Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Teens band together while on a catastrophic interplanetary cruise in this futuristic, adrenaline-fueled series launch from Johnston (Pretty Furious). Titan is a new kind of spaceship embarking on a weeklong maiden voyage to Mars. Though the passenger decks are posh and display alien specimens--which were uncovered from Earth's permafrost and kept secret until now--crew quarters are cramped, and the hull carries indentured workers destined for Martian mines. Desperate to escape his imperious adoptive parents and narcissistic boyfriend, first class traveler Dominic Reubens chats up hardscrabble Titan engineer Celeste Sparrow. Like Dominic, Celeste was orphaned following the Ottawa Valley rift system collapse--or the Rupture--which destroyed "almost everything from Montreal to Sudbury" when they were toddlers. While Celeste initially dismisses Dominic as a poster child of Rupture recovery efforts, she soon realizes he's earnestly curious about his origins. Just as attraction sparks, disaster strikes, forcing them to prioritize survival over romance. Extraterrestrial elements feel shoehorned into the plot, undermining impact. Nevertheless, Johnston keeps the pages turning with high-stakes action, escalating terror, and a visceral first-person-present narrative that alternates between Dominic and Celeste, and prominently features themes of classism and self-determination. The protagonists cue as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: David Purse, Inked Entertainment. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Celeste's determination has paid off; she has escaped life in the Rupt, the devastation following an earthquake that impacted half of Canada and is proud of her role as engineer on a cutting-edge, luxury spaceship headed for Mars. Dominic is less than enthusiastic about space travel, as being trapped on the ship means being trapped with his overbearing parents who are determined to ensure any dreams he has of art school are left on Earth. As Celeste and Dominic develop an unexpected friendship, they are also witness to a unique surprise brought aboard the ship: ancient aliens stored in display cases for the entertainment of passengers. But when the aliens are purposely released into the ship, not all of those passengers will reach an escape pod. In this work, readers will recognize the typical signs of a catastrophe in the making: an ecological disaster on Earth resulting in a plan to mine Mars, a gilded space shuttle with a stark class divide to travel there, and the hubris of those who built the shuttle making everything exponentially worse. But this is no stale redux of other works in the genre. The author's attention to detail keeps readers immersed in the moment, while dual viewpoints gradually bring the characters alive, and a steady pace and eerie atmosphere propel the work forward. A fun Alien Easter egg is included via Dr. Ripley, the ship's ethnobiologist. VERDICT A mash-up of sci-fi and horror tropes fervently coalesce into a satisfying and fresh option for teens.--Maggie Mason Smith
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Review by Horn Book Review
Brief but dire opening vignettes warn readers they're headed into trouble before the narrative begins at the launch of the Titan, a spaceship (with echoes of the Titanic) on its maiden voyage to Mars. Celeste and her best friend, Ren, are junior engineers, having worked their way out of poverty in the Rupt, a large area of Canada decimated by a violent earthquake. Dominic is also from the Rupt but was adopted as a young child by wealthy parents, now first-class passengers aboard the Titan who, it transpires, are overseeing the cases containing Titan's secret cargo: the bodies of squid-like purple aliens recently discovered in melting tundra. After the initial terror at their reveal, the narrative settles down to a Jack-and-Rose romance between Celeste and Dominic -- until a late-night alarm signals the beginning of a nightmare. The aliens aren't dead, and they've escaped from their cases. The extensive buildup leads to compelling character and societal dynamics in the crisis: Celeste and Ren are ride-or-die, but Celeste realizes Ren has already sacrificed a lot to be with her; as a child of privilege, Dominic struggles with feeling weak and useless against the threat; wealthy passengers monopolize the escape pods and leave the others trapped. Gruesome deaths and the paranoia of Walking Dead-style body-snatching form fairly standard horror tropes, but Johnston has established such authenticity that readers will never question the urgency as the pages just seem to turn themselves. Anita L. BurkamJuly/August 2025 p.98 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this duology opener, teens work together to survive being stuck on a spaceship with aliens. The spaceshipTitan's maiden voyage is a weeklong journey from Earth to Mars. The more than 500 passengers include paying customers, who are enjoying a first-class experience, the crew, who are stressed about keeping the aforementioned group happy, and some journalists and scientists. Petrified aliens, found preserved in permafrost, are on display in cases. The point of view alternates between the queer, white-presenting leads: Celeste Sparrow is a junior engineer who knows where all the hidden tunnels are on theTitan, and Dominic Reubens is an aspiring artist, who's fed up with his boyfriend, Adam Jeffers. While they're both survivors of a terrible earthquake in Eastern Canada known as the St. Lawrence Rupture, their experiences on Earth couldn't have been further apart. Celeste struggled to get where she is, while Dominic was adopted by prominent parents. Here on theTitan, crew member Celeste and wealthy Dominic are drawn to each other--initially out of curiosity but, when the aliens run amok, out of the need to survive. Dominic's and Celeste's perspectives initially unfold at a deliberate pace. When the action ramps up, the story vibrates with terror, offering readers a compelling and harrowing treat and highlighting the teens' sheer cunning and urgent desire for survival. The presence and impact of colonial privilege and power are also inescapable. Riveting and thoroughly enjoyable.(Science fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
