Joyride: Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up—Rebellious Uma and techie DewyDD plot to flee a future Earth where a one-world government has surrounded the planet with a Safeskin to keep out aliens. During their escape, they acquire Private Casanova, a princess in disguise; hijack a spaceship with the help of a friendly sentient Bot; and add alien Kolstack to their group. Jorn, DewyDD's older brother, pursues them, as it is his mission to return them to Earth. Uma, the unofficial leader, has all the brashness of Han Solo, with Bot and Kolstack providing her with perspective and sidekicks Private Casanova and DewyDD trying to reason with her. Secrets about the group are revealed through flashbacks, confessions, and swapping of memories, and the bonds of friendship and loyalty are tested. The illustrations are rendered in rich hues. The artist uses dark tones with flashes of color to depict space. The human characters have an anime quality to their appearance, and the aliens alternate between looking like bugs and more humanoid.