Omega City by Diana Peterfreund | eBook

The first middle grade novel in an exciting new series from acclaimed author Diana Peterfreund, perfect for fans of The Goonies and The City of Ember.

Gillian Seagret doesn't listen to people who say her father's a crackpot. His conspiracy theories about the lost technology of Cold War–era rocket scientist Dr. Aloysius Underberg may have cost him his job and forced them to move to the middle of nowhere, but Gillian knows he's right and plans to prove it.

When she discovers a missing page from Dr. Underberg's diary in her father's mess of an office, she thinks she's found a big piece of the puzzle—a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg's greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her skeptical younger brother, Eric, her best friend, Savannah, and Howard, their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off on a journey into the ruins of Omega City, a vast doomsday bunker deep inside the earth,.

But they aren't alone inside its dark and flooded halls. For while Gillian wants to save her dad's reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg's secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried . . . forever.

Publishers Weekly

02/16/2015
The missing page from a kooky aerospace scientist’s lost diary is the clue that sends Gillian Seagret, her younger brother, and her friends on an adventure into an underground bunker. But the treasure she expects to find—the prototype for a long-lasting battery—is nothing compared to what they actually discover: the subterranean Omega City, built during the Cold War to support life if the Earth were to become uninhabitable. The city has fallen into disrepair, and the pitfalls in its crumbling depths are as much a threat as the trio of armed thugs who are trying to steal Dr. Underberg’s inventions for themselves. In this fast-paced series opener, the author’s first for middle-graders, Peterfreund’s (Across a Star-Swept Sea) focus on character development is complemented by the equal attention she gives to the vast underground city itself. Gillian’s instincts to protect her friends and clear her historian father’s tarnished name are admirable, but Peterfreund gives every character the opportunity to grow, revealing themselves for who they really are. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Apr.)

Robin Wasserman

Praise for FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS: “A smart and sexy tale of star-crossed love that’s as thought-provoking as it is heartbreaking.

Simone Elkeles

Praise for FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS: “A beautiful, epic love story you won’t be able to put down!

Laini Taylor

Praise for FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS: “Don’t you love it when a brilliant idea meets with brilliant execution? Thank you, Diana Peterfreund for giving us a post-apocalyptic Persuasion. This book is meltingly good.

Beth Revis

Praise for FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS: “Diana Peterfreund’s For Darkness Shows the Stars is an impassioned ode to Jane Austen, love, and the hope found in stars.

Cinda Williams Chima

Praise for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA: “Delicious romance, class warfare, and genetic engineering-Diana Peterfreund will ensnare you with this sci-fi twist to a classic story.

Lauren Willig

Praise for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA: “An imaginative and energetic retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel-sheer fun!

Allie Condie

Praise for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA: “Across a Star-Swept Sea is, like its main character Persis Blake, a delight. Intrigue, romance, beautiful world-building, nuanced characters, and timely, intriguing questions come together to make this the perfect read. I loved it!

Booklist

Praise for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA: “Engrossing and fastpaced.

Romantic Times

Praise for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA: “Peterfreund’s novel is riveting and intense...Readers will love this page-turning story and its dramatic climax.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA: “Complex in both plotting and themes, this science fiction revision of The Scarlet Pimpernel offers political intrigue, narrow escapes, and forbidden romance

Booklist (starred review)

Young readers looking for a page-turning quest should get into this planned series on the ground floor.

VOYA, June 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 2) - Sharon Martin

Gillian Seagret’s life has come upon hard times. Her dad’s conspiracy theories and his unfinished and sabotaged book about the inventions of Dr. Underberg (a Cold War—era rocket scientist) have cost him his marriage, his job, and Gillian’s comfortable, happy family. When working to clear her father’s name, she discovers a page from Dr. Underberg’s missing diary. Working with her friends, they soon decipher the location of the door to a hidden city. Hot on their heels and shooting at them are some mysterious strangers, who are soon joined by Gillian’s father’s new girlfriend. Once in the city, Gillian and her friends are in a race to discover Dr. Underberg’s secrets and the bad guys are trying to get those secrets for themselves. What they find in the city could restore her father’s reputation, if they can survive. Omega City is a treat. Conspiracy theories, mysterious fires, lost diaries, suspicious grown-ups, pesky younger brothers, and a loyal and supportive group of friends, including the cute pizza delivery guy, fill the story. While comparisons to the movie The Goonies are inevitable, this title certainly stands on its own. It is an exciting read, hard to put down, and just plain fun. Some plot points are not expanded on, some characters’ motivations are not explained, and clearly, readers will have to suspend disbelief. While solidly a middle school title, this may appeal to junior high students who want to escape into some fun. This is a first in a series. Reviewer: Sharon Martin; Ages 11 to 15.

School Library Journal

02/01/2015
Gr 4–7—Omega City narrowly avoids being a cliché among adventure books for the preteen set. It has a clueless professor dad, a villain so obvious that kids will spot her the moment her four-inch heels click onto the scene, preternaturally intelligent kids, and a secret that could save civilization—if the heroes can get to it first. But Peterfreund packs the novel with so much suspense, history, and science, readers can't help but overlook the traps of the genre and get enthralled in the story. A group of kids—Gillian; her younger brother (by 11 months) Eric; their friend Savannah; space savant Howard; and Howard's older brother Nate—find themselves in a race to discover an invention that could change the world. Their search leads them to an underground city built during the height of the Cold War. There the young heroes are chased and put into life-threatening situations by the villain and her henchmen. The plotting is fast paced and exciting. Readers—like Gillian and her friends—will hardly have time to catch their breath before each new twist and turn. VERDICT Peterfreund mixes science and history in a way that may appeal to nonfiction readers as well as to action fans.—Marie Drucker, Malverne Public Library, NY

Kirkus Reviews

2014-12-22
Gillian's dad's conspiracy theories ruined the family…but what if he's right?With their parents divorced, 12-year-old Gillian and her brother, Eric, live with their disgraced scientist father in their former summer home. Mom is abroad researching a book and not likely to come back to the States soon. Dad's biography of the controversial (and missing) engineer Aloysius Underberg ended his career. Now, all the unemployed history professor does is speak at conspiracy conventions and read seminars on the like. That's where he met his new more-than-friend Fiona. Gillian's distrust of Fiona leads her and her friends to discover missing pages of Dr. Underberg's journal…which leads them to discover a secret underground bunker-city that is twice as hard to escape as it was to find, especially with gun-toting secret agents on their heels. Gillian wants to find Dr. Underberg's 100-year battery or at least proof that her father is not crazy, but what she and her friends find is much more amazing…and dangerous. Teen author Peterfreund tries her hand at a sci-fantasy thriller for a younger audience and misses the mark. Though her conversational first-person narrator is personable enough, the coincidence-dependent plot has significant holes, and the thrills are sadly uneven. A secondary-at-best middle-grade thriller—here's hoping the sequels improve. (Adventure. 9-12)

Omega City

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