Review Detail

Kelvin Klosmo's family has moved to a new intergalactic community so that his genius parents can continue their important scientific work. Starting a new school is always hard, but for Kelvin it's going to be especially difficult since his classmates and teachers will all be different species--plus he's expected to be an uber-genius since he's the product of two of the smartest people in the galaxy. Throw in a disrespected and jealous scientist who has decided that being evil is his path to fame, and you have SCI-FI JUNIOR HIGH.

SCI-FI JUNIOR HIGH has plenty of middle school humor, and the illustrations are in a comic format that helps the sometimes-confusing narrative. Both are sure to appeal to the book's intended audience. Kelvin is a relatable and well-formed character, and his struggles with imposter syndrome particularly ring true. His friends and family aren't quite as well done, and there are a lot of middle school literary tropes sprinkled throughout: a not-so-smart bully, friendly crushes, an embarrassing parent, and an annoying younger sibling.

This is the first a series, and I think it suffers a bit from trying to do too much to set up future books. That said, there's enough to keep readers entertained and flipping pages, and there are positives to recommend giving SCI-FI JUNIOR HIGH 2 a try, too.

My thanks to the publisher and YA Books Central a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.