YA Weekend: Pacifica by Kristen Simmons
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, Young Adult
Series: Book 1/Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Teen (March 6, 2018)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I had high hopes for Pacifica, even more so after I read the author’s foreword and realized the story was in part inspired by the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II—a topic that gets touched upon relatively rarely in this genre. And yet, despite the book’s poignant themes, I felt that much of their significance was lost amidst some plot, pacing, and characterization issues. I still had a good time with the novel overall, but ultimately it failed to reach the heights I expected.
The future is bleak in Pacifica, which opens in the year 2193 featuring a world ravaged by natural disasters and epidemics. The North American continent has become unrecognizable after numerous changes to the land and flooding, and what used to be the state of California is now an archipelago. Noram City, the capital of what’s left of the country, is home to both the elites who live safely at high elevations and to the indigent Shoreling population who struggle to survive down near the coasts. With resources dwindling, the government has proposed a new bill called the Relocation Act which will resettle five hundred of Noram’s poorest citizens on a new island called Pacifica.
Understandably, the announcement was met with mixed reactions. Some Shorelings were optimistic, hoping to be chosen for the voyage so that they would have a chance at a fresh start. Others, however, were more skeptical. After all, if Pacifica was such a wonderful paradise, why weren’t the wealthy citizens clamoring to be the ones to go there first?
As the unease sweeps through the city in response to the Relocation Act, Ross Torres, the seventeen-year-old son of the president, gets it into his head to have a bit of fun. Along with his friend Adam Baker, the vice president’s son, the two young men decide to sneak past their security details to check out the riots, subsequently falling into a situation they can’t handle. In the chaos, they meet Marin, the exiled daughter of a pirate king who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, finding herself caught up in the protests. When Adam becomes separated and abducted in violence, Ross is forced to team up with Marin, taking to the seas with her in order to rescue his friend.
This book took a long time to take off. Admittedly, before I knew more about the story, I was drawn to Pacifica because of the promise of pirates and seafaring adventures. Well, none of this good stuff came until much later, because first we had to sit through a long intro of politics and getting to know our protagonists—none of whom were very likeable, if I’m to be honest. Ross’s character was a study in stupidity and arrogance, who just couldn’t seem to take responsibility for his own mistakes or see beyond his own self-interests. It’s also terribly unoriginal, i.e. the rich politician’s son who doesn’t get enough freedom or attention because dad’s too busy with work and mom’s too doped up on prescription drugs. Marin herself fares no better, embodying the cliché of the pirate princess with a heart of gold, complete with a mandatory soft spot for orphaned children. The world-building isn’t very imaginative either; it’s the same old post-apocalyptic dystopian scenario with the earth all messed up because of climate change, and strained resources leading to a huge disparity between the rich and the poor.
But as predictable as this story gets, things do pick up considerable around the halfway point when Ross and Marin finally set sail. Also, fans of YA romance will probably enjoy this book, since I found that aspect to be done very well. More authors should take a page from Pacifica when it comes to gradually exploring and establishing trust between characters before proceeding with the romance. Ross also makes leaps and bounds with regards to his personal growth and development—even if all those changes were to be expected. In spite of this, reading about his eventual epiphany and insight into the situation made the journey worth it in the end.
In sum, more focus on the deeper and more important issues coupled with less reliance on well-trodden tropes would have probably made this one better. While nothing about Pacifica really blew me away or made it stand out from other YA books in the same genre, the story provided an entertaining diversion (especially once it gained momentum in the second half), making this a decent choice if you’re looking for a light, fluffy read.
The BiblioSanctum 
Sorry to hear this was a little disappointing, but it’s good to know that it takes a while to get going. The characters don’t sound very likable, frankly? But yeah for a light dystopian it doesn’t sound TOO bad once they set sail. Glad the romance was done well!
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Yeah, that’s a good way to sum it up. Not too bad, but could have been better! It just feels too much like your run-of-the-mill YA and these days I’m looking for more.
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I was attracted by the cover but I wasn’t so sure about the synopsis so I confess that I passed. I think I’ll continue for now
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Yes, I agree, the cover is beautiful! I always get sucked in by pretty covers 😛
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From your review, it seems clear that if the author had started the ‘adventure’ part a little earlier, scattering the background information along the way instead of feeding it to the reader at the start of the book, this might have resulted in a more balanced, more entertaining book. Still, I’m happy that it did still work for you, somehow 🙂
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A little more originality would also have gone a long way. I just feel like I’ve read this kind of story way too many times
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Books that get off to a slow start are the worst for me. I’ve tried to slog through several lately that never really got going. If more authors paid attention to pacing we would all be happier!
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I agree, when the first half of a book fails to grip me, it’s rare that the second half will win me over, and usually that results in a middling rating of about 3-3.5.
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As if he would sneak away there
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I know. This kid wasn’t too bright.
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Slow start, stupid characters and over troped. I’ll give this one a miss. Sorry it didn’t work better for you.
Lynn 😀
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Yeah, trops are tricky things. I don’t mind them for the most part, but I’m much pickier when it comes to YA because so many authors just take the lazy way out and recycle ideas.
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I had some of the same trouble with her Article 5 series. 😦
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I’ve never heard of that series, but what a shame! Sad to hear when issues with an author aren’t just a one off thing
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I adored this book! It features topics close to my heart given what I studied in school. I hope this book reaches a lot of teens and younger people because Pacifica is a reality. 😐 I’m sorry you didn’t love the book but glad you didn’t dislike it too much!
Have a fabulous week, Mogsy. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
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It was a solid book! Just wished those topics you mentioned had been more in the forefront 🙂
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