Shifting Reality - book review

I just finished Shifting Reality by Patty Jansen. It's been out a while, but I just stumbled upon it (it's science fiction - so the story won't be outdated for at least several more centuries).

The story is set on a space station filled with competing factions from bored, purposeless youth, to criminals to law enforcement, with a military base on top (plus geckos and chickens). Told from a single point of view, the story is fast paced with plenty of action.

Melati is from the worker class - originally taken from Indonesian, culture, heirlooms and all. Since they are low in the station hierarchy there is not a lot of options for this group - ice mining, small business, crime and selling their bodies. Melati works at a military support unit on the station caring for ‘constructs’ - people created for a purpose (how exactly is never explained). These people go on to become soldiers, technicians and pilots, but first they have a short childhood.

One of the minds to be installed into a group of construct children isn’t right. Melati realizes the problem isn’t a simple computer glitch. Her investigation takes her down an interesting rabbit hole of secret societies, internal politics, enemy factions and aliens.

Melati isn’t an stereotypical hero. She’s a compelling character caught between two worlds (plus she's gutsy). Fitting in in either place is a challenge for her. Mostly she’s trying to do the right thing - even if it isn’t popular. The story has unexpected twists and turns that kept me reading. I’ll be going on to read the second book.