Review: Ascension (Phobos #1)

Ascension by Victor Dixen is the first book in the Phobos series, a French, YA space odyssey that has stayed with me for a very long time. Although it has been published for ten years now, it is a book I rarely see mentioned. I feel it is time I give it a review! 

Six girls, six boys, one spaceship and a one-way ticket to Mars. As part of the Genesis programme, twelve young people are chosen to become the first humans to colonise Mars, while their every move is broadcast to millions of viewers on Earth. What begins as the world’s most extreme dating show quickly becomes something far more dangerous.

Among the contestants is 18-year-old Léonor, a young French woman who sees the mission as her chance to escape her past and start a new life. But with the contestants under constant scrutiny and secrets beginning to surface, Léonor soon realises there is much more to the Genesis programme than meets the eye…

As both an avid reality TV fan, and science fiction lover, I was hooked from the very first page. The story has such a unique premise - a dating show set in space, but the book is so much more than that. It is full of intrigue, mystery, and adventure, with the romance taking a back seat. 

The characters had so much depth, and I became genuinely invested in their individual stories. The protagonist Léonor was fantastic. She is flawed and has an attitude - but is incredibly strong and is very real. 

The book is told through multiple POV’s: the teens on their way to Mars, viewers watching the tv show on Earth and the people behind the Genesis program. The different narrators were all experiencing/seeing a very different version of events which added to the tension and storytelling. At times, you knew things before the pioneers did - which had me yelling at the characters!

The book was addictive, I could not put it down! It ends with a cliffhanger, and I guarantee you’ll be reaching for books two and three almost immediately. 

I highly recommend Ascension to anyone aged 13+ and looking for a unique, dystopian novel. Don’t let the ‘dating show’ concept put you off as the romance is very age appropriate. 

This is a book that deserves a place on every bookshelf, so if you haven’t read it yet, consider this your sign! 

Title: Ascension
Author: Victor Dixen
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Publication Date: June 2015
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781471406843
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult fiction