Magonia (Magonia #1) by Maria Dahvana Headley

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley is a YA SciFi story of girl who suffers from a chronic breathing problem and is beginning to suffer from hallucinations.. or are they?

“Since she was a baby, Aza Ray Boyle has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found by another. Magonia.

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—but as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war between Magonia and Earth is coming. In Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?”

What I really enjoyed with this book was the laid-back writing style. I felt like the story was very personal and it was packed with emotion not only from the main character, but also from the people surrounding her.

Since this book follows a terminal illness, we get to read about how she feels and the those who are outside of her. It was daunting to read, but it brings inspiration at the same time.

But the story shifts into a science fiction world with this hidden civilization that, coincidentally, surrounds the illness she has been living with.

I would say, that if you love reading about pirates, this story is for you. Picking this book up, I would have never thought it would end up as a pirate-like story, but trust me, it does!

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The ending was another emotional turn of events, but it left the door wide open for more possibilities for the sequel. There also is a hint of romance!

I recommend this book for people who enjoy a meaningful contemporary but who also love a good turn of events into a more science fictional world.

I also HIGHLY suggest that if you love audiobooks, the narrator for this one did an amazing job conveying the story.

Published: 28 April 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 309

How I Read It: Hardcover from May 2015 Owlcrate box

Stay tuned for more book reviews every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday! You can subscribe below for instant links to each of my posts and help share the love of YA!