The Jalopy Chronicles: Across the Universe by Caeli Ennis

 

What worked:

The premise of the book is quite unique. Future Earth is becoming uninhabitable for humans, and a terrorist group called the GeoLapse has its eyes set on ruling the planet, and eventually the universe. The world leaders tell the remaining people on Earth that everything is getting better, but the truth is finally revealed. Everyone will die in one month, so immediate plans are made to ship humans to other planets across the universe that have offered to help. Each planet affords challenges making survival difficult, such as a total absence of light or sound.

Each child in the McHubbard family has a unique disability related to one of the five senses. This seems rather strange early in the story, but the differences become important once humans are sent to other planets. The oldest sister Luna has been slowly going blind, so she’s sent to a planet with no light. Riff is the oldest brother and he’s been going deaf, so he ends up living on a planet with no sound. The plot follows Ann Lou, whose left arm disintegrated last year after being exposed to earth’s atmosphere, as she moves to a planet with extreme heat. Her new planet is the first one threatened, and she is the first one to seek answers and solutions.

The story shares a wonderful message of unity, as creatures from across the universe come together to help one another. It just so happens that a group of terrorist humans are the ones who disrupt the harmony. The creatures from other planets come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny cells to towering giants. The one thing they all have in common are beating hearts and care for each other. Ann Lou even develops feelings for a character from another species which broaches the subject of interracial relationships. Ann Lou isn’t sure how she feels about it, since this character is immediately ready to get married!

What didn’t work as well:

The story skips ahead seven years, so the young characters are immediately transformed into young adults. This change totally erases any age connection young readers might have had with the characters. Middle school and early high school maturity and thinking are a whole lot different than being the age of an adult.

The Final Verdict:

Uniting to save the universe. The author’s vivid imagination transports readers into an adventure among the stars. The book celebrates differences and shows how much can be accomplished when people, and aliens, work together. I recommend you give this book a shot.