First Impressions: Tankborn, I'll admit, first captured my attention by having a wonderfully colorful cover. I spotted it inside of a local bookstore and I loved how it featured a non-Caucasian girl on the cover, which is a rare find indeed in the Young Adult section. Not only that, but the blue hues that were used are extremely pretty. When I read the book synopsis and found out that Tankborn is a dystopian/sci-fi novel, it just made me want to read it even more. I have a thing for books with caste systems, kind of like The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins, and I was definitely intrigued. I hadn't heard of the author before so I wasn't too sure what to expect.
First 50 Pages: It took me a while to get use to the language inside of Tankborn. Everything has very unique names and the vocabulary aspect was different than I expected. I should have known better. Most science-fiction novels have interesting and different languages that usually takes time to get used to. Once I figured out what everything was, it became a much more enjoyable read. It didn't take me very long, maybe a chapter or two, so it wasn't a big deal. I do think that in order to be able to enjoy this book, you have to be a fan of what I call "high science-fiction," or just have a very good imagination. Karen Sandler does an unbelievably good job with her world-building and she includes a lot of details to help you along the way. I would say that Tankborn is more science-fiction then dystopian, on the exception of the caste system that is used. It was easy to get lost in Loka, the planet this story takes place on. Once I really dug into the story, it was very difficult to put back down.
Characters & Plot: Tankborn takes place on the planet, Loka, and is set 400 years after the destruction of Earth. Loka is nothing like Earth and is far more advanced (from a scientific stand-point) then what we are used to now. Loka has flying cars and is inhabited by huge monster-like creatures. However, this story centers around Kayla and Mishalla, two GENS who are very best friends.
GENS have no true birth mother or father. They are genetically created inside of tanks to be used as workers (slaves) of Trueborns, people who were born naturally of the Loki society. Trueborns are snobbish people, wealthy, and consider themselves far above GENS in the social ladder. It is easy to spot the reference to slavery that happened here on Earth (and is STILL happening in certain areas). Slavery is an on-going theme that runs through this book heavily and is one of the many reasons I enjoyed reading Tankborn. It's not a theme that you will come across often in a Young Adult novel. What is the phrase? History repeats itself if no one has learned from their mistakes. This is very much the case here inside of Tankborn. Segregation can also be found quite often inside of Tankborn, as well as the ignorance that comes along with it. Trueborns don't like to associate with GENS, they don't even like to touch a GEN out of fear of becoming disfigured. It reminded me of the segregation of African Americans and Caucasians in the 1900's, with people being forced to use different restroom facilities and water fountains out of fear of "catching a disease." Just like with the real slave owners of our past, Trueborns have no apparent issues with GENS serving them in their homes, which in order to do so, they have to, you know, touch everything.
Kayla and Mishalla were pretty typical young girls, despite what all of the Trueborns thought about them. Both have hopes and dreams like any other person their age. The friendship between these two characters was very sweet and sincere. I kind of wanted them to be together more throughout the story, but each of the girls gives her own perspective of the events in the plot as they see them. What I thought was very cool was the relationships that Kayla and Mishalla developed with the Trueborn boys, Devak and Eoghan. I really enjoyed the private conversations that Kayla and Devak had with one another. These stolen moments hold a lot of wisdom, especially given their circumstances and their ages.
Final Thoughts: If Tankborn is any indication of what kind of books Tu Books will be producing, it is safe to say they have me hooked as a reader. The amount of diversity that is included in Tankborn is more than what I have read in the past ten years in any other novel, and I'm grateful for that. When you combine a book with so much diversity, quality writing, an intriguing and genuine story line, you get a fabulous book worth having on your shelf. And that is exactly what Tankborn is!
Other Things That Makes Tankborn Awesome (from Lee & Low's Website): Asian/Asian American Interest, Biracial Interest, African/African American Interest, Breaking Gender Barriers, Conflict resolution, Discrimination, Friendship, Heroism, Overcoming Obstacles, Responsibility, Self Esteem/Identity, Slavery, YA interest, Nature/Science, Poverty, Scifi, Dystopia
