Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Flashtide
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.jennymoyer.com/
CITY: Des Moines
STATE: IA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; husband’s name, Jacob; children: three.
EDUCATION:Seattle Pacific University, studied writing.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Luminary Creative, co-owner.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Young adult novelist Jenny Moyer grew up in Arizona, lived all over the United States, and settled in Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband and children. She studied writing at Seattle Pacific University, has written and voiced national commercials, and co-owns Luminary Creative with her filmmaker husband.
Flashfall
Moyer’s debut novel, Flashfall, begins a duology set in a radiation-filled world. Due to a cosmic anomaly, a flash curtain of radiation separates the world. Those behind the curtain are called Subpars and are doomed to a slow death from radiation poisoning; those in the city-state of Alara on the other side are shielded and safe. In Outpost Five, miners work a life of drudgery to mine cirium, an element known to protect people from radiation, which Alara craves. If a miner digs out enough cirium, he can earn passage to the safety of Alara. Sixteen-year-old Orion is one heck of a miner and yearns to soon earn safe passage to Alara. Along with her is her friend and mining partner, Dram. However, once she does earn her freedom, she learns that the stories she has been told are false, and promises are worthless.
In an interview with Kim Foster online at Sweet Sixteens, Moyer explained how she was inspired to create a new world in her book: “I love to escape to new worlds when I read. The same goes for my writing. There is just something so thrilling about creating whole worlds—and creatures, and governments, and bending rules of science. I love that there are no limitations to what my characters can do.”
A writer in Kirkus Reviews found the premise of the story promising, however, “it has too many credibility issues to succeed,” and the scientific explanation is too vague. Ultimately, according to the writer, “The chaotic plot and one-dimensional characters further frustrate the fascinating premise.” An SFF Book Reviews website contributor also had trouble deciphering the world dynamics, plot, and addition of magical elements in the story, commiserating: “The beginning was the best part, and then it all falls into pieces and gets worse and worse.” Cherly Clark echoed some of the same concerns, noting that the constant dire circumstances and dangers that befall Orion and Dram give the book a bleak tone. “This novel will fit the tastes of readers who like constant action and danger and will appreciate highly dramatic, slightly outrageous plots,” said Clark.
Flashtide
In 2017 Moyer published the sequel, Flashtide. Orion and Dram have survived the mining caves of Outpost Five and have escaped to the safe side of the flash curtain radiation barrier, however they have not yet attained admittance to the city of Alara. The Congress that rules Alara have decided that three mutant races—the Subpars like Orion and Dram, the magic using Conjurers, and the genetically altered Gems—must be subjugated and forced to acquire flash dust. Orion pledges to destroy the evil government. Meanwhile, Orion’s father is working on a cure for radiation sickness, while Dram’s father is leading a rebellion.
“Readers may parallel scenes of violence and survival with other dystopian novels, such as The Hunger Games,” noted School Library Journal reviewer Monica Cabarcas. Although the sequel is still plagued by odd pacing and dropped narrative threads, “fans of the unique post-apocalyptic story will be riveted by the blistering pacing and unexpected twists,” according to a writer in Kirkus Reviews. In Voice of Youth Advocates, Sean Rapacki, admitted that there is much action and plot twists in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, and that “this duology will satisfy, even if it is, at times, predictable and slightly uneven in quality.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2017, review of Flashtide.
School Library Journal, November 2017, Monica Cabarcas, review of Flashtide, p. 90.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December 2016, Cherly Clark, review of Flashfall, p. 78; October 2017, Sean Rapacki, review of Flashtide, p. 75.
ONLINE
Jenny Moyer Website, http://www.jennymoyer.com (May 1, 2018), author profile.
Kirkus Reviews, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (July 26, 2016), review of Flashfall.
SFF Book Reviews, https://sffbookreview.wordpress.com/ (January 20, 2017), review of Flashfall.
Sweet Sixteens, https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/ (November 1, 2016), Kim Foster, author interview.
Jenny studied writing at Seattle Pacific University, and has written and voiced national commercial spots. She co-owns Luminary Creative with her filmmaker husband, Jacob. They have lived all over the U.S., and currently call Des Moines, Iowa home.
She keeps busy with her three boys—who are steadily growing taller than her--and her three pound dog (who stays small, and mostly just sits on her legs while she types.)
One of Jenny’s dreams came true the day Sarah Davies invited her to join her list of talented authors at Greenhouse Literary. Now when she sips lattes at coffee shops and daydreams, she can call it ‘work.’
Writing young adult fiction is her passion, and she's excited to share Orion and Dram and flash bats with the world through her debut novel, FLASHFALL and its sequel, FLASHTIDE. (Henry Holt/Macmillan, 2017)
NOV
2016
The Debut Club: An interview with Jenny Moyer, author of FLASHFALL
posted in Interviews, Science Fiction, The Debut Club, Young Adult Authors by kathymacmillan
Swanky Seventeener Kim Foster recently interviewed Sweet Sixteen Jenny Moyer, author of the YA sci-fi/fantasy novel FLASHFALL, published by Henry Holt/Macmillan on November 15, 2016.
About the Author:
Jenny MoyerJenny Moyer studied writing at Seattle Pacific University, and has written and voiced national commercial spots. She co-owns Luminary Creative with her filmmaker husband, Jacob. They have lived all over the U.S., and currently call Des Moines home.
She keeps busy with her three boys—who are steadily growing taller than her–and her three pound dog (who stays small, and mostly just sits on her legs while she types.)
One of Jenny’s dreams came true the day Sarah Davies invited her to join her list of talented authors at Greenhouse Literary. Now when she sips lattes at coffee shops and daydreams, she can call it ‘work.’
Find Jenny on her website, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, on Tumblr, and on Pinterest.
About FLASHFALL:
flashfall_jkt_loOrion is a Subpar, expected to mine the tunnels of Outpost Five, near the deadly flash curtain. For generations, her people have chased cirium―the only element that can shield humanity from the curtain’s radioactive particles. She and her caving partner Dram work the most treacherous tunnel, fighting past flash bats and tunnel gulls, in hopes of mining enough cirium to earn their way into the protected city.
But when newcomers arrive at Outpost Five, Orion uncovers disturbing revelations that make her question everything she thought she knew about life on both sides of the cirium shield. As conditions at the outpost grow increasingly dangerous, it’s up to Orion to forge a way past the flashfall, beyond all boundaries, beyond the world as she knows it.
FLASHFALL is available at Amazon, Powells, Books a Million, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound.
The Interview:
Kim: Your video called “A Dreamer Becomes an Author” is gorgeous and inspiring! (Actually I loved all your videos and vlogs). In your videos you talk about the rejection you faced on the path to becoming an author. Were there times you felt like quitting? How did you pull through and keep going?
Jenny: I queried seven picture books and three novels before finally getting offers of representation from literary agents. I have over three hundred rejection letters! The worst rejections were the ones when I got really close (when an agent would request to see my full manuscript,) and I’d think “this is it!” Those rejections stung the most. It was after one of those experiences that I told my husband I was done writing. I wasn’t good enough. It was too hard. However, he wouldn’t let me give up. He knew that I loved writing too much, and that the publishing dream was such a part of me. He worked extra jobs so that I could take time to write. It was in the midst of that that I wrote FLASHFALL.
His belief in my talent was strong even when my doubts clouded my vision and the challenges seemed insurmountable. My family also cheered me on, and I knew it was quit—or keep learning, growing, improving and trying . . . Rejection is a natural—inevitable—aspect of the publishing process. Art is subjective, and not everyone is going to love your voice and your story. You have to embrace that, and use the rejections as learning experiences. When I began to view it like that, it took some of the sting out of it. I started to celebrate the fact that I was trying, that I was brave, and going after it. I went through a phase where I bought new shoes when I received rejections on full requests. Now I wear those shoes to book signings.
For me, it came down to my love of writing being stronger than the pain of discouragement. I kept hoping, kept believing, and kept creating.
Kim: FLASHFALL is YA sci-fi/fantasy—what drew you to writing this genre?
Jenny: I love to escape to new worlds when I read. The same goes for my writing. There is just something so thrilling about creating whole worlds—and creatures, and governments, and bending rules of science. I love that there are no limitations to what my characters can do, and that I can surprise readers with settings they haven’t encountered before.
Kim: You’re a mother of 3 boys (mother of boys, unite!). How do you juggle writing and family?
Jenny: I try to always put my family first, but honestly, it becomes a bit of a struggle when I’m on deadline. I’m up early, and as soon as the kids are off to school, I’m in writing mode. My mornings are the time I’m most productive. (Hellooo coffee.) Once they’re home from school, I’m the primary bus driver. So much of FLASHFALL was edited in my car while I waited for my boys outside basketball practice and piano lessons!
I think we’re all busy. Lots of people tell me they would write if they had time. I don’t think anyone really “has” time. We have to make time. Sometimes it’s carved out in little snatches of minutes in between the rest of life.
Kim: Which scene or characters were the most difficult for you to write and why?
Jenny: My editor asked me to rewrite one of my villains in FLASHFALL (the outpost director, Cranny.) She wanted him to have different motivations, and it’s one of her suggestions I’m most grateful for. An even harder character to revise was Commissary Jameson. He’s hiding a lot of secrets that unravel over the course of two books. It’s been a trick to “sew in” enough hints for readers that will make his backstory plausible when those reveals happen.
Lightning Round:
Plotter or pantser?
Pantser!
How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
I promised myself that if I ever sold my book, I’d go to New York and meet my editor and publisher. So I went over my birthday, and met up with my agent and editor. It was epic!
What is something your readers would never guess about you?
I once studied Gaelic and planned to move to Scotland.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate fudge brownie
Where do you write?
Mostly on my couch near a huge window (with my dog lying on my legs.)
Top 3 things on your bucket list?
Travel to Italy with my family
Ride a horse on a beach
Publish a picture book
BLOG TOUR: FLASHTIDE BY JENNY MOYER - INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY
Comment Here
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to me stop of the AMAZING Flashtide Blog Tour hosted by the Fantastic Flying Book Club.
Flashtide is the second book is a series and you can find out all about it just below. This series sounds STUNNING to me and every time I see someone reading it, I wonder why I myself haven't started yet.
In any case, I hope you guys enjoy this interview that I did with Jenny Moyer and ALSO, don't forget to enter the giveaway!
1. For those readers who haven't read Flashfall or Flashtide yet, do tell them a little about your series.
FLASHFALL is the story of caving partners, Orion and Dram, who live in a futuristic mining outpost that borders a deadly anomaly called the flash curtain. Every day, they defend each other down dangerous tunnels as they search for an ore called cirium. If they can mine enough of it, they can trade it for safety in the protected city, which is shielded from the deadly particles of the flash curtain. They soon discover their people have been betrayed, and that the only way to freedom and safety is through a path they’ll have to forge themselves.
FLASHTIDE is the conclusion of their story, and I love how this reviewer puts it:
"Fans of the unique post-apocalyptic story will be riveted by the blistering pacing and unexpected twists. An intriguing follow-up." –Kirkus
I encourage readers who aren’t familiar with FLASHFALL to check out the book trailer. My husband is a filmmaker, and he did an amazing job. It gives people an exciting glimpse into the world and characters.
Book trailer link: http://www.flashfall.com/watch-book-trailer/
2. Was the journey you took writing the sequel, Flashtide different from writing book one? If so, how?
FLASHTIDE is the sequel (and conclusion) to FLASHFALL, and it was really exciting to get to take these characters to new places—both physically and emotionally. When I first wrote Orion’s character, I was inspired by her resillience, and I think with this book, it was Dram’s capacity to endure so much darkness, and still find the light—that I wanted to explore. I took both characters to the edge in FLASHFALL, and in the sequel, I push them right over it . . .
3. Are you a plotter, a pantser or somewhere in the middle?
I’ve learned that my writing process can vary from book to book, but for the most part, I’m a pantser. When I’m drafting, I tend to just sit down and freewrite, oftentimes out of order. The way I uncover the story and figure out the characters, is by placing them in a set of circumstances, and exploring that scene by scene.
I don’t usually know what’s going to happen ahead of time, and I like giving my characters the opportunity to surprise me, and for the story to evolve organically. This makes for a lot of revision later on, but it’s the process that’s worked for me!
Once I’ve forged my way through a draft, I write all the scenes/chapters on notecards, spread them out in a timeline, and develop a bit of an outline from there. It’s easier for me to see plot holes, or where there needs to be more development, clarification, etc. and then work from there.
So, in essence, a pantser that evolves into a plotter. : )
4. If you could give one piece of advice to your main characters, what would it be?
Never give up!
5. Lightning Round:
-- Cupcakes or Cheesecake
Both! ; )
-- Sci Fi Books or Contemporary Books
Sci-fi!
Would you travel to the UK or Australia?
Both!
I’ve been to the UK twice and I LOVE it! Would go again in a heartbeat! Would LOVE to go to Australia!
-- Harry Potter or Newt Scamander
Harry!
Jenny: THANK YOU so much for doing this! I really appreciate you hosting me on your blog and helping me spread the FLASHTIDE excitement!
Flashtide by Jenny Moyer (Interview & #Giveaway)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017
I'm happy to be welcoming the author of the Flashfall duology to my blog today
to answer some questions. Check that out as well as a fabulous giveaway below...
Flashtide
(Flashfall #2)
by Jenny Moyer
YA Dystopian, SciFi, Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 368 Pages
November 14th 2017 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Summary
Orion has survived the tunnels of Outpost Five, filled with mutant creatures and dangers around every bend. She has traversed the cordons, exposed to the radiation of the flash curtain and hunted by forces that want her stopped, dead or alive. Now, with Dram by her side, she has made it to the safety of the mountain provinces, where free Conjurors live and practice their craft of manipulating matter.
But Orion's story is far from over.
With the effects of the flashfall spreading and the might of the protected city of Alara looming, Orion must travel into the hands of her enemies once again. Heart-pounding action and adventure await in this sequel to Flashfall.
(Affiliate links included - I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using my links.)
Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Book Depository│iTunes│Kobo
Interview
Welcome to my blog today, Jenny! I’m curious about this follow-up to FLASHFALL, so let’s jump right in to some questions I have…
Was the writing process for FLASHTIDE similar to FLASHFALL or did you have new challenges and/or surprises with this second book?
On one hand, I found writing a sequel easier because I really knew my main characters, and had established the “world” of the book. I felt like I’d had a lot of time to think through the setting (which really motivates the characters in FLASHFALL,) and work out details of the various people groups, like Conjies and Gems, as well as the government. The biggest challenge writing FLASHTIDE, was to make everything fresh and unpredictable, and to give Orion and Dram new character arcs. I found this a bit daunting at first, but it turned out being a labor of love. The characters surprised even me! They had depths (and weaknesses and vulnerabilities) and strengths I didn’t know about until I wrote FLASHTIDE.
There are always moments during the writing process when I’m stuck working on a plot problem, and wondering how I’m going to get my characters from one point to another. I came up with some pretty creative solutions for FLASHTIDE, and I think it will lead to some cool surprises for readers!
Looking forward to it!
Will we be seeing more of Orion and Dram (I loved these characters, by the way!), and could you give readers just a little background on them for those who haven’t read the first book?
FLASHFALL is the story of caving partners, Orion and Dram, who live in a futuristic mining outpost that borders a deadly anomaly called the flash curtain. Every day, they defend each other down dangerous tunnels as they search for an ore called cirium. If they can mine enough of it, they can trade it for safety in the protected city, which is shielded from the deadly particles of the flash curtain. They soon discover their people have been betrayed, and that the only way to freedom and safety is through a path they’ll have to forge themselves.
FLASHTIDE is the conclusion of their story, and I love how this reviewer puts it:
"Fans of the unique post-apocalyptic story will be riveted by the blistering pacing and unexpected twists. An intriguing follow-up." –Kirkus
I encourage readers who aren’t familiar with FLASHFALL to check out the book trailer. My husband is a filmmaker, and he did an amazing job. It gives people an exciting glimpse into the world and characters.
If we were to ask Orion and Dram one piece of advice, what would they say?
Never give up!
And they really don't, even in the first book...
What is most exciting to you about this story, or what do you love most about it?
The characters. I loved them in FLASHFALL, and I love them even more after the journeys I took them on for FLASHTIDE.
I love Dram’s empathy for others, his loyalty, his strength, and the depth of his love for Orion. But he goes to some dark places in this book, and Orion’s ability to love him when he’s at his absolute worst, makes her character so endearing to me. There is something really amazing about a person who can look past someone’s brokenness, and see who they are beneath all the hurt and pain.
Orion’s character inspired me to be brave and keep chasing my dreams when they seemed impossible. After many years trying to get published, FLASHFALL was the book that finally landed me an agent and a book deal. I’ll always feel a deep affection for Orion, and a kinship because we are both dreamers!
As I said above, I loved them in FLASHFALL too!
Do you have any hints for us for what is coming next for Orion and Dram or what you’re working on next?
I wish I could say I was working on a third book in the FLASHFALL series, but that’s not in the plans at this point. It is just a duology, so hopefully fans will find FLASHTIDE to be a satisfying conclusion. I’m currently at work on two young adult fantasies.
I actually love duologies, so I'm looking forward to seeing how things end in this one and I'm curious about what you're now working on, so hopefully we'll see some hints of those in coming months. Thanks so much for stopping by to answer my questions, Jenny!
Thank you for having me! I hope everyone enjoys reading FLASHTIDE!
Moyer, Jenny. Flashtide
Sean Rapacki
Voice of Youth Advocates.
40.4 (Oct. 2017): p75.
COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
3Q * 4P * M * J * S
Moyer, Jenny. Flashtide. Henry Holt/ Macmillan, November 2017. 368p. $17.99. 978-1-62779-483-1.
This conclusion to Flashfall (Macmillan, 2016/VOYA December 2016) returns to the story of ore scout and
rebel Orion. Having escaped the tunnels of their mining outpost, Orion and her love, Dram, are in hiding in
the wilderness on the other side of the flash curtain, but still cut off from the protection of radiation-free
Alara. The government is hunting for them, and their presence endangers the conjurers who give them
cover. They do not know where Orion's father, so close to a cure for the radiation sickness, has gone, nor
have they heard word from Dram's father, leader of the rebellion. Orion senses that the flash curtain is
evolving which will bring terrible consequences for those living outside the borders of Alara. She thinks she
has already sacrificed and endured much, but her trials have just begun.
As is Flashfall, this novel is brimming with action, making it a very exciting read. Not all of the plot threads
are brought to fruition, however, and there are a couple of twists that are clumsy and do not ring completely
true. Still, for those hungry for fresh dystopian/post-apocalyptic fare, this duology will satisfy, even if it is,
at times, predictable and slightly uneven in quality.--Sean Rapacki.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Rapacki, Sean. "Moyer, Jenny. Flashtide." Voice of Youth Advocates, Oct. 2017, p. 75. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A511785096/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3d3abbed.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A511785096
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524529376071 2/4
Moyer, Jenny: FLASHTIDE
Kirkus Reviews.
(Aug. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Moyer, Jenny FLASHTIDE Henry Holt (Children's Fiction) $17.99 11, 14 ISBN: 978-1-62779-483-1
Dram and Orion have survived the tunnels of Outpost Five, but they find life on the other side of the
dangerous flash curtain just as deadly.Determined to maintain the safe haven of Alara for Naturals, the
Congress has assigned members of the three mutant races to the deadly task of acquiring flash dust.
Subpars, with their limited immunity to radiation, are forced into the mines. Conjies--Conjurers--who can
wield magic, are used sparingly or have their hands taken to ensure their compliance. The Gems, with their
genetic modifications, are the most diverse. But members of all three groups are forced to serve or be
sacrificed to the flash curtain. Orion is determined to bring down the evil government, but when Dram is
taken from her and she is isolated belowground, all seems lost. But then Orion discovers her hidden talent,
and everything changes. Readers unfamiliar with Flashfall (2016) will be hopelessly lost, but fans of the
unique post-apocalyptic story will be riveted by the blistering pacing and unexpected twists. Diversity in
this world is less about skin color or ethnicity and more about mutations. Though the writing is smoother in
this volume, it's still hampered by odd pacing and dropped narrative threads. An intriguing follow-up.
(Science fiction. 13-16)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Moyer, Jenny: FLASHTID
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524529376071 3/4
Moyer, Jenny. Flashfall
Cherly Clark
Voice of Youth Advocates.
39.5 (Dec. 2016): p78.
COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
3Q * 4P * J * S
Moyer, Jenny. Flashfall. Henry Holt/ Macmillan, 2016. 352p. $17.99. 978-1-62779481-7.
Orion is a subpar, which means she is less susceptible to radiation poisoning than the average person.
Subpars spend their lives mining cirium until radiation sickness overtakes them, but if they can mine 400
grams, they are guaranteed a space in the protected city of Alara. When Orion and her mining partner,
Dram, happen upon a huge vein of cirium, it seems they have found the ticket to safety for everyone in their
community. What they do not realize is that they have triggered a chain of events that will ultimately lead
either to their freedom or to their destruction.
Flashfall starts with vivid descriptions of a unique and stark world of tunnels and radiation. There is
constant danger as Orion and Dram climb through the mines. What follows is a series of increasingly
desperate events, each one becoming steadily worse until it seems unlikely that Orion will survive. This
constant and oppressive danger makes the overall mood of the novel bleak and depressing. There is a
romance between Orion and Dram, but it offers little respite from the bleak dystopian/science fiction plot.
The main characters are somewhat unrealistic; they never give up and always behave nobly. Though the
book has a happy ending, the conclusion does not follow logically from the excessively dire circumstances
that precede it. This novel will fit the tastes of readers who like constant action and danger and will
appreciate highly dramatic, slightly outrageous plots.--Cheryl Clark.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Clark, Cherly. "Moyer, Jenny. Flashfall." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2016, p. 78. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A474768007/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7e5dbb09.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A474768007
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524529376071 4/4
MOYER, Jenny. Flashtide
Monica Cabarcas
School Library Journal.
63.11 (Nov. 2017): p90.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MOYER, Jenny. Flashtide. 368p. Holt. Nov. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781627794831.
Gr 8 Up--In the sequel to Flashfall, Moyer crafts a fast-paced dystopian novel filled with multiple layers.
General information about the previous struggles that Orion and Dram faced as mining subpars who survive
life in Outpost Five is included. However, this installment is best read in sequence and does not achieve the
same effect as a stand-alone selection. The sequel's plot unfolds at a much faster pace with less depth. Dram
and Orion continue their rebellion against an oppressive government in Alara and search for a cure to the
radiation from the flash curtain. Moyer balances an increasing mood of suspense and desperation as the two
central characters are separated and find themselves immersed in the bleakest of circumstances. Readers
may parallel scenes of violence and survival with other dystopian novels, such as The Hunger Games.
Overall, the plot is quite intricate, requiring readers to recall information about the various challenges
associated with life on different outposts and cordons, the names of individual groups, special skills held by
each population, and some contextual information from the first installment. VERDICT This is a mustpurchase
for students who read Flashfall and enjoy fantasy and science fiction.--Monica Cabarcas,
Albemarle High School, Charlottesville, VA
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Cabarcas, Monica. "MOYER, Jenny. Flashtide." School Library Journal, Nov. 2017, p. 90. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A513759677/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a7bc1dd8. Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A513759677
FLASHFALL
by Jenny Moyer
Age Range: 12 - 16
BUY NOW FROM
GET WEEKLY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Email Address
Enter email
Email this review
KIRKUS REVIEW
Generations have passed since the cosmic event that formed the flash curtain, a toxic wall of deadly radiation. The remaining humans are scratching out a desperate survival in the hellish aftermath.
Sixteen-year-old Orion is a Subpar, a race of humans who have adapted to the radiation. Subpars now mine the land for the cirium needed to protect the city state of Alara, one of the last refuges for humanity. Despite her youth, Orion is the best miner. She and her partner, Dram, travel ever deeper into the mines, risking their lives to bring up enough ore to secure safe passage for themselves and their families through the radioactive curtain to freedom. But when a shuttle full of new cavers arrives, it brings with it a terrible truth. The promise of freedom is a lie. Subpars are far too valuable to be allowed to leave their posts. Though the premise of this novel has promise, it has too many credibility issues to succeed. The flash curtain and its resultant dangers are supported by frustratingly vague science, and the various human mutations, including a race bio-adapted to perform magic, are similarly undefined. The chaotic plot and one-dimensional characters further frustrate the fascinating premise. An open ending hints at a sequel. Orion and Dram both appear to be white, but this future is a multiracial one.
A distinctive post-apocalyptic world stunted by clumsy writing and ambiguous worldbuilding. (Science fiction. 12-16)
Pub Date: Nov. 15th, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-481-7
Page count: 352pp
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: July 26th, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15th, 2016
JENNY MOYER – FLASHFALL
20. January 2017
You know how some books take a while got get going? How a boring or difficult beginning can be hard to read but then the pay-off makes it all worthwile? This is the opposite kind of book. Here, the beginning was the best part, and then it all falls into pieces and gets worse and worse. This will be a rather long review.
flashfallFLASHFALL
by Jenny Moyer
Published by: Henry Holt and Co., 2016
Hardback: 342 pages
Series: Flashfall #1
My rating: 3,5/10
First sentence: Caves make good hiding places.
Orion is a Subpar, expected to mine the tunnels of Outpost Five, near the deadly flash curtain. For generations, her people have chased cirium—the only element that can shield humanity from the curtain’s radioactive particles. She and her caving partner, Dram work the most treacherous tunnel, fighting past flash bats and tunnel gulls, in hopes of mining enough cirium to earn their way into the protected city.
But when newcomers arrive at Outpost Five, Orion uncovers disturbing revelations that make her question everything she thought she knew about life on both sides of the cirium shield. As conditions at the outpost grow increasingly dangerous, it’s up to Orion to forge a way past the flashfall, beyond all boundaries, beyond the world as she knows it.
divider1
Orion and Dram are best friends and cavers. They live in Outpost 5 and their job is to go into a cave and mine for cirium, a substance that is used by Congress in the protected city of Alara for a protective barrier against the flash curtain. If that sounds convoluted and clichéd, that’s because it is. Don’t expect any of this to make sense. However, good-natured as I am, I decided to just roll with it and enjoy the story on a different level.
Orion, our protagonist, is your typical YA heroine, and she is also quite obviously in love with her best friend Dram. They make a kick-ass team and their trips into Cave Nine were thrilling to read. If the author had stuck with that idea and run with it, this could have been a great YA book. But Jenny Moyer apparently didn’t know how to spread out her ideas (or other people’s ideas) and threw in everything and the kitchen sink, without regard for the plot or world building. While the beginning of the book is well-paced, introducing the progatonists and some side characters, there came a point where everything went to shit.
For conflict, Orion has to get into trouble, and I am totally okay with that because that’s what makes great stories. But her and Dram get transported, imprisoned, escape, get imprisoned again, sent somewhere else, escape to a new place, come back, get caught again – so many times and in such quick succession that any dangerous situation feels utterly ridiculous after a while. There also isn’t any sense of real danger because they conveniently get saved by some poor schmuck sacrificing themselves for them.
This actually bothered me a lot. At first, side characters who got some introduction blindly sacrifice themselves for these two teenagers without any hint of their motives. Later, the author just didn’t care anymore and randomly introduced new characters only to kill them off a few pages later so Orion can survive. In some cases, the sacrifice is relatable, but I got the feeling that the author wanted Orion so very much to be Katniss, with the same level of fame and respect from a rebellion that doesn’t even exist in Flashfall. But Orion is really not that special and, much more importantly, her story isn’t broadcast across the nation so nobody knows that she’s sort of uprising. All she does is break a sign. Why should random people – ones she’s only just met – blindly walk into death for her? And the amount of times that happens is just mind-boggling. It’s cheap and it’s bad writing and it weakens the entire story.
Another aspect that showed bad plotting was how convenient things were. Not just character deaths but other things as well. Like a side character is introduced only to give one vital piece of information to Orion and then never be mentioned again (or die in the next chapter). The same goes for tricky situations. They get out of them so easily and so quickly. Every plan immediately works, and if it doesn’t, just throw a side character into their death. Either way, the action scenes rarely took more than a page or two which gave the whole story a weird sense of time passing.
What makes things worse is the terrible world building. Where do I start? Oh, I know, let’s start with the map. I love maps in books because they usually give you a bit of additional information for the story and help you navigate an invented world in your mind while you’re reading. Not so in Flashfall. If anything, the map made things even harder to understand. To be fair, if all the artist had to go on was the descriptions in the book, there really wasn’t anthing to be done. Look here (click to biggify):
I wasn’t the only person who had trouble with this map or the descriptions in the book. Because the working of this world is never really explained, I tried to piece it together myself. But none of it made any sense! The flash curtain is apparently this radioactive wall of fog that kills regular humans, called Normals. Subpars, like Orion and Dram, can withstand the radiaton. They live in Outpost 5, I’m assuming that dividing line is the flash curtain – and the privileged Normals live in the city of Alara protected by that weird dome-like wall thingy. At least I think that’s what it is. However, there are also Normals living in Orion’s outpost – WTF? Why don’t they get sick? What is even the point of having them there if they can’t go down into the caves to mine for cirium? Oh yeah, and cirium is needed constantly for that protection dome/wall… I have no idea why. If there’s already a wall why would they need more cirium? As it turns out, the rich people are evil (who could have seen that coming?) and use cirium for other stuff as well. No spoilers although, trust me, you wouldn’t mind anyway.
As I mentioned before, Orion and Dram “visit” lots of other places as well, some Outposts, some cordons, although the main difference seems to be the vicinity to the flash curtain. The vague and really cheap explanations as to why people are in the cordons at all didn’t help with the world building either. It appears the elite is also really stupid if their secret evil plan is doing what they’re doing. To make things more confusing, we later find out a bit more about Alara and its inhabitants. Like that they have drones and helicopters. Which don’t go with the set-up of the world AT ALL. Everything is jarring, nothing fits together, even distances don’t make sense. The speed at which Orion travels between cordons makes it feel like distances on the map aren’t very far apart. But that doesn’t go with the descriptions of the caves’ vastness.
Very little thought went into the world building. The most effort was probably put into substitute curse words which also don’t make sense. People curse with “fire” or “flash me” – at least “flash me” goes with the general world. The flash curtain is a menace, a danger, so using it as a curse is fine. But why would anybody curse with “fire” ? Fire doesn’t have special meaning in this story, it’s not like fires have to be avoided at all costs because cirium is super flammable or anything. I have no idea where it comes from and it threw me out of the story every time it came up.
But the saddest part was the plot. As I said, it started off so well. I didn’t expect a great work of literature here, just some fun adventure with a romance thrown in or something. And at the start, the book really showed potential. We see Dram and Orion in action doing their job and being damn good at it, we meet their families and friends, the way they live. They go into cave nine, meet some dangers and get out of them by themselves and by being a great team. However, that seems to have been the only consistent idea the author had, because once the world gets opened up and she tries to show us the bigger picture, it becomes clearer and clearer that there is no plan. The world makes no sense, Orion’s fame makes no sense, the mindless idiots dying for her make no sense. Throw in some magical people – Conjurors – who can manipulate the elements, throw in weird sub-societies in different outposts and cordons, incredibly convenient hints for the protagonists to find, really lame plot twists and a story that, in terms of character development and world building leaves you exactly where you started and you’ve got a hot mess named Flashfall.
In the end, I have more questions than answers. What even is the flash curtain? Why is it a straight line on the map? Why do Normals live with Subpars in the outposts if Normals aren’t resistent to the radiation? Why would anyone work for the protected elite in the first place? How does the world at large work? Why is there magic, why are the powerful people trying to stop Conjurers from using it? Why would they not let scientists work on a cure or a protection against radiation sickness? None of it makes sense. What’s even the point of having outposts and cordons, especially if some of them seem designed only to kill people in ridiculous ways? Why would a city even be built that close to the Flash curtain if it’s such a straight, nicely contained line? Why has Orion never seen the sky? If everything’s so full of clouds and radiation, how do the Normals even survive? What the hell is any of this about???
The ending isn’t really any better. Things work out super-conveniently for Orion again and we get an incredibly cheese last scene but there wasn’t even an attempt to make readers want to read the next book in the series. I can only assume that the many favorable reviews were written by people who still have hope that it gets better, that all those questions are answered in the sequels. I do not have that hope and I feel no need at all to continue torturing myself with a series that is so self-indulgent, so unfocused, and by an author who so clearly doesn’t have a plan.
For a well-executed romance and the nice beginning I’m giving this a handful of points. For starting well and leaving me angry, it’s not a big handful.
MY RATING: 3,5/10 – Bad
P.S.: If anyone has read this and can explain any of the things that were unclear to me, please leave a comment or send me an e-mail. I am genuinely interested if it was just me being an idiot while reading.