The Visionary
Young Adult; Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror; (Market)
At the beginning of February 2060, Mount Erebus erupted, the first of a chain of Antarctic volcanoes that forever changed Earth’s future. Within days, sea levels began to rise, until sixty metres of water claimed coastlines worldwide.
Twelve-year-old Xin-yi and her mother fled their home, surviving amongst a community of rice farmers. A year later, a chance conversation with international census officials prepared her for a new life.
Now fourteen, Xin-yi commences her training as a visionary. It is her task to imagine a new Earth, rising above the drowning waters. Thousands of young people strive to design a world in which the displaced millions can live, and engineer a solution that will take a millennium to populate.
But Xin-yi’s challenges are more personal: coming to terms with the loss of her brother and unexpected feelings toward a friend. She has to choose between working to benefit humanity and her internal conflict with love.
Set over three decades after the 2060 flood, The Visionary combines dystopian, future and science fiction, and introduces J.C. Gemmell’s Tion series.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 5 out of 10
Overall: 7.75 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: This story offers a creative imagining of a future where global warming has not been alleviated. The story follows the protagonist over several decades and shows how the world changes and illustrates her part in the changes and growth.
Prose/Style: The author writes in a minimalistic manner which is easy to follow, but the book would benefit from more description, detail, and explanations.
Originality: This story is an original spin on a futuristic society. It does include elements and tropes that have been seen in other sci-fi texts but presents them in a novel and intriguing manner.
Character Development/Execution: Due to the brief descriptions and little dialogue, it is difficult to see growth in the protagonist aside from her aging. The conclusion presents a small idea that she has grown from eager to succeed and be the best, to paving her own unique path.
Date Submitted: April 02, 2021