The Infinite Sea
2014
- aliens
- survival skills
- war stories
- science fiction
- war
- extraterrestrial beings
- juvenile fiction
- survival
- fiction
- young adult fiction
The story
Cassie Sullivan, one of Earth's few remaining human survivors, attempts to put a stop to the Others' plan to destroy the remaining humans.
What it’s like
Taut, first-person survival told in short, clipped sections, with a bleak, rain-soaked feel and a steady undercurrent of dread. The prose is spare and immediate, favouring physical detail over lyrical description: cold, hunger, mud, the weight of a rifle, the ache of a body pushed past exhaustion, and the eerie stillness of emptied towns where something might be watching from the trees. Night scenes carry much of the atmosphere, with the sense that every noise could be the enemy. Pacing is brisk and chapter-driven, moving in quick bursts of action and quieter stretches of grief and wary observation. The emotional register is grim but determined, centred on a young narrator who hardens under pressure while holding onto fragile loyalties and loss. Violence is present and fairly frequent, including hand-to-hand fights, killing, and deaths of characters, though it is more about tension and aftermath than graphic gore. Best suited to readers who want a propulsive, bleak, post-apocalyptic thriller with a strong teenage protagonist, and less suited to anyone seeking something gentle or cosy.
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