Alien Rain

Bree is just an average student at The Pioneer School in New Cardiff, a settlement on Mars.  When she is chosen to be part of a student group attached to a research trip to Earth she is totally dumbfounded.  The three other students are all brilliant in class, but she is struggling, so why has she been added to the group?  Is there something they are not telling her?  When they arrive at their destination, the original city of Cardiff they are stunned by the devastation that they find and Bree seems to be particularly sensitive to the atmosphere around her.  However the Earth is a dangerous place due to the genetically modified creatures that previous generations had developed as weapons; the dragomansk  is similar to a dragonfly but with a lethal substance  that will kill its victim.  One of the main aims of the Martian researchers is to find a secret cure for this venom, but how is Bree involved and more importantly who or what are the voices that she hears in her head?

This is a totally brilliant science fiction story for pre and younger teens.  The fact that it takes place in the shell of the vibrant city of Cardiff makes it very accessible; you can go and visit the sights, especially the Museum of Wales where much of the action is set.  Bree is a heroine that you really want to succeed, despite the odds that seem stacked against her. This is very much a book about believing in yourself and the talents that you have, even if they are different from those around you.  The wider picture is a very sobering one about our future and what happens when we do not live in peace with others. Some of the discoveries that we find are a total shock to Bree and lead her to reconsider all that she has been told about the history of her people and the planet she is visiting.  This gives you a lot to think about and it is also a fast paced action story for both boys and girls.