Review: The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

Title: The Final Six (The Final Six #2)
Author: Alexandra Monir
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 6th 2018 


Summary: 

Set in the near future, this action-packed YA novel—already optioned by Sony—will take readers out of their world and on a quest to become one of six teens sent on a mission to Jupiter’s moon. When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, a science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered. After erratic climate change has made Earth a dangerous place to live, the fate of the population rests on the shoulders of the final six who will be scouting a new planet. Intense training, global scrutiny, and cutthroat opponents are only a few of the hurdles the contestants must endure in this competition. For Leo, the prospect of traveling to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—to help resettle humankind is just the sense of purpose he’s been yearning for since losing his entire family in the flooding of Rome. Naomi, after learning of a similar space mission that mysteriously failed, suspects the ISTC isn’t being up front with them about what’s at risk. As the race to the final six advances, the tests get more challenging—even deadly. With pressure mounting, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo, and the two grow closer with each mind-boggling experience they encounter. But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.

I was really excited for The Final Six and I really want to say that I loved it. But sadly I didn't. I liked the idea a lot and the diverse cast of characters but that was about it. The Final Six fell short of the expectations that I had for it. 

Character wise I was able to relate to Naomi in the aspect of her young brother being ill and him being the center of her world and her devotion to her family. After that I wasn't the biggest fan of Naomi. Though ISTC hasn't been entirely forthcoming on the Europa mission, it is the only hope for humanity at this point. I found her to be very negative about a lot of things. She does realize through out the book that she has had it a lot easier then a majority of the 24 selected teens, but she continuously only thought about herself. I did how ever like Leo, the book opens up in his POV. You can see nothing but the pain and loneliness he has felt in the time that his parents and sister died that you can't help but to feel for him. He is desperate for a fresh start and Europa is his answer. Where Naomi is finding every possible way to sabotage the mission so the 24 will get to go home to their families, Leo is hoping to be one of the final six that is chosen to go to Europa. 

I wasn't a fan of the romance at all. It felt rushed and they barley know anything about each other. One moment they are strangers on separate sides of the world and the next they are in love. I just don't understand. It felt like the romance took over a lot of the plot line of The Final Six in certain parts. There was a scene at the very end of the novel that I didn't find relevant to the story line, but having been seventeen once I do understand that train of thought.

The idea behind Europa and colonizing it was cool, but I am still confused with what exactly was going on. They have to break through ice to get to the land and then get to the ocean? Are microscopic aliens the only life form? There are so many aspects of Europa that remained unanswered and could have been explained a whole lot more then they really were. 

I liked the idea behind The Final Six all things considering. Colonizing and terraforming other bodies of mass in the galaxy is a really interesting concept to me, and I am eagerly waiting for this step to be taken in the real world. The natural disasters that take place in The Final Six are scary real. They aren't some far fetched ideas that are impossible. These things are very much possible and are happening everyday. 

With how The Final Six ended I am curious what is going to happen next and have still have a ton of questions that I am looking for answers for. I do plan on reading the second book when it comes out all things considered. All in all I am dissapointed that I didn't love this one as much as I anticipated but not everything I read is going to be my cup of tea.  

(2.5 Stars)