REAP 23 By J J Perry
Vivid perils and well-realized characters and concepts fuel a space/time voyage - Kirkus
Yuliya Geikhman: US Review of Books November 2017
The 23rd team of the Repopulation, Expansion, and Annexation Program (REAP) has undergone extensive flight, landing, and emergency preparation. The only factor it can't prepare for is human nature. Aboard the spaceship, a crew of four highly trained couples experiences the effects of being cooped up in close quarters. Adultery, revenge, and at least one unhinged crew member threaten years of preparation. Soon after liftoff, disaster strikes.
Perry writes descriptively yet never drily, putting readers into this tightly-packed space mission and allowing them to feel the conflict—and loss—along with the crew members. With intelligent characters from all over the world and well-written dialogue, this tale is a great read for any sci-fi fan. The book serves as a reminder that no matter how far our knowledge extends, we will always be at the mercy of our minds and bodies.
Kirkus Indie Review Feb 2018
Perry, who wrote Between Love and Money (2007) as Martin Filson, spins a taut, resonant tale based on one of the most familiar tropes in sci-fi. The author tightens the screws of claustrophobia and suspense with aplomb and well-conceived characterizations, which are concerned just as much with matters of emotion (maybe more so) as with circuitry and astrophysics. . . . The chronicle leapfrogs over thousands of tumultuous years—thanks to Einstein’s theory of relativity—while nations rise and decay and humanity loses, regains, and loses again concrete memories of REAP and its meaning. The author provides an afterword detailing the future history inferred in the plot line, and it leaves readers with a sense that much material remains to be mined from the rich universe Perry has persuasively imagined.
John Murray, Clarion Review (Awarded 4 of 5 stars) Nov 2017
The majority of the tension and suspense comes from complex relationship dynamics, as the narrative follows the ups and downs of normal people adrift in space with an infinitesimal chance of survival. Time and distance are not the only enemies of the REAP 23—its passengers also must survive each other. . . . The story examines relationships, technology, and politics with a subtle glimmer of hope running throughout. Robotic crew members are interestingly juxtaposed to the human crew. These sentient machines become characters in their own right, with detailed tics and foibles. Most importantly, they too are changed by the mission.
Ella Vincent, Pacific Book Review: (Awarded a Star, a book of excellent merit.) October 2017
REAP-23 has many complex characters that drive the story forward. The complicated relationships between the couples on the mission and the love affairs which result capture the perils of claustrophobic environments. The female protagonists in the novel, Laila and spaceship captain Savanna, are strong leaders and not passive secondary characters. The assertiveness of the women is a refreshing change from the subordinate position of women in most other sci-fi novels. . . . This novel is an engaging book which will be great for readers who are sci-fi fans as well as the occasional space enthusiast. Readers who loved The Martian by Andy Weir will love this novel about space travel. Fans of classic science fiction about robots and post-apocalyptic from authors like Ray Bradbury will also like this book. The book would be perfect for science-fiction book clubs or for literature courses about space.
https://www.blueinkreview.com/book-reviews/reap-23/
J. J. Perry delivers a complex, challenging and thought-provoking book that explores inner as well as outer space. Readers will find many rewards here.
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reap-23-j-j-perry/1126528875?ean=9781543427417
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/REAP-23-J-Perry/dp/1543427413/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537745423&sr=8-1&keywords=REAP+23&dpID=41pGJAJf0PL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
Apple Books: Look for REAP 23 by J J Perry
