When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition.
For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk.
To say that this is the book that encouraged me to start reviewing again after a hiatus of over a year says a lot about it's awesomeness.
I've not really been into sci-fi books for quite a while, to be honest I've found them so samey recently and I've just not managed to find one which grips me and keeps me the way The Final Six did. From the very first chapter when we meet Leo and Naomi to the final line I was gripped. I reran my bath water like five times and finished it in a matter of hours. It was such a page-turner.
What really impressed me about this book was the whole air of suspense and mystery in it. You know there's something secret going on, but you never completely guess it. You make some hazardous guesses along the right lines, so when it is revealed it doesn't feel out of nowhere but it's still enough of a shock to leave a reader reeling.
I loved Leo as a character, he was so warm and caring and the development of feelings for Naomi felt so organic and realistic. Naomi was such a lovely person as well - driven in her mission for the truth but not so much that she completely shuts herself from any real interactions with other people. I genuinely just loved reading about these two and came to rally care about their wellbeing and relationship.
If there's just one thing that I would say brought this book down, it was - to a small degree - the writing. I could never really tell the difference between Leo's chapters and Naomi's so sometimes I would think I was reading Naomi's point of view and it was actually Leo. Also, some of the dialogue felt a little pushed and not really what anybody in that scenario would say.
Nonetheless, I still absolutely adored this book. The ending has left me wanting more and more, and I am so excited for the next in the series!
Book released 6th March 2018 by HarperTeen
Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review
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