I Hope You Get This Message

August 15, 2019
NASA has intercepted information revealing that an alien race will be deciding Earth's fate in one week. Against this doomsday backdrop, three teens must decide what to do with their remaining days. Adeem, a Pakistani American Muslim, lives in Carson City, Nevada, and misses his big sister, Leyla, who disappeared from his life two years ago after coming out as gay. Cate, a white San Francisco girl living with her mentally ill mother, wants to find the father who abandoned them. Jesse, who is gay and white, lives with his widowed mother in Roswell, New Mexico. Once word spreads that the aliens of the planet Alma are sitting in judgment, worldwide chaos ensues. Adeem, a ham radio enthusiast, hears a message from Leyla and sets out for Roswell, where the message originated. Cate goes on a quest to find her father. Jesse discovers a machine created by his father and starts a lucrative scam "sending" messages to Alma. The three teens' compelling stories overlap and intertwine. Transcripts from Alma's Interplanetary Affairs Committee offer clever insight into the moral dilemma faced by the 13 alien jurors who must weigh the value of human life against our species' violence, cruelty, and environmental destruction. The inclusion of details of Adeem's Muslim background and the understated acceptance of the gay characters are strengths. Tautly plotted, with realistic characters and situations, this debut will please enthusiasts of both science fiction and realistic fiction. (Science fiction. 13-18)

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September 16, 2019
When humans are notified via a coded message that the fate of Earth is to be decided in one week by an interplanetary jury of 13 Scions (randomly selected citizens of the planet Alma), things on Earth veer into chaos. Earth—or Project Epoch—is deemed a failed experiment, and the Alma believe it’s time to end it, unless the Scions determine otherwise. Adeem, a Muslim teen from Carson City, is en route to Roswell to find his sister Leyla, who ran away soon after coming out. San Francisco teen Cate decides to find her father; based on limited details from her mentally ill mother, she heads to track him down. Rounding out the cast is Roswell native Jesse, who boots up one of his late father’s inventions to allegedly send messages to Alma on behalf of desperate, paying customers. As news spreads about Jesse and his machine, he unwittingly provides hope to many, and Roswell becomes a destination point for those trying to make the most of their time left. Part road trip story and part tale of human resilience, this debut examines human nature and how people react in the most desperate of times. Though Rishi’s cast of characters are seemingly strangers, clues throughout show how lives can intersect. Through inserted transcripts from the jury’s debate and the actions of the teens and those who help them along the way, Rishi paints a clear picture of why humankind is worth saving. Ages 13–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Literary Management.

October 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-What if Earth were a grand experiment by a group of alien scientists on a planet we never even knew existed? What if, seven days from now, the experiment was scheduled to end and all of the test specimens marked for termination? And what if the fate of all humans hinged on the deliberations of a group of aliens light years away? Jesse is a troubled kid living with his overworked mom, struggling to find his purpose in the almost abandoned community of Roswell. Adeem is a gifted coder bored with school and longing to understand why his sister left their family years prior. Cate has her hands full taking care of her mentally ill mother. When the planet Alma announces its deliberations and intent to end the experiment they call Project Epoch, everyone on Earth reacts to the potential end of the world differently, and these three are pushed to get answers to the questions that haunt them. Will they find the answers they seek before Alma finishes its deliberations? The book is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of its three protagonists. The main characters are well-crafted and, while their motives are all different, the desperation and need to complete their tasks comes across as genuine. Telling an end-of-the-world story can sometimes feel melodramatic, but Rishi chooses to focus her narrative on her characters and their individual struggles as opposed to the world at large, keeping the story personal. The tone and pace are well balanced and there are even a few touches of humor to help lighten the mood. VERDICT An entertaining, well-written coming-of-age story set during the end of the world.-Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019
Grades 8-11 Alma, a distant planet, has been watching Earth, and it's none too pleased by the offenses humans have committed against the environment and their own people. It has offered seven days before final judgment, causing mass chaos. What would you want to do if you only had seven days to live? For skeptic Jesse, this is an opportunity to make some money to help save the house from which he and his mom are about to be evicted. For Cate, who has put her life on hold to take care of her schizophrenic mother, it's to find the dad she's never known. And for Adeem, it's to find his estranged sister to bring her back home. Rishi's debut consistently tugs heartstrings, and the multiple perspectives allow an intimate look into each character?their brand of pain may vary, but it hurts just the same. An author's note to readers at the beginning, detailing her own tragedies, gives the story immeasurable depth, urging readers, even in a bleak time such as ours, to seek the humanity in others.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
When the world learns that omnipotent aliens will decide humanity's fate in eight days, chaos erupts, and three teens strive to make their (potentially) final days count. Rishi's debut novel skillfully addresses complex contemporary issues on both the global (environmental damage, war, greed) and personal (identity, mental health) scales. It also tackles prejudice and the ways existential fatalism can inordinately affect marginalized people. The story line is dark but ends on a hopeful note.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2019
When the world learns that omnipotent aliens will decide humanity's fate in eight days, chaos erupts, and three teens strive to make their (potentially) final days count. Cate is charged by her mother, who has schizophrenia, to find the father who abandoned them-and who her mother believes is an alien. Adeem, an amateur hacker, searches for his sister, estranged from their Pakistani American Muslim family after she came out as a lesbian. Crossing paths in Reno, Cate and Adeem head to Roswell, where Jesse, the third teen, is convincing desperate people that he can (for a fee) transmit their pleas for salvation to the aliens, using a machine created by his now-deceased ne'er-do-well father. Rishi's debut novel skillfully addresses complex contemporary issues on both the global (environmental damage, war, greed) and personal (identity, mental health) scales. It also tackles prejudice and the ways existential fatalism can inordinately affect marginalized people. But even given these themes and the novel's dark story line, Rishi ends on a hopeful note of possibility, using an adapted quote from Rumi: "Your pain is where the light enters you." Ariana Hussain

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)