DNF 30%

This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be from the synopsis. I thought we were in for a "damaged ship stranded in the middle of space with no hope of rescue" type of scenario. Unfortunately, that's not what this is.

The setting changes around the 30% mark but that wasn't the only thing I was struggling with. The writing is also very juvenile. I wish it had more depth. Everything sort of just happens. It's jumpy with little suspense or feeling.

The book is told from the perspective of a 15 year old boy with little education, so it feels as though he is much younger. So, maybe the writing style is intentional.

I wasn't really a fan of the dreams or the aliens either, so I decided to put this one down. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

Marooned follows the crew of the Empress spaceship as they try to survive on a planet they've named Arcadia after becoming stranded in an unfamiliar portion of space. Arcadia is not without it's dangers though from former passengers trying to create an empire. Or the danger from strange parasitic beings imprisoned there known only as the great ones who want to enslave humanity.

This book did a good job drawing me in right away. While the portions on the spaceship were a bit slow in the beginning, the story soon began to pick up. Bee Bee (the protagonist) is a bit irritating at times but it makes sense for his age. The prophetic dreams he receives is also an interesting story telling mechanic that allows the story to move along without becoming too dark. I did find the characters to be fairly static for the most part, while they also got some character development, some such as Bee Bee's father got a lot more than others. The book I received from Netgalley was also missing a few pages at the end so I'm not exactly sure how the book ends right at this precise moment, but I'm looking forward to reading the next book (if there is a next one).

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.