Boy, this adventure grabs you with its teeth and won't let go. It's an intense, fast-paced survivalist adventure with a twist I didn't see coming and some wild action scenes. Sarah, the survivor of her mother's death, becomes Sarah who keeps everyone alive and might, through that action, save herself.

I had no idea that there were previous companion novels -- this one stands strongly on it's own.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

This book had all the action book 2, Vitro, did not. It was a wild ride through the desert, and I found myself holding my breath throughout. The environment, as in book 1, Origin, was a living element. Apparently Khoury actually traveled to Africa to do research for this book, and that experience absolutely paid off. I really liked the perspective of the characters experiencing Corpus from the outside, having to deal with them without knowing what's going on, and figuring things out in order to survive. I also liked the way the main character was handled with her competence, her drive, and dealing with the issues she has making friends and connecting to the other characters. Highly recommend. ( )

This book is about a girl who is suffering from the recent loss of her mother and living with her father in the Kalahari desert. She grew up nomadic and traveling with her parents, and now they need money to continue doing research. To get the money they start a camp where kids from the United States can go to learn about desert life and animals. Soon the kids are stranded on their own. This is a great emotional thriller for students to read. I also like the realistic adventure it brings to a young adult novel. This was not a challenging read, but I think it would be a good way to expand a students pallet when it comes to their reading.

You will think this novel is realistic, suspense fiction, but it’s really science fiction suspense!

Sarah has been raised in various parts of the world as her parents are scientists. They live out in the wilds, so Sarah has more friends who are animals than people. Because they need more funding, her family agree to sponsor a group of teens who are to see what life is like in the semi-desert in Africa-- the Kalahari. They are supposed to observe conservation of resources and how animals live in the wild. The problem is there are poachers in the area, so Sarah’s dad leaves to find their location in order to report it to the authorities. When he doesn’t return when he’s supposed to, Sarah is terrified that her dad is dead. Just four months previously, Sarah’s mom didn’t return for four days. When they went to look for her, they found her dead. Sarah is obviously scared the same thing will happen.

There are five teens who arrive. Few really want to be there, especially when they learn what the conditions are like--no electricity or wi-fi. There are zero neighbors and help is practically non-existent. They have a radio, but it connects to one person who is often gone for days. When dad takes their one vehicle and the satellite phone, the teens are in trouble. Therefore, the five teens and Sarah are on their own to get out of the semi-desert to get help. Little do they know that there’s more going on in the Kalahari than Sarah’s family ever knew. Survival will be harder than Sarah predicted. In this journey to survive, Sarah learns about friendship and even love.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, but I like suspense novels. What’s interesting is that it’s book three. The series is called Corpus; in each novel, a teen lives with scientist parents in remote locations. I have ordered them so that we can read them! Hopefully, they are each as interesting. I’ve read Forbidden Wish, which is also by Ms. Khoury and loved it, but it was completely different; it was fantasy. ( )

It sounds so simple—five teens go on an educational safari in the Kalahari Desert with fellow teen Sarah as one of their guides. Things go terribly wrong, however, when Sarah’s father is hunted by poachers. The group of teens must trek across the desert in hopes of finding assistance—but yet again, trouble strikes, this time in the form of a bonafide silver lion. When the group discovers the nefarious truth behind the silver lion, they become prime targets for an evil corporation bent on keeping it a secret. Full of twists and turns, and scientifically interesting, KALAHARI is a fast-paced action-adventure that both boys and girls will love. ( )