Hi guys! Whenever I go to events that have made such a deep impression on me, I get a really deep yearning to go back. I miss them so much that my heart aches. I miss my HITES11 Engineering Camp, Boys’ State, All State, and many other events where I made so many great memories and lifelong friends. I’ve never thought I’d have those same exact feelings with a book, but I did! I met Monica back at the SE-YA Book Festival in March, and she was so kind to send me a signed copy of her first book, and I loved it so much. Read my review and you’ll see why I miss it so much already.
About the Book
Bounders have always known they were different, but they never suspected they were the key to saving Earth.
Jasper Adams is excited to join the Earth Force military agency as part of its first class of Bounders, a team of kids training to be elite astronauts. He can’t wait to connect with others like him and learn to pilot spaceships that can travel across the galaxy in an instant.
But when Jasper arrives at the space station, nothing is as it seems. Security is sky-high, and Jasper and his new friends soon realize that Earth Force has been keeping secrets—one of the biggest being a powerful, highly-classified technology that allows the Bounders to teleport through space without a ship. Only Bounders can use this tech, which leads Jasper to a sinister truth—humanity is facing a threat greater than any they’ve ever known, and Bounders are the ones standing between their planet and destruction.
Will Jasper and his friends rebel against Earth Force for hiding the truth or fulfill their duty and fight for their planet? The fate of Earth may rest on their choice.
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Disclaimer: I received a free signed paperback copy of this book from the author for review consideration. This will not affect my review in any way.
Earth Force Rising now has a special place in my heart; I’m already tearing up just by thinking about it. Seriously, it is one of the best sci-fi novels I have read—both this year and of all-time. From the first few pages, I was sucked into this world full of dazzling science, unique characters, government secrets, and fascinating technology. I honestly did not want this book to end… ever! Knowing that there is a book five in the works, I’m already dreading the end of the series, and I haven’t read book two yet! As Earth Force Rising celebrates neurodiversity and the differences that makes each one of us unique, it bounds readers throughout space and takes them on the adventure of a lifetime. It evokes so many memories and emotions that I feel like I’ve been bonded to the book for such a long time. I’m missing the Bounders series as if I had actually lived it out.
I have never connected so deeply with such a cast of characters until I met Jasper, Cole, Lucy, Marco, and Myra. I seriously just want to jump into this world and become their friend. (Cole is my favorite character—he’s so great that I wish he was my best guy friend in real life.) Just like many of these characters, I know it feels to be outcasted and not fit in with everybody else. Although I’m not neurodiverse, I went through similar struggles that these kids had to endure (see the next paragraph for more on this). I’ve realized so much about my friendships as a Bounder–how great it is to have at least just one true friend in real life who I can trust and how great it is to have support from many others from all around the state. Earth Force Rising took me back to events such as HITES11 and Boys’ State, events that I miss constantly since I made so many great memories and so many lifelong friends. This book brought back so many memories and emotions from these experiences. It reminded me of the times when I felt like I belonged for who I was and the times when I knew I had an entire group that had my back. (My HITES11 family and my Boys’ State city are the best.) It also made me more grateful for not only those friendships but the few ones I have at home. High school is a very rough time, especially socially. I really don’t click with most of the people at my school, and I’ve endured so many changes and challenges regarding my social life in the past few years that I’ve been hurt so many times. Earth Force Rising moved me to remember that I have three best friends who make me feel accepted, and particularly one friend who I can always trust. It also reminded me that God will guide us to meet the friends that we are meant to meet and become close with, just as Jasper found the four best friends that he needed the most. For me, I’ve made five new best friends that I can visit any time I want to when I open up this series. (I know this review is very personal right now, but Earth Force Rising struck a really really really deep chord in my heart.)
One scene that I have to particularly talk about is the scene where Jasper, Cole, and Marco were choosing their bunks. This is such a minor scene, but I related to it so much. I’ve endured it in my own life as I figured out–and am still figuring out–who are my true friends. Cole (who was Jasper’s first ever Bounder friend) wanted him and Jasper to have the front bunks, but Marco (at this point, Cole still does not trust Marco) wanted Jasper to sleep in the back bunks. Knowing that it was a true test of friendship for Cole, Jasper decided to stay with him and sleep in the front bunks. This scene right here made the whole book for me, and it is why Cole is my favorite character. For me, the small details in my fellow peers’ behavior during our interactions tell me if they truly think of me as a friend. That’s why I am just like Cole–we are both very sensitive to this and know when someone is truly treating us as a friend. I’ve had classmates who I thought of as friends treat me as if I’m invisible when they’re around closer friends. Some don’t acknowledge my existence when they are with others. Many others treat me as an “answer key” in school and only talk to me when they need something. I’ve lost many old friends from this and realized I needed to cut off certain people from my life. It hurts. It still hurts. And it hurts a lot. Yet to be able to see this same thing happen to Cole gave me comfort. It showed me that I’m not alone. That scene alone gave me strength, and it reminded me that I don’t want to do what my peers did to me. I need to treat others how I want to be treated–as a friend. This is one of the first times I have been able to relate to a character on this deep of a level. I seriously wish Cole and I were friends in real life; he and I could get along really well.
Earth Force Rising helped me further embrace the person I am. I saw myself in every single character: my talkative and extroverted personality in Lucy, my tendency to know-it-all and nerd out in Cole, my sometimes-reckless curiosity in Marco, my awkwardness and desire to do the right thing in Jasper, and my conflicted courage and timidity in Mira. I truly felt like I fitted in with everybody at the Earthbound Academy, and I miss it so much. Almost every day, I have a nostalgic yearn to jump back into Earth Force Rising. I’ve already devoured book two because I wanted to continue this journey with everybody. I’ve had the same exact emotions as I did when I left Boys’ State and HITES11–the deep desire to just want to go back. Earth Force Rising gave me the epiphany that the world doesn’t need more of everyone else; it needs one of us, one version of our unique selves to stand out and bring more color to the lives of others. It needs one of me, and it needs one of you.
I could have talked about the world-building or the plot (which both were immersive with imagination and intrigue), but almost every good sci-fi and fantasy novel has both of them. But what makes a story go from great to extraordinary is how it impacts you. The feelings for the book does not end when you finish it; it stays with you for a very long. I know I throw around that phrase a lot in my reviews, but Earth Force Rising is the first book I’ve ever constantly thought about and missed for days on end. It is what the amazing Mr. Schu calls a “forever book,” one that will stay with you for the rest of your life. After reading Earth Force Rising and The Tundra Trials, I already know that the Bounders series are my forever books! I don’t think I’m ever going to forget how much Earth Force Rising has made me feel like I am truly home.
About the Author
Monica Tesler is the author of the Bounders series, a middle grade science fiction adventure series about the first class of cadets at the EarthBound Academy for quantum space travel. The Heroes Return, the fourth title in the five book series, is due out in December. Monica lives outside of Boston with her family. For more information, you can visit her website, monicatesler.com.
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Happy Reading!
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~ Kester
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” — Mother Teresa
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