Mothership

June 11, 2012
In this futuristic comedy/adventure, first in the Ever-Expanding Universe tri­logy, Leicht and Neal introduce the most unlikely of protagonists: unwed 16-year-old mother-to-be Elvie Nara. Abandoned by the baby's father, Elvie ends up in space, at the newly founded Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers, a â¨repurposed low-orbit cruise liner. Three weeks before Elvie's due date, her life â¨explodes when the ship is boarded by a group of extremely hot guys who rescue the teen moms from the suddenly homicidal school faculty. Now Elvie and her schoolmates are caught between two feuding alien races, with their unborn children at stake. The fast-paced action, laugh-out-loud moments, and memorable characters don't quite disguise that this is a story about aliens knocking up girls without their knowledge, and not everyone gets out alive. The slangy narrative voice is more 2004 than 2074 ("How can an emergency exit door be locked? thinks Elvie. "Not cool, Hanover School. So not cool"), but it's still a whole lot of fun. Ages 12âup. Agents: (for Neal) Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media; (for Leicht) Joanna Volpe, Nancy Coffey Literary.

February 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up- Mothership is pure bubble gum in a novel. The plot is thin, the characters are limited, the scenario is sheer silliness-and yet, it is a blast to read. The premise is that in 2074, a group of pregnant teens are on a spaceship to finish high school and give birth. Then the ship is attacked three weeks before Elvie's due date, and she has to use her mechanical and survival skills to save all of the girls. While doing so, they meet friendly aliens, who, it turns out, are the ones who have impregnated them (and are the reason they were sent into space). Of course, all of the good aliens are hot guys, and help to rescue the girls. Yes, there are giant plot holes, and the story borders on ridiculous. But in the tradition of a good B movie, all of that actually works in the book's favor. Give this one to teens who just want a fun, junk-food-style novel, or to add a bit of silly science fiction to your collection.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ

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