England's debut sf adventure has much to recommend: nonstop cinematic action, unabashed embracing of STEM (video games to physics), strong feminist messages, and great diversity of characters (in ethnicity as well as gender and sexual identity). When hotshot pilot Nasir Alexander Hall (Nax) is rejected from Ellis Station Academy, he meets three other rejects while waiting for a shuttle home: British would-be politician Rion, genius navigator Case, and Russian-Kazakhstani soccer star and med student Zinaida. A sudden massacre of station personnel inspires the four to flee the station in a stolen shuttle. Crash-landing on a nearby colony, they are rescued by Asra Haque, who has her own reasons for wanting to leave the colony and have access to an amazingly fast ship. So begins a wild journey to save Earth from a nefarious plot and secure their own freedom and futures. The five form tight bonds, and a satisfying happy ending hints at more adventures of the VSS Swift Kick to come. Fans of Firefly, Star Wars, and space westerns will be happy to hear it.

After flunking out of the only training facility for space pilots, wise-guy Nax Hall prepares to return to Earth with three other rejects. An attack on the facility forces the group to flee with terrorists in pursuit, setting them on a collision course to save the space colonies. Set in 2194, this wild, comedic interplanetary adventure features a diverse cast of characters, romance, a grand heist, and plenty of snarky humor.

A diverse crew of space academy washouts cracks wise and kicks ass while racing against time to save Earth colonies from terrorists.By the year 2194, space colonization is a fact of life, and future colony officers train at the Ellis Station Academy on the moon. Wannabe pilot Nax Hall is mortified at failing out of the program on his first day. When terrorists attack the station, Nax steals their shuttle to escape, along with three other Academy washouts: Rion, a rich black boy from London with an interest in politics; Zee, a blonde, athletic trans girl from Kazakhstan who's skilled at medicine and surgery; and Case, a former child genius and tech prodigy with two moms (one Latinx, one Asian) who suffers from panic attacks. By the time they team up with Asra, a Bengali Muslim hijabi girl and talented hacker, they've been framed for the assault and have only days to save the colonies. As the five flee from planet to planet with terrorists on their tail, they build a believable friendship. The banter flows freely and the tension stays high while Nax contends with his growing attraction to both Rion and Case. The refreshingly normalized representations of Muslim, South Asian, trans, and bisexual characters enrich this appealing story.An action-packed, entertaining blend of space hijinks, humor, and romance. (Science fiction. 13-18)

Gr 9 Up-This laugh-out-loud sci-fi, action-adventure will leave readers wanting more. Teens meet Nax as he's walking through Ellis Station, ready to leave after being washed out in under 24 hours. He meets up with a few other candidates who were also denied, and they board the shuttle that will take them back to Earth. As they all contemplate the end of their dreams, extremists enter the space station and start shooting. It's up to them to escape, come up with a plan to defeat the shooters, and try to stay alive with the skills that got them kicked out of the Academy. England's debut teen novel pulls readers into a sci-fi world well established in just a few pages. The author also captures the disenfranchised teen voice exceptionally well. The pages, filled equally with action and dialogue, will keep readers engaged for the entire bookand hoping for a next. VERDICT Purchase where James Howe's The Misfits is popular. Cathleen Ash, Manor High School Library, TX