Review by New York Times Review
I'M THINKING EVERY murder mystery should be set on the moon. A lunar colony is so much more menacing than a snowed-in mansion - there's no escape, after all, when stepping outside means simultaneously suffocating and freezing. Stuart Gibbs mines this tension to its narrative limits in "Space Case," a delightful and brilliantly constructed middle-grade thriller. In the year 2041, scientists are hard at work on a lunar colony, which is alternately exciting and boring for the kids they've dragged along - until someone winds up dead. Then it's only exciting. Our lunar gumshoe, Dashiell Gibson, is an endearing mix of loving and cranky, moody and levelheaded - in other words, he's 12 years old. In a novel with such a highly imagined plot, a protagonist this layered is a rare treat. At points, Dash convinces us that "life in outer space sucks." But often we see that's just posing: He passionately investigates precisely which dehydrated foods are most likely to give him the runs, and confides that "the forced time with my family is one of the best things about living here." One morning a scientist mysteriously marches himself out the airlock, and we learn that "two minutes later he was dead." The formidable base commander, Nina Stack, is resolute that the death was an accident. But Dash is less sure - he overheard an enigmatic conversation, and suspects Nina might be covering up a murder to avoid scandal. Here's where the excellence of Gibbs's premise really kicks in. Moon Base Alpha is a distant, sealed place - its officials control what NASA knows, and even if someone on Earth wanted to send up an investigator, it would be incredibly expensive and take weeks. Other kid mysteries strain to keep their young sleuths front and center. On a lunar colony, it's perfectly reasonable that there's no police detective to take Dash's case away from him. The real fuel in the novel's thrusters is its evident love for science. Far from slowing down the story, passages about the logistics of lunar life form some of the most memorable moments. Over the course of Dash's investigating, morsels about such matters as urine recycling, the lunar day-night cycle, spacesuit radiation shielding and extraterrestrial temperature fluctuations give the book an unexpected plausibility. Ultimately, the murder is secondary: At its heart, "Space Case" is about exploration for the sake of exploration, offering up the same wonder as a good long look at the night sky. Less prone to lose itself in scientific reverie is Robert Lipsyte's "The Twin Powers," which picks up soon after the end of his 2012 "The Twinning Project." Half-alien twins Eddie and Tom are puzzling how to reach their father, who is locked away in a spaceship at the other side of the universe. The brothers only recently met, as they spent their childhoods on different planets - one is Earth in 2012, the other a 1958 version. The aliens cloned the Earth and everything on it for their own murky alien reasons but, because of our mismanagement, might now scratch the whole plan and destroy both. In "The Twinning Project," the intriguing premise of twin planets galvanized the first few chapters but slowed into a fish-out-of-water life swap. In "The Twin Powers," Lipsyte, who was a longtime sports columnist for The New York Times, makes a welcome turn by bringing together a diverse team of lively friends who are resolved to do something, even if they never quite figure out what that is. Maybe they'll stop the aliens? Or foil the sinister United States agents on their tail? When "The Twin Powers" is in full stride, it offers a compelling portrait of brotherly rivalry, set against dual Americas divided by 54 years of shifting culture. But this book's interests are divided too - the speculative elements feel half-considered, while the narrative takes on new vigor when it's comparing time periods or discussing Mark Twain, for whom the aliens have a soft spot. It's a book with a lot of interesting things to say, but unclear motives. Dash would never let a suspect get away with hedging like that. ELIOT SCHREFER'S latest novel, "Threatened," was a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award for young people's literature.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [December 14, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
Here's a whodunit set on the moon. The sudden, mysterious death of Moon Base Alpha's physician threatens the entire underfunded lunar-colonization program. Worse, though the base commander and her NASA superiors insist it was an accident, an overheard conversation leads 12-year-old Dashiell to suspect that it was nothing of the sort. Shrugging off hostility from the powers that be and even an anonymous threat, he enlists the aid of a pair of tech-savvy peers and encouraged by an oddly elusive new arrival goes digging. Gibbs stocks the cast with multiple suspects and red herrings, suggestive (if sometimes contrived) clues, hints of secret agendas, and unexpected encounters. Ultimately, the investigation culminates in a suspenseful murder attempt out on the lunar surface, followed by a game-changing revelation. Though relatively standard issue as murder mysteries go, this is notable for its unusual setting and features a narrator who displays a realistic mix of wonder at his location and annoyance at having to deal with the Spartan life on another planet. The exposed killer's rationale actually has merit, too.--Peters, John Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-The year is 2040. Dash, his sister, and their scientist parents are inaugural inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha (MBA), Earth's extraterrestrial colony. Housing only a few dozen people and governed by a strict commander, MBA is not exactly a barrel of laughs for a 12-year-old boy. However, when one of MBA's scientists dies suspiciously and a supply ship brings new residents (including a girl his age), life in space becomes much more intriguing. Though the story has many humorous moments-especially involving the insufferable wealthy space tourists-it also has some plausible science. Each chapter is preceded by a reading from "The Official Residents' Guide to Moon Base Alpha," NASA's part propaganda/part instruction manual, containing such riveting topics as "Exercise" and "Food." Narrator Gibson Frazier keeps the story moving at a good pace, conveying suspense without melodrama. Rather than create pitched character voices, he relies on intonation to differentiate among the large cast. His own voice is deep and clear but boyish enough to suit Dash. The narration flows smoothly, broken only by the humorously intended commercial quality of the "Official Resident's Guide." Space Case should appeal to a broad range of listeners but especially space enthusiasts.-Lisa Taylor, Ocean County Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Life is pretty weird living in the moon's first colony. But it gets weirder fast when a scientist turns up dead. Twelve-year-old Dash is determined to solve the mystery, whether or not anyone else believes it was murder. Details about the logistics of everyday life functions, such as eating and exercise, make the lunar setting fully realized, and the mystery is tightly paced. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When Dr. Holtzs body is discovered just outside the lunar colony, everyone assumes he made a mistake putting on his spacesuitbut 12-year-old Dashiell Dash Gibson has reason to believe this was no accident.Earths first space base has been a living hell for Dash. Theres not much to do on the moon besides schoolwork and virtual-reality gaming, and theres only a handful of kids his age up there with him. The chance to solve a murder is exactly the type of excitement Dash needs. As clues are found and secrets are uncovered, Dash comes to understand that some of the bases residents arent what they seem to be. With a small cast of characters supplying an excellent variety of suspects, Gibbs creates the best kind of murder on a train mystery. The genius, however, is putting the train in space. Closed quarters and technomumbo-jumbo add delightful color to the proceedings. Thankfully, the author doesnt let the high-concept setting overshadow the novels mystery. The whodunit is smartly paced and intricately plotted. Best of all, the reveal is actually worth all the buildup. Thrillers too often fly off the rails in their final moments, but the authors steady hand keeps everything here on track.Fully absorbing. (Mystery. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
