A Hero For Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

I've been skimming through quite a lot of uninspiring teen new releases at the moment for work. I was in need of a pick-me-up, so I turned to Book 2 of DiTerlizzi's Wondla series.

I had been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the first book, The Search for Wondla.

And book 2 is no different.

I'm still surprised by how much I'm loving a science fiction fantasy story. Perhaps the success (or not) of a science fiction fantasy story lies in its ability to shine a light on our humanity.

Now that we know young Eva is actually living on Earth...an Earth that was detroyed hundreds of years ago and then eventually recolonised by a band of aliens as well as weird mutated creatures that kind of resemble current flora and fauna...the message is very strong (but not laboured).

Eva is a delight, as is her friend and travelling partner, Rovee.

Eva's strength of character and her humanity is tested throughout book 2. She is a wonderful female protaganist which may be one of the reasons why I enjoy this story so much.

The illustrations at the start of each chapter add so much to our understanding of what this new world and it's creatures looks like.

I highly recommend this series for mature 10+ readers. Don't be put off by the science fiction fantasy label; it is really an action drama series beautifully written and presented with lots of messages about belonging and identity.