Easily one of my favorite books I have read so far this year.

I was blown away by this debut sci-fi novel. The concept behind the book was really clever and the idea of the DAR drew me right into the story with some strong creative visuals. The writing style fit the story well and I appreciated the thriller/mystery aspect which kept me guessing all the way through. I only wish the ending had been slightly more built out, as it left me wanting to know more! It feels like this is a stand alone novel, but a second book couldn’t hurt, Yume Kitasei *nudge nudge* The novel had some really fun details incorporated. My favorite was definitely the bird references!

A long-duration space mission with a murder mystery and multiple factions fighting is a sweet spot for me reading-wise, so "The Deep Sky" was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. The fact that it was an all-female crew made me think we would get some cool gender exploration as well, but that wasn't touched on at all in the parts I read. Honestly, it felt like a way for a woman who hates women to write about how terrible women are. No, thank you.

The first two chapters start with a bang (literally and figuratively), and I was expecting a new favorite book at that point. Unfortunately, the novel takes a swift turn with too frequent and too long flashback chapters and paragraph length chapters about cuckoos for some reason. The main character has zero emotions or personality, and the rest of the crew are flat or nonexistent in the narrative. The story got boring fast, and I had to stop at 35% because I was falling asleep.

If pregnancy or infertility are a trigger for you, don't read this book.

Wow.
Once upon a time, I used to read a lot of SF. Then I grew older, life was tougher, covid came and I have found myself reading mostly books that I can predict the ending within a few pages. Because we all know, "it will turn out okay in the end " feels safe. With Yume Kitasei's The Deep Sky, this was absolutely not the case. But unlike many stories, this one was always hopeful-- maybe the hope was buried deep, but it was always present. I am so glad to have read and experienced this story. I'm not sure what else to say -- the characters felt real, the situation seemed scarily plausible, the writing was excellent. I was almost late for work yesterday because I didn't want to put my device down... My thanks to Ms. Kitasei, her publisher and NetGalley for making this ARC available to me. I enjoyed it immensely.

This book was AMAZING! I don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending this novel to people, especially science fiction lovers. It reminded me so much of Andy Weir, especially The Martian and Project Hail Mary, how they really need to work the problem and figure out how to save themselves. I loved that so much.

Aside from the huge problems the characters need to face to stay alive, it was also a murder and sabotage mystery. A who-dun-it in space? I couldn’t get enough.

I enjoyed all the characters in this book. Ruth made me frustrated at times, but she was a great supporting character and by the end I had changed my mind about her.

The writing was excellent and I loved the dual timelines. I didn’t think I’d like the earlier parts of Asuka’s life as much as I did. I also liked that those chapters were short and it went back to the ship drama quickly.

I was pretty fascinated by the concept of DAR (which could honestly happen any day now IRL).

Overall, this is a huge 5 star read!

Mur Lafferty has released some memorable sci-fi mystery cross-genre books in recent years, and now we have Yume Kitasei’s The Deep Sky following the same cross-genre path.

I am here for this.

Maybe the cross-genre elements of books have been overlooked or downplayed in the past. Or maybe the primary genre was so dominant, any second genre elements felt like subplots or tangents, although that makes them sound superfluous. Some of the greatest works have mastered the blending of genres, but they haven’t always been labeled that way.

The Deep Sky starts with a bang and in many respects, it’s one metaphorical bomb after another. While there is plenty of action, there’s a lot of depth. Through Asuka’s memories, we learn about her family tragedy and why she applied for this mission. Her motives make her sympathetic and relatable. She’s also treated like an outsider, with many of the others on board overlooking the fact that she’s every bit equal to the rest of the crew.

And Asuka has to figure out how to investigate a crime in the ultimate closed room mystery scenario.

The author’s woven layers into this story and they serve it well. It touches on the price we’re paying by shutting off reality in favor of technological distractions. It looks at where our priorities are in terms of impending environmental disaster. It delves into how, in politics, symbolism and nationalism often take priority over practical, life-saving actions. (Although the book doesn’t use this example, think building a border wall versus paying to fix crumbling infrastructure. One gets votes from certain types of people, one saves lives and improves the daily lives of citizens.)

There’s also a lot in there about forgiveness and compassion and well-meaning people who get led astray. I was teary-eyed at the end, which is a testament to a book that kept me spellbound and delivered something entertaining and meaningful.

Thank you to Yume, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ebook ARC.

5/5 stars.

Description: Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to travel through space? Well this book may make you change your mind. We follow Asuka, who joined a program called EvenStar to be one of eighty females to travel in space to Planet X. Flipping between past and present. we see Asuka go through the program while trying to fix the problems on the spaceship. Mainly: a bomb exploded, throwing them off course, and Asuka has to find out who did it and hopefully get the ship on track. There's action, mystery, twists, and turns. If you like sci-fi even a little, I really think you'd enjoy this book.

The good (since there is only good):
- The representation is phenomenal, seamless, and as it should be in books.
- The pacing is so fast you won't even realize you're reading, you're so immersed on the ship and school settings.
- The TECHNOLOGY and descriptions are gorgeous.
- The mystery keeps you on your toes the ENTIRE way. I could only guess one of the many twists, which kept me extremely engaged.
- I feel like the ending was satisfying.

Overall: PICK THIS UP!!! I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and FlatIron Books for the eGalley of The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei

This story was so much fun to read, it really placed me within Asuka's mindset and immersed you in the world of these young women who felt so helpless stranded far away from all their supports, trying to solve so many impossible problems. It kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the very end. Would definitely recommend if you like mysteries, climate fiction, ship science fiction, and close up character studies.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting--the description had me thinking this would be more of a thriller/mystery with faster pacing. It turned out to be a more meditative read on the future of humanity with some interesting points to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

This is such a good debut! I went into this completely blind, intrigued by the discription. "The Deep Sky" really delivers on what it promises: a space thriller on a spaceship in the middle of nowhere, claustrophobic and exciting and beautifully written. There are two timelines - the present, in which someone sabotaged the spaceship our protagonist, Asuka, is on, and the past in which Asuka is chosen for this mission, trains for it and reveals her troubled history. I loved the relationships in the book, both between Asuka and her (former) best friend Ruth and between her and her mother, which is strained for many reasons.

Thy mystery at the heart of this thriller is a good one, and yes, it does remind one of 'Among Us'. I didn't guess the culprit, and while I wasn't entirely blown away by the motivations behind the sabotage, the journey there was exciting. It's the kind of thriller that is not particulkarly loud, but still constantly moves forward, making it almost unputdownable.
The mission of this spaceship crew is a really interesting one, two: The whole crew consists of women (and one trans man), tasked with finding and then populating a new home for humanity in the stars. Does the concept make a lot of sense, especially the "all the women should be pregnant during the journey instead of on the new planet" deal, but I haven't read something like this before so I enjoyed it - even though, admittedly, I did get annoyed about the constant talk about pregnancy. Most of the characters are also not very fleshed out so I didn't care too much about them. On the other hand, Iimmensely liked how augmented realities were included here, it made for some really interesting storytelling and character insights.

All in all, I really enjoyed my reading experience and can't wait to see what the author writes next.

"The Deep Sky" took me on a journey reminiscent of reading "The Maritain" for the first time. A space team facing challenges suddenly realizes they are alone and must rely on their ingenuity to solve problems. It's a gripping tale presenting a vivid picture of what our world could become.

The author skillfully portrays a future Earth teetering on the brink of disaster due to greed, capitalism, and an urgent climate crisis. Animals, crops, and even people suffer as a result. It's a captivating exploration of the consequences that can arise from unchecked human behavior. In this race to save what's left, the stakes are higher than ever before.

AI permeates Asuka's world, and we experience this new Earth through her eyes. The author paints a rich tapestry filled with real and imagined birds, trees, and scenery, blending the natural and the technological. As you read, you quickly realize that "The Deep Sky" cleverly employs a split timeline immersing readers not only in Asuka's personal journey but also in a world altered by rapid technological advancement, intensifying tensions between countries and family members. Growing up amidst the encroaching ocean that devours Florida, Asuka's best hope for the future lies beyond the stars.

The prose in this book is simply stunning. The writing is sharp and intelligent and keeps you engaged throughout. Each chapter leaves you hungry for more knowledge about the intricacies of this world. Despite its 400 pages, the book is a quick read, thanks to its captivating storytelling and the desire it evokes to uncover Asuka's fate.

"The Deep Sky" left me pondering for days. Where does Asuka ultimately end up? What becomes of Earth? Will we avoid repeating the same mistakes? This thought-provoking novel raises questions that linger in your mind long after you've turned the last page.

This one really intrigued me by the synopsis but sadly just didn't work for me.
I love characters while reading and for some reason these characters fell flat for me but I definitely suggest everyone who is intrigued by it to try this book, could end up being your new favorite! :)

If the Earth was failing (more than it already is), and you had the chance to escape and help build a new society on a faraway planet, never seeing your family and friends again, would you take it? This is the choice that Asuka, the main character of The Deep Sky, makes. That choice, and everything that comes after, changes her life in ways she did not anticipate.

On a dying Earth, a company called EvenStar has put together a space exploration program designed to take 80 fertile and highly trained women to another planet to start a new civilization. They are tasked with populating this new planet and representing the countries that sponsored their mission. But first, they have to get there, and that’s a tough task to accomplish when there may be a traitor on board. A traitor who set off a bomb, blowing their ship off track and killing three women. While efforts are being made to fix the damage, Asuka, a biracial Japanese American who has been sponsored by Japan, is told to play detective and get to the bottom of the explosion and who caused it. But with tensions both nationalistic and personal growing among the crew members, Asuka herself is also under suspicion while she investigates. What should be simple turns sinister when internal systems start to malfunction—and did I mention there’s an all-knowing and ever-present AI on board?

To me, the standout element of this entire book was Asuka. She felt so well-developed and real. One of the main things that Asuka struggles with is her identity as a biracial Japanese American, and it is especially exacerbated by the fact that each of the women on the crew is supposed to represent a single country. Asuka has a hard time reconciling her feelings of never being enough with being the sole representative for a country whose language she can barely speak. We get to see what Asuka’s life was like well before she becomes a part of the crew, and she struggles with her identity at every turn. She has such a hard time figuring out where she fits in, what she’s good at, and what her purpose is, even after she’s accepted to the program. She’s accepted as an Alternate, meaning she was not the company’s first pick, which underlines to her how she’s not good enough. On the ship her only purpose is to pick up tasks that her crew members need help with, meaning she has to pretty much be an expert at all tasks. But instead of seeing this as a good thing, a thing that sets her apart and makes her useful, Asuka sees it as something else that makes her an outlier.

On the surface, The Deep Sky is a literary sci-fi novel. But horror elements creep in and make the whole reading experience quite unsettling. I loved it! My favorite kind of horror/sci-fi mashup has spooky shenanigans happening in space, and The Deep Sky definitely had that! The setting of the spacecraft with only 80 people basically made this a locked-door mystery where anyone could be the perpetrator, and Kitasei did a wonderful job inserting tension into the spacecraft. There was nowhere for the crew members to escape to, and that resulted in the narrative feeling deliciously claustrophobic. While reading I was fully invested in the plot and characters; even the side characters had well-developed backstories that enhanced the overall narrative and Asuka’s experiences with them. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Deep Sky and I cannot wait to see what Kitasei writes next! This was a phenomenal debut and I believe that Kitasei is poised to make waves in the sci-fi genre.

DNF. Everyone seems to like this book and I'm disappointed I didn't😭 I found the MC so plain and dry. The synopsis sounded really interesting but actually reading it wasn't fun and I think that's due to the bland MC and the one-dimensional side characters (this book gave awkward-middle-school vibes sometimes too, maybe bc our MC is kind of an outsider? She's an alt and I feel like that hurt her feelings). Also, I agree with another reviewer that this book felt really muted. Books with an investigation plot should have me dying to find out what's going to happen next but it just wasn't exciting at all (especially with the non-linear timelines/flashbacks (and I have beef w flashbacks)).

I’m not usually one for space thrillers, but I do have a soft spot for “find the saboteur before she kills us all” stories, and the author of one of my favorites (The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal) had such high praise for The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei that I figured I’d give it a try.

The Deep Sky follows a crew of 80 who have trained since adolescence for a one-way mission to escape the environmental collapse on Earth and attempt to establish a functioning colony on Planet X. After ten years asleep, the crew is awoken to prepare for arrival and be about the business of having babies—the ship carries a sperm bank and all 80 crewmembers are expected to carry a child. But when an explosion kills three of their compatriots and knocks the ship off course, they have little time to identify the saboteur and right their path before the mission is doomed to failure.

The story is told from the perspective of Asuka—a Japanese-American chosen at the last minute for the mission after being initially tabbed an alternate—and takes place mostly after the explosion, with interspersed flashbacks showing the highly competitive training program. And while the training sections feature plenty of genre-standard backbiting in a ruthless competition for limited spaces on the mission, the present-day story is well-paced and exciting. The stakes are high from the get-go, and it’s written in a way that keeps the tension high and the pages turning.

Unfortunately, it also requires more suspension of disbelief than I was able to manage. Most of the negative reviews that I’ve seen have struggled to get past the pregnancy requirement, but I was able to mostly accept that and move on. As the father of three young children, I’m skeptical that colonizing a new planet with kids underfoot is especially easier than waiting until the basic infrastructure is established to have children in the first place, but apart from the female-dominated crew and several characters trying to manage crises in their third trimesters, it never felt essential to the plot.

Personally, I had a much more difficult time swallowing the ubiquitous augmented reality that allowed each crew member to see the bowels of the ship transformed into a setting of their desires—a forest, a library, a fantasy world, etc. There’s a passing reference to one officer mandating their team sync augments, but despite repeated glitches and an implication that augmented reality contributed heavily to at least one fatality, the crew goes most of the book without questioning whether tuning their eyes to a virtual construct in place of their physical surroundings may at all inhibit their investigation. It struck me as such an obvious impediment that seeing it ignored for so long constantly pulled me out of the story.

That wasn’t the only area in which I struggled to suspend disbelief—a few descriptions of outer space surroundings and some details of plans to change course had me raising eyebrows—but it was the most pernicious, keeping me from fully immersing in the first three-quarters of the story. If I hadn’t promised an honest review, I might’ve DNF’d. But by pushing on, I was treated to a thrilling finish that had me tearing through the last chapters trying to figure out what happened. I still wasn’t convinced about all the details, but the plot moved so quickly and the tension stayed so high that I was able to relax and enjoy the ride. And it was quite a ride.

I would be remiss in finishing the review without mentioning a couple subplots that served as thematic buttresses to the main thriller arc. The lead’s feeling of dislocation as a biracial woman experiencing discrimination in America— but without the linguistic ability to immerse in Japanese culture—was a constant companion that made her more than the standard everywoman. Lacking the staggering subject-matter expertise of her colleagues, albeit smart enough to solve problems on her own, she could’ve easily been nothing more than a reader insert with an admittedly endearing fascination with birds. But her inability to immerse in either culture gave her an element of character depth beyond simply being a generic lead trying to figure out which friend had betrayed them.

Additionally, the book features several terrorist groups—notably a white supremecist organization and an environmentalist group deeply skeptical of the space program—serving both as potential villains and as direct antagonists in the flashback sections. These felt true to life in a way that sometimes resonated and other times felt a little bit too on-the-nose. For instance, it’s hard to imagine the fear that rich donors are using the space program as an excuse to control people with secret nanochips being written any time other than the early 2020s. It’s hard to call it unrealistic, but there were times where it was pointed enough to break immersion. But even though this subplot wasn’t perfect, it did contribute some interpersonal conflict that improved the story on the whole.

Overall, The Deep Sky is a fast-paced space thriller with an intriguing mystery at its core and a writing style that ratchets up the tension and expertly keeps it high for the duration. Unfortunately, there were a few elements of the setup that seemed implausible, and one in particular struck me as so implausible that I had trouble immersing for most of the book. The ending was good enough to leave things on a high note, but getting there requires either some perseverance or more suspension of disbelief than I had to hand.

Recommended if you like: space thrillers (with perhaps implausible setups)

Overall rating: 12 of Tar Vol’s 20. Three stars on Goodreads.

Yume Kitasei’s debut novel, The Deep Sky, is half a sci-fi mystery aboard a troubled spaceship and half a boarding school story set some years beforehand during the training/selection period for the crew. The sci-fi section moves along at a fast pace while the school segments slow down to delve more into character and also provide backstory so as to better understand motivations and actions in the present. The premise and structure are good ideas, but unfortunately issues with execution, pace, and characterization, as well as a few plot weaknesses detracted from the reading experience.

The Phoenix is a spaceship on a one-way colonizing trip to a new planet , fleeing an Earth ravaged by war, environmental despoilation, extreme weather, and more. Financed by a trillionaire and money from governments who paid for slots on the ship, the Phoenix has a crew of 79 members (women and trans—no cis-men). The journey is to be ten years in hibernation, ten years of awake time during which the crew is artificially inseminated to give birth to one-to-two children for the colony, then ten more years in hibernation.

The crew has been awake for eleven months when someone sets off a bomb on the outer hull which kills several crew members, does some damage, but more importantly knocks the ship off course. So the present-time narrative has two issues: find the saboteur (s) amongst them and find some way to get the ship back on track or else they’ll all die when they run out of supplies. We see all of this via a third-person POV focused on Asuka, the “alternate” member of the crew (the only one without a designated job). Meanwhile, a number of inter-chapters flashback to Asuka signing up for the journey and going through the training and selection process with hundreds of others, some of whom wash out of the program and rest of whom become her present-day shipmates.

The structure is a smart move in theory, offering up several benefits. One is it can heighten tension/suspense as Kitasei can cut away at pivotal points in the present to flashback to the training, leaving the reader hanging (in a good way). I’d say this is perhaps the most successful aspect of the novel. The other potential benefit is it creates a built-in balance between action scenes and quieter moments. That’s not to see the present-day doesn’t have its slower scenes or the flashbacks are utterly devoid of action, but generally, the school scenes focus on character and relationships more intimately while the present-day scenes are far more tense and active. This element I’d put in the “sort-of” or “mostly” works category. The balance is solid, but the flashback scenes were a bit too familiar and mundane, and we probably got too many of them.

Asuka’s characterization is nicely done throughout as we piece together her present-day issues from the flashbacks — her sense of unworthiness, her grief over a younger brother who died, her fraught relationship with her mother, and more. But beyond the main character, the rest of the crew is either completely faceless (we see only a handful really) or pretty thinly characterized, falling more into types than feeling like actual individuals. And they also seemed both too young for their mission (more on that later) and also younger than their ages. Which I can explain away by their ten-year hibernation, so they’re all still in the early 20s or so (I think), but honestly their issues over relationships and break-ups and jealousies felt like they were in early high school if not younger. One plus with regard to characters is their wide-ranging diversity.

The plot moves along quickly in the present-day, but it too feels a little thin. I never quite understood how this crew was chosen — I mean, we see it in process, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me in terms of the mission, the state of the world, or the rich funder and there was no real attempt to explain any of that. The whole mandated breeding thing I admit felt more than a little creepy, and the across-the-board youth crew seemed pretty implausible. Finally, they were a few plot points that didn’t feel fully thought out, and the identity of the saboteur I thought was pretty clear well before the halfway point which not only meant the mystery wasn’t much of a mystery but also meant the characters were painted as implausibly oblivious (or at least, implausible in their lack of paranoia/suspicion even though we see them act that way several times).

The relatively thin characterization and plot together with the characters’ immaturity makes me think that this is a book more suited to a YA audience even if it isn’t marketed as such, as I think they’d be more forgiving of some of the issues I had. Kitasei does write clearly and fluidly throughout, does a nice job as noted with Asuka’s characterization, and while the structure wasn’t entirely successful (mostly a matter of pacing), it was a good choice and was particularly effective in terms of enhancing suspense. All of which I’d say bodes well for a second book.

The Deep Sky is an enjoyable SF read that incorporates elements of generation ships and cryosleep space travel. Written with dual timelines - one on the ship in the present and one in the past, set primarily at the school where Asuka and her crewmates train for the mission - the book investigates ideas of identity, belonging, nationality, and more. There are a lot of really cool takes on traditional SF ideas: for example, the entire crew is made up of people who can bear children (there is at least one trans man and a few NB crewmates, but most of the crew identify as women), a major departure from classic SF that didn't even seem to realize it was excluding half of the human race from its space ships.

As often happens when we read dual timelines, we were more interested in one than the other (the "present" of the space ship). Asuka is tasked with investigating sabotage and possible murder, so it could be jarring to move back to an episode with much lower stakes. The mystery itself was well-crafted, with lots of SF red herrings (is the AI that assists with the ship actually a murderer? What happened while the crew was asleep?). The near-future setting could be bleak, but the ultimate message was hopeful. Yume Kitasei is an author to watch!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

There were some pandemic novels about the pandemic itself, produced with a startling alacrity and provided by an industry eager to contend with the trauma if only so it could get back to business as normal. And so we got The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, Joan is Okay by Weike Wang, Companion Piece by Ali Smith. I like all these authors—and I couldn’t get through any of these books. The only two pandemic novels I did manage to finish—after my vaccine, my booster, and the de facto end to lockdown, I should add—were Delphi by Clare Pollard and The Reservoir by David Duchovny, and I only managed them because they were (a) short and (b) weird. The pandemic was like the sun. It bore down on everything, and I didn’t dare look at it directly. I needed the fantastical as cover.

And okay, I review mostly SFF, it’s how I make sense of a lot of my life, but I think this was more particularly and more broadly true for pandemic-related reading. A lot of us did not want to contend with reality. Reality was already contending with us, and we were bloody and bored from the unending battle. We needed to come at the whole crisis from an oblique angle, at a safe distance.

The Deep Sky is a pandemic novel at arms’ length, which makes it far more accessible and interesting to read. It reimagines a lot of the things we all knew far too well, the isolation and the unsatisfying digital escapism and the goddamn birdwatching, even. (I’m a grandmother at heart, but even I never wanted to see that many people so desperate that they become amateur ornithologists.) Which is apt; as T. S. Eliot’s famous bird says: “human kind/ cannot bear very much reality.”

No one in the disastrous near-future of The Deep Sky can bear very much reality, either. Kitasei starts with a neat trick, introducing us to two of protagonist Asuka’s realities simultaneously. We meet her as she navigates the cramped spaceship carrying her and 79 other crew members to another planet, a relentlessly utilitarian space made bearable by VR implants, which give each of the crew an immersive, personalized reality to enjoy. Asuka’s is a forest richly populated by birds that have sadly gone extinct back on Earth, and their digital existence serves as a touchstone of both the hope and the horror of this last-ditch expedition.

Earth is dying. Climate catastrophe has ravaged every part of the world, and the world’s governments, in various shades of incompetent and mistrustful, partner with a seemingly altruistic billionaire to fund a one-way journey to colonize Planet X. To have the best chance of populating this new world, the space program accepts only girls and nonbinary applicants who will be able to bear children, and begins training them from a very young age to become experts in robotics, astrophysics, medicine, and other useful skills. The program plans to ensure it has the best and brightest by whittling down 800 hopefuls to 80 crew, and roughly half the book is dedicated to this brutal competition, as seen in retrospect as Asuka tries to use her hard-won skills to solve a present-day disaster.

The Deep Sky is a rebuke to the Ender’s Game vision of a meritocratic space program, questioning the assumption that any existing system—whether military, capitalistic, or even pluralistic—can truly judge a child’s worth or potential. Asuka is, of course, the ultimate case for this: she has the lowest status as the “alt,” but her jack-of-all-trades approach proves essential to the entire crew’s survival. Her willingness to collaborate, to forgive, and to extend compassion are also essential traits, far more so than the military-esque structures that end up creating as many problems than they solve.

Which isn’t to say that this book is a big preachy kumbaya. It’s more that Kitasei values complexity: she’s created a pressure cooker of competing values, tight deadlines, high stakes, and intense loyalties, and she isn’t about to dole out trite or easy answers. There are no heroes in space, or rather, everyone is a hero in space: without teamwork, no one survives an environment literally inimical to life.

We also discover that many of the health exclusions don’t actually mean that the crew is mentally well. There are horrifying fascist elements who might be attempting a covert eugenics program—not sane by any measure—and many members of the crew are debilitated by PTSD or trauma sustained because of the program. To hear that applicants to the space program were initially screened out for having manageable conditions casts a very nuanced and thoughtful light on how we think about “health” vs. resilience.

The Deep Sky is being marketed as regular SF, but this has a very strongly YA vibe, not just because the characters are young, but also because some of the themes are very teenage-focused. Asuka’s journey of confidence would be right at home in the YA section, as would the emotional arcs of several secondary characters. All the characters act a bit young, which is, I want to stress, very realistic both for their ages (early 20s) and for the fact that they’ve spent their entire childhoods pursuing a single goal with relentless focus. They haven’t had the chances to make mistakes, form external relationships, or have other responsibilities. That plays with development in ways that I think Kitasei was very adept at portraying. Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that The Deep Sky skews a bit younger, even though it does engage with complex political topics.

And hoo boy, are those politics relevant. Despite all attempts to keep focused on their education (in the past chapters) or on their mission (in the present), all kinds of geopolitical and ideological groups impose themselves. China and America are continually at odds, and there is a slew of racist, xenophobic, fascist, misogynistic, and plain old conspiracist groups who either want to hurt or sway the competitors. Asuka’s own mother falls prey to a deeply paranoid group that is also nominally pro-environment, but which may have eco-terrorist underpinnings. To have to deal with insane ramblings about microchips and mind control is certainly all too familiar in the American cultural landscape, and it was a strange combination of cathartic and painful to see it portrayed so well.

The whodunit isn’t quite tight enough (one major objection is that confidentiality always has failsafe exceptions), but I think the slew of competing motivations and allegiances are incredibly well developed, leading to a completely believable cast of suspects. I was wrong a couple of times when I thought I knew who did it, and I love that. I also love that the bird facts play a larger role than I’d initially assumed, which makes for a great little gottcha moment.

There’s just so much to love about The Deep Sky, a book both smart and ultimately wise about how we will address our current crises, and whether they can be solved or only deferred. It’s a fast-paced read that invites readers to slow down and really think, an impressive feat for a debut that was clearly rooted in pandemic chaos but so elegantly managed to rise far above the fray.

As Earth faces environmental collapse, 80 elite graduates of a competitive space program embark on a mission to save humanity. Each individual is selected to carry out specific functions as the ship travels into deep space and will give birth to a generation of children through an intricate artificial insemination program that will ensure genetic diversity. But when a lethal bomb kills three crews and knocks the ship off course, the only survivor, Asuka, is tasked with the unthinkable.

DEEP SKY is an exceptional debut novel that masterfully blends sci-fi elements with intricate explorations of identity & relationships. With its thought-provoking themes, compelling characters, and a touch of mystery, this book captivates readers from start to finish.

Imagine if PROJECT HAIL MARY (Andy Weir) had Asian representation. If THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM (Cixin Liu) wrote better female characters. If DUNE (Frank Herbert) didn't have that weird eugenics plotline where the women are literal childbearing witches (🙄). That's the kind of brilliance (and, dare I say, defiance) you'll find in DEEP SKY. Kitasei skillfully weaves a narrative that delves into the complexities of identity and culture, providing much-needed representation and nuance in the genre. The exploration of politics among East Asian countries, particularly China & Japan (obv the USA b/c they have to be the center of attention 🤣), and Taiwan's precarious situation, adds an extra layer of relevance to today's political landscape. And books that mention Taiwan always get an automatic 5-star from me (lol jkjk)

The portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship is an unexpected but welcome addition to DEEP SKY, and I particularly love that this topic is explored in the sci-fi genre. The themes of estrangement from one's mother, mother tongue, and motherland bring a poignant and relatable aspect to the story. Kitasei navigates the complexities of this relationship, highlighting its profound impact on one's identity and sense of self.

Another standout is the friendship aspects of DEEP SKY. Kitasei showcases the ebb and flow of connections and the ways in which people can grow apart or come back together. The evolution of friendships and allegiance is another pleasant surprise that I haven't seen explored much in sci-fi. The compassion with which the characters are written is truly remarkable, further deepening the emotional resonance of the story.

DEEP SKY seamlessly shifts between the present day on the ship and the past when Asuka was training on Earth, creating a richly layered narrative that keeps me engaged. Kitasei's attention to detail, particularly in the paragraphs about bird biology, adds a touch of beauty and depth to the story. The space mystery at the heart of the story also adds a compelling layer of intrigue. As the characters unravel, readers are taken on a thrilling journey filled with unexpected twists and revelations. The sense of wonder and awe is beautifully conveyed, making DEEP SKY a true page-turner.

DEEP SKY is a phenomenal debut that pushed the boundaries of the sci-fi genre. With its compassionate character portrayals, intriguing plot, and exploration of identity, relationships, and political dynamics, this book is an absolute standout. Congratulations to Kitasei for crafting such a remarkable and compelling novel. It is undoubtedly one of the best sci-fi reads I've encountered, and I eagerly anticipate what Kitasei will bring forth in the future.

DEEP SKY is a perfect book for those who enjoy reading about female friendships, mother-daughter dynamics, reflections on one's identity straddling between white & Asian cultures, locked-room mysteries, space travel. Actually, if you like reading, read DEEP SKY 🤣

I love a good space opera, and I love coming of age stories about how relationships with friends and family evolve—so this book hit right in my sweet spot. The author did a good job balancing backstory and political themes with a page-turner plot, and the flipping back & forth in time was really natural and smooth. The science was a little patchy and handwavy at times, but the AI character was well-voiced and its relationship with the main character was fun—both affectionate and snarky and sometime easy to forget half inhuman. Really a well-done debut all around. Thanks NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the early read!

This was such a stunning speculative space thriller! I was immersed in Asuka’s present and back story immediately, and with things constantly going wrong on their ship The Phoenix, the action never stopped. This novel reminded me strongly of parts of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games, and The Paradox Hotel. The world building is beautiful, but not overwhelming, and placing a whodunnit in space was such a fun choice.