The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

Eva Nine is a curious and sensitive twelve-year-old who has existed only in a subterranean home called Sanctuary, cared for by a robot named Muthr. Eva's great desire is to go aboveground, and her wish comes true, though not as she had imagined. On the surface, Eva goes in search of other humans--she has never met one--and soon meets both friend and foe.

The Search for Wondla is a sci-fi novel that could have been great if only I read it as a child.

Eva Nine lives underground with her robot caretaker named Muthr. She desperately wants to explore the world above her and find other humans like her. Instead, she is stuck doing simulation survival tests that she must complete before even thinking of leaving her Sanctuary.

Then one day a creature named Besteel destroys the Sanctuary. She must flee from the only home she's ever known leaving Muthr behind. But the aboveground is nothing like she had imagined. The creatures seem odd, bigger than they should be, and more dangerous than she could have imagined. With the help of Rovender Kitt, a Cærulean who rather be on his own, Eva ventures into the unknown to find her place in the world.

The Search for Wondla is a classic case of a high concept that doesn't deliver. I know all the illustrations make the book look so good and the characters in the story admittedly gave me Star Wars vibes, but I cannot enjoy this as an adult. After a while I kept on comparing Eva Nine to Harry Potter at the same age and it wasn't that they were drastically different it was Eva's annoying personality and the boring story that accompanied her.

Eva Nine doesn't like to be cooped up underground or being told what to do so she takes her frustrations out on her robot Muthr just like she would do if she was her actual mother. Eva Nine was a brat who wanted this big adventure but when it came down to it whined about not knowing what to do. Yes, she would help some creatures out and be bold and brave at times but she would also complain. Annoyingly complain and be a brat. Does she turn her bratty ways around? I guess, sure. But for some reason for me she was continually annoying by the way she reacted to certain events or spoke to creatures. I believe the way the story was written contributed a lot to this image in my mind.

So the story is only for kids. I cannot imagine this book being enjoyed by anyone past the age of fifteen. I know I'm wrong but I don't understand how readers past said age can enjoy this book. It's set up as this big adventure with the mystery of who is this adult in a picture. Who is Wondla? But it is just Eva being chased around, captured, being chased around some more, and being captured again.

There is for sure interesting elements in the story like Rovender and Muthr's characters for instance. I really enjoyed their personalities maybe because they clearly felt like adults while Eva was more childish than necessary. I enjoyed Rovender and Muthr's story more than anything and getting to know them. Anything to do with Eva however, bored me to tears after a certain point.

The world building, side characters, and glimpse of the oppressive government system was interesting. The illustrations as well were impressive. But, if the main character is unlikable without meaning to be, it ruins everything. Also, the writing style at times could have nice descriptors and everything but since the character was so young I feel like the writing was dumbed-down. I got through this long book surprisingly fast because it was written so... basic. Like I get it is written for children but Harry Potter was too and it appeals to everyone. Nothing was dumb-downed with Harry Potter. I know it seems strange I'm comparing this to Harry Potter but I feel like I had these high expectations going into this book and reading the first part of the story (there are four parts) that made me think of high concept writing like Harry Potter and Star Wars but it didn't even come close. There was just a lack of execution.

Now that last part of the story did pique my interest into what is going to happen in the next book but if The Search for Wondla was any indicator to the writing style for the sequel, it's better not knowing what happens next. 

What sci-fi book have you enjoyed reading that has imaginative creatures in the text?