The Savage Principle (2014)

By: Tamara Rose Blodgett

This novella follows the story of the protagonist’s father in the years leading up to his reign as king of the sphere. It deals with the inner workings of sphere-dwellers versus Savages, and the secret of the outside world being safe for humanity.

I didn’t know this was a novella when I started reading it, so I kept expecting the story to shift back to the main storyline. However, I wasn’t disappointed. I liked the strong female characters in this novella, and I liked the backstory. That being said, it wasn’t enough to convince me to keep reading the books (there are seven total). So, this is where I hopped off the train.

Avalon (2014)

By: Mindee Arnett

This YA sci-fi follows Jeth Seagrave in his endless pursuit of buying his parents’ ship back from the mob boss he reluctantly works for. When he and his merry band of teenaged mercenaries stumble upon some heavy tech everyone in the galaxy desperately wants, Jeth runs the risk of losing everything he cherishes, including himself.

This novel was a breath. of. fresh. air. As opposed to the standard, it’s up to a bunch of sixteen-year-olds to save the world, Avalon focuses on this small part of the galaxy, on Jeth’s world. Should he fail, there would be catastrophic results, sure, but the world would keep spinning. I devoured these novels. Everything about this world was well-crafted, and the characters were engaging and believable. They’re clearly teenagers, but they’ve also seen some stuff. It was a great balance. Definitely read this book.

The Boys Start The War (1993)

By: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The Hatford brothers are devastated to learn that their best friends, the Benson brothers, are moving away from Buckman, West Virginia. But when the Malloy sisters move into the Benson house, the Hatford brothers concoct a scheme to drive the Malloy sisters away and bring the Bensons back.

I’ve read this book series three times over. Naylor is one of my favorite authors of all time. This reading, however, was more for business than pleasure. But I enjoyed it just as much as I did back in the day when I read it the first time. The characters are brilliant, the setting perfectly nostalgic, and the pranks hilarious. Definitely keep this series alive and pass it on to the children in your life. They’ll thank you for it.

The Island (2016)

By: S. Usher Evans

The two countries of Madion have been at war for far to long. But when an air skirmish goes awry, leaving a pilot from one country, and the prince from the other, alone on a deserted island, they must work together to survive. And they learn fascinating things about themselves and their respective countries along the way.

Let me preface this by saying I’ll read anything S. Usher Evans writes. I really like her writing style, and I’m a fan of her storylines. That being said, I thought this was artfully crafted. The trapped on an island narrative can be overdone, but this was truly engaging. However, I found that towards the end of the novel, the spunky female pilot devolved into a damsel in distress. Of which I was not a fan. But that’s just a personal thing for me. You should definitely read anything Sush has written.

Shameless plug: check out her other books here. I recommend the space pirates.