Friends and Foes (Red's Planet Book 2)

August 15, 2017
In this second volume, a plucky Earth girl tries to make her way on her new home planet.Picking up right where predecessor Red's Planet (2016) left off (but with a handy recap worked in to help jog memories), a young, unnamed white orphan everyone calls Red is attempting to fit in with the motley group of aliens on the strange planet on which they all have been marooned. Grouchy Goose--an anthropomorphic cat with a Hawaiian shirt and a bad attitude--refuses to share his supplies with the other refugees. When they decide to hold an election to determine who controls the stock, Red is pitted against Goose. After the election goes awry, the inhabitants and their newly elected leader must then band together to fend off a subsequent attack of alien pirates. Pittman's illustrations are enormously appealing, with an animated feel and imaginative worldbuilding. Although the tale maintains the lively spirit established in the previous book, this volume is somewhat uneven with its plotting. The election arc feels a bit heavy with subtext and invokes current politics, which may be beyond the reach of its intended audience. The plot eventually rights itself, and with an exciting battle and an undeniably optimistic cliffhanger, most young readers will keep reading and may pick up a little civics along the way. This sophomore effort takes a slight narrative stumble, but overall, it's a nifty addition to the series. (Graphic fantasy. 7-12)

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