27 Hours by Tristina Wright – a Review
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Description:
Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish.
But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them.
Nyx Llorca keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with her best friend, Dahlia. Braeden Tennant wants two things: to get out from his mother’s shadow, and to unlearn his colony’s darkest secret.
To save everyone they love, they’ll both have to commit treason.
During one twenty-seven-hour night, these four runaways must stop the war between the colonies and the monsters from becoming a war of extinction, or the things they fear most will be all that’s left.
Review:
27 Hours is the first book in the Nightside Saga by Tristina Wright
This YA book has one of the most complex and diverse set of characters that I have ever had the privilege of reading. 27 Hours tells the story of teens who were raised and brainwashed to believe that the indigenous species (gargoyles) that occupies their colony on a moon in space called Sahara are bad. The story begins with Rumor Mora who lives in HUB2 with his father being attacked by gargoyles. While overcome by gargoyles and dragons his father tells him to escape and warn Epsilon the nearest colony. Leaving his father was one of the hardest things he has ever done but he knows it is what he needs to do.
As we walk through the continuing story we meet several of the teen protagonists. Rumor Mora who we find out is bisexual, arrives in Epsilon and gets acquainted with an old ex-girlfriend, Dahlia. Dahlia Adams, who’s mom is chief medical officer at Epsilon is bisexual and trans. We then meet Nyx Llorca, who is deaf, pansexual has two secrets – the moon speaks to her and she is in love with her best friend Dahlia, yet she is afraid to tell her how she feels. Jude Welton, a forest-rebel is gay and he can see people’s emotions and intentions as colors surrounding them. Braeden Tennant, the colony commanders son is asexual and by far one of my favorite characters.
The plot slowly unfolds and there ensues a war between humans colonizing Sahara and its indigenous beings known as the chimera (gargoyles). The story develops deeper as the protagonists begin to learn that the chimera are people after all thanks to Jude, a forest rebel who dwells among the chimera. The characters are all on the LGBT spectrum hence making this one of the most if not the most diverse book I have ever read. You come to find out that the chimera are clearly intelligent, sympathetic beings and not the savages that the humans have been led to believe they are. While having 27 hours to save Sahara they also have time to build relationships and friendships.
27 Hours is clearly written as a story for our times. Blending the effects of racism, prejudices along with the many folds of the LGBT spectrum. I would recommend this to any young adult that loves sci-fi and is looking for a book that explores inclusion and acceptance.
Reviewed by Erin
Copy provided by publisher
