Reader Score
80%
80% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Great
Based on 6 reviews on
Yume Kitasei's The Deep Sky is an enthralling sci fi thriller debut about a mission into deep space that begins with a lethal explosion that leaves the survivors questioning the loyalty of the crew.
They left Earth to save humanity. They'll have to save themselves first. It is the eve of Earth's environmental collapse. A single ship carries humanity's last hope: eighty elite graduates of a competitive program, who will give birth to a generation of children in deep space. But halfway to a distant but livable planet, a lethal bomb kills three of the crew and knocks The Phoenix off course. Asuka, the only surviving witness, is an immediate suspect. As the mystery unfolds on the ship, poignant flashbacks reveal how Asuka came to be picked for the mission. Despite struggling through training back on Earth, she was chosen to represent Japan, a country she only partly knows as a half-Japanese girl raised in America. But estranged from her mother back home, The Phoenix is all she has left. With the crew turning on each other, Asuka is determined to find the culprit before they all lose faith in the mission--or worse, the bomber strikes again.A Washington Post Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel of 2023, a Kirkus Reviews Best Debut of 2023, a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Science Fiction, and a Tor.com Must-Read Sci-Fi Release of 2023
"A great time." --Veronica Roth "Kitasei has put so much thought and heart into this fresh take on the generation ship, and on the dilemma between abandoning Earth and prolonging humanity. I can't wait to see what her mind sparks to next." --Tor.com "Required reading." --The Boston Globe "One of the best debuts of the year." --Book Riot "On this whodunnit frame, Kitasei hangs a deeper story about what mothers and daughters owe each other and how complicated that relationship can become when bridging tragedies large and small as well as crossing cultures." --Locus