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Horizon #1
Horizon
When a plane crash-lands in the arctic, eight young survivors step from the wreckage expecting to see nothing but ice and snow. Instead they find themselves lost in a strange jungle with no way to get home and little hope of rescue.
Food is running out. Water is scarce. And the jungle is full of threats unlike anything the survivors have ever seen before -- from razor-beaked shredder birds to carnivorous vines and much, much worse.
With danger at every turn, these eight kids must learn to work together to survive. But cliques and rivalries threaten to tear them apart. And not everyone will make it out of the jungle alive.
Food is running out. Water is scarce. And the jungle is full of threats unlike anything the survivors have ever seen before -- from razor-beaked shredder birds to carnivorous vines and much, much worse.
With danger at every turn, these eight kids must learn to work together to survive. But cliques and rivalries threaten to tear them apart. And not everyone will make it out of the jungle alive.
241 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2017
173 people are currently reading
4446 people want to read
About the author
Scott Westerfeld
91 books21.3k followersScott Westerfeld is a New York Times bestselling author of YA. He is best known for the Uglies and Leviathan series. His current series, IMPOSTORS, returns to the world of Uglies.
The next book in that series, MIRROR'S EDGE, comes out April 6, 2021.
The next book in that series, MIRROR'S EDGE, comes out April 6, 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 394 reviews
April 10, 2017
Full Disclosure - I'm gonna be biased because I'm writing Book 2, DEADZONE (Coming Sept 12, 2017 - you should definitely check it out!) That said, I signed on to the project before reading this book and once I did, I was beyond excited to be able to contribute to this series. Scott Westerfeld has built a fantastic world in HORIZON - part LOST, part LORD OF THE FLIES, and still a uniquely fast-paced adventure with heart and tension that will burst from the pages.
April 21, 2023
Heads up adventure lovers! An exciting, page-turning story unfolds in the first book of the Horizon series. A freak incident occurs on a plane bound to Tokyo, Japan, and all but a group of 8 survivors disappear in an electrical surge. No signs of their bodies are found and even more perplexing, the survivors find themselves in a dense jungle... despite their plane flying over the Arctic when it crashed. As our survivors learn to trust each other and stay alive, they find stranger and stranger things in the abnormal jungle. Blood red trees, killer vines, and two moons in the sky? Our characters embark on a fast-paced journey to find the truth about this place all while trying to keep each other alive. Horizon by Scott Westerfeld will be a perfect read for sci-fi, adventure loving readers! -Krithika, Teen SPL Volunteer
July 12, 2017
A sci-fi version of Hatchet?! ALL HAIL SCOTT WESTERFELD.
Horizon is the first in an eventual seven book sci-fi survival series each penned by a different famous kidlit author. While flying to Japan, four teens from NYC find themselves stranded after their airplane suddenly crashes. They’re joined by four other teens--8 total survivors--but mysteriously no dead bodies are found in the wreckage. The other passengers have simply VANISHED. And that’s not the strangest thing. Shortly before they crashed, Molly spotted the arctic from her window. But instead of icebergs and snow, the teens find themselves in a hot, humid jungle. WHERE THE F*CK ARE THEY???
As happens in survival stories, the group quickly learns they’ll have to battle vicious predatory creatures they’ve never encountered, let alone heard of, deadly plants & unknown forces. While answering the biggest question of all: HOW DO THEY GET HOME???!!! BUM...BUM….BUM
Horizon is a Hatchet...LOST mash-up with a sprinkling of Westerfeld charm. Chapters alternate between a diverse cast of male & female characters. This book is action for the first page. It never stops moving. It’s great for any sci-fi fans, as well as kiddos who love survival stories. Highly recommend also to any upper elementary/middle school reluctant readers. The fast pace is immediately engaging and prevents reader stagnation. Love!
Horizon is the first in an eventual seven book sci-fi survival series each penned by a different famous kidlit author. While flying to Japan, four teens from NYC find themselves stranded after their airplane suddenly crashes. They’re joined by four other teens--8 total survivors--but mysteriously no dead bodies are found in the wreckage. The other passengers have simply VANISHED. And that’s not the strangest thing. Shortly before they crashed, Molly spotted the arctic from her window. But instead of icebergs and snow, the teens find themselves in a hot, humid jungle. WHERE THE F*CK ARE THEY???
As happens in survival stories, the group quickly learns they’ll have to battle vicious predatory creatures they’ve never encountered, let alone heard of, deadly plants & unknown forces. While answering the biggest question of all: HOW DO THEY GET HOME???!!! BUM...BUM….BUM
Horizon is a Hatchet...LOST mash-up with a sprinkling of Westerfeld charm. Chapters alternate between a diverse cast of male & female characters. This book is action for the first page. It never stops moving. It’s great for any sci-fi fans, as well as kiddos who love survival stories. Highly recommend also to any upper elementary/middle school reluctant readers. The fast pace is immediately engaging and prevents reader stagnation. Love!
February 14, 2017
~Review copy
Scholastic and Westerfeld are a winning combination as both know their target audience. If you're a reader/fan of Westerfeld like I am, you know that his books run the gambit from more Middle School to more High School interest levels and writing style. Books like UGLIES I would say was full on Young Adult fic, whereas HORIZON tends more to Middle School plotting and character development.
The story begins with a flight from the US to Japan. The core group of kids are there with their mentor and in the hold are their toaster shaped robots which they are taking to Japan so they can compete in a robotics contest. As the bookcover indicates, they never get there. The jet crashes and that's just the beginning of the weirdness. They were flying over the arctic. They slide out of the plane to find themselves in a jungle. They were with hundreds of other people on the jet. Now there's just a handful of kids on the ground.
This looks like it might be a long series, so brace yourself; there are tons of questions and puzzles in this book and no answers. Westerfeld just delivers a great tease.
HORIZON is a fast paced read. Adults with a little time on their hands will probably get through it in a night or a couple of days. There's adventure and some pretty good character development. If you have a young reader who likes scifi then put this on your list of books to recommend.
*no reading level info available currently
Scholastic and Westerfeld are a winning combination as both know their target audience. If you're a reader/fan of Westerfeld like I am, you know that his books run the gambit from more Middle School to more High School interest levels and writing style. Books like UGLIES I would say was full on Young Adult fic, whereas HORIZON tends more to Middle School plotting and character development.
The story begins with a flight from the US to Japan. The core group of kids are there with their mentor and in the hold are their toaster shaped robots which they are taking to Japan so they can compete in a robotics contest. As the bookcover indicates, they never get there. The jet crashes and that's just the beginning of the weirdness. They were flying over the arctic. They slide out of the plane to find themselves in a jungle. They were with hundreds of other people on the jet. Now there's just a handful of kids on the ground.
This looks like it might be a long series, so brace yourself; there are tons of questions and puzzles in this book and no answers. Westerfeld just delivers a great tease.
HORIZON is a fast paced read. Adults with a little time on their hands will probably get through it in a night or a couple of days. There's adventure and some pretty good character development. If you have a young reader who likes scifi then put this on your list of books to recommend.
*no reading level info available currently
January 16, 2018
Zeki insanları okumaya bayılıyorum! Bu zeki insanları böyle bir macera kitabında okumaya ekstra ekstra bayılıyorum! Kitabı övmeye başlamadan önce konusundan bahsedeceğim; Amerika'dan Japonya'ya giden bir uçak Kutupların orada bir anda düşüyor ve bu düşüşten 8 çocuğumuz sağ çıkıyor. Buzların ortasında olmaları gerekirken kendilerini yağmur ormanın ortasında buluyorlar ve bu yağmur ortamında garip bir şeyler var. Aynı zamanda uçakta diğer 500 yolcunun nerede olduğu belli değil çünkü uçak bomboş ve bir anda kendilerini bir ölüm kalım savaşının ortasında buluyorlar.
Kitap hakkında ne desem bilmiyorum çünkü gerçekten mükemmeldi. Her karaktere bayıldım. Zaten her bölüm başka bir karakterin ağzından anlatılıyordu bu da bayılmamı kolaylaştırdı. Böyle yazılmış olması da hikayeye başka bir hava katmış herkesin ne hissettiğini kolayca anlayabiliyoruz. Zaten hepsi zeki çocuklar olduğundan sevmemek zor değil. Bir Caleb'i sevmedim onu da kim olsa sevmezdi. Favorim de sebepsizce Kira.
Çok iyi yazılmış çok iyi kurgulanmış heyecan hiç bitmiyor. Sayfaları nasıl çevirdiğimi anlamadım ve biter bitmez gözlerim ikinci kitabı aradı. Gerçekten her yaştan insanın keyifle okuyacağı mükemmel bir bilim kurgu herkese gönül rahatlığıyla öneriyorum. Mutlaka alın!
Kitap hakkında ne desem bilmiyorum çünkü gerçekten mükemmeldi. Her karaktere bayıldım. Zaten her bölüm başka bir karakterin ağzından anlatılıyordu bu da bayılmamı kolaylaştırdı. Böyle yazılmış olması da hikayeye başka bir hava katmış herkesin ne hissettiğini kolayca anlayabiliyoruz. Zaten hepsi zeki çocuklar olduğundan sevmemek zor değil. Bir Caleb'i sevmedim onu da kim olsa sevmezdi. Favorim de sebepsizce Kira.
Çok iyi yazılmış çok iyi kurgulanmış heyecan hiç bitmiyor. Sayfaları nasıl çevirdiğimi anlamadım ve biter bitmez gözlerim ikinci kitabı aradı. Gerçekten her yaştan insanın keyifle okuyacağı mükemmel bir bilim kurgu herkese gönül rahatlığıyla öneriyorum. Mutlaka alın!
April 3, 2017
An okay story. But not self-contained. And way too far-fetched. And the characters are mostly all surface, though they have interesting possibilities. Pitched a little younger than I'd like. Basically this book is all implausible setup. Not one of Westerfeld's better ones though still quite readable.
February 18, 2017
Plane crash....jungle.....selected few survive........weird / unexplained things happening.......... ohhhhhh....... it brought it all back.......... "Lost" (TV series).
Ohhhhhhhh.....I will never get over 'Lost'. I loved 'Lost'. Really loved 'Lost'. But I will never get over the ending.......never get over the disappointment......never get over the confusion. I devoted years to following the series.......never missing an episode.....trying to untangle the more and more complicated storylines.......loving the characters.........their names roll off my tongue even now....all these years later.......ohhhhh, Jack......Sawyer, ohhhhhhhhh Charlie, Claire, Kate, oooooh Sayid, Sun, Jin.....ohhhhhh Hurley. This novel by Scott Westerfeld sent me off on a long Google search......once again trying to understand the ending and storyline to "Lost'.
Oh, I read the sites of many, many fans and their explanations......people, years after the show finished, still trying to make sense if it.......some explanations even more complicated than the show........I looked at YouTube clips and their synopsis of 'Lost' in 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 8 minutes...........but none of them ring true....none of them can explain everything..............except this......the thing I know in my heart to be true........the writers and producers got so carried away with the success of the show.........that they were (sob).......making it up as they went along........and (more sobbing) .....not everything could be / was explained ......not every piece of the puzzle would fit.......that there was actually half a jigsaw left over when the show finished!
..........Oh, the pain.........did I mention that I will never get over this !
So.......how do I rate a book that did that to me.......I still feel the pain.
None of the mid to upper level kids who read this will even know what 'Lost' was......lucky them I say. It's an exciting read. I love that the chapters are devoted to different characters. There is a lot to like about the book. It is not sophisticated fiction for children......not a literary prize winner.....but it's not aiming to be. Pure entertainment only.
Ahhhhhh.....how long before my heart stops aching all over again!! Bl___y 'Lost'.
May 25, 2017
A super fast read, this book is perfect for students who loved The Raft, Adrift, Peak and other similar adventure stories.
My main gripe is that it felt like its only purpose was as a giant set up to a lengthy series and so I didn't receive the resolution to the main plot twist I was seeking.
Kids age 9-13 will enjoy it, though.
My main gripe is that it felt like its only purpose was as a giant set up to a lengthy series and so I didn't receive the resolution to the main plot twist I was seeking.
Kids age 9-13 will enjoy it, though.
Read
October 19, 2017Goodreads sağ olsun bu yazarın bende diğer kitaplarından da varmış. Üstelik merak edip aldığım ama sonra oturup okumaya üşendiğim için kenara kaldırdığım. Şimdi kesinlikle başına oturup okuyacağım. 🙈
Ufuk, hitap ettiği yaş kitlesine göre dikkat çekebilecek ve çok rahat, akıcı okunabilecek bir eser. Okurken hep yeğenim okusaydı severdi diye düşündüm. Yatılı okuldan dönüşünde ona hediye ederim artık.🙆
Ağır, düşündürecek bir dünyası yok. Lost'un çocuklara göre olan versiyonu gibi. Yabancı'da da benzer bir kitap daha vardı. Ada'ydı sanırım. Ben Ada'dan ziyade Ufuk'tan daha çok keyif aldım.💃💃
Okurken tek sorunum karakterlerin cinsiyet ayrımlarının pek iyi yapılamamış olmasıydı. Mesela Molly kız karakter olmasına rağmen daha çok erkek karakterleri anımsatacak şekilde çizilmiş. Kendime sürekli onun kız olduğunu hatırlatmak zorunda kaldım😂. Aynı şekilde Yoshi de erkek olmasına rağmen nedense bende hep kızmış gibi izlenim bıraktı. 🤦🏼♀
Yine de devamını okumak isterim mutlaka. 😍💃💃
Ufuk, hitap ettiği yaş kitlesine göre dikkat çekebilecek ve çok rahat, akıcı okunabilecek bir eser. Okurken hep yeğenim okusaydı severdi diye düşündüm. Yatılı okuldan dönüşünde ona hediye ederim artık.🙆
Ağır, düşündürecek bir dünyası yok. Lost'un çocuklara göre olan versiyonu gibi. Yabancı'da da benzer bir kitap daha vardı. Ada'ydı sanırım. Ben Ada'dan ziyade Ufuk'tan daha çok keyif aldım.💃💃
Okurken tek sorunum karakterlerin cinsiyet ayrımlarının pek iyi yapılamamış olmasıydı. Mesela Molly kız karakter olmasına rağmen daha çok erkek karakterleri anımsatacak şekilde çizilmiş. Kendime sürekli onun kız olduğunu hatırlatmak zorunda kaldım😂. Aynı şekilde Yoshi de erkek olmasına rağmen nedense bende hep kızmış gibi izlenim bıraktı. 🤦🏼♀
Yine de devamını okumak isterim mutlaka. 😍💃💃
December 17, 2016
I received this ARC from Scholastic, not dependent on a review.
I don't think that Westerfeld will ever disappoint.
This is his debut middle-grade novel, but it comes across as one that can also entertain older YA readers or perhaps even a slightly younger audience.
I was quite pleased to find that this book was not too cliché or predictable but rather enjoyable and a fast-paced read that stays intriguing throughout the entirety of the book.
This will be a series similar to The 39 Clues series in that there will be a different author for each book, but that also means they will come out more quickly with 2 released each year (in January and September) until January 2020 when the 7th and final book is released.
I don't think that Westerfeld will ever disappoint.
This is his debut middle-grade novel, but it comes across as one that can also entertain older YA readers or perhaps even a slightly younger audience.
I was quite pleased to find that this book was not too cliché or predictable but rather enjoyable and a fast-paced read that stays intriguing throughout the entirety of the book.
This will be a series similar to The 39 Clues series in that there will be a different author for each book, but that also means they will come out more quickly with 2 released each year (in January and September) until January 2020 when the 7th and final book is released.
August 3, 2017
read this and more reviews on Frayed Books:
http://frayedbooks.wordpress.com
Horizon is a middle-grade book that was pitched as Hatchet meets Lord of the Flies meets Lost. Now, Scott Westerfeld is one of my all time favorite authors so anything written by him, I’m sold. But throw in something about Lost? I’m instantly double give it to me now sold! I’m a die hard Lostie and I will love the show 4ever, so anything that is similar to it – sign me up.
Horizon did not disappoint. I’m not usually a fan of middle grade books – as an ~adult~, they just don’t resonate with me as YA books do. But I could really get into and enjoy Horizon. It is for a younger audience and the writing reflects that, but while it is simpler it is not in any way dumbed down. This is still a story about survival and the writing reflects that.
A plane crashes on a flight from New York to Tokyo as they’re flying over the arctic and the only survivors are a handful of young teenagers. But when they get out of the wreckage, they’re in the jungle, not the arctic as they were when they last looked out the window. …What? Exactly. (Somebody forgot to push the button in the hatch. 4 8 15 16 23 42)
As I said, I loved Lost, so I loved this book! It really felt like elements of Lost with the mysteries and unexplained events and locations. (Polar bear on the Lost island, anyone?) This was full of action and you even learn a few Japanese words along the way!
This is the first of 7 planned books in the series and a different author will write each story. I would recommend this series for middle-grade readers but older readers can enjoy this as well! If you like stories about survival with some mysteries thrown in, this story is for you.
http://frayedbooks.wordpress.com
Horizon is a middle-grade book that was pitched as Hatchet meets Lord of the Flies meets Lost. Now, Scott Westerfeld is one of my all time favorite authors so anything written by him, I’m sold. But throw in something about Lost? I’m instantly double give it to me now sold! I’m a die hard Lostie and I will love the show 4ever, so anything that is similar to it – sign me up.
Horizon did not disappoint. I’m not usually a fan of middle grade books – as an ~adult~, they just don’t resonate with me as YA books do. But I could really get into and enjoy Horizon. It is for a younger audience and the writing reflects that, but while it is simpler it is not in any way dumbed down. This is still a story about survival and the writing reflects that.
A plane crashes on a flight from New York to Tokyo as they’re flying over the arctic and the only survivors are a handful of young teenagers. But when they get out of the wreckage, they’re in the jungle, not the arctic as they were when they last looked out the window. …What? Exactly. (Somebody forgot to push the button in the hatch. 4 8 15 16 23 42)
As I said, I loved Lost, so I loved this book! It really felt like elements of Lost with the mysteries and unexplained events and locations. (Polar bear on the Lost island, anyone?) This was full of action and you even learn a few Japanese words along the way!
This is the first of 7 planned books in the series and a different author will write each story. I would recommend this series for middle-grade readers but older readers can enjoy this as well! If you like stories about survival with some mysteries thrown in, this story is for you.
August 20, 2018
A plane traveling across the globe experiences a freak accident. The plane is torn apart and everyone on board disappears in a strange electrical storm. Everyone except eight kids. They survive the crash and find themselves in the middle of a tropical jungle. How can that be when they were flying across the arctic? Stranger than the disappearing passengers and the jungle is the fact that it is like nothing on earth. There are two moons in the sky. The animals and plant life are very dangerous and very different than normal. The kids also discover an anti-gravity machine in the plane. Where did that come from? As our young explorers figure out how to survive in this alien landscape they must also figure out where they are, what is going on and how to communicate with each other.
Four of the survivors (Molly, Anna, Javier and Oliver) are members of a robot engineer group on their way to Japan for a competition. They have the smarts to figure out some of the technical difficulties and they are the first to experiment with the anti-gravity machine. Yoshi is traveling back to Japan after spending time with his mom in New York. He is carrying a priceless Japanese katana with him that he stole from his father. The sword definitely comes in handy in the jungle! Akiko and Kira are Japanese sister returning from boarding school. They do not speak English so it is a challenge. Fortunately, Yoshi speaks both English and Japanese and can translate for them. Caleb rounds out the group. He is a bit older than the others and thinks he should be in charge.
This was fast-paced, exciting and pure Westerfeld. There are several mysteries to solve throughout the series and it will be interesting to see how they come out. What happened to the plane and what made it crash? Where are they? Who created this alien world? Why did the kids survive? What is the purpose of it all? I can't wait to see where this series goes.
Four of the survivors (Molly, Anna, Javier and Oliver) are members of a robot engineer group on their way to Japan for a competition. They have the smarts to figure out some of the technical difficulties and they are the first to experiment with the anti-gravity machine. Yoshi is traveling back to Japan after spending time with his mom in New York. He is carrying a priceless Japanese katana with him that he stole from his father. The sword definitely comes in handy in the jungle! Akiko and Kira are Japanese sister returning from boarding school. They do not speak English so it is a challenge. Fortunately, Yoshi speaks both English and Japanese and can translate for them. Caleb rounds out the group. He is a bit older than the others and thinks he should be in charge.
This was fast-paced, exciting and pure Westerfeld. There are several mysteries to solve throughout the series and it will be interesting to see how they come out. What happened to the plane and what made it crash? Where are they? Who created this alien world? Why did the kids survive? What is the purpose of it all? I can't wait to see where this series goes.
August 18, 2017
This was a pretty good book. It has good plot. I don't think there are a lot of books that include a jungle in the middle of the arctic and devices that can change gravity so I like the new ideas in this book. The creatures that they find are really cool. And I love how Javi tries to name them all! The characters were well written. I liked how there was enough balance between smart and adventurous with each character. The let's-all-think-about-it-first people mixed with the let's-go-explore people made for an interesting story. The way it ended with Molly makes me really interested in how she "changed" and why Kira seemed to understand. The otherworldly vibe really spiked there. I would definitely read the next book in this series. It's perfect if you want an easy read with adventure.
March 6, 2017
First sentence: "Next question," Molly said. "How many miles of wire are in this airplane?"
Premise/plot: A plane is on its way to Japan and goes down over the Arctic circle. There are survivors--eight, I believe. But of the survivors, none are adults. Four of the survivors are the members of a school team on its way to a robots competition. The others are strangers to Molly, Javi, Anna, and Oliver. Yoshi is on his way home to his father. He doesn't really get along with either parent. And the fact that he's returning something--a sword--he stole from his father's house during the last visit doesn't make him that thrilled to be on the plane. Caleb is the odd one out. Two young girls, two sisters, speak Japanese and French but no English: Kira and Akiko. The other passengers--hundreds of them--were sucked out of the plane--seats and all, I believe--when the ceiling was ripped open. The crash site is strange. It's a JUNGLE, a jungle with strange animals and plants. Within hours of the crash, the kids stumble across a remote control device with alien-like symbols. This remote control does strange things to the law of nature. For example: changes the law of gravity.
My thoughts: In some ways it's all action and mystery and science fiction. In other words, a lot like LOST. (Well, if you switch out the fog monster with killer birds and killer vines. Also no flashbacks so far!!!) But this place is strange and unpredictable. It is a place that invites millions of questions but provides very few--if any--answers.
There is a game--an app, I believe, for readers who get really invested in this survivor story.
Premise/plot: A plane is on its way to Japan and goes down over the Arctic circle. There are survivors--eight, I believe. But of the survivors, none are adults. Four of the survivors are the members of a school team on its way to a robots competition. The others are strangers to Molly, Javi, Anna, and Oliver. Yoshi is on his way home to his father. He doesn't really get along with either parent. And the fact that he's returning something--a sword--he stole from his father's house during the last visit doesn't make him that thrilled to be on the plane. Caleb is the odd one out. Two young girls, two sisters, speak Japanese and French but no English: Kira and Akiko. The other passengers--hundreds of them--were sucked out of the plane--seats and all, I believe--when the ceiling was ripped open. The crash site is strange. It's a JUNGLE, a jungle with strange animals and plants. Within hours of the crash, the kids stumble across a remote control device with alien-like symbols. This remote control does strange things to the law of nature. For example: changes the law of gravity.
My thoughts: In some ways it's all action and mystery and science fiction. In other words, a lot like LOST. (Well, if you switch out the fog monster with killer birds and killer vines. Also no flashbacks so far!!!) But this place is strange and unpredictable. It is a place that invites millions of questions but provides very few--if any--answers.
There is a game--an app, I believe, for readers who get really invested in this survivor story.
November 26, 2018
Good, but not very attention-grabbing. Really like the plot but the word use really just doesn't entertain me.
March 26, 2020
A plane crashes and there are eight survivors. They step out of the plan thing there will be ice and snow everywhere but instead, they find themself in a jungle and no one knows where they are. They only have enough food and water for a couple of days and the jungle is full of danger. The survivors have to work together to survive but it seems like the world is agent them. Will they survive or will the jungle destroy them. Read Horizon to find out.
March 13, 2017
4.5 stars.
I was given this book by a YA reader in my life with the insistence that I had to read it. Whoa! From the first page I was hooked. A group of teenagers on their way to a robotics competition in Japan are flying over the Arctic when a mysterious force overtakes their plane, removing everyone but them, and crash-lands it in a jungle, where there are mysterious creatures and plants never seen before.
Is it fantasy/paranormal? It's definitely science fiction. It's like Lost, the TV series, meets Maze Runner. I'm still wondering what is going on with them and where they truly are.
The kids have to use their intelligence and engineering skills in order to survive. Finding "alien" technology helps in their endeavors, but it also causes major problems, some of them deadly.
I'll definitely be reading the next in the series.
I was given this book by a YA reader in my life with the insistence that I had to read it. Whoa! From the first page I was hooked. A group of teenagers on their way to a robotics competition in Japan are flying over the Arctic when a mysterious force overtakes their plane, removing everyone but them, and crash-lands it in a jungle, where there are mysterious creatures and plants never seen before.
Is it fantasy/paranormal? It's definitely science fiction. It's like Lost, the TV series, meets Maze Runner. I'm still wondering what is going on with them and where they truly are.
The kids have to use their intelligence and engineering skills in order to survive. Finding "alien" technology helps in their endeavors, but it also causes major problems, some of them deadly.
I'll definitely be reading the next in the series.
February 20, 2017
Our story begins with four youth on a trip to Japan to compete in a robotics tournament. Halfway through their flight, while above the Arctic, a strange force seizes the plane and rips the roof off. As blue lightning zips around, people are sucked out into nowhere and the plane then crashes into a jungle.
Only eight people survive the crash, the rest of the 400 people have mysteriously disappeared. Besides our four robotics students are two Japanese sisters, a half Japanese/half American boy with a samurai sword, and the oldest kid, Caleb.
As the kids struggle to survive, they encounter bizarre plants, animals and red vegetation. Most believe they are on a spaceship or another planet, somehow transported mid flight, but Caleb believes they are still on Earth. The one solid clue they have is a strange cylinder with codes that makes gravity change. Could it be alien technology?
My Thoughts-
A fast paced middle-grade read that will have readers ripping through the pages to figure out what the heck is going on. At first I thought it was just a typical crash survival story, but that notion soon changed when the kids discovered two moons, one red and one green, hanging in the sky. Now that got my attention.
Soon the kids are using the gravity device to hop/fly about the place and discover killer plants and scavenger birds. Their task to survive grows harder and one of them doesn't make it. Yikes! By this point I was fully vested in the story and really wanted to unravel the mystery. But, this is a series. Something I didn't realize when I picked up the book. So, the ending came and I was ready to keep going. Now I have to wait for the next book.
In regards to our characters, each is well developed and full of specific personality. I enjoyed watching as the robotic students took to everything with thought and planning, while the other kids just went big and bold. There is a great dynamic amongst them, and I enjoyed that they all fit somewhat well together and there wasn't an evil tyrant (Lord of the Flies esque).
Looks like this is going to be an action packed series for Scholastic and will eventually filter into Internet connections and reader involvement. 5 stars!
Only eight people survive the crash, the rest of the 400 people have mysteriously disappeared. Besides our four robotics students are two Japanese sisters, a half Japanese/half American boy with a samurai sword, and the oldest kid, Caleb.
As the kids struggle to survive, they encounter bizarre plants, animals and red vegetation. Most believe they are on a spaceship or another planet, somehow transported mid flight, but Caleb believes they are still on Earth. The one solid clue they have is a strange cylinder with codes that makes gravity change. Could it be alien technology?
My Thoughts-
A fast paced middle-grade read that will have readers ripping through the pages to figure out what the heck is going on. At first I thought it was just a typical crash survival story, but that notion soon changed when the kids discovered two moons, one red and one green, hanging in the sky. Now that got my attention.
Soon the kids are using the gravity device to hop/fly about the place and discover killer plants and scavenger birds. Their task to survive grows harder and one of them doesn't make it. Yikes! By this point I was fully vested in the story and really wanted to unravel the mystery. But, this is a series. Something I didn't realize when I picked up the book. So, the ending came and I was ready to keep going. Now I have to wait for the next book.
In regards to our characters, each is well developed and full of specific personality. I enjoyed watching as the robotic students took to everything with thought and planning, while the other kids just went big and bold. There is a great dynamic amongst them, and I enjoyed that they all fit somewhat well together and there wasn't an evil tyrant (Lord of the Flies esque).
Looks like this is going to be an action packed series for Scholastic and will eventually filter into Internet connections and reader involvement. 5 stars!
October 17, 2017
The story: Five teens crash land in what is supposed to the the Arctic--but find themselves stranded in a tropical jungle filled with predatory animals and plants that are out of this world. Literally. Now they have to use their engineering smarts, as well as their fighting skills, to figure out whether they've been transported to another planet...or to another reality...or maybe just to another dimension in some mad scientist's insane scheme...
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death by mishap; survivor guilt) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: I'm generally a fan of Scott Westerfeld, but this one has the feel of other Scholastic series that seemed to be cranked out at regular intervals in as many installments as possible, stretching a reasonable story far further than it was ever meant to go in order to collect as many dollars as possible. Call me a cynic, but after literally 39 volumes of 39 Clues, you know what I mean.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (death by mishap; survivor guilt) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: I'm generally a fan of Scott Westerfeld, but this one has the feel of other Scholastic series that seemed to be cranked out at regular intervals in as many installments as possible, stretching a reasonable story far further than it was ever meant to go in order to collect as many dollars as possible. Call me a cynic, but after literally 39 volumes of 39 Clues, you know what I mean.
July 12, 2021
Javi, Oliver, Anna, and Molly are flying with their teacher to Japan to compete in the Robot Soccer World Championships. Their flight starts off normal, and the last member of the team still awake falls asleep over Alaska. But shortly after, all of them are awoken as something tears off the top of the airplane, strange lightning starts zapping passengers from the plane, and they crash. The four teammates plus another American teen, a Japanese American tween, and to Japanese girls are the only ones left of the 500+ person flight. There are no bodies. But they can only assume all the other passengers are dead. But where are they? How did they get from the Arctic Circle to a jungle? Why is the vegetation and animal life here so weird? And why was there an antigravity device in the wreckage? All of the kids left alive are very smart. But are they smart enough to figure out how to survive and get rescued?
Leave it to Westerfeld to write a new weird scifi for middle grades (or at least come up with the plot...other authors help flesh it out). There are definitely elements of this that remind me of Spillzone which ramped the weird up even more. This is very...well as they say in the book...interesting. Think Lost but weirder and written for middle graders. I'm very intrigued and they only scratch the teeny tiniest of surfaces of the mystery in this book in the series. I have put off reading this for ages because I honestly don't have a lot of high hopes for series that are written by multiple authors, it feels more contrived for some reason, but this is well done and it definitely has my imagination going. The weird plant life, the different animals, the strange tech, and what they find behind the waterfall. All very, very interesting. But the setting and mystery don't get the entire stage, there's enough time spent on the characters that you are starting to care about them and how they interact with each other. They are a smart bunch, but each have their fortes and they need each other. And I like that they are an international/multicultural cast of kids. I definitely need to hunt down more in the series pronto.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. People may or may not have died in a plane crash. There are some run-ins with strange flora and fauna that injure some kids (one injury described in some detail because it is acting oddly), and one kid is killed in an accident (no graphic descriptions of blood or anything).
Leave it to Westerfeld to write a new weird scifi for middle grades (or at least come up with the plot...other authors help flesh it out). There are definitely elements of this that remind me of Spillzone which ramped the weird up even more. This is very...well as they say in the book...interesting. Think Lost but weirder and written for middle graders. I'm very intrigued and they only scratch the teeny tiniest of surfaces of the mystery in this book in the series. I have put off reading this for ages because I honestly don't have a lot of high hopes for series that are written by multiple authors, it feels more contrived for some reason, but this is well done and it definitely has my imagination going. The weird plant life, the different animals, the strange tech, and what they find behind the waterfall. All very, very interesting. But the setting and mystery don't get the entire stage, there's enough time spent on the characters that you are starting to care about them and how they interact with each other. They are a smart bunch, but each have their fortes and they need each other. And I like that they are an international/multicultural cast of kids. I definitely need to hunt down more in the series pronto.
Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. People may or may not have died in a plane crash. There are some run-ins with strange flora and fauna that injure some kids (one injury described in some detail because it is acting oddly), and one kid is killed in an accident (no graphic descriptions of blood or anything).
July 20, 2023
Four kids are flying with their Robot Soccer Team to Japan when something happens to the plane and it crashes. They find themselves to be some of the only 8 survivors with everyone else having mysteriously vanished. Instead of being stranded in the Arctic Circle where they should be, the find themselves in a lush jungle, filled with strange plants and animals. The 8 middle schoolers must find a way to survive on their own in this strange new place but are things really what they seem?
NC EBOB 2023-2024
This series reminds me a lot of Jumanji meets Maze Runner with a splash of Invitation to the Game thrown in. It seems like almost everything is out to kill the survivors and they have to work together to use their knowledge to survive. Each book in the series is written by a different popular middle grades or young adult author so it will be interesting to see the direction it takes. Westerfeld has given it a solid start.
NC EBOB 2023-2024
This series reminds me a lot of Jumanji meets Maze Runner with a splash of Invitation to the Game thrown in. It seems like almost everything is out to kill the survivors and they have to work together to use their knowledge to survive. Each book in the series is written by a different popular middle grades or young adult author so it will be interesting to see the direction it takes. Westerfeld has given it a solid start.
September 4, 2017
"Did you do anything useful today, son?"
"Not much, just learned to fly."
Yoshi and six other teenagers are the only survivors in a strange plane crash. They should be freezing to death in the Arctic, but instead, they crashed into a jungle. Everything about the crash is mysterious and odd life surrounds them in this jungle. The laws of physics don't apply here either, and odd technology is found near the crash. Why did they crash, and why are these seven the only ones of the 500 people on the plane that survived the crash?
This is going to be a fun middle grade science fiction series as each of the novels is written by a different author. I read the first one because the second is written by Jennifer Nielsen, a favorite of mine, and comes out very soon.
"Not much, just learned to fly."
Yoshi and six other teenagers are the only survivors in a strange plane crash. They should be freezing to death in the Arctic, but instead, they crashed into a jungle. Everything about the crash is mysterious and odd life surrounds them in this jungle. The laws of physics don't apply here either, and odd technology is found near the crash. Why did they crash, and why are these seven the only ones of the 500 people on the plane that survived the crash?
This is going to be a fun middle grade science fiction series as each of the novels is written by a different author. I read the first one because the second is written by Jennifer Nielsen, a favorite of mine, and comes out very soon.
November 24, 2017
This was a great start to a new(ish) middle school science fiction series written by different YA authors. A plane goes down and a small group of teens are left to survive and figure out where they are and what happened to them. There is a group of engineer students who use their problem solving skills and their science facts to figure out solutions. The group is rounded out with 2 Japanese sisters, a Japanese American boy with his ancient family sword, and a random boy who you know is going to die because he is annoying. It is a quick read with lots of adventure and online options for more fun. 6th grade and up.
August 8, 2025
oh i genuinely love this series so much
i read it years ago but i always love to revisit it, the characters and worldbuilding are genuinely so compelling, i think it really holds up to a reread, even though im older.
specifically on this first book, not the series, all the characters were introduced well, and each character's chapters had distinct voices which makes it easy to follow. and just the wordlbuilding- the detail in the environment's descriptions is so compelling, and it really feels like a fleshed out environment with it's own food web and dynamics.
the dreadful duck of doom is my roman empire i genuinely think about it far too often
i read it years ago but i always love to revisit it, the characters and worldbuilding are genuinely so compelling, i think it really holds up to a reread, even though im older.
specifically on this first book, not the series, all the characters were introduced well, and each character's chapters had distinct voices which makes it easy to follow. and just the wordlbuilding- the detail in the environment's descriptions is so compelling, and it really feels like a fleshed out environment with it's own food web and dynamics.
the dreadful duck of doom is my roman empire i genuinely think about it far too often
August 6, 2017
The first in a series of books written by multiple authors (much like the Infinity Ring and 39 Clues), this is a quick, action-packed read for middle grade readers. There's not a lot of character development or depth of emotion, but there are lots of interesting twists and turns that will keep readers engaged. There's a possible sci-fi element twisted into the adventure, which I think gives the story a little added appeal.
November 30, 2019
I didn't really enjoy this book because the plot was unclear and it left many potholes in my opinion. This book is about a robotics team flying over seas to compete in a robot fight tournament, and on their way there, their plane crashed. The group of teens studied and read about the plane as the characters where explaining their backstories. The lack of information and detail in the writing is frustrating and it make it hard to enjoy or understand. But, I did like the character dynamics and the specific traits about them, they where somewhat relatable. All in all I recommend this book to anybody that likes simple and interesting stories.
April 24, 2017
Horizon was a fast read that hooked my attention immediately. Each chapter of the story is told from the perspective of the different characters and was easy to follow despite the back and forth narrative. I realized with about 1/4 of the book left that there was going to be little resolution and the book would end with a cliffhanger and lots of unanswered questions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series but am sorry I have to wait for it!
September 21, 2018
This book was very interesting with this mysterious "thing" if you will. That took all the passengers and the cold hand, and the weird electricity. Also, one more thing that I enjoyed about this book is the many different characters the author uses in this book. Since they all sort of had a different background.
July 27, 2020
I have always been a big fan of Scott Westerfeld's books, and when I heard he was writing a middle grade series alongside other authors, I knew I had to pick it up! As a woman in her 20's, and as this book is clearly not targeting my age group, I still found myself in love with the story and the characters! They all had such a great life to them, each with their own backstory weaved into the pages. I also really enjoyed the changing perspectives that happened throughout the chapters, as it gave each character their own voice. There is a great mystery plaguing these kids, and with the added suspense and twists, this was nothing short of a fun read! It definitely gives off "Lost" vibes in such a nostalgic and fun way, that I will definitely be keeping up with the series!
November 3, 2017
It's a great MG novel. It is fast paced and an easy read. I had to know what happened! It is the first in a 7 book series.
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