Emmett’s first-person voice is immediate and innocent: he realizes that Babel’s ruthless and coldblooded but doesn’t apply that to his understanding of what’s really going on. Textual descriptions can be scanty however, copious action and a reality TV atmosphere (the scoreboard shows regularly) make the pace flow. Awkward moments in the smattering of black vernacular are rare. Emmett's initial understanding of his own blackness may throw readers off, but a black protagonist in outer space is welcome. It even forms language-translating facemasks, allowing Emmett, a black boy from Detroit, to communicate with competitors from other countries. They head through space toward the planet Eden, where they’ll mine a substance called nyxia, “the new black gold.” En route, the corporation forces them into brutal competition with one another-fighting, running through violent virtual reality racecourses, and manipulating nyxia, which can become almost anything. Surely it’s the jackpot: they’ll each receive $50,000 every month for life, and Emmett’s mother will get a kidney transplant, otherwise impossible for poor people. When Babel Communications invites 10 teens to participate in “the most serious space exploration known to mankind,” Emmett signs on. Kids endure rigorous competition aboard a spaceship.
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