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When Debbie awakens to blinding white light, she realizes she isn’t home in bed as she should be. Strange creatures with three fingers, triangular faces, and almond eyes approach her, wielding horrific metallic instruments. She is confused and terrified, but suddenly, she is rescued by a woman who reveals that she has undergone a process that blocks memory. The woman whom Debbie calls Ellen tells her they must get far away from the owners of the ship. Though Ellen can only remember bits and pieces, there is one name that she retains—Veniramat. Hoping to find answers on what they assume is Ellen’s home planet, they take the ship but soon discover the Greens, pirates of the universe, are chasing them, and they must stay one step ahead. Navigating the many creatures and societies they encounter on different planets is a difficult and dangerous task. Will they escape the Greens and find their home at the end of their journey?
This thrilling science fiction novel is filled with wondrous worlds and charismatic characters that are well-defined. DeWitt has a knack for worldbuilding. His descriptive language allows one to fully embrace the many aliens encountered by Debbie and Ellen as they traverse the universe in search of their home. Creatures appear with purple eyes “verging on black, their mouths almost lipless but still wearing those empty smiles.” Bird-like beings co-exist with “giant bugs with colonies hidden away all across the universe.” Planets are varied and fanciful, with cartoon greetings that welcome travelers to an umber-colored desert world. The two main characters strive to understand each other’s vastly different ways of communicating and handling their predicament, which leads to some humorous conversations. Science fiction lovers will find all the elements that go into creating a story that’s out of this world.