In Blossom’s YA SF novel, a young athlete is on a mission to get back on the field—even if it means using robotics.

It’s 2055, and teenager Dudley “Dude” McPherson Jr. loves playing football, but his father, Dudley Sr.—who works for giant tech company Circle Corporation—hates the game. In a world where most people are plugged into virtual reality, Dude’s dad thinks football is outdated and too violent. Still, Dude’s dad comes to see him play his final game of the season, during which the teen is seriously injured and rushed by helicar to a medical center, where he requires weeks of recuperation. Then his father puts together a school trustee committee that bans football and other non-virtual sports. When Dude finally starts high school, he’s unpopular, and his dad makes him attend the school’s Tech Lab as an extracurricular. There, he befriends Tomly Newton, Allison Albright, and Adam Angelou. Everything about the lab is new to Dude; their supervisor of sorts is an AI called “Master.” However, he’s surprised to find that the tech allows him a way to channel his anger into art. Adam soon suggests creating football-playing robots: “It would be like a bot battle on a massive scale. It would be epic!” Initially, Dude’s against it, but his father talks him into it, and the project starts to look promising as the team hashes it out. Will their idea catch on? Over the course of the novel, Blossom delivers a breezy story that flies by, and it features a likable core of main characters. Dude reads a bit younger than the supporting players, but they’re charming throughout. Although the plot isn’t especially complex, its easy-to-follow quality makes for a good quick read; as such, the novel would likely be a fine suggestion for reluctant young readers. The futuristic, high-tech setting is developed well, with many details woven throughout the text. Readers who aren’t well-versed in the SF milieu won’t find it difficult to become engaged with the story.

A brisk tale that will even entertain readers who aren’t football fans.