Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda is a science fiction thriller that takes place in space. The main characters, Tuck and Laura, are totally different. Tuck lives on the spaceship Muir, where he woke up from stasis- four hundred years in the future. The ship is deteriorated, and many of the others who woke up from stasis are mutated and monstrous, pollutants from Earth having changed their genetic makeup. Along with the other normal people, they make a strange civilization on the Muir- one where they must avoid the creatures at all costs. Laura Cruz is the daughter of a famous shipraiding family- they are searching for the Muir, which might contain samples of bacteria necessary to replenish the soil back on dying Earth. Laura has a problem too- a rival shipraiding family, the Smithsons, has their eyes set on stealing the Cruz fame and glory. When a terrorist takes over the ship and collides it into the USS John Muir, Laura meets Tuck and quickly becomes friends with him. They must battle their way to safety, find the bacteria samples, and expose the Smithsons, and maybe even save the world.

In my opinion, Pitch Dark was a great novel. It was filled with action, betrayal, and it was set in space. Who doesn't like a novel set in space? I really enjoyed the sci-fi aspects to the novel , and the story and dialogue were great. The world building (of the massive, eerie Muir) and the political strife between the shipraiders and the terrorist group was also very interesting to read. Honestly, I don't think I disliked any part of the book. The book made me think of how much we're destroying the Earth even now, and made me feel intrigued at the mentions of deep space exploring. People who enjoy science fiction novels and action novels would probably love to read the novel. The navigation of the Muir's passageway almost read like The Maze Runner (James Dashner) and the description of the way the monsters hunted and attacked was very Quiet Place-esque. All in all, I think that lots of people would enjoy this book and I recommend it if you want a suspenseful read.

Reviewed by NK, Grade 10
Montrose Library