Whether it’s fighting for interstellar peace, falling in love with a time traveler, or trying to rescue your family (and spacecraft) from the clutches of outerspace baddies, the protagonists in these sci-fi titles are down-to-earth teens who readers will root for whole-heartedly. Check out these out-of-this-world YA novels.

Arnett, Mindee. Polaris. 432p. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Jan. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062235626; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9780062235640.

Gr 9 Up –Picking up where Avalon (HarperCollins, 2014) left off, this novel has Jeth Seagrave, along with his newly discovered sister and his crew, the Malleus Shades—a bunch of teen outlaws working jobs for an intergalactic crime lord—on the run from the ITA, who are still holding his scientist mother captive. Long-thought dead, she had been imprisoned for years by the galactic organization because she and her unborn child were radically changed by their time in deep space, gaining the ability to manipulate time and space mentally. Jeth’s otherworldly sister Cora holds the key to restoring the failed Metadrives that hold the Confederation together. In order to reunite his family, and ensure their continued freedom, Jeth must rely on his crew and enter into an extremely dangerous partnership with the galaxy’s newest crime lord, as he takes the fight to the heart of the ITA itself. While Arnett’s previous volume in the series bore some similarity to Joss Whedon’s TV show, Firefly, her extremely exciting follow-up finds its own voice and spirit. With its high-octane plot, multidimensional characters, witty banter, and lots of heart, Polaris will appeal to fans of science fiction and action/adventure alike.–Ryan F. Paulsen, New Rochelle High School, NY

Bell, Cathleen Davitt. I Remember You. 320p. Knopf. Feb. 2015. lib. ed. $20.99. ISBN 9780385754569; Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780385754552; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780385754576. LC 2014004789.

Gr 10 Up –It’s 1994 in an East Coast suburban town. Juliet is a junior in high school, focusing on her future goals (law school). Lucas is a hockey player, who is from a less-affluent part of town, and has his future planned out: he’s joining the Marines. When Lucas walks into Physics class and sees Juliet, he knows they are going to date. He claims to have visions and memories that seem to be coming from his future. As these become more frequent, Juliet finds herself lost in his pain, unfocused on her goals, as she tries to hang on to their relationship in the present. Bell weaves an intensely passionate love story with a creative structure in which the present-day and future time lines eventually meet by its end. Juliet is grounded, honest, and wants to be known for her intelligence and independence. She compromises these qualities while dealing with Lucas’s visions, and her mom and best friend take note. Well-developed and multidimensional supporting characters contribute to the book’s even pace. Strong imagery and realistic dialogue work seamlessly to create the ambiance of 1994, where pay phones were only a quarter and houses still had corded landlines. This romance novel has elements of science fiction, yet remains true and authentic to the intensity of feelings adolescents experience with their first loves. Some tasteful sex scenes make this work more appropriate for older teens. Recommended for fans of Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler’s The Future of Us (Penguin, 2011).–Stephanie DeVincentis, Downers Grove North High School, IL

Landers, Melissa. Alienated. 352p. Bk. 1. 2014. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 9781423170280. LC 2013032977.

––––. Invaded. 368p. Bk. 2. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 9781423169499.

ea vol: (Alienated). ebook available. Disney-Hyperion. Feb. 2015.

Gr 9 Up –In Alienated, Cara Sweeney, high school overachiever and class valedictorian, has been selected to host the first L’eihr exchange student. Initial excitement and pride are quickly overshadowed by doubt and unease upon meeting the alien Aelyx. Although almost genetically identical, the two cultures are as different as night and day and the level of discomfort is evident. Further complicating matters is anti-alien paranoia and violence directed not only at Aelyx and the other exchange students, but also at Cara and her family. Drawn together due to circumstance, the teens start falling for each other. In Invaded, the couple continues to try to forge an alliance between the two planets, as mutual survival of both populations are depending on it. Amid hate and an unknown future, Cara must decide between love, the unknown, and the future she always dreamed of having. Excellent character development and a nice integration between modern reality and science fiction drive the plot in a satisfying story arc. Continuation of the story line is seamless between series installments, giving readers a continued interest in and connection to the protagonists. Themes of racism and environmentalism are integral to understanding and developing the emotional level of the story as well as the momentum of the plot. Teens will be rooting for the galactic couple while enjoying the action and suspense that runs through the two volumes. A fun pick for fans of sci-fi with a bit of romance.–Elizabeth Speer, Cisco College, TX

Liu, Liana. The Memory Key. 368p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Mar. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062306647; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780062306661.

Gr 7 Up –Lora Mint’s mother died in a car accident five years ago, and the pain of losing her hasn’t diminished. Worse, Lora’s memories of her are fading, even though she has a Memory Key, because the Keys aren’t meant to preserve memories perfectly, just mimic the brain’s ability to remember. Her mom was a top scientist at Keep Corp, the morally questionable company that developed Memory Keys to combat the widespread Alzheimer’s-like Vergets Disease. After Lora’s key begins malfunctioning, she suddenly has crystal-clear memories of her mother—memories that make the teen wonder whether the accident actually ended her mom’s life. Now she must sort through her past to discover her mother’s true fate, before Keep Corp fixes her Memory Key and takes away her perfect recall forever. Liu has crafted a relatively mild story with elements of mystery, corporate and government conspiracy, romance, and friendship. The narrative moves along at a quick enough pace that even reluctant readers will stay engaged. Lora is a mostly likable protagonist, though her emotional reactions sometimes feel out of step, and her BFF Wendy adds comic relief and a voice of reason. While plot points tend to work out a little too conveniently and the message about the importance of privacy borders on preachy, readers will be itching to reach the conclusion. Give this one to teens looking for suspense sprinkled with a little dystopia, lacking violence or mature content.–Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, La Crosse Public Library, WI