Zenn Scarlet by Christian Schoon

Zenn Scarlet (Zenn Scarlett, #1)

by Christian Schoon

Zenn Scarlett is a bright and occasionally a-little-too-smart-for-her-own-good 17-year-old girl training hard to become an exoveterinarian. She specializes in the treatment of exotic alien life forms, mostly large and generally dangerous.

Her novice year of training at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars was going well – until there are a series of inexplicable animal escapes from the school that Zenn finds herself blamed for.

As if this isn’t enough to be dealing with, her father vanishes under strange circumstances, and Zenn is worried that she has started hearing the thoughts of the creatures around her…

With the help of Liam, a towner boy, and Hamish, an alien bug also training at the clinic, Zenn must try to find her father, rescue the animals and unravel the mystery of who is behind the attacks on the school. And all without failing her first year.

Reviewed by Terri M. LeBlanc on

4 of 5 stars

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I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of Zenn Scarlett from our local library. I've heard of this series and its author since I started attending ICON a couple years ago. It didn't take me long to become absorbed in Zenn's world and her love of animals.

Living on a colonized Mars in a cloister, Zenn is fighting for her independence, her love of animals and her desire to become an exovet, a veterinarian who specializes in alien creatures. All of this as she is starting to notice boys (no love triangle here, folks!), struggling with the whereabouts of her absent father and a colony that it struggling to survive. Zenn and her positive attitude come shining through bringing the story together with her adventures and investigations.

Zenn is surrounded by some very curious creatures—some of them she cares for and others she works with, namely Hamish. I adored Hamish. He provided a bit of comic relief as he struggled to escape the hive mentality he was a part of and find a way to fit into human culture and norms with in the cloister. Zenn and her uncle handled Hamish's hive habits well and provided him with the knowledge he needed to grow. When Hamish came on the scene I couldn't help but find myself smiling as I was learning about life on Mars and caring for alien creatures right along side of him.

Zenn Scarlett receives a thumbs up from me. Schoon created a believable settlement on Mars with a diverse set of aliens and a intriguing mystery that kept me turning the pages. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Under Nameless Stars.

Just as a warning Zenn Scarlett ends in a cliffhanger. While all the major elements are tied up at the end of the book, there is one looming question related to Zenn that is just starting to be revealed. So if you are not a fan of cliffhangers, you may wish to hold off on grabbing this one up. If you can get your hands on both books in quick succession, grab them and fly to Mars with Zenn and her amazing menagerie of alien animals today!

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 March, 2015: Finished reading
  • 22 March, 2015: Reviewed