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Across a Star-Swept Sea
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Across a Star-Swept Sea is a dystopian novel by Diana Peterfreund (For Darkness Shows the Stars) based on the classic novel The Scarlet Pimpernel and includes political discussion about the responsibilities of the rich to those less fortunate. A young girl goes on dangerous spy missions to protect people from being imprisoned. Though there are hints of violence toward prisoners -- perhaps even torture -- there's no graphic detail. There's romance and three passionate kisses.
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What's the story?
ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA shares the same apocalyptic backstory of author Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars, but the residents of the Polynesian-like islands of New Pacifica have taken a notably different approach to their lives. A revolution has occurred, but not everyone's happy with its results. Ever since Galateans started drugging their aristocratic political prisoners with \"pinks,\" a pill that turns the takers into drooling idiots, a spy known as the Wild Poppy has been traveling from nearby Albion to rescue \"aristos\" out from under the Galateans' noses. No one would guess that that spy is Persis Blake, an aristo girl who seems to care only about dresses and parties. When young Galatean genetic scientist Justen defects to Albion, he and Persis pretend to be a couple as a distraction, but just as they start to really fall for each other, Persis discovers a disturbing truth about Justen. When a soldier resolves to root out the Wild Poppy's identity, Persis and Justen must decide if they can trust each other enough to defeat their common foe.
Is it any good?
There's a lot going on in Across a Star-Swept Sea. To start with, the political climate is based on the aftermath of the French Revolution but includes its own vocabulary of "aristos," "regs," and various high-tech terms, along with an apocalyptic backstory about how the society ended up on these islands in the first place. There are pro-revolution and anti-revolution factions, as well as genetic manipulation and women's rights (or lack of them). Also, in the large cast of characters, many are not whom or what they appear to be.
However, readers who stick with the somewhat confusing beginning will be rewarded with a rich and exciting story, filled with heroic spying adventures, double- and triple-crosses, and just the right amount of romance. Fans of Peterfreund's first book set in this world, For Darkness Shows the Stars, will enjoy a brief appearance by its main characters.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the pros and cons of "palmports," the smartphone-like devices that are installed in the hand and that send "flutternotes." Do you think having this kind of technology literally at your fingertips would be worth the health risks?
Why do you think dystopian novels are so popular these days? Are they a kind of commentary on our world? In what way?
Which of the technologies in Across a Star-Swept Sea do you wish existed today?
Book details
- Author: Diana Peterfreund
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: October 15, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 464
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.