The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion

Gr 8 Up—Bennett thinks he has struck the jackpot when his longtime crush, Sophie, agrees to go to prom with him. A few moments after she accepts, however, Sophie is abducted by horned, red-furred aliens traveling in a wagonlike UFO. Bennett naturally wants his prom date back, and so he enlists the help of an extraterrestrial band visiting a local In-N-Out to follow Sophie around outer space. As Bennett focuses on ensuring Sophie is not hunted down by fellow marooned humans in a Hunger Games-like park, he learns the truths behind the band members and their drive to become successful again. If it sounds implausible, it unabashedly is, but McCoy creates a fun, amusing, and heartwarming story out of the impossibilities. Readers will root for Bennett to get the girl and even for crusty band member Skark to accomplish his dream of becoming better than the one billionth and sixteenth band in the universe. The book's ending is a nicely placed, realistic surprise. Witty and action-packed, the plot boldly glazes over science-fiction details in favor of well-wrought characters.—Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX