The Good for Nothings

Gr 7 Up–This humorous and irreverent intergalactic romp begins when 17-year-old Cora Saros, a native of the planet Condor, and her aging android, Elio, seriously botch a heist on the planet Voatis and land in the Ironside maximum security prison on the planet Andilly. After a failed escape attempt, they and their cellmates make a bargain with the corrupt Warden to hunt down keys across the galaxies that will unlock an impossible treasure, one that grants everlasting life. Cora and Elio, along with Anders, a stoic and fierce Andillian, and Wren, a bubbly, dark-skinned, purple-haired Earthan thief, face flesh-eating plants, enemy fire, crash landings, bounty hunters, backstabbing family members, and motion sickness. Cora is a pretty decent computer hacker, but she, like the others, also has secrets and motives of her own for finding the treasure. Will these misfit criminals ultimately choose to trust or double-cross one another? Overall, the plot is fast-paced and clever and will have readers turning pages to find out what happens next. While there are some narrative leaps, the overall story is driven by dynamic, fleshed-out main characters who will have readers rooting for all four of them. A healthy mix of sarcastic banter, bathroom humor, light romance, and things that go boom round out the action with a satisfying, if predictable, happy ending. People from Condor are pointy-eared and light-skinned, and Andillians have red skin.