Star Splitter
by Matthew J. Kirby
Science Fiction
* * * Stars (Pretty good)
Jessica Mathers has been summoned by her parents after they basically abandoned her for their careers when she was eleven. They want her to be a part of their research expedition to Carver 1061c, which will whisk her away from her life on Earth. Jess is ANGRY and doesn’t want to go, but has been given no choice in the matter. So, her story begins with her teleportation, which involves making a copy of all of her “data” and then sending it to a ship that’s in orbit around Carver 1061c, where her new body will be printed out. When she is established on that ship, her old body will be destroyed. This is quite a mental leap for most people, who are also very physically tied to their original bodies! When Jessica awakes in her new body, however, nothing is as it should be. She’s on a lander that has crashed onto Carver 1061c, and the only other survivor seems to be…herself. Which shouldn’t be possible.
This has a gripping beginning and a really fascinating premise, but things sort of fall apart once Jessica meets herself. Chapters go back and forth between Jessica #1 and Jessica #2. Jessica #1 is determined to keep #2 safe and ignorant of all of the things that happened to her and what part she played in the tragedy that befell the ship and its crew. And Jessica #2 is determined to learn the truth. As they continue to diverge, #2 realizes that they are not the same person anymore – their experiences have made them unique. They know different things, they are different people. This is going to be a problem if/when they are ever rescued. Meanwhile, they’re being stalked by something – possibly an alien that was not detected by preliminary scans? – and it’s getting closer. This was a 2025 Lincoln nominee. For high school readers.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
