JONESY FLUX AND THE GRAY LEGION

In this love letter to the space opera genre, a daring young girl embarks on a quest to save those she loves.

In the distant future, in a distant solar system, 11-year-old Jonesy Archer has been eking out a life after surviving a pirate attack on her space station three years prior. She and the rest of the survivors, (all children of varying ages) scavenge what they can from the remnants of Canary Station while waiting for rescue. But when Jonesy accidentally discovers she has a strange power, the Gray Legion—a malevolent entity seeking to rid the galaxy of such powers—arrives at the station, taking her friends captive and leaving Jonesy stranded. This catapults Jonesy into an adventure across the galaxy, where she searches for answers, develops her abilities, and reunites with those she has lost. The novel treats its young audience with respect, assuming they can grapple with broad themes of war, violence, and danger without graphically depicting them on the page. Though the middle third of the book loses some steam in terms of pacing, Jonesy’s odyssey is mostly packed with action and fun, offering some solid and unpredictable twists along the way. Jonesy and her family are White. There is some racial diversity among her supporting cast of characters.

A classic space adventure that rewards readers with a rousing journey through the cosmos.