Sound

Sound, Alexandra Duncan, 489 pages

Miyole has finally achieved her dream of taking to the stars, working as a research assistant on a deep space mission, and even if things aren’t perfect, how can she complain? But when her ship intervenes in a pirate attack on a rover ship, rescuing most of the beleaguered crew, her world is thrown upside down. A rover girl, Cassia, convinces Miyole to help her on a dangerous rescue mission. Will Miyole throw her lifelong dream away for this girl she’s only just met? What dangers await them in the vast emptiness of space?

This is a very good young adult sci-fi book. Miyole is dealing with some repressed trauma, which informs many of her major decisions. She felt real and complicated, although some of the supporting characters, Cassia in particular, were less fleshed out. That being said, Miyole is a solid enough protagonist that the book doesn’t suffer for it. This is the companion novel to Salvage, which I have not read, but I heard they could stand independently, and I never felt I was missing out on some crucial piece of information.