Probably not. It's a too slow paced novel that doesn't pay off in the end. It's a character centric novel that doesn't do much with its characters.
Maybe it was my own misunderstanding of the synopsis, but this is book is not what I expected. This is both good and bad. The trope of discovering and exploring a new planet is one that I will never tire of because of the immense possibility. However, Do You Dream of Terra-Two? went in a direction I was not anticipating, though I didn't hate it.
The pacing of this novel is slow. Readers get to simmer with the characters and their challenges while also really getting to know them. Unfortunately, the characters are only explored on a surface level. Each character is given a specific characteristic that is never developed further or into something more. Though, because of this distinction it's easy to quickly distinguish who the characters are and their different motivations and feelings.
There's a lot of moving pieces happening in Do You Dream of Terra-Two?, while also having nothing happen at the same time. Temi Oh introduces a lot of world building pieces that are used as plot devices and never touched upon further. I would have liked to see more from these pieces, especially the one at the end.
Overall, Do You Dream of Terra-Two? was not what I was expecting. It kept me reading until the end, despite figuring out the novel was not going to be what I wanted it to be. Would I recommend it? Probably not. It's a too slow paced novel that doesn't pay off in the end. It's a character centric novel that doesn't do much with its characters.
December 30, 2018
Do You Dream of Terra Two? was SO incredibly good. It's a debut character-driven sci-fi novel by a woman of colour that features a diverse cast, and I couldn't get enough. ⠀
⠀
It's being described by the publisher as "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet meets The 100", and I couldn't agree more. The characters are all really well developed, and given a share of the focus via switching perspectives.
The premise is not particularly unique - a group of teens train in a special academy and become the first people to head off into space on an exploration mission to a potentially habitable planet. But the way in which it is executed is so satisfying. The story delves into the ethics of 'grooming' children and teens for positions of responsibility and the potential for this to be considered abuse. It also dives into grief and mental health issues (trigger warning for suicide), navigating friendships, rivalry, love and ambition.
It's a powerful debut, and I can't wait to read more of Temi Oh's writing in the future.
⠀
It's being described by the publisher as "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet meets The 100", and I couldn't agree more. The characters are all really well developed, and given a share of the focus via switching perspectives.
The premise is not particularly unique - a group of teens train in a special academy and become the first people to head off into space on an exploration mission to a potentially habitable planet. But the way in which it is executed is so satisfying. The story delves into the ethics of 'grooming' children and teens for positions of responsibility and the potential for this to be considered abuse. It also dives into grief and mental health issues (trigger warning for suicide), navigating friendships, rivalry, love and ambition.
It's a powerful debut, and I can't wait to read more of Temi Oh's writing in the future.
August 16, 2021
This book consumed me from the moment I began reading the first page at midnight one night, not sure what to expect from a book I’d picked up on a whim from the library, and now it might possibly be my favourite book of the year so far. Do You Dream of Terra Two is the riveting story of six young people selected to go to space on a 23 year long mission to colonise the first known ‘earth-like’, Terra Two, and while it is heavy on the science (at least for me, and my poor, English Literature focused brain), it is also quite introspective, examining the lives of each of these characters all experiencing such a unique situation in very different ways. Part of the reason that I loved this book, I think, is that space itself is so fascinating, horrifying and absolutely unknown, and it scares me. The thought of leaving earth forever, being stuck in the vast emptiness of space in a fairly fragile ship for 23 years fills me with terror, but the exploration of why these characters made this decision, their inner turmoil, and finally their reactions, is what makes this book so strong.
Our six main characters are all compelling, but for me vary in how much I enjoyed their personalities, as with most multiple perspective books. However, I think Oh is very skilled in maintaining the reader’s interest in every chapter, even if they don’t necessarily appeal to you. Each character is orientated around a particular dream or desire (other than Harry really, who I felt was given less attention in general and was probably both the least likeable and flattest of them all). We see those dreams/ideals blossom and/or fester as they spend time with only each other, able to pursue their individual opinions alone and therefore to the extreme, leading to the tense climax of the novel where the characters have to either rally together or fall apart. My personal favourite character was Juno, whose motivations I found the most interesting to examine. She struggles often with going to space, really wanting only to follow her sister, Astrid, who is the most imaginative and idealistic of the crew. There is Poppy, who doesn’t realise what she is leaving behind until it is too late. Jesse, who’s role I will leave ambiguous to avoid spoilers, but who feels both inferior and superior to other members of the crew. Elliot, who spirals into a dark place during the course of the novel. And then Harry, who I mentioned before, the epitome of the poster boy, who I actively disliked, even though all the characters are certainly flawed. (I think this book has YA crossover appeal, but the characters’ being unchallenged in their flaws pulls it more into the adult category). Like I said before, I think that Temi Oh does a fantastic job with these characters, though I would love to see a sequel, and I think there is so much more room to learn about them.
There are interesting themes raised in this book, and whilst Temi Oh retains the feeling of reality, there is every now and then the unanswered question of something darker happening, and they raise the issues of expendability, patriotism and the performative nature of space missions, rather than any real purpose. Mental illness is also present as a theme, especially out of the high stress educational environment, the lack of care extended to the young people other than to present them as icons to the world, and the effective abandonment of them once they leave earth’s atmosphere. At the same time we see the fears of climate change and global warming, the potential necessity of mass off world colonisation. I think these two opposing themes working in tandem demonstrate the author’s skill. Meanwhile the story itself is also filled with a fulfilling plot, romance/desperate relationships, ‘space danger’ and emotion, all carefully crafted by Temi Oh’s sleek, elegant writing style.
This book is simultaneously incredibly readable, tense, chilling, complex, emotional and thought provoking. I cannot recommend it enough, and though it is a pretty long book, I think it barely scratched the surface of what can be done with these characters (in the absolute best way). I wish I could read more in this series, but at the same time I think the effectiveness of this glimpse into this mission is unparalleled. Temi Oh is such a talented author and this book deserves so much recognition. If you love books about early space exploration, this is an absolute must read. And even if you don’t love sci-fi, if you love books about people, I still think this book will be worth your time.
Our six main characters are all compelling, but for me vary in how much I enjoyed their personalities, as with most multiple perspective books. However, I think Oh is very skilled in maintaining the reader’s interest in every chapter, even if they don’t necessarily appeal to you. Each character is orientated around a particular dream or desire (other than Harry really, who I felt was given less attention in general and was probably both the least likeable and flattest of them all). We see those dreams/ideals blossom and/or fester as they spend time with only each other, able to pursue their individual opinions alone and therefore to the extreme, leading to the tense climax of the novel where the characters have to either rally together or fall apart. My personal favourite character was Juno, whose motivations I found the most interesting to examine. She struggles often with going to space, really wanting only to follow her sister, Astrid, who is the most imaginative and idealistic of the crew. There is Poppy, who doesn’t realise what she is leaving behind until it is too late. Jesse, who’s role I will leave ambiguous to avoid spoilers, but who feels both inferior and superior to other members of the crew. Elliot, who spirals into a dark place during the course of the novel. And then Harry, who I mentioned before, the epitome of the poster boy, who I actively disliked, even though all the characters are certainly flawed. (I think this book has YA crossover appeal, but the characters’ being unchallenged in their flaws pulls it more into the adult category). Like I said before, I think that Temi Oh does a fantastic job with these characters, though I would love to see a sequel, and I think there is so much more room to learn about them.
There are interesting themes raised in this book, and whilst Temi Oh retains the feeling of reality, there is every now and then the unanswered question of something darker happening, and they raise the issues of expendability, patriotism and the performative nature of space missions, rather than any real purpose. Mental illness is also present as a theme, especially out of the high stress educational environment, the lack of care extended to the young people other than to present them as icons to the world, and the effective abandonment of them once they leave earth’s atmosphere. At the same time we see the fears of climate change and global warming, the potential necessity of mass off world colonisation. I think these two opposing themes working in tandem demonstrate the author’s skill. Meanwhile the story itself is also filled with a fulfilling plot, romance/desperate relationships, ‘space danger’ and emotion, all carefully crafted by Temi Oh’s sleek, elegant writing style.
This book is simultaneously incredibly readable, tense, chilling, complex, emotional and thought provoking. I cannot recommend it enough, and though it is a pretty long book, I think it barely scratched the surface of what can be done with these characters (in the absolute best way). I wish I could read more in this series, but at the same time I think the effectiveness of this glimpse into this mission is unparalleled. Temi Oh is such a talented author and this book deserves so much recognition. If you love books about early space exploration, this is an absolute must read. And even if you don’t love sci-fi, if you love books about people, I still think this book will be worth your time.
March 4, 2019
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: An exhilarating, character-driven debut that touches on such themes as mental illness, the tenuousness of life and death, and the power of true belief. If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling beyond the stars,
Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
is a must read. It left me breathless.
I actually read this book back in September of 2018, because a very kind UK publicist sent me an ARC and asked me to blurb the book. (Which has never happened to me before, so that was fun!) For that reason, I read it six months before publication, which is something I never do. And now I can finally post my review! You guys, I absolutely LOVED Do You Dream of Terra-Two? It’s beautifully written, thoughtful, thrilling and touches on many themes, not the least of which is mental illness.
The beginning lulls you into a false sense of ease, a coming-of-age story that imagines a future where the UK has developed a program to establish a colony of humans on the distant planet of Terra-Two, miraculously, a planet that appears to be Earth’s twin. For the past six years, exceptional young people have been studying at the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science in the hopes of being chosen as one of the Beta, six young astronauts who will take the twenty-three year journey to Terra-Two. The six Beta team members are finally announced, and emotions are running high with those lucky students who were chosen, and those who just missed the cut. Harry, Ara, Poppy, Astrid, Juno and Eliot begin the final preparations for the launch of the Damocles , while Jesse, who was selected as an alternate, mourns the fact that he won’t be going with the others, but must attend the last weeks of training just in case.
But right before takeoff, a tragedy occurs that changes everything: Ara, who is having second thoughts after being selected, jumps into the icy Thames and drowns. This opens the door for Jesse to join the crew, although as the mission gets underway, Jesse discovers that most of the other crew members resent him for taking their beloved Ara’s place. And the tension only increases as the Betas, along with the adult crew members, begin to realize just what it means to be cooped up on a ship with the same people for the next twenty-three years. Personality clashes, homesickness, depression, and the ever-present danger of flying through space begin to take their toll, as each of the Betas wonders, Why am I here? What makes me so special? And Am I good enough for this mission?
As with most books, it’s best to go into this one with very little information. And so I’ll try not to give too much away, although there are story elements that I must touch on. Do You Dream of Terra-Two? is a most surprising book. If you think you know where the story is going, you just might be wrong. I was. Temi Oh takes her time introducing us to her characters and setting the stage for what’s to come, so if you’re expecting a fast-paced space adventure, you might want to adjust your expectations. And this is by no means a bad thing. Reviewers are comparing this book to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet for a reason: the characters’ relationships, back-stories and emotional growth are the driving force of everything that happens. And when things take a turn for the worse—and they do—you’ll feel their emotions much more keenly because you know them so well.
In addition to the focused, personal aspects of the story, Temi Oh does a great job of showing just how global the “race to space” is. Even though this is alternate history, her comments on the politics of getting people into space and establishing a home on a new planet hit close to home. Oh is a UK author, so of course she’s focusing on the UK space program, but we also get a glimpse of what other countries are doing, especially since the race to get to Terra-Two isn’t limited to the UK. There’s also a Chinese ship called the Shēngmìng that’s also trying to get there (although there is a bit of mystery surrounding that ship!), and I loved the tension this creates with the crew of the Damocles .
I want to briefly touch on the way mental illness is portrayed in this story, because it’s a running thread throughout and brings up lots of questions. We already know what happened to Ara, who must have been dealing with depression before the mission even starts. Once the others are in space, the cracks start to show. Eliot “sees” Ara through the windows of the ship, floating in space, and questions whether she’s real or not. Poppy retreats into her cabin after several weeks and is unable to get out of bed. And Juno turns out to have an eating disorder that she tries to hide from the others. The author brings up questions about the pressures of space travel and whether or not the Betas were prepared for the loneliness of space.
And I can’t end this review without talking about Astrid. That’s Astrid on the cover, by the way. There is an interesting backstory about the woman behind the founding of the Dalton Academy, a pioneer named Tessa Dalton who had dreams of Terra-Two before anyone even discovered it. She was a prophet of sorts, indirectly responsible for the eventual mission to the planet. Astrid relates to Tessa on an emotional level, so much so that she herself is having dreams about Terra-Two. She’s dreaming impossible things that the scientists insist aren’t real, but could she be a prophet herself? I loved the implications of this idea and the way the author uses this theme as the title of her book.
Temi Oh ends her story on a bittersweet note that gave me goosebumps. There are surprises galore in Do You Dream of Terra-Two? , not the least of which is what happens in the last quarter of the story. Ideas and events that popped up in the beginning are brought back at the end to great effect, adding to the “surprise” factor. I know I’m being vague, but honestly, this is a book that needs to be read with as few spoilers as possible. If I’ve convinced you to give it a try, then I’ve done my job. Beautifully written, emotionally resonant and ultimately a story of survival, this book is a must read for all humans.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy, and additional thanks to the author for hooking me up!
Note: This is a review of the UK edition, and for all you U.S. folks out there, the release date of the Saga Press edition was pushed back to Summer 2019.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
It occurred to Astrid, in a disembodied instant, that already this moment was accelerating away from her. In a second, being young and full of laughter and standing with all her friends on Earth, would be only a memory. Nothing more than a memory ever again.
I actually read this book back in September of 2018, because a very kind UK publicist sent me an ARC and asked me to blurb the book. (Which has never happened to me before, so that was fun!) For that reason, I read it six months before publication, which is something I never do. And now I can finally post my review! You guys, I absolutely LOVED Do You Dream of Terra-Two? It’s beautifully written, thoughtful, thrilling and touches on many themes, not the least of which is mental illness.
The beginning lulls you into a false sense of ease, a coming-of-age story that imagines a future where the UK has developed a program to establish a colony of humans on the distant planet of Terra-Two, miraculously, a planet that appears to be Earth’s twin. For the past six years, exceptional young people have been studying at the Dalton Academy for Aerospace Science in the hopes of being chosen as one of the Beta, six young astronauts who will take the twenty-three year journey to Terra-Two. The six Beta team members are finally announced, and emotions are running high with those lucky students who were chosen, and those who just missed the cut. Harry, Ara, Poppy, Astrid, Juno and Eliot begin the final preparations for the launch of the Damocles , while Jesse, who was selected as an alternate, mourns the fact that he won’t be going with the others, but must attend the last weeks of training just in case.
But right before takeoff, a tragedy occurs that changes everything: Ara, who is having second thoughts after being selected, jumps into the icy Thames and drowns. This opens the door for Jesse to join the crew, although as the mission gets underway, Jesse discovers that most of the other crew members resent him for taking their beloved Ara’s place. And the tension only increases as the Betas, along with the adult crew members, begin to realize just what it means to be cooped up on a ship with the same people for the next twenty-three years. Personality clashes, homesickness, depression, and the ever-present danger of flying through space begin to take their toll, as each of the Betas wonders, Why am I here? What makes me so special? And Am I good enough for this mission?
As with most books, it’s best to go into this one with very little information. And so I’ll try not to give too much away, although there are story elements that I must touch on. Do You Dream of Terra-Two? is a most surprising book. If you think you know where the story is going, you just might be wrong. I was. Temi Oh takes her time introducing us to her characters and setting the stage for what’s to come, so if you’re expecting a fast-paced space adventure, you might want to adjust your expectations. And this is by no means a bad thing. Reviewers are comparing this book to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet for a reason: the characters’ relationships, back-stories and emotional growth are the driving force of everything that happens. And when things take a turn for the worse—and they do—you’ll feel their emotions much more keenly because you know them so well.
In addition to the focused, personal aspects of the story, Temi Oh does a great job of showing just how global the “race to space” is. Even though this is alternate history, her comments on the politics of getting people into space and establishing a home on a new planet hit close to home. Oh is a UK author, so of course she’s focusing on the UK space program, but we also get a glimpse of what other countries are doing, especially since the race to get to Terra-Two isn’t limited to the UK. There’s also a Chinese ship called the Shēngmìng that’s also trying to get there (although there is a bit of mystery surrounding that ship!), and I loved the tension this creates with the crew of the Damocles .
I want to briefly touch on the way mental illness is portrayed in this story, because it’s a running thread throughout and brings up lots of questions. We already know what happened to Ara, who must have been dealing with depression before the mission even starts. Once the others are in space, the cracks start to show. Eliot “sees” Ara through the windows of the ship, floating in space, and questions whether she’s real or not. Poppy retreats into her cabin after several weeks and is unable to get out of bed. And Juno turns out to have an eating disorder that she tries to hide from the others. The author brings up questions about the pressures of space travel and whether or not the Betas were prepared for the loneliness of space.
And I can’t end this review without talking about Astrid. That’s Astrid on the cover, by the way. There is an interesting backstory about the woman behind the founding of the Dalton Academy, a pioneer named Tessa Dalton who had dreams of Terra-Two before anyone even discovered it. She was a prophet of sorts, indirectly responsible for the eventual mission to the planet. Astrid relates to Tessa on an emotional level, so much so that she herself is having dreams about Terra-Two. She’s dreaming impossible things that the scientists insist aren’t real, but could she be a prophet herself? I loved the implications of this idea and the way the author uses this theme as the title of her book.
Temi Oh ends her story on a bittersweet note that gave me goosebumps. There are surprises galore in Do You Dream of Terra-Two? , not the least of which is what happens in the last quarter of the story. Ideas and events that popped up in the beginning are brought back at the end to great effect, adding to the “surprise” factor. I know I’m being vague, but honestly, this is a book that needs to be read with as few spoilers as possible. If I’ve convinced you to give it a try, then I’ve done my job. Beautifully written, emotionally resonant and ultimately a story of survival, this book is a must read for all humans.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy, and additional thanks to the author for hooking me up!
Note: This is a review of the UK edition, and for all you U.S. folks out there, the release date of the Saga Press edition was pushed back to Summer 2019.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
August 27, 2020
Do You Dream of Terra-Two is a a brilliant sci-fi character study and is an absolute must-read. I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters, their relationships, and seeing them grow over the course of the story. It's also a pretty good as an alternate history read as well. My only issue with the novel overall is that the middle drags a little too much. I also wish we got to see more after the ending as well. If you liked The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, I have a feeling you'll want to give this a try. I'm looking forward to whatever Temi Oh writes in the future.
August 9, 2019
I don't like to give negative reviews, but it's hard to think of anything good to say about this book. It's a young adult book, but a young adult book of the sort we used to get before The Hunger Games and Divergent raised the bar. The young adults are around 20 years old but behave more like 14 year olds. The book is series of short chapters in which they take it in turns to talk about themselves, proving mostly how self centred they are.
The six young adults are allegedly the result of a five year selection process to identify six highly skilled people stable enough to spend 20 years in a spaceship cramped together under conditions that make the average prison seem luxurious. We're supposed to believe what it actually did was choose six people so unstable that one commits suicide before the mission starts, one descends into crippling depression as soon as the mission starts, one sees his dead girlfriend's face floating in space, two beat each other nearly to death in a fist fight fight, and so it goes. That the six of them would ever have been allowed to board the ship is inconceivable.
What little science exists in the book is riddled with errors and inconsistencies. We don't expect perfectly factual science in a science fiction book otherwise it would be science fact not science fiction, but the science has to be plausible and the science in this book isn't.
Overall I didn't enjoy this book at all. I did finish it but only out of stubbornness and I have to confess to a lot of skipping in the final chapters. I cannot recommend it.
The six young adults are allegedly the result of a five year selection process to identify six highly skilled people stable enough to spend 20 years in a spaceship cramped together under conditions that make the average prison seem luxurious. We're supposed to believe what it actually did was choose six people so unstable that one commits suicide before the mission starts, one descends into crippling depression as soon as the mission starts, one sees his dead girlfriend's face floating in space, two beat each other nearly to death in a fist fight fight, and so it goes. That the six of them would ever have been allowed to board the ship is inconceivable.
What little science exists in the book is riddled with errors and inconsistencies. We don't expect perfectly factual science in a science fiction book otherwise it would be science fact not science fiction, but the science has to be plausible and the science in this book isn't.
Overall I didn't enjoy this book at all. I did finish it but only out of stubbornness and I have to confess to a lot of skipping in the final chapters. I cannot recommend it.
March 3, 2019
I found this an engrossing read (I read much of it in one sitting) although it wasn't quite what I was expecting. The focus here is very much on the teenage astronauts themselves - their relationships and their extreme stress. I couldn't help but find the premise unlikely (albeit appealing) and the slightly adjusted alternate history a bit under developed, but I did get carried along by its tension and pace and there are moments of real emotion. The character portraits of the teenagers are very fine. The adults receive less attention but the author's attention is elsewhere. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
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