The Exo Project

In DeYoung’s debut novel, climate change is ravaging Earth, and the Exo Project is sending crews on one-way voyages to find planets that might sustain life. Having volunteered for the project, 17-year-old Matthew Tilson and his shipmates on the Corvus awaken in orbit around an Earthlike planet and proceed to explore its surface. They’re the canaries in the coal mine: if they don’t die, they’ll contact Earth and colonists will be sent. The planet is radioactive, but, oddly, this doesn’t affect them. It’s also inhabited by a matriarchal society of telepathic aliens who are human in everything but color, causing immediate problems with Matthew’s xenophobic crewmember, Sam. Shifting attention among multiple characters, the third-person narrative concentrates on the growing love between Matthew and the native ruler, Kiva, and on the mystery of the aliens’ still-active Ancestors. Some odd plot maneuvers (including how easily the Corvus is retrofitted for a needed return trip) can feel like a letdown—this is perhaps a better pick for readers looking for extraterrestrial romance than for diehard SF fans. Ages 12–up. Agent: John Rudolph, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)