Rainbow Rowell
As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, seventeen-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus. Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling head over heels—fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him. Expertly capturing the thrill of first love and the self-doubt all teens feel, debut author Phil Stamper is a new talent to watch.
I really enjoyed this book. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t a TV show or a movie but a book! My imagination just soared with this author with its characters. I may be quite bias as a fellow nerd in science, physics, theoretical physics and basically everything NASA does so it didn’t take me long to be invested in the story, given we may be raising the Mars generations right now!
We follow our main character, Cal; a young teen who loves New York, journalism and old cassette tapes. But our antagonist, Leon, is the polar opposite: quiet, reserved, sporty and his family look perfect on TV.
As the book progresses, we see that appearances aren’t all they seem to be, and sparks begin to fly between Cal and Leon. I wasn’t completely invested in the romance, but it made every character more human and tangible.
The plot of this was interesting. I could see how the events that unfolded could actually happen. It left me a little shocked!
If you love science and space exploration with a focus on the astrokids (love that name) and the families, you’ll love this.
Hardcover
314 pages
Published – 4th February 2020
Publishing Company – Bloomsbury YA
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