I missed out when The Disasters was the Cannonball Book Club pick but have finally made up for lost time. This book immediately kick into high gear and doesn’t stop until the conclusion. Science fiction is a favorite genre of mine and this was so fun, as well as refreshing with the LGBTQ+ representation.
All Nax has ever wanted was to be a pilot. The best way to do so is to become a cadet in the Space Academy and then migrate to the off Earth colony worlds. To do so means a one way ticket. Earth is extremely protective of the birth place of humanity and doesn’t allow anyone who has left Earth orbit to ever return to the ground again. Nax is okay with this if it means acquiring his dream. Unfortunately, his pride and arrogance leads to him being kicked out immediately after entrance exams.
Dejectedly, he is sitting in the space port with three other washed out recruits waiting for the shuttle to take them back to Earth when an armed strike team enters Ellis Station base and begins murdering station crew on sight. The sudden violence shocks the four teens into action and they sprint for the recently docked shuttle. Despite failing his flight exam, Nax is the only one with piloting experience so he takes the controls and attempts to keep them all from being shot out of the sky. To their horror, they watch the atmosphere being vented from Ellis Station as the thousands of people aboard are swiftly murdered.
Nax, Rion (the diplomat), Zee (the medic), and Case (the genius) are quickly labeled outlaws to be arrested on sight. The perpetrators of the Ellis Station attack have manipulated the situation so that no one on Earth or the Colonies is aware of what has happened. The quad finds themselves in the difficult situation of alerting the authorities of what actually has happened while evading those who want them dead to cover up their treachery.
It’s hard, accepting that we’ve done nothing wrong and somehow came out looking like the bad ones. We’re raised to believe that if we do all the right things, the law will protect us. Reality is much harsher, apparently.”
Do you like fast paced adventure? Do you like space ships and space battles? Do you like teens being their authentic selves and crushing on one another when the adrenaline slows a tiny bit? Then this book is for you!
Note: Bird house painted to represent the pansexual pride flag.