Salvage by Alexandra Duncan Review

 Title: Salvage 

Author: Alexandra Duncan 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Science Fiction 

Series: Salvage, book one 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I bought this book and reviewed it. 

I asked my husband to pick out a book for me, and this was one of the first ones he chose for me. It’s been sitting on my shelf for a while now, and to be honest, I’m really, really glad I read it! Science fiction is one of my very favorite genres, because there are just so many things you can do with it. This is the first book I’ve read by Duncan, and I can promise that it will not be my last. I loved this book; it was so unique, heartfelt, and empowering. This is science fiction at its best, with a decidedly feminist twist, and it was awesome! Clocking in at just a little over five hundred pages, this book was a bit of a doorstopper, and I loved every tense moment of it! Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year! 

Parastrata Ava knows her place on her ship: She is the so girl, almost of marrying age, and next in line to become a wife and mother. But when she makes an irreversible mistake in her ship’s lemon grove, she finds herself Earthside for the first time in her life. Forced to find her only living relative on Earth, she realizes that her life aboard her ship was a lie. Forced to confront everything she thought was true, she makes friends with a space captain, Perpetue, and her young daughter, Miyole. Ava realizes that she must either choose to live in the past, or move forward as a new woman on a planet ravaged by climate change, even if it costs her everything... 

I absolutely adored this novel! I was immediately drawn into Ava’s tight-knit, conservative world aboard her ship. Her voice was totally captivating; I was utterly hypnotized by this book. The pacing was breakneck; I felt myself holding my breath throughout. But my favorite part of this book was Ava and her rich, real character development. The worldbuilding was fantastic; I also adored the characters, especially Luck, Miyole, Perpetue, Rushil, and Soraya. Space was vivid, star-studded, dark and frightening, all at once. I also waited with bated breath to see if Ava would reunite with her family members in space. And that ending! It was absolutely perfect, providing closure and at the same time, setting up for the next book. This book might be one of my favorites I’ve read this year; science fiction doesn’t get more unique than this! The bottom line: Wholly unique, feminist, and satisfying, I loved Salvage! Next on deck: The Library of Legends by Janie Chang!