Slightly Off the Mark: book review: The Exo Project, by Andrew DeYoung

The Earth is dying. Isn't it always, in today's YA dystopian novels?

The government has hatched a Hail Mary plan: They'll send small teams to various planets, to investigate whether those worlds can be used to resettle the human race. 17-year-old Matthew, in return for money to save his sick mother, agrees to join one of those teams for the Exo Project. It's pretty much a death sentence, since most will awaken a century later to planets that can't support life.

But Mathew's team gets lucky: They land on a world with a breathable atmosphere and life. Oh, and intelligent alien beings who are less than eager to find their home invaded. At least, not all of them are.

https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Project-Andrew-DeYoung/dp/1629796107

Kiva is the young girl who's just been picked to lead the matriarchal society of her people. She also has dreams, and she's seen Mathew's ship coming. While she tries to investigate the newcomers and keep peace between them, others on both side are determined to sabotage her efforts. It doesn't help that Kiva, as leader, cannot marry or have any romantic relationship, and you can just guess how that will go.

But while romantic complications might be inevitable in this YA science fiction, there are plenty of surprises to come in Andrew DeYoung's fast-paced exploration of culture clash. It turns out there are dark secrets behind both The Exo Project and Kiva's people, secrets threatening to destroy everything.

Certainly there are echos of Earth history in The Echo Project, but Andrew DeYoung mixes it up pretty well, giving us a rich culture on the alien planet as well as well-rounded characters on both sides. It's a fun read, and I'd recommend trying both this book and anything else Andrew DeYoung has written.