La science-fiction se prête admirablement bien à une forme du roman
d’aventures qui combine, sur le plan narratif, une succession de péripéties
haletantes et une série de révélations qui altèrent la vision des choses
partagée au départ par les protagonistes et par les lecteurs. Si la formule
paraît simple, son application exige de maîtriser les enchaînements sans
temps mort et d’éviter les coups de théâtre ridicules, factices ou carrément
éculés.

Dans ce nouveau roman, Willett met en place en quelques
chapitres un scénario de chasse-poursuite qui va occuper le reste de
l’ouvrage tout en égrenant une série de surprises. L’intrigue est
classique, car il s’agit d’emblée de renverser un pouvoir tyrannique dans un univers futuriste, mais l’auteur réserve aux lecteurs
plusieurs retournements bien amenés ainsi que des cadres fouillés et
même originaux à l’occasion.

Au cœur de l’action, il y a la Ville construite au centre d’une plaine
enclose par des montagnes infranchissables. La déliquescence de ses
mécanismes de recyclage et l’accaparement des ressources par l’élite
annoncent sa ruine prochaine et entraînent un flux de déchets déversés
à l’extérieur sans scrupules inutiles. Ainsi, la base de l’immense structure habitée surplombe un vaste dépotoir où se retrouvent les exclus du
système. C’est aussi le refuge du jeune Danyl et de son père adoptif,
Erl. Au sommet de la ville, la jeune Alania est la pupille de Beruthi,
un des plus hauts gradés dans la hiérarchie de la Ville.

Le jour de leur vingtième anniversaire, leur vie (miséreuse
dans le cas de Danyl, opulente et ennuyeuse dans celui d’Alania)
change à jamais. Pour échapper à une tentative d’enlèvement,
Alania atterrit en catastrophe dans le dépotoir et Danyl va devoir sortir
de son anonymat pour la sauver de ses ennemis. Ce faisant, ils
vont découvrir l’identité des personnes qui ont manipulé leur
existence depuis avant leur conception. S’ils arriveront à triompher de
l’adversaire désigné, leur victoire prendra tout son sens quand ils
imposeront le dénouement de leur choix à leurs aventures.

Auteur prolifique basé en Saskatchewan, Willett en est à son
huitième roman (sous son propre nom, mais aussi sous ses pseudonymes Lee Arthur Chane et E. C. Blake) pour DAW, une des
plus anciennes maisons d’édition spécialisées en science-fiction aux
États-Unis. Il a également signé deux romans de science-fiction pour
l’éditeur canadien Bundoran Press ainsi qu’une grosse douzaine de livres
pour jeunes adultes chez d’autres éditeurs canadiens. De roman en
roman, le montage de ses intrigues ne cesse de
gagner en efficacité. Dans The Cityborn, l’enjeu
est clair : perpétuer ou non un ordre social
inique, mais la cadence de la narration
est telle qu’elle obscurcit les solutions possibles jusqu’au dernier moment. La nature
de l’émancipation obtenue reste floue et
c’est la seule insatisfaction à signaler au
terme d’une lecture trépidante qui s’adresse
aussi bien aux adolescents qu’aux adultes.

In: Brins d'Éternité (Fall 2017), pp. 90-92.

In a strange city of steel that slowly disintegrates, two youngsters grow up. She on the upper floors, in a privileged environment, he in the slums. The education of both is given special attention by the respective mentors, thus making them different from their peers, but neither of them understands the reason. At a certain point, however, things begin to plummet and the two youngsters must leave the places they know and, after meeting, leave for a "search" that will lead them to discover the tremendous secret of their identity, to know their world as it is, to understand how it should have been and to sacrifice themselves in order to achieve this goal.
Nice novel for young people, very much appreciated also by an adult greedy reader of science fiction.
I thank Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

One thing I adore about good YA is the agency of the young people. That is, they make judgments, set their own goals, and demonstrate both persistence and resourcefulness. That describes the two central characters in this dystopic-sf novel. Having landed on a distant planet, a spaceship gradually transforms into a city, and then decays. While the officers clone themselves and then use nanobots to pass on their memories and skills to the next generation, the Captain has for various reasons not passed to new bodies. And as the Captain’s vital signs sink ever lower, so do the parallel vital functions of the City. A desperate scheme results in the creation of two children, in vitro offspring of the Captain and First Officer, who are then theoretically capable of taking the place of the dying Captain and restoring the City. One of the children is kidnapped by a rebel underground, dedicated to overthrowing the class tyranny of the Officers; now a young adult, he is joined by the other, who narrowly escapes being turned into a mind-controlled Captain. The two are catapulted into a quest filled with action, suspense, and the emotional turmoil of carving out an individual identity in a world determined to control and exploit them. An exciting, absorbing read for adult as well as YA readers.

THE CITYBORN is fueled by its dystopian society. In a place only known as ‘The City’, there are clear lines between the rich and the poor. There can be so much intrigue to a class-ruled dystopia. It’s always fun learn about how these strange societies are built, and it’s even better to watch them fall. Unfortunately, the City was a cipher for too much of the book. If you want the reader to root for the demolition of society, you need the nitty-gritty details. It took too long to confirm where the City was, how it originated, or why it was there. In the City, the Officers are the ruling class, and have been maintaining power and money for generations. The rest of the population is spread out on lower levels. Some are simply poor, others essentially live in a Mad Max style dump.

Stolen as children, Alania and Danyl have been raised in totally different class spheres. Alania, protected and sheltered, with the upper crust. Danyl, scavenging and fighting, in a garbage level. When they turn 20, everything changes. The relationship between Alania and Danyl was...strange. They snipe, argue, and slowly respect each other. But, even when they learn about their shared personal history, there's a lot of longing looks and awkward feelings that never go away. It was almost like the first draft of the novel had them written as lovers and the subsequent drafts never erased that tension.

THE CITYBORN is oddly weighted to the point where it felt like I was reading two different novels. The first chapters follow the protagonists at different ages, but the time jumps are pure set-up. We explore the protagonist’s surroundings but ignore the more interesting aspects of the society. The plot didn’t start until Danyl and Alania turned 20. Conversely, the last few chapters are completely different. Characters die, plots speed by, settings are replaced over and over. It’s almost impossible to take a breath. But --just when it seems that the book is coming to fruition-- the plot stalls. Needless obstacles are thrown in Danyl and Alania’s escape. It seemed like only purpose for yet another sabotage was to pad out the ending.

THE CITYBORN also suffers from tonal whiplash. Some plot elements are needlessly grim: forced sterilization, infanticide, graphic deaths, hidden cameras. It’s a rebellion, and it should be bloody, but it’s a little much for YA, especially since these issues are never properly investigated. The ending itself also shies away from making hard choices. When monumental, world-changing, information is discovered, it’s shrugged away. Radical changes are made, but the book ends before the City’s population (and the reader) feels the effects. Overall, THE CITYBORN is a frustrating book. Some sections are intriguing and fast-paced, but others are slow and meandering. Danyl and Alania may be the protagonists but they’re also the least interesting characters. The robots, clones, and amazing side-characters easily steal the focus from Alania and Danyl. A dystopian fan with a special love for class-division and clones may forgive THE CITYBORN’s flaws, but I found it hard to focus on the shiny metal buried under the debris.

I wanted to like this book. the premise sounded perfect but for some reason it was just a slog too finish.
I'd give this one a miss

In a world with limited resources, the Free Citizens are rebelling. The Officers have ruled with callous disregard for those on the lower levels, living in luxury and security while others must scramble to survive. And then there are Alania and Danyl, never quite fitting in and always wondering where they came from, and why the City is failing.

Can one sacrifice be worth the greater good? Where do you draw the line?

The characters are thoughtfully drawn, never falling into stereotyped roles. Alania and Danyl question, don't just blindly accept what others tell them, and hold people - including themselves - to a higher standard. With purposeful focus, they reach for their destiny, knowing that one wrong choice could doom everyone.

This book really intrigued me with its cast kind of vibe. It reminded me of Garth Nix's Seventh Tower series that I read as a kid and loved. The story moved along quickly, but kind of got bogged down in the middle. It picked right back up again though, with awesome action scenes and suspense that will leave your mind blown. Four stars for The Cityborn.

This review is written by Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina http://www.exballerina.com it will go live on 5-24