Age: 17
Title: Neptune's Tears
Author: Susan Waggoner
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Pub Date: 06/25/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The idea of psychic therapy in hospitals and futuristic terrorism were the reasons I finished the book. I’m usually not one for romance books anyway, but this plot line seemed particularly insipid and predictable. The strongest part of this book is definitely the background and world building. There are a few fun secondary characters, and the explanation of how certain science fiction elements work were woven in without being tedious or confusing.
Memorable or Forgettable: This story was mostly forgettable because the plot was fairly slow paced and built up to a small and pretty silly reveal at the end. I would have enjoyed it more if it had had something more complex as the main plot and the romance as a subplot.
Cover: The cover for this has nice symmetry and a unique color palate. It was what led me to pick up the book and read the blurb. The orbiting pearls do take part in the story.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: Neptune’s Tears is a sci-fi romance with some interesting concepts but a plot that was too ridiculous and simplistic to take very seriously. In futuristic London, Zee is an “empath,” a hospital therapist who uses her psychic powers to connect with patients and help them heal. One night she meets a mysterious boy in the emergency room and they fall head over heels for each other, but there’s a problem: he’s an alien! The aliens look and are just like humans except slightly taller. They go out anyway and help victims of “shock bombs,” futuristic terrorist weapons that tear apart people’s insides without leaving any injuries on the outside. The ‘big reveal’ at the end of the book was so silly that I put the book down and laughed. The last page strongly hinted at a sequel, but the few interesting ideas aren’t enough to make me seek it out.
tags: science fiction / romance / ya lit
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