If you are a fan of futuristic science fiction, Susan English’s Callisto 2.0 is right up your alley. It follows the life of Callisto, a young female scientist who feels out of place in her own world. The only child of religious parents, she feels like her family doesn’t truly understand her. However, things change when she takes a job at a foundation that not only supports her unique field of study but also provides a community of top-notch female scientists.

As she begins her new life working on the Shambahla space station, her heart is warmed by  the kind and supportive all-female staff. This utopia seems to be all that she has ever wanted and she embraces it whole-heartedly. But like in every good story, Callisto’s has some conflict as well. Her heart is broken, she is betrayed, and faces challenges in her work.

At some point, the continuity of the entire foundation even faces outside opposition. From page to page, it becomes clear that eventually, Callisto will have to fight for this paradise which she has waited her whole life to find.

If there is one thing that makes this story believable, it is all the scientific explanations and dialogue included in it. Everything is so detailed that you could believe that these technological advancements could be made today. Clearly, the author being a physicist has played a big role in bringing this story to life. Also, the author does a good job of developing the characters.

She includes details about each character’s life, personality, and perspective; something that makes them relatable. Moreover, she weaves the characters’ lives together in a beautiful way, showing us how everyone is fairing on simultaneously, at least from the perspective of Callisto. And the writing style is light and upbeat, even when scientific principles are being discussed – something that makes the book easy to read.

While I enjoyed the story I felt that the book was a bit slow and there was a lot of buildup to the main conflict. To some level, it feels like a day-to-day account of Callisto’s life, which for the most part was great. While we do get glimpses of concerning situations after every few chapters, there’s little suspense and by the time we get to the true conflict, we are at the end of the book, which is a draw for readers looking for a sequel. In any case, this is still a stirring and thought-provoking science fiction adventure story that I heartily recommend to fans of detailed and realistic futuristic stories.

Pages: 314 | ASIN: B08MWN8YVG