Review by jdsatosk -- Homecoming by Jude Austin
-
jdsatosk
- Posts: 144
- Joined: 08 Apr 2019, 11:36
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 133
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jdsatosk.html
- Latest Review: Homecoming by Jude Austin
Review by jdsatosk -- Homecoming by Jude Austin
[Following is a volunteer review of "Homecoming" by Jude Austin.]
Homecoming, written by Jude Austin, is the sequel to Project Tau. In Homecoming, Projects Kata and Tau have escaped GenTech Labs after years of enduring training and dehumanization at the hands of scientists. The two plan to seek refuge on Kata’s home planet, Trandellia, but they are waylaid by GenTech’s attempts to regain them as property. Not only do Kata and Tau have to dodge bounty hunters and other dangerous groups that seek to control them, but they also have to deal with the mental fallout of surviving GenTech’s Project training.
Kata struggles with the horrors that he has to commit to escape GenTech and remain free. To avoid a life of hiding, he is forced to come to terms with what was done to him and to deal with some of the issues that landed him in GenTech’s Lab to begin with. Tau is overwhelmed with the reality of life outside of the lab. He struggles to form a baseline for real world experiences and to find a safe space for himself in a world that continues to try to own him. Tau’s interactions with other humans and his discomfort with his new surroundings drives home the fact that, despite both of them being considered Projects, he and Kata are no longer equals when they leave the lab. The bond between the two, built on shared suffering, strains as their internal struggles and new experiences create a chasm between them.
I love that Jude Austin addresses the mental health of Kata and Tau. It would be very unrealistic for both of the boys to have undergone the GenTech Project training and come out unscathed. I think that she did a good job of distinguishing those effects in each character to portray the difference in backgrounds. The plot is tumultuous and action-packed, but the projects’ mental health and accompanying issues are integral to the development of Homecoming.
There wasn’t anything about this book that I didn’t like, and, as an added bonus, it was very well edited. Like the first novel, Project Tau, Homecoming is a futuristic science fiction novel. Readers interested in science fiction and conjecture on what the future holds for humanity will enjoy this novel. I would definitely suggest reading Project Tau before reading Homecoming. This is not a series where the books can be read as standalone novels. Similar to Project Tau, Homecoming contains profanity and dives into mature themes, but there are no sexually explicit scenes. These are considerations for young or sensitive readers, but I like the way the author uses the language and topics for character and plot development.
I really enjoyed reading Project Tau, and I was a little worried that the second book would be a disappointment. However, I am very pleased with Jude Austin’s second Project book. There are several openings left for a third book, but it doesn’t have a cliffhanger ending. I’m looking forward to the third installment in the Project series and I will definitely be reading it. I give Homecoming 4 out of 4 stars. I have been recommending Project Tau to my friends and family since I read it, and I wholly endorse Homecoming as a great second novel.
******
Homecoming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Homecoming, written by Jude Austin, is the sequel to Project Tau. In Homecoming, Projects Kata and Tau have escaped GenTech Labs after years of enduring training and dehumanization at the hands of scientists. The two plan to seek refuge on Kata’s home planet, Trandellia, but they are waylaid by GenTech’s attempts to regain them as property. Not only do Kata and Tau have to dodge bounty hunters and other dangerous groups that seek to control them, but they also have to deal with the mental fallout of surviving GenTech’s Project training.
Kata struggles with the horrors that he has to commit to escape GenTech and remain free. To avoid a life of hiding, he is forced to come to terms with what was done to him and to deal with some of the issues that landed him in GenTech’s Lab to begin with. Tau is overwhelmed with the reality of life outside of the lab. He struggles to form a baseline for real world experiences and to find a safe space for himself in a world that continues to try to own him. Tau’s interactions with other humans and his discomfort with his new surroundings drives home the fact that, despite both of them being considered Projects, he and Kata are no longer equals when they leave the lab. The bond between the two, built on shared suffering, strains as their internal struggles and new experiences create a chasm between them.
I love that Jude Austin addresses the mental health of Kata and Tau. It would be very unrealistic for both of the boys to have undergone the GenTech Project training and come out unscathed. I think that she did a good job of distinguishing those effects in each character to portray the difference in backgrounds. The plot is tumultuous and action-packed, but the projects’ mental health and accompanying issues are integral to the development of Homecoming.
There wasn’t anything about this book that I didn’t like, and, as an added bonus, it was very well edited. Like the first novel, Project Tau, Homecoming is a futuristic science fiction novel. Readers interested in science fiction and conjecture on what the future holds for humanity will enjoy this novel. I would definitely suggest reading Project Tau before reading Homecoming. This is not a series where the books can be read as standalone novels. Similar to Project Tau, Homecoming contains profanity and dives into mature themes, but there are no sexually explicit scenes. These are considerations for young or sensitive readers, but I like the way the author uses the language and topics for character and plot development.
I really enjoyed reading Project Tau, and I was a little worried that the second book would be a disappointment. However, I am very pleased with Jude Austin’s second Project book. There are several openings left for a third book, but it doesn’t have a cliffhanger ending. I’m looking forward to the third installment in the Project series and I will definitely be reading it. I give Homecoming 4 out of 4 stars. I have been recommending Project Tau to my friends and family since I read it, and I wholly endorse Homecoming as a great second novel.
******
Homecoming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Homecoming by Jude Austin
