Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Terraformer</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

The story centres around a young protagonist named Astra Meador, who is part of a pioneering team tasked with transforming a barren planet into a habitable world. As Astra and her teamwork against the clock to complete their mission, they encounter unexpected challenges and mysteries that threaten not only their mission but also their lives. The plot is fast-paced and filled with twists, as the team uncovers secrets about the planet and faces dangers from both within and beyond their ranks.

<h4>The Details</h4>

Houck creates dynamic and relatable characters. Astra is a strong, determined, and intelligent heroine who drives the story forward. Her personal growth and resilience in the face of adversity are compelling and inspirational. The supporting characters, including fellow team members and mysterious antagonists, are well-developed and add depth to the narrative. The interactions between characters are rich with emotion, tension, and camaraderie, enhancing the overall story.

Houck's writing is vivid and immersive, bringing the alien landscapes and futuristic technology to life. Her descriptive prowess makes the reader feel as if they are part of Astra's team, experiencing the wonders and dangers of the new world firsthand. The dialogue is natural and engaging, reflecting the personalities and backgrounds of the diverse cast of characters. Houck maintains a balance between action, exposition, and character development, ensuring that the story remains engaging throughout.

<i>Terraformer</i> explores themes of survival, innovation, and the human spirit's resilience. The novel delves into the ethical and moral dilemmas associated with terraforming and colonizing new worlds. It also addresses issues of trust, teamwork, and the importance of preserving humanity's core values in the face of existential challenges. Environmental themes are woven into the narrative, prompting readers to consider the impact of human activity on new and existing ecosystems.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Terraformer</i> is a compelling and thought-provoking science fiction novel that combines the excitement of space exploration with the depth of human drama. Colleen Houck has crafted a story that is not only entertaining but also rich with thematic elements that resonate with contemporary issues. Fans of science fiction and adventure will find much to enjoy in this novel, from its gripping plot to its well-rounded characters.

One of the most incredible things an author can do is show us their passion between the lines that are on a page; Colleen does this beautifully with the sci-fi genre and leaves me feeling passionate about it in new ways. Her detailed and consistent world building enables you to truly fall into the world of Terraformer. I found some elements of the story to be lacking while others felt too full, pulling the believability away from areas such as her relationship with the trees.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I absolutely devour everything Colleen Houck writes. One of my favorite authors of all time and this book was no exception.

Houck is normally an auto buy author for me but this book feels unfinished. It felt like it was a first draft. There is definitely a lot more of this book that should have been fleshed out before going to print.

Terraformer seemed interesting, the cover was just so and so. Felt very amateur-ish. But the premise was sort of interesting, but it stopped there. The main character was annoying and whiny. It was trying to be so much; romantic, dramatic, space - magic... and sadly, nothing worked for me.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

This was an interesting read. It would’ve been 4 stars for me, but there were several situations (involving how humans acted/ reacted) that weren’t realistic for me. Some of the sci-fi parts were a bit too fantastical for me, but overall it was unique and kept my interest.

Colleen Houck will always be one of my top 5 favorite authors. Hands down, I believe her stories--especially the Tiger Saga-- are masterpieces on the romance front. She is brilliant at making you love the main couples in her series. And, what's more, her love triangles usually leave you feeling, at least slightly, conflicted.

With Terraformer, however, I just wasn't as moved. I've read all of her books, so I was expecting to love this one. And while, I still found it a good read, I didn't love it as much as her others. 

The concept, like all her others, was intriguing and incredibly promising. I just had a difficult time in some places--like I had to power through. And that's not the norm for me, usually, with Houck's work.

Let me just say though, that I stand by the fact that she is a wonderful writer. I just think that maybe this wasn't the story for me. I think it was my connection with the characters that left me feeling a little underwhelmed.

This book cover was beautiful. I thought I'd enjoy this book but sadly I didn't enjoy this book. I only got to 5% of this book it was kind of a boring book.

Having previously read and liked the tiger series by Houck, Due to reading all of those, I was looking forward to reading this. For the most part I enjoyed this, it but I wouldn't say I loved it. The beginning of the book kept my attention but towards the end I started to loose intrest.

Terraformer had all the elements of a good YA sci-fi but it fell short of being outstanding simply due to its lack of attention to detail.
I liked the main character, her intelligence and her determination, and the story itself was a lovely eco-conscious tale.
However, I couldn’t overlook many of the obvious plot-holes, and when you’re writing sci-fi you just can’t afford to gloss over details like the author does here. The colonists end up on the wrong planet- and nobody seems to notice. They start building a colony, letting people roam about the surface at will, without any reconnaissance or safety checks. They immediately start introducing animals to an already bio-diverse planet with zero regard for the ecosystem. The whole thing seemed ludicrous.
I did enjoy the romance element and the story itself, but felt a bit let-down by the world-building.

Gosto das histórias que esta autora cria e essa não foi diferente. Depois de ler a sinopse achei a premissa um tanto quanto diferente e o livro mesmo sendo clichê em alguns aspectos acaba trazendo outros muito inovadores. Recomendo.

There aren't many other-planet sci-fi books that I can think of that are YA, so that alone was an immediate draw for me. Plus, Terraformer had slightly mystical elements that reminded me of The Waking land by Callie Bates.

What does one do if one is hiding a big secret while living among and sometimes leading a small group of colonists on a lonely planet? It is a question that makes for a good central conflict, muddied in typical YA fashion with conflicts arising from boys competing for one's affection and an irritating brother. And the characters fighting these conflicts--namely Astra Meador, Jax, Thane, and Nash--are, for the most part, interesting in all their humanness, although some felt more like real people than others.

Regarding the setting, since I'm not a fan of pages-long world-building (as interesting as it can be), the descriptions of the flora and fauna of the planet were just long enough to make them sound really cool without being cumbersome or slowing down the plot. I particularly enjoyed, for some reason, the side plot of Jax helping his uncle in the "Swiss-Family-Robinson"-type dwelling they had built, and found that particularly refreshing and unique.

I gave it a 4 just because there were a few instances where the diction felt a bit stilted, but other than that, this was an enjoyable read.

DNF - did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this young adult title. It was not for me. Thank you, publisher, and NetGalley for the early copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Trident Media Group for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a lot of potential and I really wanted to like it. However, it felt more like a draft than a finished book. I didn't notice any grammar or issues with the plot, it just felt unfinished. There were parts of the book that just didn't make sense, or felt like we were missing information. I also had issues with the flow of this book. It seemed choppy and wasn't an easy-flowing read.

I'm a huge fan of The 100 and I felt like that was the kind of vibe that this book had. The characters were interesting but they lacked depth and felt kinda one-dimensional.

I was moderately liking the book until mid-way to ending when it just went downhill for me.

A story of environment and nature, Terraformer by Colleen Houck puts a unique spin on eco-fiction, coupling it with sci-fi and romance. Astra has a rare disorder that compromises her human respiratory system and alters her DNA so that it is more closely related to that of plants. This sets off a series of unexpected events when she journeys to a new planet, helping to cultivate an entirely new ecosystem and human colony,

This book is very different from Colleen's other books, meaning that it targets a different segment of the YA market. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy romance, love triangles, and lower YA sci-fi novels.

I tried to read this book a couple of times, but eventually decided to DNF and move on. At first, I really liked it. It reminded me of Passengers a bit and Maria V Snyder's Navigating the Stars. The reason I finally decided to DNF was the conflicting messages from the main character. I know it's YA and kinda a coming of age, but the MC wasn't consistent, which I really didn't enjoy. I also didn't enjoy the introduction of other characters. They all felt a little flat and dull for me. I really liked the premise for the story and wish I had been more engaged though. Hopefully, other readers can better connect with this one.

I was unable to read this in time to leave an accurate review before publication. Thank you for accepting my request to read this book.

Bem escrito, ela foca em um vivência fora da Terra, já que ela chegou aos limites de seus recursos naturais. Não é a primeira missão dos humanos fora da Terra, mas eles também conseguiram esgotar os recursos de outros planetas. Ela é a primeira tripulante da nave que acorda por um defeito em sua capsula. Ao perceber que seu pai não estava em sua capsula e nem na nave, ela começa a checar os registros gravados durante o trajeto. Ela percebe que falta informações nestes registros. Astra nasceu com um defeito em seu pulmão e precisa de um medicamento para que ele possa funcionar normalmente. Porém esse medicamento foi criado pela sua mãe com meios naturais. Ninguém além de sua família saber sobre isso

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