GIRLS IN FLIGHT

Changes abound when a girls’ school is moved to an all-boys campus.

After their alma mater was destroyed in Girl on Fire (2020), Tara, Misako, Kat, and Summer’s beloved School for Extraterrestrial Girls relocates to the isolated School for Extraterrestrial Boys. The quartet of alien friends now find themselves in a co-ed environment. Tara, who has the power to create fire, unpacks her complicated feelings for and history with winged roommate Misako (in the first book, Tara learned that her people nearly wiped out Misako’s). She also befriends troublemakers Evan and Ian, who are fairies like Misako. Like all students, Summer wears a watch that makes her appear human; when she meets a handsome boy, she fears showing him her true tentacled form. Meanwhile, observant Kat may have uncovered a conspiracy. Misako’s and Tara’s dual perspectives are delineated in light blue and green, respectively, and readers get a more character-driven approach in this follow-up. Those seeking high-octane action must be patient until nearly the cliffhanging conclusion, but the flashy final fight scene is worth the wait. With vividly hued illustrations from artist Noguchi, Whitley’s fizzy interstellar romp will leave readers buzzing for the next installment as he explores the girls’ dynamics both as a group and individually. In their human forms, Tara and Summer are brown-skinned, Misako is cued Asian, and Kat appears white.

Fast-paced SF fun.