Title: Frozen Secrets
Author: Myles Christensen
Series: Europa Academy (Book 1)
Genre: MG Science Fiction / Mystery
Pages: 298
What Goodreads has to say:
He has trouble following the rules on Earth, but Jupiter’s moon could kill his curiosity for good…Thirteen-year-old Max Parker is a grounded Earthling with the soul of a space explorer. So when he learns his family is relocating to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, he readily agrees to stay out of trouble. But his promise is soon forgotten, and his snooping lands him on a shuttle doomed for a fiery disintegration.
Convinced someone sabotaged the craft to cover up the theft he witnessed, Max digs into the incident. What else could they be hiding? Dodging a series of deadly accidents, he follows the clues to an abandoned outpost and discovers a secret that could blow the lid off a moon-wide conspiracy. Can he solve the mystery before his interplanetary escapade gets him killed?
What I have to say:
A mystery in space? Sign me up!
The climax is an Iditarod race across the frozen surface of Jupiter's moon?
Even better!
From page one, I knew this was going to be a fun, action packed book.
It starts off with two kids trying to launch an antique jetpack that they rebuilt.
In Jonathan's (one of said kids) words: "The fuel lines might leak, the combustion chamber might explode, the nozzles might shear--"
In Jonathan's (one of said kids) words: "The fuel lines might leak, the combustion chamber might explode, the nozzles might shear--"
Any number of things could go wrong, and Max (the kid strapped to the jetpack) could very likely die.
But that doesn't put Max off one bit. He has a talent (problem?) for getting into life-threatening situations. And while the jetpack adventure comes just shy of proving fatal, don't worry, because it's very probably the least life-threatening situation he'll find himself in for the rest of the book.
Getting stuck in a sabotaged shuttle, getting sealed in an underground tunnel, getting stranded in the wilderness with low oxygen levels, getting caught in a crazy car chase, getting caught by enemy spies, nearly blowing himself up in a drilling rig, jumping off a precipice--these are all in a day's work for Max Parker: super secret spy.
OK, he's not a super secret spy, he's 13, and he's probably grounded for life at this point. But he wants to be a super secret spy.
And honestly, for a frequently grounded 13-year-old, he does pretty dang well.
Max is a fun character. And his supporting cast is fun, too--from his seriously awesome older sister to his diverse group of friends and the villainous members of the Xenium League.
I especially like Max's friend Cameron, who gets pulled into the spy adventure reluctantly and isn't fond of taking risks. (He's a rock-solid friend, though.)
And what's any young teen mystery in space without a little awkward romance? YES. Bring it on.
Oh yeah, it's a mystery. That part is fun, too. It kept me guessing as to who was on the good guys list and who was on the bad guys list.
Did I mention it's in space? While the book starts on Earth and has a brief sojourn there in the middle, most of the action takes place in the new Europa colony on Jupiter's moon. Europa City is an awe-inspiring place that speaks to the space-happy child in me. Also....
Zero gravity is awesome.
So basically, picture trying to solve a mystery as a 13-year-old with the fate of humanity at stake and your friends and family in danger. Then picture doing it in low gravity, on a frozen moon. That's this book. You like?
I do. I had a lot of fun solving this mystery in space.
Well, credit where credit's due. I didn't really solve it.
That was Max Parker: super secret space spy.
Rating:
Until tomorrow.
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