The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion

February 16, 2015
Girlfriendless, voted “most awkward” by his senior class, and waitlisted by Princeton, 18-year-old Bennett Bardo is surprised when his long-time infatuation, Sophie Gilkey, goads him into asking her to prom. Surprise turns to horror when he witnesses her abduction by aliens near Roswell, N.M. Determined to find her, Bennett joins a washed-up intergalactic rock band named the Perfectly Reasonable, which consists of a chronically drunk singer, a flirtatious bassist, a drummer with an eye toward clothing design, and a spiritual talking ram named Walter. McCoy (Scurvy Goonda) frames Bennett’s hilarious and self-deprecating confessional around fast-paced scenes reminiscent of a Dr. Who episode by way of Daniel Pinkwater. The witty and acidic dialogue between the band mates (“You’re a wax figure of your former self”) adds comic relief as Bennett races to save Sophie from a murderous reality TV show and the band’s popularity and funds nosedive. McCoy’s laser-sharp descriptions enliven worlds where “sentient chunks of asphalt” congregate with “overheated sand trolls.” Though the conclusion is not the expected happily-ever-after, Bennett and the band receive their due rewards. Ages 12–up. Agent: David Kuhn, Kuhn Projects.

February 1, 2015
A sad sack has just secured his first date-to the senior prom, no less-when she's kidnapped by extraterrestrials. Bennett considers himself a "worthless, ramen-eating, day-sleeping, I-think-I-wore-these-boxers-yesterday-but-I'm-not-even-quite-sure pile of dirt right now." He's been wait-listed at Princeton, and for reasons he can't quite explain, he didn't apply anywhere else. Enter neighbor Sophie: Despite popularity and hotness, she needs a prom date. Sophie, who exists purely to be The Girl for Bennett, is half Manic Pixie Dream Girl-she wears vintage dresses, rides a motorcycle and does mud runs-and half damsel in distress. Hitching a ride with a boozy, past-their-prime extraterrestrial band in order to rescue Sophie from the outer-space reality television show that captured her, Bennett bops around McCoy's kooky galaxy, solves his songwriting block and makes it home in time for prom-with Sophie in hand. Bennett's ironically detached first-person voice is very funny but sometimes offhandedly callous (taking potshots at "a scoliosis-riddled troll" just feels cruel). His college prospects (or lack thereof) loom amusingly large, as does prom, undiminished by views of "all of creation," which looks "a bit like a computer screen saver from the early nineties." In McCoy's universe, Earth is oblivious about extraterrestrials, but outer space offers Coca-Cola, pork fried rice and plenty of television. An E.T.-ex machina conclusion suits the story well. Not particularly meaningful but entertaining nonetheless. (Science fiction. 13-16)

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January 1, 2015

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

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015
Grades 7-10 Bennett Bardo's dreams just came true. His gorgeous neighbor, Sophie Gilkey, is going to prom with him. But things change when she is abducted by aliens right before Bennett's eyes in the New Mexico desert. Happening upon a bus that resembles a metal platypus at an In-and-Out Burger, Bennett hops a ride and is whisked off into space with the members of The Perfectly Reasonable, an intergalactic band of musicians that agree to help him locate Sophie after their tour is over. Bouncing from asteroid to comet to planet, deeper and deeper into space, Bennett is on the ride of his life. Supernova chaos ensues as the band finds itself in and out of trouble and Bennett tries everything he can to find Sophie. Readers who enjoy sci-fi will love this all-out spoof of space travel and new relationships as the concept of starstruck takes on a wacky new meaning. Give this to readers who enjoyed Eoin Colfer's And Another Thing: Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Part 6 of 3 (2009).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Eighteen-year-old Bennett finally gets his dream girl to agree to be his prom date, and immediately afterwards she's abducted by aliens. To find her he hitches a ride with an interstellar rock band. The over-the-top premise works well with a narrative that doesn't take itself too seriously. Characters manage to be grounded and realistic while still generating lots of humor.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)