Gr 3–6—Aidan helps his parents run the Mercury Inn, a remodeled 1950s hotel on Florida's Space Coast. The media begin to descend when an alleged UFO interrupts a rocket launch, and soon after Aidan meets his first alien, disguised as hotel guest Dru Tanaka. As Aidan struggles to keep Dru's secret, he begins to see connections between UFOs and a car crash he was in two years ago. Aidan's best friend Louis lost his leg in this accident, and the details of the crash may upset younger readers. Otherwise, the action is mild, the language simple and direct, and the text is interspersed with cartoon-style illustrations and satirical Twitterlike feeds. The quirky setting and diverse characters add originality. An accessible and whimsical read, this should have wide appeal.—
Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NYThe Mercury Inn, owned by narrator Aidan's parents, boasts an ideal vantage point for launches from the John F. Kennedy Space Center. A blackout interrupts one countdown, and a large, glowing aircraft hovers above the motel. Tourists, the media, government agents, and UFO fanatics swarm the Mercury. Cartoon spot art with a retro space-age feel works well with the wacky characters and situations.
The Mercury Inn, a fifties-themed "quirky-but-upscale boutique motel" on Florida's Space Coast, shelters a colorful cast of characters -- including its owners, narrator Aidan and his parents. In addition to its proximity to the beach, the Mercury Inn also boasts an ideal vantage point for space launches from the John F. Kennedy Space Center. Then one such launch dramatically changes the summer tourist season for the Mercury Inn. The odd habits of a young guest named Dru Tanaka and the anxious pre-launch chatter from UFO-obsessed friend Louis don't concern Aidan until a blackout interrupts the countdown and a large, unusual aircraft glows and hovers above the motel. Immediately tourists, the media, government agents, and UFO fanatics swarm the Mercury (and all of Florida), and Aidan, Louis, and Dru must depend on one another in a plot that twists and turns like a roller coaster through the engaging setting. The book design and spot cartoon art with a retro space-age feel work well with the wacky characters and situations of this enjoyably beach-y sci-fi escape. julie roach
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