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Star City
(Star City #1)
by
An alien race, the Ba’ren, makes contact with Earth. To jumpstart diplomacy with humans, the Ba’ren offer their advanced medical technology, prompting the United States government to create a joint research project, and to call for the best of the best.
Eighteen-year-old Emma Smith, ready to capitalize on this historic opportunity, beats thousands of applicants for the posi ...more
Eighteen-year-old Emma Smith, ready to capitalize on this historic opportunity, beats thousands of applicants for the posi ...more
ebook
Published
December 4th 2017
by Evolved Publishing
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I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
Aliens come to Earth, bearing new technology and a cure for a kind of cancer. A girl is chosen as a student ambassador. The aliens look sort of human...but they have fangs and spots.
One of the aliens is conscripted and doesn't want to be on Earth.
I think you see where this is going...
Anyway, a bunch of crazy stuff happens in Nebraska, as pro and anti alien groups each try to do their own thing. ...more
Aliens come to Earth, bearing new technology and a cure for a kind of cancer. A girl is chosen as a student ambassador. The aliens look sort of human...but they have fangs and spots.
One of the aliens is conscripted and doesn't want to be on Earth.
I think you see where this is going...
Anyway, a bunch of crazy stuff happens in Nebraska, as pro and anti alien groups each try to do their own thing. ...more

Edwin Peng’s debut novel, STAR CITY, is a YA sci-fi tale that tells the story of alien first contact from the point of view of two teenagers: Emma Smith, a college freshman who’s given the coveted position of student ambassador, and Sepporinen, a young alien who’s assigned to be her counterpart. The alien race, called the Ba’ren, are a technologically advanced and peace-loving society that hopes to be Earth’s benevolent allies. To prove their goodwill, they offer medical technology that can cure
...more

I was given a cope of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
3 ⭐️
While an interesting concept, this novel fell a little flat for me.
The characters were interesting in the beginning, but I felt no real development from neither Emma nor Sepporinen. It was also quite heavy on the politics side, too heavy at times. I didn't feel the attraction between the main characters and the romance didn't feel real (view spoiler) ...more
3 ⭐️
While an interesting concept, this novel fell a little flat for me.
The characters were interesting in the beginning, but I felt no real development from neither Emma nor Sepporinen. It was also quite heavy on the politics side, too heavy at times. I didn't feel the attraction between the main characters and the romance didn't feel real (view spoiler) ...more

It's always a special occasion when an author releases their debut novel, and it's just as special when said debut novel is a gem of a read. I can most certainly attest to this when it comes to Edwin Peng's "Star City."
I was given an ARC of the novel and I went into it with no expectations apart from what was revealed in the synopsis. I completed it this morning, already anticipating the next installment of the trilogy. While aliens arriving to Earth is not a new concept, how it unfolds in this ...more
I was given an ARC of the novel and I went into it with no expectations apart from what was revealed in the synopsis. I completed it this morning, already anticipating the next installment of the trilogy. While aliens arriving to Earth is not a new concept, how it unfolds in this ...more

This was a YA book, complete with aliens. It was just okay for me. Emma and Sepporinen together felt very forced, I did not get any real chemistry from them.
The world itself was well done and I enjoyed it, but did not connect with the main characters. I also found there was too many secondary characters to keep everyone straight.
The world itself was well done and I enjoyed it, but did not connect with the main characters. I also found there was too many secondary characters to keep everyone straight.

Simple and entertaining... Mostly
As an adult reader, I found this book to be a little below my usual reading level. The pacing was good and the chapters flew by but I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the characters. Other than the two protagonists, there wasn't much to distinguish the cast from typical YA stand-ins.
There was a little surprise near the end that I hoped would take the conclusion another direction, but this book stayed true to a proven formula.
For a younger sci fi fan or som ...more
As an adult reader, I found this book to be a little below my usual reading level. The pacing was good and the chapters flew by but I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the characters. Other than the two protagonists, there wasn't much to distinguish the cast from typical YA stand-ins.
There was a little surprise near the end that I hoped would take the conclusion another direction, but this book stayed true to a proven formula.
For a younger sci fi fan or som ...more

I received an ARC copy of this from the author, but I’ve been a very slow reader.
Star City is set in Nebraska after an alien race makes contact with Earth. The mission is supposed to be a cooperative endeavor in which alien technology helps cure childhood cancers. The two main characters are Emma Smith, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed University of Nebraska freshman, and Sepporinen, a Ba’ren youth who would rather be mining than have anything to do with Earth. As the cultures clash, both young peopl ...more
Star City is set in Nebraska after an alien race makes contact with Earth. The mission is supposed to be a cooperative endeavor in which alien technology helps cure childhood cancers. The two main characters are Emma Smith, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed University of Nebraska freshman, and Sepporinen, a Ba’ren youth who would rather be mining than have anything to do with Earth. As the cultures clash, both young peopl ...more

Aliens have come to Earth. The Ba'ren have come to Earth looking for peaceful diplomacy, trade and to help with medical research. Part of the diplomacy efforts include two human student ambassadors paired with two Ba'ren ambassadors at the University of Nebraska where ongoing osteosarcoma treatment is taking place that the Ba'ren believe they have a cure for. Emma Smith has been chosen to be one of the student ambassadors to the Ba'ren; as a freshman, Emma hopes to advance her career in biomedic ...more

How I got this book:
I purchased the Kindle edition of Star City for £2.99 from Amazon.co.uk
Summary:
An alien race, the Ba’ren, have arrived on earth offering trade, peace and the answer to many of our current woes. Star City revolves around Emma Smith (who is given the prestigious position of student ambassador) and her alien counterpart, Sepporinen. Things appear to be going well as typical diplomacy - under rather unusual circumstances - takes place; although things take a turn for the worse as ...more
I purchased the Kindle edition of Star City for £2.99 from Amazon.co.uk
Summary:
An alien race, the Ba’ren, have arrived on earth offering trade, peace and the answer to many of our current woes. Star City revolves around Emma Smith (who is given the prestigious position of student ambassador) and her alien counterpart, Sepporinen. Things appear to be going well as typical diplomacy - under rather unusual circumstances - takes place; although things take a turn for the worse as ...more
![laurel [the suspected bibliophile]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1645808644p2/7494844.jpg)
We are not alone.
When advanced space-faring aliens came to Earth, they established delegations around the world. Finally, they came to the U.S. with the offer to cure children affected with a specific kind of cancer using one of their own compounds. Emma Smith, an ambitious freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is delighted when she is chosen to be one of two student ambassadors selected to liaise with the aliens. Sepporinen, her Ba'ren counterpart, is less pleased to be part of the d ...more
When advanced space-faring aliens came to Earth, they established delegations around the world. Finally, they came to the U.S. with the offer to cure children affected with a specific kind of cancer using one of their own compounds. Emma Smith, an ambitious freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is delighted when she is chosen to be one of two student ambassadors selected to liaise with the aliens. Sepporinen, her Ba'ren counterpart, is less pleased to be part of the d ...more

This book was pretty good. The main characters were Emma (the youthful student ambassador) and Sepporinen (the chosen Alien delegate). They work together to cure diseases with the use of the alien technology. But a lot of the world doesn't agree with working with aliens and choose to start anti-Bar'en groups (Bar'en is the alien race that Sepporinen is a part of).
There was some teen love but I found that most of it wasn't exactly believable. It just seemed like a very elementary school kind of r ...more
There was some teen love but I found that most of it wasn't exactly believable. It just seemed like a very elementary school kind of r ...more

Amazing book!!! If I could give this 100 stars I would. Completely unique and unputdownable. I read this book in one sitting, I just couldn't tear myself away! What would happen if a superior alien race made contact on earth? How would we react? Written from the dual point of view of 2 teens, one earthing and one alien, this book has a truly authentic feel to it. Not only does it deal with the day to day challenges faced by these 2 teens and their life at uni, it tackles head on issues that are
...more

I will just say that I won't ask for my money back but the reading was definitely a waste of my time. If you are familiar with 90's poorly made (we all liked those at that time though) sci-fi/alien based tv series or movies, you can definitely associate this book with those. The characters were far away from development, dialogues are not well-written. Most importantly, I could predict every single thing that was going to take place.
If that would have come from a well-established author, I woul ...more
If that would have come from a well-established author, I woul ...more

Mar 26, 2018
Caroline Walker
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads
When I first started reading this book, I was little bored. Once the book got going however, it gained momentum and I was genuinely interested in it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of parallels with today's world that this book has. I think it does a great job of talking about what would happen if aliens showed up and wanted to help us. The political climate in America at least, is tumultuous at best and I think this book does a great job of representing it while adding aliens into the mix.
...more

When a bright, young college women is chosen to be a human ambassador to new aliens, they work on a joint study to heal children with cancer.
Unfortunately, it feels they are all pawns to the fabrications and manipulations of the governments, religion and media.
This is a great book that really gets you thinking about what and how we would all react if aliens did arrive!
I put a full review here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a9x1MeQB4FA ...more
Unfortunately, it feels they are all pawns to the fabrications and manipulations of the governments, religion and media.
This is a great book that really gets you thinking about what and how we would all react if aliens did arrive!
I put a full review here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a9x1MeQB4FA ...more

I received a copy of Star City by Edwin Peng from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the summary of this YA novel and wanted so much to immerse myself in the story, but I just couldn't. The writing style was solid, but the main characters just lacked some chemistry so the plot didn't gel to me. ...more
I really enjoyed the summary of this YA novel and wanted so much to immerse myself in the story, but I just couldn't. The writing style was solid, but the main characters just lacked some chemistry so the plot didn't gel to me. ...more

A great deal of early SF was preoccupied with how humanity might react were they to encounter an intelligent species from another planet. Surely they would react quite well......
Enter the Bah'ren, a humanoid species a notch or two more evolved both technologically and socially than humans.
The aliens are trying to help humans by producing a cure for osteosarcoma in children. Emma Smith, 18, is selected to be a diplomat and get to know her counterpart in thev equally youthful Sepporinin. Neither ...more
Enter the Bah'ren, a humanoid species a notch or two more evolved both technologically and socially than humans.
The aliens are trying to help humans by producing a cure for osteosarcoma in children. Emma Smith, 18, is selected to be a diplomat and get to know her counterpart in thev equally youthful Sepporinin. Neither ...more

I tried. I really, really tried. But I just couldn't finish the book. And it made me sad. Because Edwin Peng has gone through great lengths to describe a world where aliens (Ba'ren) have just landed on earth. And they came with a wonderful gift: a potential new medicine to help cure cancer! So a group of students and researchers is chosen to work with the aliens to study and develop this cure.
So Emma, one of the chosen biomedical engineers is honored to be working with the aliens. She didn't cou ...more
So Emma, one of the chosen biomedical engineers is honored to be working with the aliens. She didn't cou ...more

Star City was a straightforward enjoyable read. The characters will written and fun to follow and it had a premise that was interesting and a bit different from what I would typically read.
I think that what pulled me out of everything and made me feel that while this was enjoyable I wouldn’t really read the sequel is the fact that while it was well-written it felt like there was something missing. I don’t know if it’s that there wasn’t enough conflict or that the characters never made enough of ...more
I think that what pulled me out of everything and made me feel that while this was enjoyable I wouldn’t really read the sequel is the fact that while it was well-written it felt like there was something missing. I don’t know if it’s that there wasn’t enough conflict or that the characters never made enough of ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Books & Boba: Star City by Edwin Peng | 3 | 17 | Dec 05, 2017 03:17AM |
Edwin Peng lives in beautiful Lincoln, Nebraska with his beloved Pokémon buddy, Eevee. During the day, he indulges in super-villainy by performing high-power laser research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. At night, his secret identity is that of a literary superhero fighting to make the Young Adult Science Fiction genre less clichéd and more inclusive.
Edwin is the author of the Star City se ...more
Edwin is the author of the Star City se ...more
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Star City
(6 books)
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