Reviewer (text)
Sarah Rachel Egelman
Compelling from the get-go, OMEGA CITY is the story of a girl's belief in her father and the lengths she goes to in order to prove him right and gain an understanding of his passions.
Twelve-year-old Gillian Seagret is a fierce defender of her father, Dr. Sam Seagret, even after his conspiracy theories broke up her parents’ marriage and forced her brother, father and herself to relocate to the small town they normally only visited in the summer. When Dr. Seagret’s work on the mysterious Dr. Underberg is destroyed, both Gillian and her father are devastated. However, they never waver in their belief that Underberg's great battery and other inventions are still possible to discover.
After Gillian begins to suspect her father's new girlfriend, Fiona, of having ulterior motives, she is drawn into a race to see who will find Underberg's battery first. Taking along her reluctant brother Eric; her best friend Savannah; an astronomy nerd from school named Howard; and Howard's hunky, but most importantly brave, teenage brother Nate, Gillian searches the woods outside of town for the battery. When Fiona and two gun-toting tough guys find them there, the kids are chased into a secret, perilous and amazing underground realm created by Underberg himself. Running away from Fiona and her thugs and toward the truth about both Underberg and Dr. Seagret's theories, Gillian, Eric, Savannah, Howard and Nate draw on their physical strengths, their mental abilities and their instincts to survive. They face harm around every underground corner as they navigate Omega City and the surprises don't stop coming.
[A] thrilling and entertaining first book in what is sure to be a fantastic series.
OMEGA CITY is great fun, but more than that, it has some interesting themes and great characters. Gillian is steadfast and loyal against pretty great odds. Plus, she demonstrates a toughness and leadership ability that is too often missing from female lead characters. She is capable of seeing the good in people like Howard, who is easily dismissed as too weird, but isn't intimidated by the bad guys like Fiona. Even the boy-crazy Savannah puts friendship and truth above all else. Nate, who begins the story as just the cute pizza delivery boy, is shown to be much more than a handsome face --- he extends his role as his brother’s protector to protect the other three children, as well. Eric, who doesn't always believe what his father does or agree with his sister, is still loving and close with them both, showing that family and friends don't always have to see eye to eye to have meaningful connections.
The underground Omega City is a wonderful and inventive setting for this adventure. Peterfreund describes a fantastic place and makes it really believable. There are plenty of mysteries to be addressed in future installments of this series; What happened to Dr. Underberg? Who is the Arkadia group, really? And who are the Shepherds? What will become of Dr. Seagret's theories and work? What adventures will these five kids find themselves facing next as they try to understand all that they have discovered and learned?
Middle graders looking for a fast-paced adventure in a unique setting that’s chock full of quirkiness and great characters will find much to appreciate in Diana Peterfreund's OMEGA CITY. It’s a thrilling and entertaining first book in what is sure to be a fantastic series.
Teaser
Gillian Seagret discovers a missing page from Dr. Underberg's diary in her father's mess of an office --- a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg's greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her younger brother, her best friend, and their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off on a journey into the ruins of Omega City. But they aren't alone inside its dark and flooded halls. For while Gillian wants to save her dad's reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg's secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried...forever.
Promo
Gillian Seagret discovers a missing page from Dr. Underberg's diary in her father's mess of an office --- a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg's greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her younger brother, her best friend, and their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off on a journey into the ruins of Omega City. But they aren't alone inside its dark and flooded halls. For while Gillian wants to save her dad's reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg's secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried...forever.
About the Book
The first middle grade novel in an exciting new series from acclaimed author Diana Peterfreund, perfect for fans of THE GOONIES and THE CITY OF EMBER.
Gillian Seagret doesn't listen to people who say her father's a crackpot. His conspiracy theories about the lost technology of Cold War -- era rocket scientist Dr. Aloysius Underberg may have cost him his job and forced them to move to the middle of nowhere, but Gillian knows he's right and plans to prove it.
When she discovers a missing page from Dr. Underberg's diary in her father's mess of an office, she thinks she's found a big piece of the puzzle --- a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg's greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her skeptical younger brother, Eric, her best friend, Savannah, and Howard, their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off on a journey into the ruins of Omega City, a vast doomsday bunker deep inside the earth,.
But they aren't alone inside its dark and flooded halls. For while Gillian wants to save her dad's reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg's secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried...forever.
