Rimrider (Rimrider Adventures Book 1)

SCI-FI:  Jane and Will Benedict find themselves on an adventure born of necessity: neither 15-year-old Jane nor her 12-year-old brother Will is willing to become wards of United Earth Corporation. The place is full of “zebras”; people who only think in black and white. Their father must have foreseen his death because he asks his daughter to memorize a string of letters, numbers and books on a flight to Rimrock aboard the Solar Vortex. The initial goal is to find their mother’s stepsister, Adelyn. Jane once overheard that she was sent to the rim for criminal activity, something that families do not discuss openly.

The world L. A. Kelley creates captivates and is complementary to the plot (which develops naturally). There is a definite sense of time and place throughout. The fluidity from one chapter to the next encourages the reader to delve deeper into the tale. Readers may look twice when they encounter a misspelled character name toward the end. The many characters possess depth; their reactions and dialogue appropriate for the ages and dispositions represented. The storyline has plenty of twists and turns as characters are integrated. Both the internal and external conflicts come about organically, and so does the innocent teenage romance.

From beginning to end this story keeps the reader guessing in the best way possible, leaving them satisfied and waiting for the next book in the series.

Heather R. Nielsen