Great New YA Sci-Fi!
Since I'm an English teacher, I hear about a lot of fantastic book events and also ways to get my hands on a lot of free books. My school librarian sent me information about a new YA sci-fi book that I could partner with the publisher and get 30 free copies for my students! You can get your own copy here.
IGIST (pronounced "eye-gist") by L.S. Larson could be described as perhaps Star Wars meets Harry Potter. The novel centers on Emi, a girl from earth who suddenly loses her whole family to "the plague." When given the opportunity, she applies to attend the prestigious Inter-Galactic Institute of Science and Technology. She is competing against students from Mars and other places in space for spots. She manages to get accepted as the first "Earthling" to attend in almost 20 years. She becomes obsessed with finding a way to save earth and eliminate the threat of "the plague" all while battling her school work and competing with other students!
This book is ingeniously paired with the IGIST Experience, an app that allows students to interact with the book on a digital level. They can view illustrations, use "snapchat" like filters on themselves, and learn more about the IGIST universe. I haven't personally used it but some of my students are really excited about it. You can learn more here.
Since I was granted the amazing opportunity of receiving 30 free copies, I kept one for our classroom library and then did a raffle of all the students who were interested in reading it after I showed them a short video about it. I had a lot of interest but I think that most of my students who wanted a copy received one. Those who didn't will have access in my classroom library.
Personally, I really enjoyed the book. I think it is a little more a niche book than I originally thought. It is well-written and very fascinating but I don't think it is as high interest for those of my students who aren't big readers. However, it is the perfect book for my 7th graders who love science and space because there is a lot of detail and plot based on scientific discovery. I don't think I've had any students complete the whole book yet but those who are in the middle of it, really seem to like it!
Emi is a great heroine. She is a very independent character with a lot of ability. I think she could be a great role model for girls who are into STEM careers since that isn't something you find in a lot of books. She doesn't rely on her friends as side characters as much as Harry Potter does with Hermione and Ron so she is more of a loner.
I do have to say that there are a couple of side plots like that of "the Misfits" that seem to complicate the story a little bit. The misfits could be equated to LGBTQ groups on earth. They are sometimes rejected by other earthlings and undergo surgeries so that their outward appearances match how they feel inside. They typically become animal-like. The main misfit we see is named Jack (she later calls herself Jilli) and she is transformed into a tigress/human hybrid.
While this side plot is very interesting and does help to further the plot in some areas, in others it seems a little distracting and leaves a lot of unanswered questions--some things that I hope might be resolved in a sequel.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author!
This book is ingeniously paired with the IGIST Experience, an app that allows students to interact with the book on a digital level. They can view illustrations, use "snapchat" like filters on themselves, and learn more about the IGIST universe. I haven't personally used it but some of my students are really excited about it. You can learn more here.
Since I was granted the amazing opportunity of receiving 30 free copies, I kept one for our classroom library and then did a raffle of all the students who were interested in reading it after I showed them a short video about it. I had a lot of interest but I think that most of my students who wanted a copy received one. Those who didn't will have access in my classroom library.
Personally, I really enjoyed the book. I think it is a little more a niche book than I originally thought. It is well-written and very fascinating but I don't think it is as high interest for those of my students who aren't big readers. However, it is the perfect book for my 7th graders who love science and space because there is a lot of detail and plot based on scientific discovery. I don't think I've had any students complete the whole book yet but those who are in the middle of it, really seem to like it!
Emi is a great heroine. She is a very independent character with a lot of ability. I think she could be a great role model for girls who are into STEM careers since that isn't something you find in a lot of books. She doesn't rely on her friends as side characters as much as Harry Potter does with Hermione and Ron so she is more of a loner.
I do have to say that there are a couple of side plots like that of "the Misfits" that seem to complicate the story a little bit. The misfits could be equated to LGBTQ groups on earth. They are sometimes rejected by other earthlings and undergo surgeries so that their outward appearances match how they feel inside. They typically become animal-like. The main misfit we see is named Jack (she later calls herself Jilli) and she is transformed into a tigress/human hybrid.
While this side plot is very interesting and does help to further the plot in some areas, in others it seems a little distracting and leaves a lot of unanswered questions--some things that I hope might be resolved in a sequel.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author!
Comments