Salvage audiobook

Book, you are awesome. You remember those famous intro words to Star Trek TNG? Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.Well, Salvage shows us not the bright, chromed future of Star Trek, but a gritty one minus the aliens. Small nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers, marked by powerful kinship bonds, fixed status and rigidly defined social expectations tumble on their patched-up ships through space. The future of humanity in space is shaped by a preindustrial, heavily patriarchal society with predominant roles for custom and habit, polygynous households, strict gender roles where the division of labor is influenced by age, gender, and status. Those tribes have powerful collective memories sanctioned by rituals, songs and legends. Sounds like a interesting premise, right? It is.I was utterly engrossed in the intense description of this life. It’s an unhurried meditation on society. Ava is illiterate as are all women on this ship. Every once in a while the ship on which her father is the captain returns to Earth and meets up with other tribes the nearby trade space station. At sixteen, she learns she has to go through with the arranged marriage to someone on a different ship. Ava escapes her fate. Now on Earth Ava has to come to terms with not only what happened to her but also an overpopulated, technological advanced earth suffering from environmental issues, weather conditions and pollution. On an enclave built in the middle of the pacific ocean out of garbage, Great Pacific Garbage Patch/Gyre, she starts to heal, to see her own worth, learns to read and write, learns even to pilot a ship by herself. This is young adult science fiction done right. Ava’s journey from her starship, to the Babylon 5 space station, to a garbage island reminiscent of Waterworld to Mumbai, a city overpopulated by 170 million people, takes her not only to different places but introduces us to different societies and ways of life. Ava is a survivor and she grows beyond the limiting confines of the circumstances in which she was born. She crept through the bowels of hell and came out free. One other thing: I was relieved by the lack of silly romances or stupid love triangles. There is romance, there even are two young men, but it is just the way it is, not overdone. This book feels very much like a stand-alone but I hope this is not the last we have heard of Ava and her friends.

Salvage Alexandra Duncan's debut illustrates a richly detailed world that vividly shows a possible future of Earth where society has both regressed and progressed, where the struggles of humanity have become more dire, but where love still remains. Everything--from the world to the characters--felt viscerally real. 

An Electronic Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.Morgan, a so girl who lives on the ship Parastrata, doing chores that women need to do. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of the small ones. When her father arranges a marriage between her and one from the æther ship, she makes a mistake. Seeing her childhood crush, Luck was a mistake because does something that is scandalized and has her cast away from the ship forever. Will she be able to pick up the pieces and move on with her own life? How will she when all she knows is the ship life?Women are meant to be breeders, to serve the men. They also don't think or read. But Morgan wants these things. She wants to solve problems and become a fixer. Having a character that is so thoroughly innocent and grows up to be stronger and independent is just wonderful to see. When the Epic Reads ladies said these would be A renaissance culture set in the deep turn of space, Salvage is one incredible journey. Unique and fulfilling, I thought it was beautifully written.

Polygamists. In. Space. What?!?!?! I didn't realize I had preconceived notions about what to expect from a society confined to a space ship, but then Alexandra Duncan started ripping them away and instead she gives me polygamists- in space. Ava has lived her entire life in deep space, traveling along merchant routes with her Crewe. The women of the ship must all work constantly to be virtuous, productive and demure. Ava's pretty good at living by the rules, and almost as good at breaking them without getting caught. When Ava eventually does get caught it brings an abrupt end to life as she knows it. This one is for the junior anthropologists, the sociologists and the space cadets. Sci-fi fans will eat this up and come back begging for seconds!! This isn't just a book, this is a journey through hardship and love and personal growth. This book stands out in part because it stands alone, the whole complex and sordid plot fits into one volume. Oh but I hope there's more to come. I yearn to discover Miyole's story and after you read this, I'm betting you will too!! I like this book and I appreciate Harper Collins, Greenwillow Books and Edelweiss providing a free e-arc.

***3.5 Stars***It took me so long to get into this book which turned out to be so confusing at first with the strange language of "so" and "some" being added but I trucked on and eventually was able to block the words out and understand the story.

SALVAGE is my new favorite book of the year. Breathtakingly, achingly beautiful, this is literary science fiction at its best. I said it on twitter, but I'll say it again here: if you are a fan of FIREFLY or THE HANDMAID'S TALE, you should probably drop everything and read this book right now.As other reviewers have noted, Duncan is a master world-builder. From the close, rigid, puritan culture of the spaceship on which Ava is born; to the rag-tag jumble of community adrift on the Gyre; to the gritty, colorful streets of future Mumbai -- each setting was crafted with an attention to detail that is simply astounding. The characters are complex, each deeply motivated (again, Duncan is a master at this), and endearing. Ava is a heroine to root for from page one. She's plucky despite being born to an oppressive society, and it's beautiful to watch her both grow into and rail against the freedom she suddenly finds herself in. Yes the book is on the long side for typical YA. And yes some of Ava's dialect/jargon can be difficult to understand at first. This is not an easy beach read. But do not let this deter you!! SALVAGE is a stunning, thought-provoking story that will linger with you long after you finish the last page.

SALVAGE was refreshing in a totally unexpected way. I felt like I was reading something totally new and I don't get to experience that very often. The characters were awesome and I loved Ava's character ARC. She learns and grows and goes through SO much! It was like reading Space Opera meets Little House on the Prarie at moments and Waterworld at others. It was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it!

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***Salvage by Alexandra DuncanPublisher: GreenwillowPublication Date: April 1, 2014Rating: 4 starsSource: eARC from EdelweissOfficial Summary:Salvage is a thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. This is literary science fiction with a feminist twist, and it explores themes of choice, agency, rebellion, and family. Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated, conservative deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean. This is a sweeping and harrowing novel about a girl who can't read or write or even withstand the forces of gravity. What choices will she make? How will she build a future on an earth ravaged by climate change? Named by the American Booksellers Association as a Spring 2014 Indies Introduce Pick.What I Liked:I honestly was not sure if I would enjoy this book for several reasons, but I am really glad that I ended up really liking it! At first, while reading the beginning, I was like, there is NO WAY this book and I are going to get along. But Duncan has constructed a really beautiful novel!There are several parts to this book. The first part is spent on the Parastrata, a merchant ship that flies in space. There is a society living on this ship - in fact, Ava has never NOT been on the ship. But trouble brews when she is given away as a bride, to a male on the Æther ship. She hoped it would be her childhood friend Luck (and he hoped so as well). They do something unforgivable, and everything falls apart. They are separated, and both are to die. But Ava escapes, and ends up on Earth.The next part deals with Ava's adjustment to Earth, away from her ship, from her lost love Luck. She is taken in by a lovely woman and her daughter (the daughter's name is Miyole). She meets a boy named Rushil. She searches for her mother's sister. She learns to read and write (poorly, but she learns somewhat). But where does she belong?At first, I HATED the first part, the beginning, on the ship. I hate the society on the Parastrata! It's sexist and totally debilitating for women. Women can't learn to read or write or be anything except laundresses and farmers. They are married off to the man of their father's choosing. Oh, and it's a polygamist society. No no no. So, I really did NOT like the society. I thought I would hate this book.BUT, that's just it: Duncan does an AMAZING job of building and creating the society on the Parastrata. It's obvious that readers are supposed to hate the sexist society (unless you're a sexist, then I suppose you'll enjoy the first part - disgusting). I even thought I hated Ava, because she has no spine or backbone or willpower. BUT, then I realized: this is just how brilliant Duncan's writing is. Ava can't see fault in her society. She can't see how women have no rights in her society. She can't understand, because she doesn't know better. Ava doesn't have that seed of rebellion that many dystopia novels feature (not that this book is a dystopia). She only comes to change her way of thinking because she is forced out of her ship, and she goes to Earth (which was literally the LAST thing she wanted to do).So, yeah. I loved the worldbuilding and the writing style. Duncan does a really good job of creating the world on the Parastrata, as well as life on Earth. It's polluted, dirty, garbage-filled, and there are definitely environmental themes in this book. YAY for that! And Duncan's writing style is really flowing and lovely. Sometimes it seems a little dry and boring, but it definitely fits the story.The story is rather long and drags a bit, because you feel like nothing is happening. However, I like the journey - it's Ava journey, her discovery of who she is as a woman, as a real person who is appreciated for her talents (and not her ability to make children). It sounds cliche to say that this book was all about a character's quest to find herself, but in this book's case, it's totally accurate. Sometimes, I can understand the excessive length, because many, many scenes are necessary, to show Ava's changing views and growth as a character.The romance is pretty obvious, in this book. There aren't too many males in this book, especially males around Ava's age, so when you spot this one guy, or this other one, or this other one, it's pretty obvious that he will be a potential love interest. I will say that there are two - I already mentioned Luck and Rushil. But there is NOT a love triangle in this book - not in the physical sense. The romance is important, because it shows that Ava is capable of making her own choice for herself.Feminism is a pretty big thing in this book. Ava comes from a very repressive society, where there aren't many males, and the males that are present have many wives and many children and all of the knowledge, strength, and power. But when Ava goes to Earth, she is shown how awful and messed-up her society is. She learns of choice and empowerment, which is really important. I like the strong presence of feminism in this book, but it's also really subtle. Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this book, Ava's journey. This book is great as a standalone, so I hope it stays that way. The worldbuiling is probably the best/most well-done part of the book. I hope that if others read this book, they enjoy and appreciate the undertones and themes of the novel! What I Did Not Like:This book is very long, and sometimes, you really FEEL the length of the book. Meaning, sometimes I felt like this book was unnecessarily long. Length usually doesn't bother me, when the book is really engrossing. AT TIMES, this book was not engrossing enough, so the length was daunting. I think Duncan could have cut this one down by maybe fifty pages (or more), honestly. Otherwise, overall, I was pretty happy. Make sure you read what I said about the beginning of the book, on the ship. I HATED the society on the Parastrata, but it's that necessary evil that you hate, but at the same time, you totally appreciate it how WELL Duncan builds it and MAKES you hate it.Would I Recommend It:I would recommend this book mostly to science fiction fans. If you're looking for an amazing, heartstopping romance, try something else. If you want constant, nonstop action, try something else. If you want a heroine with a backbone from start to finish, try something else. My point is, this book is NOT for everyone (like every book, but this one definitely is not). Science fictions will appreciate this one, and fans of feminist literature. It's an excellent (debut) novel!Rating:4 stars. I enjoyed this book! It is truly a remarkable debut novel (though that sounds really cliche), and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read and review it.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.comI will admit I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book. It started off with an interesting concept, but I found it kind of difficult to follow and the language a bit convoluted. Because it was so unlike anything I’d ever read before, I decided to stick with it… And I’m so glad I did. This is definitely not your typical teen read – it followed a story line that almost seemed backwards (which was part of its brilliance), had an odd love-interest conflict (which was oddly refreshing), and as far as I know, is a standalone novel (which is probably why I feel so satisfied with it).Duncan did a great job building culture and creating a cool atmosphere that was one of my favorite elements of the book. Aboard the transport ships where Ava, the protagonists, grew up, a hierarchal polygamist lifestyle that was once essential to their survival had warped into this weird male-dominated society where she is taught to keep quiet and obey the rules. It was an incredibly oppressive system which was made all the worse by the other women higher up in the pecking order. The intership politics and customs were so feasible that I found that whole portion of the story sufficiently creepy… in a good way. You see, it really made me think about how plausible that society actually was, and appreciate just how good I have it.As far as character is concerned, although Ava made some really foolish decisions early on, I still admired how her desire to accomplish more than she was allowed was evident right from the start (well, maybe not the start… There was actually a good fifty pages of reminiscing that happened before the story really got going, but I’m choosing to block that out because, odd pacing aside, it was at least interesting). The side characters were unique in their own way, but the focus of this book really was all about Ava.The earth portion of the story is really when the novel really came alive for me. You see, it was quite remarkable experiencing Earth from an outsider’s perspective (especially since it was an overcrowded, futuristic Earth that had evolved into a melting pot of cultural tradition and technology… It was friggin’ cool). Anyway, watching Ava adapt to a society so different from her own, and to see her growth throughout the story, was easily one of the highlights of this novel.The more I evaluate this book as a whole, the more I like it. Despite the fact that it was a bit difficult to get into and certain plot-points required a little bit of “just go with it” forgiveness, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It’s one of those books that sticks with you long after you’ve read it, and am quite happy I decided to give it a chance.Recommended Reading: I would probably only hand this to older teens and adults, as it has more mature moments than most books of this genre, (younger readers might find it a bit risqué). I will say this would be an excellent recommendation for someone looking for something “different.”

Ava, daughter of the captain of the Parastrata, lives with the other women on the ship in total subservience to the men. Women and girls are only allowed jobs like animal care, working in the dye room, and child care. When she gets word she is to be married to someone on a ship her family trades with she is thrilled. She thinks her future husband is Luck, the boy she's been secretly in love with for a long time. But, things don't go as planned. Ava is caught in a terrible position and forced to run for her life. She only escapes her family's wrath with the help of a supply runner heading back to Earth. Ava has to learn how to live in the place she has feared her entire life without only the name of her as a contact. Ava struggles to survive and when she finds out she might be able to go back to her home, she has to make the toughest decision of her life.I think the ending was too abrupt. I think there were some things about Ava's life on the Parastrata that weren't explained very well.I'm not sure if there is a sequel planned for this book or not, but I think it would make a great stand-alone.

I decided to round up to five stars from what I would consider 4.5 for this book. A few little things bugged me, a few inconsistencies I found, and one scene that I honestly would have completely re-written -- but the rest of this book was wonderful. And unique. By that I mean: The world is not in utter peril despite the dystopian feel of the book. It's really about a community that is completely dysfunctional but somewhat isolated. Think "The Village" but on a space ship, with polygamy. And then, one girl survives being banished from the ship to discover a world in which women are not kept uneducated or forced to spend their time cooking, cleaning, and breeding. Instead of fighting to save the world, she learns how to save herself from her past.Yes, this is a quiet book. It's wonderfully written sci-fi that focuses more on inner conflict than outer. The story world is rich, complete with its own dialects and scientific terms. I loved that the author was able to show the intelligence of the main character despite her lack of education and her naivete. I found myself completely absorbed in the story from the very first page. In an overabundance of first-person dystopian YA, this first-person dystopian YA actually stands out.

At a Glace:With gorgeous writing and a story that feels as real as it does impossible, Salvage was a book that had me hooked from beginning to end, and had me thinking for days after I finished. Although the strange language and slower pacing may not appeal to everyone, I hope most will love this book as much as I did.I really didn't know what to expect when I started this book. The lovely HarperTeen ladies at ALA midwinter handed it to me and said, "This book, is special. It's SO good!" I have to say, they were completely right, and I'm so glad they said that to me because it's what made me pick it out of the tons of books to choose from. This book is special.It's unlike anything I've ever read. It's almost as if there are three books in one with this novel. The book changes with Ava, so radically, that the book you're reading 3/4 of the way through, doesn't even seem like the same book you started out with. I loved this, and I thought it was incredibly done! The Story:In the beginning, Ava lives aboard a spaceship called the Parastrata. Life on the ship is a mixture of future and past, as the passengers have reverted to a time where women don't know how to read and write, and are only allowed "womanly" tasks, like cooking and taking care of the animals. This is difficult for Ava, who has always had a tendency toward "Fixes" and wants to use her talents to help her ship. As a child she is introduced to another ship, where the rules aren't quite so strict, and where a girl and her brother open her eyes to a new way of living. At sixteen Ava is to be married off to someone on a different ship, and she dares to hope that it will be the same boy she's thought of all these years. But when she makes a terrible mistake, she finds herself running for her life, with no one to turn to but her "modrie" (aunt) who lives on the overpopulated and polluted Earth. "You ok, fi?" I shake my head and let my eyes close. My body feels old and crushed with pain. "I'm dead." "Dead?" she asks carefully; as if she thinks I might be dream talking, half gone with pain and fatigue. I nod. The sun's glare sweeps over my face as the ship ducks out from beneath a cloud, turning the world inside my eyelids red. "Dead."The minute Ava lands on Earth, I felt like it was a totally different book. Of course she is still dealing with the pain of what happened to her, but her situation and environment has completely changed. The "garbage island" made me think of Waterworld, and it was just an exciting new setting, with new people that help Ava learn her true worth and potential. "They threw you out," she says, "That doesn't mean you're worthless. It only means they didn't see your worth." Ava finally goes to Mumbai, to look for her modrie. Again, the feel of the book completely changes. Mumbai is completely overpopulated, and Ava has to, once again, adapt to a new way of living. There she meets a new boy who helps her to realize that not every man wants something from her. There is at least one who wants something for her.Let Me Count the Ways I Love You, Salvage:I loved the pacing and the writing, the tension and the story. I loved the relationships, even the hard ones. I loved that it showed what we're capable of when we have to be, and that you can be strong in one setting, then weak in another...and you have to learn how to be strong again.I loved that there was no easy fix. Ava had to work really hard to overcome.I loved that Alexandra Duncan not only created one futuristic society, but many, which is probably more likely than most futuristic stories I've read in YA. I loved that she used some strange speech. It wasn't too hard to follow, and it made it more real to me. I mean, do you think they won't be speaking differently in the future? I loved that there were all different types of people with all different types of personalities, morals, standards, ethnicities and backgrounds. I loved the romance! Some are saying that there's a love triangle, but this isn't really accurate. That's like saying since you had a boyfriend in high school, and one in college, you were in a love triangle. The romantic relationships went from simple and naive to complicated and mature. It was such a fantastic representation of the growth of Ava.I just really loved this book. I hope that there are others out there who will find Salvage, and love it as much as I did. If you do, please let me know!!-AndyeReadingTeen.netContent: Sexual Content: Heavy Profanity: Mild Violence: Moderate

Huge thank you to the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this. I'm writing this honest review to say thank you!!!I picked this as one of my most highly anticipated books in 2015 and when I got to about 10% I was SO scared that I wasn't going to like it. The beginning is a bit difficult to get into. The writing in this entire book is rich and layered and incredibly intricate and detailed. Ava, and her people, have their own form of English. The rules are never fully explained, and the social structure that Ava knows is shown, never really explained. So if you aren't willing to work a little bit to get into this book, then you might have trouble with it. THANKFULLY I was able to get into it and it just FLOWED from there. I made the mistake of reading a few reviews on here before reading this and had a small part of it spoiled. So when I got to a certain point in the book I was SO scared about how it was going to work based on the spoiler. And I feel that this is how my entire relationship with this book was. Ava would make choices that made me go NO DO NOT DO THAT OMG PLEASE DON'T DO THAT because she was heading into directions that really turn me off in the YA genre. Thankfully every time it seemed that the book was going to head into a undesirable direction, it made good choices, right choices, and satisfying choices. I have never been so pleased so many times in a single book.This is basically a story about a girl growing up. Ava was born and raised in space, on a ship that travels between a space port above Earth, and Mars. Her ship has it's own unique culture, which we later find out was a product of time and isolation. Women have children, cook, clean, do simple jobs, and aren't allowed to learn how to read, write, do math, or anything mechanical. Ava knows this and grows up looking forward to when she can become someone's bride. The men take multiple wives and are allowed to travel between the space ship and Earth. Women are told that they can't handle the Earth's pull, but really it's just that they aren't allowed to keep their bodies in shape and therefore they are unable to physically handle gravity. Ava is sent to be married but she gets caught in a scandal and is instead sentenced to death. She manages to escape and goes to Earth where she makes friends, suffers heartbreak, finds her only remaining family, and learns that women are capable of so much more than she ever imagined. She learns that she can use her skills and learn new things. That she can have a life and happiness. I loved Ava. She walks a fine line between innocence and experience. She is so mature and naive at the same time. She is smart and thinks about her actions and even when she is irrational she later visits her mistakes and does the right thing. She loves with all of her heart and only wants to be loved in return. Her character development is amazing and I was so happy with every choice she made, right up to the very end of the book.The rest of the characters are wonderful as well. The heartbreaks suffered are so real, and the world is so vidid. I love how it feels futuristic and dystopian at the same time. There are elements that are similar and familiar enough that this book is easy to picture, but I could also imagine it as a big-budget movie with lots of amazing special effects. And the writing... it's so lush and beautiful. Once I got used to the way Ava and her people spoke, I even began to enjoy it.I highly recommend this. And don't be fooled by the few reviews saying that there's a love-triangle, there isn't.

This review is also on my blog, The Library Canary.***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.*** So I love space. I love sci-fi. I love all things nerdy. I also love pretty book covers. So when this book promised all of these things, I jumped on it. Salvage wasn’t what I expected it to be. It wasn’t as technologically centered or even as space centered as I thought. But even though it wasn’t what I was expecting, I still loved it. Seriously, this book was so good.I loved the brief glimpse of space we got and how we learned about the space station where different crewes can stop off and trade supplies. I loved learning how each crewe worked and how culturally different they were. The main character, Ava’s, crewe was very male-dominated. Women were viewed as the ones who cooked, cleaned, and had babies. That was all they were good for. They weren’t taught how to read or how to do math. They weren’t given special gravity training to ensure that if they did happen to go planet-side they wouldn’t be crushed with the weight. They were, in my opinion, treated like animals. They weren’t even allowed to make eye contact with the men of the crewe. It made my blood boil. And what they were planning on doing to Ava after the one thing happened? No. That is not okay. What is wrong with these people???After our brief stint in space, we go planet-side with Ava where we learn about the Gyre, a strange island literally made up of garbage. Ewww. But also, totally believable. I mean seriously, look at how much garbage we dump in the ocean every day. We meet Perpetue and Miyole there and I fell in love with both of them. Miyole was so vibrant, spunky, and alive. And Perpetue was fierce, strong, caring, and just perfect. Ava finds a family with them and begins to recuperate and rebuild her strength after being nearly destroyed by Earth’s gravity.Then we go to another awesome setting, futuristic Mumbai. Seriously, how cool is that? The author did such an amazing job of describing the city. I could clearly picture it in my head and was just in love with the culture, the people, and the feel of the city. I wanted to go live there. Seriously, I wanted to crawl inside the book and live there.So aside from the amazing settings this book has to offer, the main character is also awesome. I connected with her immediately and was rooting for her the entire book. Ava goes through a lot and she is most certainly not perfect. She makes mistakes and she’s a little naïve, but there was something strong and determined underneath all her uncertainty that I admired. The way she took care of Miyole was the sweetest and I loved that Ava pushed herself to provide for the little girl, but also to learn and grow with her new world. The romance was sweet. I wasn’t necessarily swooning, but I liked the two together and it moved at a perfect pace. No insta-love here, people.If you’re looking for an awesome sci-fi or something with a unique setting, then Salvage is for you. I was immersed in this world and the characters and I didn’t want to leave. I was a little worried about it being a standalone and not wrapping up, but I shouldn’t have been. All the loose ends are tied up nicely and I am so happy with the way the story ended. Happy reading all!

I read this book because the synopsis looked fantastic, it was $2 on Amazon Kindle and the reviews were puzzling. Some of them declared the book too long at 500 pages, too technical, "not beach reading"; others claimed it was too difficult to get into the 'jargon' and too hard too follow. Still others declared it too facile. My thought process was a) the first several complaints sound like what non-sci-fi fans think about scifi, and that b) that last one doesn't jive with the rest; I couldn't resist.I have NO idea what book most of those reviewers read. This particular book was 500 (kindle) pages long, and I, a fast-but-not-superhuman reader read them in about 4-5 hours. The writing is not particularly dense, but is put together elegantly. Those 500 pages were what I found was a particularly timely tale of a girl on a merchant ship that is essentially a floating religious cult that fetishizes women's subservience to men as the bearers of children and thus glorified domestic help in the harsh patriarchal structures of a very limited worldview. They aren't even taught to read or properly do math, or are required to physically train to stay strong in anything but their low-gravity ship, thus rendering them essentially nonfunctional on land and totally isolating them from anything but the ship and the other ships to which they are occasionally traded. Like Pokemon cards, or perhaps even real daughters in currently extant societies where young women serve as currency. She makes a couple of bad decisions that could be blamed mostly on her naivete and ignorance and human nature, and is thusly sentenced to death, because that's what 'used' women are good for, am I right? Ugh.At any rate, she is ultimately saved and near-miraculously transported to the Earth's surface, nurtured by a mother who had no stake in helping her other than knowing what it's like to be a woman and have no help; she grows stronger and learns to navigate the strange land, to fly and fix a ship and in the end, thanks to the kindness of yet more strangers, finds a place in the world and ultimately in her own skin. Reading the ship jargon is kind of like listening to an isolated dialect of English, and there were pointedly not 'pages of technical detail'. I know, because neverending pseudoscience wankery is one of my peeves in adult scifi, and there was no hint of it here. In the end, this is a coming of age tale of a girl freed from a religious cult, re-learning how to be a person in our actual society. The spaceships are incidental. My only real complaint could be that she ran into more good people than bad on her journey and it was extremely, almost unbelievably, lucky she did. I rated this book thinking about it in terms of a YA book, and whether I'd want my teenage daughter to read it, and you know what? I really, really would.