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Rieden Reece #1
Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon
He’s the only one who can fix the splintered sphere in the sky. But first he’ll have to defeat his own insecurities…
Rieden Reece feels angry all the time. Dealing with a typical thirteen-year-old life is bad enough, but the troubled boy navigates school bullies, a divorced mom he needs to protect, and an absent dad. But when one night his bedroom shakes violently, he peers out his window and watches in stunned disbelief as the moon up above breaks apart.
Alarmed when a shadowy figure climbs out of the cracked orb, Rieden is shocked when the quirky alien reveals he’s been sent from the future to help him find something mission-critical. And now thrust into an epic battle against immense evil powers, unstoppable enemies, and scary black hole faces, the determined teen fears all worlds are on the brink of collapse.
Can one average youth save an entire universe from a countdown to catastrophe?
Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon is the thrilling first book in the Rieden Reece middle grade science fiction series. If you or your child like captivating characters, exhilarating flights of fantasy, and finely crafted suspense, then you’ll love Matt Guzman’s action-packed adventure.
Buy Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon to stitch the galaxy back together today!
Rieden Reece feels angry all the time. Dealing with a typical thirteen-year-old life is bad enough, but the troubled boy navigates school bullies, a divorced mom he needs to protect, and an absent dad. But when one night his bedroom shakes violently, he peers out his window and watches in stunned disbelief as the moon up above breaks apart.
Alarmed when a shadowy figure climbs out of the cracked orb, Rieden is shocked when the quirky alien reveals he’s been sent from the future to help him find something mission-critical. And now thrust into an epic battle against immense evil powers, unstoppable enemies, and scary black hole faces, the determined teen fears all worlds are on the brink of collapse.
Can one average youth save an entire universe from a countdown to catastrophe?
Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon is the thrilling first book in the Rieden Reece middle grade science fiction series. If you or your child like captivating characters, exhilarating flights of fantasy, and finely crafted suspense, then you’ll love Matt Guzman’s action-packed adventure.
Buy Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon to stitch the galaxy back together today!
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 3, 2023
1 person is currently reading
3220 people want to read
About the author
Matt Guzman
7 books11 followersMatt Guzman is somewhat spoiled. The residents of beautiful San Diego, CA allow him to live there, and they barely complain about it. After managing restaurants for twenty years, he made a drastic decision. Quit. And use everything he learned the hard way about leadership and communication to help children. He’s obsessed with emotional health and storytelling. Combining these two passions, Matt crafts sci-fi stories for his twelve-year-old self—still hiding inside his adult brain. He once won an honorable mention from the Writers of the Future Contest. That went straight to his head and now there’s no stopping him.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 13, 2024
CW// mentions of divorce, bullying, ableism
Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon started off really strong. It jumped right into the action and I was really impressed with Matt Guzman’s quirky style of writing.
But then everything started to go downhill with the world-building. This book is like Alice in Wonderland in the sense that you don’t know what will happen next because each event in the story is random and mostly unconnected to other events. Furthermore, nothing is ever explained in this book and that’s what annoyed me the most. I was so utterly confused while trying to figure out why things were the way that they were in this book’s universe. Why was the cotton candy cheek incident never explained? Why the black hole heads? Why leeches? I had so many questions and I hoped that by sticking with this book to the end, I’d finally get some answers. I never got those answers though and I finished this book feeling extremely frustrated.
Throughout most of this book, I felt like Rieden showed signs that he was neurodivergent, so it surprised me when a character who was labeled as autistic was introduced and Rieden was ableist toward him. He constantly talked negatively about Brian, he only ever talked to Brian when he needed something out of him, and he doubted Brian’s diagnosis. This is all extra surprising considering the fact that Rieden attending therapy was mentioned a lot throughout the book. I thought that an author who was attuned to mental health topics wouldn’t make the main character ableist, but I guess not.
If you’re into Alice in Wonderland type stories with random and unexplained world-building, then this might a book that you would like. However, if you’re like me and you don’t fancy those types of stories, then definitely skip Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon started off really strong. It jumped right into the action and I was really impressed with Matt Guzman’s quirky style of writing.
But then everything started to go downhill with the world-building. This book is like Alice in Wonderland in the sense that you don’t know what will happen next because each event in the story is random and mostly unconnected to other events. Furthermore, nothing is ever explained in this book and that’s what annoyed me the most. I was so utterly confused while trying to figure out why things were the way that they were in this book’s universe. Why was the cotton candy cheek incident never explained? Why the black hole heads? Why leeches? I had so many questions and I hoped that by sticking with this book to the end, I’d finally get some answers. I never got those answers though and I finished this book feeling extremely frustrated.
Throughout most of this book, I felt like Rieden showed signs that he was neurodivergent, so it surprised me when a character who was labeled as autistic was introduced and Rieden was ableist toward him. He constantly talked negatively about Brian, he only ever talked to Brian when he needed something out of him, and he doubted Brian’s diagnosis. This is all extra surprising considering the fact that Rieden attending therapy was mentioned a lot throughout the book. I thought that an author who was attuned to mental health topics wouldn’t make the main character ableist, but I guess not.
If you’re into Alice in Wonderland type stories with random and unexplained world-building, then this might a book that you would like. However, if you’re like me and you don’t fancy those types of stories, then definitely skip Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2023
My ten year old son read this book in just about 24 hours. He really enjoyed it ndnis looki g forward to the next one. When I asked him what his favorite part was, he told me it was on page 1-242, which is the whole book. Haha.
November 4, 2024
“We’ve got a planet to save, a sister to find, and librarians to kill!” It’s all in a day’s work in this delightful sci fi/fantasy read.
Thirteen year-old Rieden “Ri” has a gift. He can predict the future. But when a giant hand suddenly emerges from a crack in the moon, that ability is put to the test in this fast-moving, mind-bending romp into a weird world of dastardly villains, dashing heroes, and other discoveries.
After a harrowing trip to the library, Ri discovers that the crack in the world is spreading fast. Ri and his “side kick,” a shadow man named Rozul, soon discover that their adventure has become far more dangerous than expected. Questions also begin to pile up. Among them: Did Rozul really break Ri’s universe “in ways that defied logic”? How do you search for lost memories? Where do you start? How about library books that spin and shuffle with words that are “sparkle and vibrate”? Why are “fake” humans hiding secrets? How can the moon be fixed? Has Ri “sleep-slipped” into an alternate reality? Can he eat his memories before they’re gone forever ? Or is something else going on?
The taut plot traces a rising line of tension and intrigue as we follow Ri and Rozul in and out of one hair-raising adventure after another. There’s looking for something. Something that was lost. Something that requires friendship and love to recover. Can they find the "something" before it's too late?
This is a finely craftly, highly readable action and adventure story with a generous dose of sci fi. You never know what will happen next - except it will be unexpected. And probably make you jump. And wonder why Ri’s entire neighborhood has suddenly gone silent. Or why the heads of his adult neighbors and his mom have suddenly turned into “a black ball universe instead of a human head.”
Told in the third person, the narration is dynamic, with each chapter flowing smoothly into the next in a cascading waterfall of pooled drama and excitement.
An agile and active plot includes a hefty dose of sass and spunk along with a bit of levity. (“She’s dead. She’s gone. She’s ancient history channel.”) Ditto clever word play. The alliterative chapter headings are a hoot. Also featured are deliciously maleficent villains, both human and not-so-human. (Warning: You may never look at a librarian, a straw hat, or chocolate quite the same after reading this book!)
This book will keep readers guessing and turning pages all the way to the end. And talk about a surprise ending. I did not see that one coming!
“Broken moons. Lost memories. Muddled powers. …Whatcha gonna do?” If you enjoy Chris van Allsburg, Rod Serling, Lewis Carroll, J.D. Salinger, the movie Arrival, or all of the above, you’ll enjoy Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon. It’s a luminous read and a feast for the imagination! Recommended for Young Adult readers and up.
Thirteen year-old Rieden “Ri” has a gift. He can predict the future. But when a giant hand suddenly emerges from a crack in the moon, that ability is put to the test in this fast-moving, mind-bending romp into a weird world of dastardly villains, dashing heroes, and other discoveries.
After a harrowing trip to the library, Ri discovers that the crack in the world is spreading fast. Ri and his “side kick,” a shadow man named Rozul, soon discover that their adventure has become far more dangerous than expected. Questions also begin to pile up. Among them: Did Rozul really break Ri’s universe “in ways that defied logic”? How do you search for lost memories? Where do you start? How about library books that spin and shuffle with words that are “sparkle and vibrate”? Why are “fake” humans hiding secrets? How can the moon be fixed? Has Ri “sleep-slipped” into an alternate reality? Can he eat his memories before they’re gone forever ? Or is something else going on?
The taut plot traces a rising line of tension and intrigue as we follow Ri and Rozul in and out of one hair-raising adventure after another. There’s looking for something. Something that was lost. Something that requires friendship and love to recover. Can they find the "something" before it's too late?
This is a finely craftly, highly readable action and adventure story with a generous dose of sci fi. You never know what will happen next - except it will be unexpected. And probably make you jump. And wonder why Ri’s entire neighborhood has suddenly gone silent. Or why the heads of his adult neighbors and his mom have suddenly turned into “a black ball universe instead of a human head.”
Told in the third person, the narration is dynamic, with each chapter flowing smoothly into the next in a cascading waterfall of pooled drama and excitement.
An agile and active plot includes a hefty dose of sass and spunk along with a bit of levity. (“She’s dead. She’s gone. She’s ancient history channel.”) Ditto clever word play. The alliterative chapter headings are a hoot. Also featured are deliciously maleficent villains, both human and not-so-human. (Warning: You may never look at a librarian, a straw hat, or chocolate quite the same after reading this book!)
This book will keep readers guessing and turning pages all the way to the end. And talk about a surprise ending. I did not see that one coming!
“Broken moons. Lost memories. Muddled powers. …Whatcha gonna do?” If you enjoy Chris van Allsburg, Rod Serling, Lewis Carroll, J.D. Salinger, the movie Arrival, or all of the above, you’ll enjoy Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon. It’s a luminous read and a feast for the imagination! Recommended for Young Adult readers and up.
September 16, 2023
This was a middle school book that I thought was fantasy adventure, but I think I would categorize it as science fiction as we get into the realm of parallel worlds/universes? There is a lot of running from the bad guys in this one, and there were more than a few moments when I was wondering if this was all in Rieden's head. In fact, after finishing the story, I'm still left wondering, and I think that's part of the author's intent. There is definitely an element of mystery/supernatural/otherworldly as well as signs of mental illness. But they don't have to be mutually exclusive and I think that's part of the fun.
I think middle school students would probably enjoy this, as it is very imaginative, and often weird, which for that age group can be a good thing. While some of it is repetitive (they're always running from something), it's fast-paced enough that many kids who are into the genre could read in a couple of days.
I didn't realize until I finished this story that this is part of a series, but this book does end satisfyingly enough so that you're not left completely hanging. Yes, he makes a discovery at the end that makes you realize what the next adventure will probably involve, but this story is self-contained enough for you to feel satisfied and yet want more. It looks like there may end up being 7 books in the series, and I plan on checking them out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I think middle school students would probably enjoy this, as it is very imaginative, and often weird, which for that age group can be a good thing. While some of it is repetitive (they're always running from something), it's fast-paced enough that many kids who are into the genre could read in a couple of days.
I didn't realize until I finished this story that this is part of a series, but this book does end satisfyingly enough so that you're not left completely hanging. Yes, he makes a discovery at the end that makes you realize what the next adventure will probably involve, but this story is self-contained enough for you to feel satisfied and yet want more. It looks like there may end up being 7 books in the series, and I plan on checking them out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 22, 2023
Rieden Reece is hiding something. After all, everybody has secrets and all kids keep secrets from their parents. But what if your secret were so big, so terrible, and so impossible, no one would believe you anyway? But this is no ordinary secret. Resident Reece’s secret is big, it’s terrible, and so impossible that no one would believe him anyway?
To the outside observer, Ri may seems a fairly average kid. He’s a bit troubled due to dealing with a broken home and coping with his own personal pile of problems. Ri is confident and snarky but this is a lot for a thirteen-year-old to handle.
Well, the night the moon cracks his life changes forever.
When the moon breaks, it starts a chain of events leading him on the greatest adventure of his life. Accompanying him is the shadowy figure from another universe whom Ri calls the Shadow Man. Together they fight the evil powers beyond Ri’s understanding. Does Ri have the strength, bravery, and stamina to carry on? Ri is tasked with the impossible and yes an imperative job to stitch the moon back together before the universe completely unravels?
And alongside this endeavor, he tries to figure out how to reverse what is happening to his helpless mom.
“We’ve got a planet to save, a sister to find and librarians to kill!”
What you incredulously inquire? Read, read read…
Matt Guzman has created the first in the Rieden Reece series. This is a sci fi fantasy read that fans of Riorden will devour.
To the outside observer, Ri may seems a fairly average kid. He’s a bit troubled due to dealing with a broken home and coping with his own personal pile of problems. Ri is confident and snarky but this is a lot for a thirteen-year-old to handle.
Well, the night the moon cracks his life changes forever.
When the moon breaks, it starts a chain of events leading him on the greatest adventure of his life. Accompanying him is the shadowy figure from another universe whom Ri calls the Shadow Man. Together they fight the evil powers beyond Ri’s understanding. Does Ri have the strength, bravery, and stamina to carry on? Ri is tasked with the impossible and yes an imperative job to stitch the moon back together before the universe completely unravels?
And alongside this endeavor, he tries to figure out how to reverse what is happening to his helpless mom.
“We’ve got a planet to save, a sister to find and librarians to kill!”
What you incredulously inquire? Read, read read…
Matt Guzman has created the first in the Rieden Reece series. This is a sci fi fantasy read that fans of Riorden will devour.
January 13, 2023
Rieden Reese, a 13-year-old genius, wakes up one night in a broken universe: a strange-looking shadow man called Rozul shatters the moon; his mom, and every other adult, have black orbs instead of heads. And he is being chased by multiple un-earthy creatures that remind me of monsters from Percy Jackson or the Terminator. He learns that the mysterious shadow man is there to help him restore his universe. And to do that, they have to retrieve their lost memories. They set out on a fast-paced adventure with many obstacles, and time is ticking.
I was so confused throughout most of this book. Was this all real or just in Rieden's imagination? Did (almost) every chapter have to end with: "Run for your life!"? I didn't know if I enjoyed this book or if it was too much. But then I neared the end, and everything fell into place. Suddenly, everything made sense, and I had to pause and contemplate my emotions around everything.
And that made me think of something Rozul had said: "Observing commonplace things from an unfamiliar perspective can jar belief systems. If you spend your whole life attached to one way of seeing, life is dull and boring. You only experience existence through your perspective. The perspective you choose, can flavour your views, and enhance your hues."
So I excepted that this adventure, seen from different perspectives, delivered a whole plate of flavoured views and enhanced hues. I can't wait to taste the next chapter in this multi-verse.
I was so confused throughout most of this book. Was this all real or just in Rieden's imagination? Did (almost) every chapter have to end with: "Run for your life!"? I didn't know if I enjoyed this book or if it was too much. But then I neared the end, and everything fell into place. Suddenly, everything made sense, and I had to pause and contemplate my emotions around everything.
And that made me think of something Rozul had said: "Observing commonplace things from an unfamiliar perspective can jar belief systems. If you spend your whole life attached to one way of seeing, life is dull and boring. You only experience existence through your perspective. The perspective you choose, can flavour your views, and enhance your hues."
So I excepted that this adventure, seen from different perspectives, delivered a whole plate of flavoured views and enhanced hues. I can't wait to taste the next chapter in this multi-verse.
January 16, 2023
I’m happy to finally have finished the first published book of author Matthew Guzman! I don’t often read science fiction novels, so I was apprehensive about this story. The story is written for a younger audience and is action packed. The main character is constantly running from someone or something, and this book was a bit tedious for me to get through for that reason. Everything seems to wrap up nicely as you reach the end, and is reminiscent of the movie, A Beautiful Mind. However, at the very end you’re left to wonder if the following book will contain a lot more running away from everything? I think a younger audience would love this book because of the fun scenes in outer space and all the exploits of young Rieden. As an adult, it was a little slow for me, but I did like the relationship between Rieden and his mother. My favorite character was a bad guy named Belez; I liked his witty commentary. Definitely a book written for youths, but is worth a read for adults that like clean, action packed stories.
Well done, Matt!
Well done, Matt!
February 5, 2023
Great read!!
This is a riveting and well written story- with a huge plot twist- that leaves the reader anxious for more!
This is a riveting and well written story- with a huge plot twist- that leaves the reader anxious for more!
October 15, 2023
This is an incredibly, fast read. Whimsical, with wild flights of fantasy, an engaging protagonist … an ideal book for young people to enjoy. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2023
Writing:
The writing is quite easy to understand and not really complex, since this is for younger readers.
Pace:
This didn't feel rushed, you figure out what is going on alongside them. Since this is a series I feel like the conclusion was well done.
Characters:
Rieden
He is a 13 year old boy who is trying to fix the moon and bring everything back to normal. Though at times he can be irritating, too cocky and makes dumb decisions out of anger, it is quite a well representation of how 13 year olds can be and me being an older reader makes me want to sit him down and have a talk with him hahaha. He does have a softer spot to him hidden in there especially when it comes to his mother and Rozul. He is also a major banter talker but honestly it makes for interesting reactions and at times gets him in trouble but again he is a 13 year old boy and I truly believe he is a much more interesting (and realistic) character compared to a goody two shoes boy.
Rozul
He is an alien that is basically the side kick of Ri. He can be quite clueless at times but also very smart. I do love how his way of talking changes, sometimes he is using slang like Ri does and sometimes he talks like an adult, honestly I like to believe he has learned that slang and "relaxed" way of talking from hanging around Ri all the time. He can act like a child and an adult, which is honestly very interesting and odd but I love it.
Liked:
I absolutely love Rozul, he can be quite childish or like an older brother to Ri, who can be rude and have his emotions get the best of him, and I absolutely love that because they are such a good duo. I love how interesting and engaging this book is.
Disliked:
There wasn't anything that I greatly disliked, except Rieden's attitude but that seems like a typical 13 year old hahaha
Favorite Quotes:
"Ah. Yes. The memories."
"It doesn't hurt?"
"Well some do. Such are the nature of memories."
"Do what you do best: use your number one superpower. Engage her in pointless banter."
'...No matter how much they fought, his mom meant everything to him. He couldn't imagine a world without her in it.'
'Now he craved sleep, and the sheep disobeyed. And his mind replayed his argument with his mom. A skipping record. Same argument, same reaction, on repeat.'
Overall Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book because it was an easy read and such a fun book. Typically I am not big into sci-fi books but this one was really great, this is a great starting point to get younger readers into sci-fi. This was engaging and interesting, at times it made me laugh. At the end it was confusing but it was confusing in a interesting way and to be honest I did like that confusing cliffhanger because I am definitely looking forward to the future books in the series.
Recommendation:
This is a must for teachers to add to their classrooms for middle schoolers and elementary students (and parents who want to gift their children books). Even though I am not in that demographic, I still enjoyed it greatly because it was still engaging and such a fun read for me, so I can only imagine that this will be great for younger readers.
— Thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for a review. —
The writing is quite easy to understand and not really complex, since this is for younger readers.
Pace:
This didn't feel rushed, you figure out what is going on alongside them. Since this is a series I feel like the conclusion was well done.
Characters:
Rieden
He is a 13 year old boy who is trying to fix the moon and bring everything back to normal. Though at times he can be irritating, too cocky and makes dumb decisions out of anger, it is quite a well representation of how 13 year olds can be and me being an older reader makes me want to sit him down and have a talk with him hahaha. He does have a softer spot to him hidden in there especially when it comes to his mother and Rozul. He is also a major banter talker but honestly it makes for interesting reactions and at times gets him in trouble but again he is a 13 year old boy and I truly believe he is a much more interesting (and realistic) character compared to a goody two shoes boy.
Rozul
He is an alien that is basically the side kick of Ri. He can be quite clueless at times but also very smart. I do love how his way of talking changes, sometimes he is using slang like Ri does and sometimes he talks like an adult, honestly I like to believe he has learned that slang and "relaxed" way of talking from hanging around Ri all the time. He can act like a child and an adult, which is honestly very interesting and odd but I love it.
Liked:
I absolutely love Rozul, he can be quite childish or like an older brother to Ri, who can be rude and have his emotions get the best of him, and I absolutely love that because they are such a good duo. I love how interesting and engaging this book is.
Disliked:
There wasn't anything that I greatly disliked, except Rieden's attitude but that seems like a typical 13 year old hahaha
Favorite Quotes:
"Ah. Yes. The memories."
"It doesn't hurt?"
"Well some do. Such are the nature of memories."
"Do what you do best: use your number one superpower. Engage her in pointless banter."
'...No matter how much they fought, his mom meant everything to him. He couldn't imagine a world without her in it.'
'Now he craved sleep, and the sheep disobeyed. And his mind replayed his argument with his mom. A skipping record. Same argument, same reaction, on repeat.'
Overall Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book because it was an easy read and such a fun book. Typically I am not big into sci-fi books but this one was really great, this is a great starting point to get younger readers into sci-fi. This was engaging and interesting, at times it made me laugh. At the end it was confusing but it was confusing in a interesting way and to be honest I did like that confusing cliffhanger because I am definitely looking forward to the future books in the series.
Recommendation:
This is a must for teachers to add to their classrooms for middle schoolers and elementary students (and parents who want to gift their children books). Even though I am not in that demographic, I still enjoyed it greatly because it was still engaging and such a fun read for me, so I can only imagine that this will be great for younger readers.
— Thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for a review. —
July 17, 2023
What worked:
This book requires readers to think. Rieden is super-smart and he believes his intelligence allows him to predict the future. It doesn’t explain how he fails to foresee the moon splitting and an alien named Rozul climbing through his bedroom window. There’s a problem between the two characters as Rozul says the English language limits humans’ abilities to express what they actually mean. Ri is told he must find something he’s lost but he has no idea what that might be. Rozul isn’t much help and his misunderstanding of Rieden’s questions and figurative language doesn’t make things better. Their interactions frequently include elements of humor. Rozul has apparently come from Ri’s future and Quantum physics is involved. Some complicated dialogue ensues so readers will need to use their brains to understand what’s happening just like Rieden.
The characters are very peculiar and add to readers’ curiosities. When the moon splits, the heads of all adults are replaced by dark orbs that appear to contain black holes. This even affects Rieden’s mom so he’s determined to save her from this fate. His teachers and a bartender communicate by pointing and the librarian turns out to be a GI, a Guardian Inspector. A silver secret agent toting a laser cannon pursues Ri and Rozul and readers will never know when it might show up. Rieden begins to have memories of an unknown boy who’s making shady deals with a giant rat named Belez. This name concerns Rozul but readers won’t learn why until later.
Rieden is a complicated character. You know how most books have an endearing main character who is kind and compassionate so you just have to root for them? That isn’t Rieden. He knows how smart he is and doesn’t have patience for stupid people. Even though Rozul has come to this dimension to help, Rieden has little tolerance for uncertainty or mistakes and constantly insults the “amnesic clown”. However, despite his attitude, Ri wants to rescue his mom, repair the moon, and save all of the humans on Earth. He displays bravery in life-threatening situations so I guess you need to cut him a little slack. You still need to applaud the guy for doing his best to save the world and he eventually transforms to become a bit “warmer”.
What didn’t work as well:
We know Rieden is trying to recover his memories and save the moon but it’s not clear exactly what he needs to do. He’s helping Rozul save his sister and the thought is the siblings will be able to combine their powers to save the day. The only problem is they have no idea where the sister is being held captive.
The Final Verdict:
I have mixed thoughts about this book. The first half is a little hard to follow as the characters try to figure out where they need to go and what they need to do. The second half events bring some clarity and the author saves a huge surprise for the end. Overall, this book may not appeal to everyone but I still recommend you give it a shot and find out for yourself.
This book requires readers to think. Rieden is super-smart and he believes his intelligence allows him to predict the future. It doesn’t explain how he fails to foresee the moon splitting and an alien named Rozul climbing through his bedroom window. There’s a problem between the two characters as Rozul says the English language limits humans’ abilities to express what they actually mean. Ri is told he must find something he’s lost but he has no idea what that might be. Rozul isn’t much help and his misunderstanding of Rieden’s questions and figurative language doesn’t make things better. Their interactions frequently include elements of humor. Rozul has apparently come from Ri’s future and Quantum physics is involved. Some complicated dialogue ensues so readers will need to use their brains to understand what’s happening just like Rieden.
The characters are very peculiar and add to readers’ curiosities. When the moon splits, the heads of all adults are replaced by dark orbs that appear to contain black holes. This even affects Rieden’s mom so he’s determined to save her from this fate. His teachers and a bartender communicate by pointing and the librarian turns out to be a GI, a Guardian Inspector. A silver secret agent toting a laser cannon pursues Ri and Rozul and readers will never know when it might show up. Rieden begins to have memories of an unknown boy who’s making shady deals with a giant rat named Belez. This name concerns Rozul but readers won’t learn why until later.
Rieden is a complicated character. You know how most books have an endearing main character who is kind and compassionate so you just have to root for them? That isn’t Rieden. He knows how smart he is and doesn’t have patience for stupid people. Even though Rozul has come to this dimension to help, Rieden has little tolerance for uncertainty or mistakes and constantly insults the “amnesic clown”. However, despite his attitude, Ri wants to rescue his mom, repair the moon, and save all of the humans on Earth. He displays bravery in life-threatening situations so I guess you need to cut him a little slack. You still need to applaud the guy for doing his best to save the world and he eventually transforms to become a bit “warmer”.
What didn’t work as well:
We know Rieden is trying to recover his memories and save the moon but it’s not clear exactly what he needs to do. He’s helping Rozul save his sister and the thought is the siblings will be able to combine their powers to save the day. The only problem is they have no idea where the sister is being held captive.
The Final Verdict:
I have mixed thoughts about this book. The first half is a little hard to follow as the characters try to figure out where they need to go and what they need to do. The second half events bring some clarity and the author saves a huge surprise for the end. Overall, this book may not appeal to everyone but I still recommend you give it a shot and find out for yourself.
July 27, 2023
I read many different genres to include young adult. However, I do think this book is meant for younger audiences (5-8 grades?) and therefore not really something for me. I think children and their families would enjoy this book, along with families of children with mental health and/or PTSD type issues. The story was fast paced, and almost non-sensical until the last 5%. At that point, I had an aha moment. The writing is fine, the inner-voice of Rieden is well done, and the story wrapped up well. While more books follow, I don't classify this as a cliff-hanger.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 25, 2025
I won this book in a good reads giveaway.
The story has a lot of potential but could use some help with editing. The beginning feels like it was wrote by someone in grade school and made it hard to focus on the story. I was worried it was just because I am an adult reading a children’s book so I suggested my 13 year old nephew read it too, but after the loophole I don’t think it’s appropriate.
The story has a lot of potential but could use some help with editing. The beginning feels like it was wrote by someone in grade school and made it hard to focus on the story. I was worried it was just because I am an adult reading a children’s book so I suggested my 13 year old nephew read it too, but after the loophole I don’t think it’s appropriate.
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