Inspired by my last post, here’s a bit about the Atherton series by Patrick Carman!

In the future, Earth is too dirty to support human life. A genius scientist created a satellite world that orbits Earth called Atherton. However, the people of Atherton don’t realize they are part of an experiment. Chaos breaks loose when the center of Atherton begins to sink into the core of the satellite.

Atherton: House of Power

Read on the recommendation of two students and I’m very glad I did! An exciting story in a fascinating world. In fact, the world steals the show! The setting is a character in itself, and while completely unfamiliar, Carman has masterfully crafted a world that anyone can picture, smell, and taste. Characters were memorable and spunky. Great science fiction for kids!

This was the first book I read on my Kindle! 🙂

Atherton: Rivers of Fire

The author has a clever imagination, and the worlds he creates are unique a vivid. The sequel to “House of Power” was well-done and satisfying. I sometimes get a little annoyed by the 3rd person omniscient point-of-view, and would prefer a 3rd person limited. Perhaps it bothers me because not many authors write in that point-of-view for children/YA, and sometimes it felt like Carman was “telling not showing.” This series was supposedly inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which I am starting to see, though it makes me want to do a fresh read of Frankenstein to see if there are closer similarities.

I think these books would be fantastic to use in schools…

Can’t wait to read the last one!