Losers in Space

From the title, I expected LOSERS IN SPACE to be a bit of a comedic space romp, but I was wrong. The story is a well-plotted space adventure that explores themes of disenfranchisement, growing up fast, and the dangers of a society shifting its moral compass from valuing human life/rights to prizing entertainment above all.

For me, the plot didn't really take off until about a third of the way into the book. We're quickly introduced to each character via Susan, our smart, snarky, and surprisingly sympathetic narrator. I say surprisingly because it took a while for her to discover that side of herself. All of the characters begin as shallow, disenfranchised, spoiled celebrity kids who want nothing more from their lives than to become just as famous as their parents. The ringleader, Derlock, is described multiple times as being scary and dangerous, but he didn't actually prove Susan's theory right until one third of the way into the book. I would've liked to see little moments of proof so I could already feel wary of him rather than simply be expected to take Susan's word for it, but in the end, the plot isn't as much about Derlock and his sociopathic actions as it is about the core group of kids who discover there's more to life, and more to themselves, than fame and money.

Full disclosure: I am not a math and science kind of girl. There's a lot of math and science in this book, and I think readers who really love to know how things work in detail will eat it up with a spoon. I had a hard time forcing myself not to skim past paragraphs of explanations for how gravity was affecting things and what math equations were necessary to figure out crucial bits of information, but that doesn't take away from this book at all. The plot is well done. The political drama is as intriguing as the personal development of each character. Mr. Barnes took many of the largest "infodumps" of sci-fi facts and moved them into separate "Notes For The Interested" throughout the story to make the entire book move along quickly. I think even non-hard sci-fi readers will enjoy this book because the story itself focuses on both basic human elements (growing up, being forced to become more than you thought you'd ever be, gaining new priorities, and learning to see people for who they really are, not just who you thought they would be) and on the wider examination of what our society loses when we begin to value celebrity entertainment above anything else. With thrilling plot twists, heartwarming moments, and philosophical underpinnings, LOSERS IN SPACE is more than just a romp through the galaxy.

Note for parents, educators, or sensitive readers: Drug use is mentioned and described several times, but the fallout is a terrifying debilitation that leads eventually to death. It isn't glorified. Sexual encounters between teens are also mentioned, and are treated as casual, consequence-free experiences that mean no more than what you had for lunch.