The Silver Ship and the Sea

by Brenda Cooper

Hardcover, 2007

Status

Available

Publication

Tor Books (2007), Edition: 1st, 400 pages

Description

Chelo Lee, her brother Joseph, and four other genetically enhanced children who have been abandoned on the colony world of Fremont struggle to make the dangerous, wild planet home and discover that a long-deserted space ship could hold the key to their survival.

Rating

(31 ratings; 3.1)

User reviews

LibraryThing member edspicer
Like Flight by Sherman Alexie, this is another one of the quintessential YA books that for some unknown reason is published as an adult title. This book can be read as an allegory for teen life in the U.S. We pretend to love our teens, but only when they are thousands of miles away, fighting wars.
Show More
Teens are stronger than we are and soon they will be taking control and that scares the living bejeezus out of us. Teens are also often impulsive and they still do knuckleheaded things. Teens need us—even when we don't trust them and don't respect them as we should. Teens take tremendous solace in the adults who do those simple things, like smiling or offering that kind word before advice. The Silver Ship and the Sea has this story down! The structure reminds us of books like Pilgrim’s Progress: Chelo is the peacemaker, Joseph is the brains, Brian is the brawn, etc. Together these teens (or this composite teen) deal with how they are supposed to fit in a troubled world not of their making. How they are supposed to maintain a place within the social structure when the social structure is unwelcoming, condescending, and even destructive? These five genetically altered teens are looked upon with fear and even loathing, despite all that they do to maintain the colony. Now there is renewed interest in ridding society of people like them. The problems with the novel are minor in comparison to its strengths. It does start slowly. The adventure is there. The political and social intrigue are EXACTLY teen. The ending is perfect, filled with all the love and uncertainty that comes from making our own place in a troubled world. Perfect for that high school student who loves science fiction and loves predicting the future of current computer technology.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sumik
Ooh, another book about mutants. I went to the library and picked up this and Dust at the same time. And similarly - kind of a journey of discovery for an adolescent female protagonist. Still reading.
LibraryThing member NineLarks
Fremont is a colonized planet, a dangerous planet that always hides predators behind its wildness. Chelo is one of the six altered humans left on this planet - but none of her community of first colonists trust her at all.

I didn't like this book because it didn't feel real. It was just too hard to
Show More
immerse myself into this world, into this plot, into the characters. None of the dialogue rang true to me. The interactions felt fake and I didn't believe the colonists's hatred towards these six children. I think a lot of the problem was that the whole book was written in Chelo's perspective as first person, but we still somehow were able to know what other people felt and thought. And I just don't trust the narrator to tell me what other people are thinking. It all felt forced.

The world-building... it was a good attempt. But the world didn't really interest me. It wasn't radically different, it wasn't that dangerous to be honest (despite what the book summary promised).

Randomly picked up this book at the library because the summary looked interesting, but honestly, I just didn't care about anything in this book.

One star because I didn't want to read it, even after powering through more than 80 pages and skimming through the rest of the book.
Not recommended for anyone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member NineLarks
Fremont is a colonized planet, a dangerous planet that always hides predators behind its wildness. Chelo is one of the six altered humans left on this planet - but none of her community of first colonists trust her at all.

I didn't like this book because it didn't feel real. It was just too hard to
Show More
immerse myself into this world, into this plot, into the characters. None of the dialogue rang true to me. The interactions felt fake and I didn't believe the colonists's hatred towards these six children. I think a lot of the problem was that the whole book was written in Chelo's perspective as first person, but we still somehow were able to know what other people felt and thought. And I just don't trust the narrator to tell me what other people are thinking. It all felt forced.

The world-building... it was a good attempt. But the world didn't really interest me. It wasn't radically different, it wasn't that dangerous to be honest (despite what the book summary promised).

Randomly picked up this book at the library because the summary looked interesting, but honestly, I just didn't care about anything in this book.

One star because I didn't want to read it, even after powering through more than 80 pages and skimming through the rest of the book.
Not recommended for anyone.
Show Less

Awards

Endeavour Award (Winner — 2008)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2007

Physical description

400 p.; 6.36 inches

ISBN

0765315971 / 9780765315977
Page: 0.4844 seconds