With Nataliia Pavliuk’s stunning black-and-white illustrations and an intricately woven plot, Gemja offers a rousing introduction to a promising new series. Centered on a relatable young hero who packs a sketchbook, fights off migraines, and finds strength in her family’s history of Wicca, Gemja explores human-alien relations, magic, and space travel, along with pressing concerns of growing up and finding one’s place. Secondary characters such as Resa's brother, Dakota; her best friend, Sarah, and the mysterious stranger she meets on the crimson dunes of Wandelsta form a well-developed group of teens, all combating and navigating the changes brought on by Earth’s entrance into the larger universe.
As Resa digs deeper and meets a mysterious stranger, the revelations both honor and upend reader expectations, as the fast-paced novel sweeps to a cliffhanger climax that, while leaving many mysteries unsolved, finds Resa deeply changed. Messina has crafted an edge-of-your-seat adventure that blends genre elements and commits to themes of family, acceptance, and friendship. This is the beginning of a series that features a protagonist that readers will root for.
Takeaway: This winning first-contact adventure follows a teen witch’s interstellar destiny.
Comparable Titles: Lauren James’s The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, Alechia Dow’s The Sound of Stars.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
