People are gathered in Reunion Square, enjoying things before the area would be flooded by the rising sea waters. Four friends set off for a night of fun, little did they know that their life was to be turned upside down.

Spark is a dystopian science fiction novel set in the future. It is set in a world of rising sea levels where neighborhoods being submerged and lost forever has become a commonplace occurrence. When a massive earthquake hits panic and chaos break out. With the threat of a tsunami, and a fire engulfing the town, this group of friends tries to escape to safety.

Readers follow along on the journey of a group of young adults as they navigate the obstacles that befall them. The story introduces our protagonist, Becky, and her friend Meghan, who is going to Reunion Square to welcome their long-time friends Robert and Connor. And that is when the first catastrophe hits. One after the other, author Y.C. Leung moves the story along a detailed and well-crafted plotline, full of twists and turns such that there are no dull moments.

The author does a fantastic job of keeping the readers engaged right from the beginning. Throughout the book, the characters go through many life-changing events, catastrophes, and inner turmoil, thereby making the story very engaging and realistic. The story covers multiple coming-of-age themes, like self-doubt, inner turmoil, embracing one’s identity, making life-altering decisions, drug abuse, and relationships.

The writing style is relatively straight and simple, making it easy for middle-grade teens to follow and stay engaged. The author doesn’t spend a lot of time setting up the scene and rather goes straight to the action, giving readers just what they need to know to be in the moment. The conversations, the scene-setting, and the action are straightforward, making this fast-paced novel move quickly, adding to the feel and drama of the storyline.

Spark is the coming of age story of a group of teens that were about to set off on the next stage of their lives before apocalyptic events turn their life into a race for survival with action at every turn. I recommend this book for young adults who are interested in dystopian science fiction.

Pages: 228 | ASIN : B09Q93XWK6