The Final Six

Alexandra Monir

Mar 2018 · HarperCollins

About this eBook

Set in the near future, this action-packed YA novel—already optioned by Sony Pictures—will take readers out of this world and on a quest to become one of six teens sent on a mission to Jupiter’s moon. This is the next must-read for fans of Illuminae and The Martian.

When Leo and Naomi are drafted, along with twenty-two of the world’s brightest teenagers, into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever changed. Overnight, they become global celebrities in contention for one of the six slots to travel to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—and establish a new colony, leaving their planet forever. With Earth irreparably damaged, the future of the human race rests on their shoulders.

For Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, this kind of purpose is a reason to go on after losing his family. But Naomi, an Iranian-American science genius, is suspicious of the ISTC and the fact that a similar mission failed under mysterious circumstances, killing the astronauts onboard. She fears something equally sinister awaiting the Final Six beneath Europa’s surface.

In this cutthroat atmosphere, surrounded by strangers from around the world, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo. As the training tests their limits, Naomi and Leo’s relationship deepens with each life-altering experience they encounter.

But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.

Ratings and reviews

A futuristic novel about a last-ditch attempt for the human race to survive beyond Earth, The Final Six introduces us to a concerted world program to send a team of teens as pioneers to Europa, Jupiter's moon. The world is an apocalyptic scenario, dying a slow death while climate change is picking out one region after another in different ways. Tsunamis, earth quakes and storms have ravaged most of the Earth and the remaining surviving regions are under rationing and somewhat functioning governments which decide to direct their resources to a manned mission across the solar system. The story is narrated via two POVs - Leo (who is a champion swimmer and deep diver from Italy) and Noami (a bright genius from America with Iranian heritage) - and the two of them have opposite views about the Europa mission. Leo, whose family was lost in a tsunami, and for whom this mission is a chance to start over, is optimistic and determined about the mission while Naomi, who would have to be separated from her family (especially her sick younger brother) doesn't want to go (they are all being drafted) and additionally, she has her own misgivings about the mission. The chosen 24 have to undergo training to prepare them for space flight and subsequent terraformation, but only 6 are to be drafted into the final mission, so they have to compete (in Naomi's case, forcibly) for a chance to possibly survive Earth. The pacing is mostly fast, and mostly deals with the prep for the mission, and the slowly emerging conspiracy that Naomi is trying to uncover. She already has her misgivings about the success of the mission, but there is more shady stuff going on. And then there is also the developing friendships that can only come about when you all are sharing a dire situation. The main antagonist is this snooty First Nephew (I didn't even know that was a thing) who is competing mainly against Leo, and looks down on Naomi and almost everyone. Are the stakes life and death? Not really! But there is a certain amount of urgency in the situation and the fact that Leo and Naomi are falling hard and fast for each other in a situation where one wants to leave Earth and the other wants to stay. The twist at the end was not wholly unpredictable, but the cliffhanger certainly was! Additionally, since I listened to this in audio, I would like to say that while the narration is decent, I was a bit disappointed by the fact that though one POV character was non-American, there is no accents used by either of the narrators! Overall, it is an interesting start to the series, with some strong science and a believable apocalypse scenario. Looking forward to the next book! Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harper Collins, via Edelweiss.

Characters are pretty flat. No character development. No distinct voices between narrators. Romance is rushed, forced, awkward, and uncomfortable to read. There is no ending so the author can get more money out of a sequel. First 2 chapters were great and then went downhill from there but at least the book was short.

Woah

About the author

Alexandra Monir is an Iranian-American author and recording artist. She is the author of the hit novel The Final Six as well as four other published young adult novels, including the bestselling time-travel romance Timeless. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California. To learn more about Alexandra, visit her online at www.alexandramonir.com.