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Reviewed by Robert A. Groves for Readers' Favorite
Terrarium by Joe Vitovec is filled with strange happenings that seem to have no clear explanations. When a Canadian couple witnesses a UFO withdrawing water from a lake, no one believes their story. At the same time, famous opera singers begin disappearing from cities around the world. The cases gain the attention of INTERPOL agent Alex Zurin and astronomer Bea Ruiz. Their separate investigations merge around mysterious transmissions, mathematical messages, and altered opera solos. All appear to be signals from beyond Earth. As evidence mounts, Alex and Bea are recruited into a covert international mission. Reverse-engineered alien technology is used to trace the source of the disappearances. Their search leads them through many surprises, but none more so than a wormhole linking Earth to a parallel universe. There they discover a humanlike civilization living on a sister planet devastated by war and societal collapse. They also find the abducted musicians. The team must find a way to rescue them. Will cooperation and compassion succeed where conflict and ego failed?
Joe Vitovec’s Terrarium is one of the most engaging stories I have had the pleasure of reading this year. This science fiction adventure is not only full of mystery and suspense but also of imagination. One of the things I liked most was how the story brings together events that at first seem unrelated. Alex and Bea keep the story believable as small mysteries grow into bigger questions. While the book would have been a standout on its own through conflict and action, the addition of culture and music to the plot made the story fresh and unique. Readers will also find the well-developed characters a strong point. I could feel their emotions as I read. If you enjoy science fiction with thrills and encounters with extraterrestrials, there’s a lot to like here. It’s a great story that asks what responsibility humans have to the universe and its long-term survival.
