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Reviewed by:
  • Where the Rock Splits the Sky by Philip Webb
  • April Spisak
Webb, Philip. Where the Rock Splits the Sky. Chicken House/Scholastic, 2014. [272p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-545-55701-6 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-545-55702-3 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys      R Gr. 8–10.

The moon is shattered, creepy aliens invade human bodies, a few billion people have died, and a significant portion of the west is simply referred to as the Zone, a place where, if you go into it, you will certainly not emerge unscathed. It’s little wonder that Megan is as scrappy as she is, having grown up in this new Earth, and that she is undaunted by the idea of heading off into the Zone to find her missing father, dire warnings or not. It turns out that Megan, a hybrid of sorts, is pretty important and may end up saving the whole darn world. In a YA field of ever-increasing apocalyptic visions, this is a fresh and clever variant, one that sets its end of the world narrative in an Old West–style milieu with saloons, sheriffs, and drawling dialect. Webb ably balances the science fiction and coming of age elements, giving Megan authentic space to grow while keeping readers busy with gripping passages about murderous blue alien tendrils. The rare Western fan will, of course, be enthralled, and the sharply written passages about gunslinging justice may even win a few converts. [End Page 426]

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