ALA Booklist

Having landed on a new, inhospitable world, Clark strives to integrate with the local species. It does not go well. He is immediately targeted by bullies and assigned to low-level classes, thanks to a bureaucratic mistake. Navigating Festus Middle School will require all the knowledge he has gained by watching episodes of Star Survivors (think Star Trek). He meets a sympathetic librarian and two possible allies, though both enforce complicated, confusing rules around their friendships. Hidden passageways, underground tunnels, a draconian principal, secret plots, and family drama blend into an unlikely but amusing story of misfits banding together. The story starts off strong, with Clark's sci-fi obsession providing a fresh take on the classic story of the new kid at school. The subplot of the principal's vendetta against the brave librarian devolves into moralism and feels unnecessary, but despite a few bumps, the overall result is a fun twist on the theme of kids who take on the power structure and prevail. A promising first novel suited for larger collections.

Kirkus Reviews

Clark Sherman's life is sent into upheaval after his dad's promotion leads to a cross-country move he doesn't want to make.Rightfully so, as the moment the white boy arrives on his first day at Festus Middle School in early 2005, he encounters the first dose of bullying—which only gets worse. To make matters worse, the school counselor places him in eighth-grade remedial classes instead of advanced classes due to a foul-up in his computerized records. (For some reason, his parents aren't included in that conversation.) Ostracized from Day 1, Clark's one solace is his obsession with the TV show Star Survivors and all things Star Wars, which provide the sci-fi lens that he uses to navigate his daily life and that inform his quirkily stylized narration. Fate takes a hand when he meets white Les and Asian-American Ricki, both Star Survivors fans and both also targets of the rampant bullying at Festus, and the three new friends put their heads together to find a way to escape the daily terror. Merschel gamely attempts to address endemic bullying that's facilitated by school administrations to protect favored students (in this case, athletes). The weak spot of this story lies in the very beginning, when the author unconvincingly removes Clark's parents from active involvement, a plot-driven move that won't ring true. Touching despite contrivances, and readers will find themselves rooting for Clark, Les, and Ricki. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this entertaining and empathic debut, an intrepid hero searches for intelligent life in the most dangerous place of all: middle school. Eighth grader Clark Sherman is forced to transfer to Festus Middle School after the year has started, thanks to his father-s new job. Faced with a hostile environment filled with bullies and unfriendly adults, Clark frames his daily misadventures as a fraught space mission, à la a captain-s log: -While walking from science to social studies today, I had to pass through a hallway that is a nesting ground for some of Planet Festus-s most vicious native inhabitants.- After finding unexpected allies in two other outcasts, the paranoid Les and acerbic Ricki, Clark and his new friends discover that there-s something shady about their authoritarian principal and the bullies he-s protecting. Debut author Merschel uses Clark-s SF passions-from everything from Star Wars to his favorite (fictional) show, Star Survivors-as a smart metaphor for coping with change, but the real heart of the story is in its complex characters, tongue-in-cheek tone, and emotional honesty. Ages 10-14. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Company. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7Clark has crash-landed on a hostile alien world. In other words, the eighth grader has transferred to a new school halfway through the year. With no friends, no transcript (he's assigned to remedial classes), and a reluctance to ask for adult help, Clark relies on his favorite TV show, Star Survivors, for spiritual and social guidance. Quotes from his favorite character, Captain Maxim, open every chapteror, rather, every Expedition Logof this epistolary novel. Unfortunately for Clark, he's targeted by two bullies: baseball prodigy Ty and Principal Denton. Clark does manage to find kindred spirits—Les, a tech nerd, and social misfit Ricki—but their "keep out of sight" coping strategy leaves Clark vulnerable at school. His physical and mental torment at the hands of Ty and Denton is extreme enough for some readers to wish Clark would ask for help (caring adults are present), but many will likely relate to the boy's desire to handle problems on his own. This character strength makes Clark's surprising decision in the novel's climax ring true. Minor quibbles: Denton's motives regarding Ty strain credulity, and recurring mockery of Clark's name feels out of place in the contemporary setting. However, these issues do not diminish debut novelist Merschel's skill in creating characters who are simultaneously recognizable and original. VERDICT Quick pacing and wry wit give this title appeal beyond the sci-fi universe. Recommended for most middle school collections.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY