The Loneliness of Distant Beings is a romance sci-fi novel by Kate Ling, following young Seren, on the Ventura, a 250 year space mission from Earth to an undiscovered planet. As part of her duty, she is to marry a chosen male in her generation, and bear children, to continue the life cycle of the Ventura space crew. When Seren meets someone she had long forgotten, a romance sparks that could unsettle the rules of the intergalactic society she lives in. As their relationship evolves, so does the suspicion of the people around her, and her mistakes may cost her more than she thought.

The Loneliness of Distant Beings is a young adult science-fiction novel that is easy to read, and set in an interesting atmosphere, on a spacecraft somewhere in the stars. The characters provide a world in which everything is controlled, but Seren Hemple creates trouble when she walks into a handsome old friend.

This book was enjoyable, but slightly frustrating to read as the characters often make poor decisions and it reads as an ongoing battle with Seren herself, rather than the society she was born into. I really liked the story’s setting, and the idea of a community in space was something different, but the romance between two young and naive crew members may have been a little extreme. I rate this book six out of ten stars, and recommend it to fans of young adult romance.