Judith Moffett

The Hefn, an alien race, on encountering Earth, stop Humanity from reproducing. Maybe it's because we've messed up our planet. Maybe it's because we're a threat. Their motives become less clear and more complex as the series goes on. The main story is a boy with a serious trauma issue and the Hefn who helps him cope with it. However, the part I like best is the explorations of a female-to-male gender queer who does a lot of exploring of being male in the course of the book. Disappointingly, show more between the 1st and 2nd books, she gets therapy and goes back to being a woman. show less

This feels like a book that waited too long to hatch and accumulated all sorts of stuff while it was gestating. It does give a satisfactory and poignant conclusion to the series, but I found the diversions into Mormonism, shamanism, and dog training tiresome. Much of that was towards the end and could be skimmed.

Interesting ideas, with intent towards Sense of Wonder and What If. But one of the primary themes was awkward and overdone, and some of the writing was awkward, too. Also, I particularly don't like what happened to one young girl character.

In fact, the author assumes that humans will readily revert to old sexist roles & behaviors and I don't like that at all... the book is meant to be hopeful so let's keep letting all the women be people, let the girls play sports, let the boys cook, etc.

I show more don't particularly recommend it. I can see why some readers claim to love it... but I think what they love is the idea; they want to be a member of the Quaker colonists making a new life on Pennterra.

Btw, I have to admit that it took me far too long to figure out how they came up with a name for the planet. But it is obvious in hindsight.... show less

Among all the dealing with aliens and environmental messages going on in this novel, there is also the story of a teenage female who's having trouble with her gender. The resolution of the problem is rather conventional, especially compared to some of the stuff in Ragged World. I was disappointed when I read it, but at the same time felt the author was speaking from the heart and not just relying on conventional ideas rather than thinking the character's problems through.