Authentic gamer action meets classic sci-fi themes and leaves room for sequels.
Twelve-year-old gamers at an elite tournament uncover secrets.
In the not-so-distant future, the digital world’s just as real as the physical one thanks to virtual-reality technology. Rogan, an egotistical-yet-talented “Laser Viper” player, spends more time alone in his virtual apartment (where he’s facing eviction for failing to pay rent) than with his parents, who are wrapped up in their own digital lives. When the creator of “Laser Viper” invites him and four other players to a contest to become the “Laser Viper” Grand Champion, he leaves Seattle for the Atomic Frontiers headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he and the other players are sequestered. Joining him are his chief gaming rival, Shaylyn; brusque bully Beckett; brilliant Jacqueline; and team-player Takashi. The advanced version of the game is more real than ever—but when certain things don’t add up, the players find themselves in danger from an unexpected source. Aside from brown-skinned Jacqueline and implied-Japanese Takashi, the only other main character explicitly of color is Xavier (called X), a brown-skinned, “tough-looking” Atomic Frontiers employee; Rogan, Shaylyn, and Beckett are default white. (Many principal characters are neurodiverse, but their conditions are controlled by the neuroports that also facilitate their play.) During the intricate gaming missions, the perspective hops among the characters (each playing a different class, “Team Fortress”–style), so readers don’t miss anything, from the three elimination rounds to the championship, in this fast-paced narrative tailor-made for gamers.
Authentic gamer action meets classic sci-fi themes and leaves room for sequels. (Science fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-04529-1
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Breathtaking dragon battles peppered with musings on forgiveness, teamwork, and love.
Lunar Jones joins other planetary guardians to unravel clues from Proteus and save the solar system in this third series entry.
Lunar, a 15-year-old dragoon, is known far and wide and regarded as a hero on Mars, but his personal life contains tension. He’s bonded for life with Dread, the savvy war strategist King-Dragon of Mars, but the Dread Knights are leaving one by one to pursue other opportunities. Though he’s unhappy about this, Lunar doesn’t try to hold them back. Sorting out his feelings for Rose Proctor is another can of worms. Plus he’s preparing for the upcoming Solar Summit, which is held by the planetary dragons once every 500 years. Reminiscent of a dragon family reunion, the summit includes equal measures of information exchange, camaraderie, and squabbles, but the appearance of a shape-shifting Fear Dragon brings everyone to laser-focused attention as they rally against a monstrous unseen enemy. Lunar’s first-person narration presents him variously as an awkward teen, pep-talking mentor, and battle-savvy commander. The dragon battles rock, innovations abound, and the Proteus messages tantalizingly reveal themselves right up until the cliffhanger ending. Names and skin tones cue some ethnic and racial diversity among the smart, strong teenage crew members surrounding the white-presenting Lunar. Knowledge of the previous books is essential to fully appreciate this volume, which explores characters and situations from earlier entries; a prologue introduces the formidable new characters Doom and Gloom.
Breathtaking dragon battles peppered with musings on forgiveness, teamwork, and love. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781665982016
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
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