Beth Bowland

Aaron Martin is a 13 year-old boy from Bixie, Montana. On a cold and snowy day Aaron allows a young wayward boy to come warm up in his house. However, the boy, Nakal is not who he says at all and by allowing him inside, Aaron is now a player in a dangerous game being controlled by different beings in space. Nakal and Aaron are pawns in a scavenger hunt being led by The Council of Legend- an otherworldly group of beings that have promised Nakal the ultimate prize if he wins. Nakal is willing to do anything in order to gain an Earth family, but when Aaron learns that he is playing for his life, he is willing to fight even harder.

Polaris has a really interesting concept, humans being forced into a game beyond their control by beings in the stars. It had a little bit of a Jumanji feel to it. I liked the combination of the high-stakes game and science-fiction elements. At first, the game itself seemed very confusing and I was probably just as lost as Aaron. However, as Aaron begins to learn the rules and play some of the confusion is ironed out. I did like the inclusion of the constellations and star names in the clues and the artifacts for the scavenger hunt and I was trying to guess what each clue might lead to. Nakal is a bit of an enigma at first, he is originally set up to be the villain, but after learning his back story, I felt for him as well. It is too bad there wasn't a way for both boys to have their families. Overall, a unique and exciting science-fiction story aimed at middle-grade readers who enjoy adventure and aliens.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (altro)