THE LONELINESS OF DISTANT BEINGS by Kate Ling

A love story from the deepest reaches of our universe 

It is that quick, that strong, that beautiful. And it is also totally impossible. 

 Even though she knows it's impossible, Seren longs to have the sunshine on her skin. It's something she feels she needs to stay sane. But when you're hurtling through space at thousands of kilometres an hour, sometimes you have to accept there are things you cannot change. 

Except that the arrival of Dom in her life changes everything in ways she can barely comprehend. He becomes the sun for her, and she can't help but stay in his orbit. To lose him would be like losing herself . . . 

In the dark, can a heart still hope?

This book caught my attention after reading the mysterious blurb. I was curious, and loved the cover too. So I was really excited when Hachette Australia sent me a copy. And even more excited when the story hooked me in as soon as I started reading.

Seren Hemple dreams of a better life. She lives on Ventura, a ship in outer space that is following a signal to a distant star system called Epsilon Eridani. It might be a coded message no one can decipher, but the generational mission continues. Because a human lifespan couldn't survive the long voyage, there are a bunch of rules kept in place to ensure that the mission is passed on from one generation to another. And that includes a very strict, predetermined union and breeding program.

Teenagers are assigned a life partner and a job after finishing Education. When Seren is partnered with a boy she dislikes and can't stand, her bored life goes from bad to worse. But everything changes when she meets the handsome and charismatic Domingo Suarez. He's nice, fun to be around and they have real conversations, but they're not supposed to spend time together. Especially when it becomes obvious that there's a deep mutual attraction neither can fight no matter how hard they try.

Rules are not meant to be broken on the Ventura, and when Seren defiantly denies her preassigned path in life she puts both of their lives in danger...

Wow. This book is amazing! Seriously, I got so caught up in Seren's story, I couldn't wait to see where it led. There are so many ups and downs, but her strength showed through every single obstacle she faced. I loved her tenacity and the passionate way she falls so deeply in love with Dom, and slowly starts to realise that life is indeed worth living. She just needed a reason. It's not just falling in love, because she also discovers what a treasure true friendship can be. And that sometimes, the dreams of breaking free from the tin can she calls home might be a possibility after all.

Everything about the world on-board Ventura is vivid and so well constructed that I felt like one of the unfortunate passengers. The secondary characters were also interesting, especially Dom (who is a sweetheart) and Mariana (who is strong and understanding). I even kinda liked Ezra. Kinda. Seren's family were so frustrating because they were willing to follow the rules to the point of forsaking her. Still, how else were they supposed to act when these stringent rules were set before they were even born?

The Loneliness of Distant Beings is a beautiful love story. It's also an intriguing sci-fi story that took me on an emotional and wild ride through the Ventura. It truly was a delight to read! Such a wonderful and unexpected surprise. A story that I'll never forget and will definitely have a place on my Keeper Shelf.

I loved everything about this book.


The Loneliness of Distant Beings, June 2016, ISBN 9781510200166, Little, Brown