Cosmos Camp

Stepping out of supporting roles in Giles' Legendary Alston Boys novels, the 12-year-old Ellison twins find themselves at odds and in danger after Wiki, the one with perfect recall and good social skills, is suddenly invited to join her awesomely brilliant but insecure gadgeteer sister, Leen, at a STEM summer camp sponsored by Petey Thunkle, the world's richest technocrat. Even fans accustomed to the author's distinctively screwy premises are in for a wild ride as not only has Thunkle disappeared just weeks before the scheduled launch of his mighty Interstellar-Z rocket but also Wiki is suddenly beset with weirdly conflicting sets of memories. Both situations turn out to be related, and their last-tick resolution is complicated by corporate spies and guilty techno secrets. Despite some friction (they had both been looking forward to a bit of separation), Leen and Wiki make a great team, and watching them in action as they work on their own relationship while simultaneously averting cosmic catastrophe juices up the emotional resonance as well as the action in this epic exploit.

Twelve-year-old African American girls attempt to solve a complicated mystery that also threatens their tight familial bond in this stand-alone novel that reunites readers with characters from Giles' Legendary Alston Boys series. Twins Evangeleen and Victoria Ellison, who go by Leen and Wiki, respectively, have always done everything together. But now, Leen is excited to attend the STEM-focused summer Cosmos Camp on her own, while Wiki is looking forward to doing her own thing and helping with the family farm. Anna Thunkle, wife of the wealthy tech entrepreneur whose company is behind the camp, causes tension between the sisters by offering Wiki a camp scholarship--even though she didn't even apply. Neither girl is happy about this, but their parents are enthusiastic about the opportunity. Shortly after their arrival, Anna asks the sisters to help find her missing husband, Petey. The mission is made more complicated when Wiki's eidetic memory starts glitching and Leen struggles with imposter syndrome after being placed on a team with bullies. The sisters must work collaboratively to try to figure out what is really going on at Camp Cosmos and in Petey's company. This story highlights the valuable impact African American women and girls can have in science and technology. The relationship dynamics between the engaging, likable sisters will resonate with many readers, who will enjoy accompanying them on this adventurous journey. An imaginative, thrilling story exploring family and team dynamics through the lens of invention. (Science fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.