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Cover of Reach (For the Stars)

Reach (For the Stars)

O McCarthy (2024-11-01)

Subgenre
Age groupYA 12-17
Content ratingPG-13
Pages306 (Standard (250-400))
Setting
CSM age13

Content levels

ViolenceModerate
Sexual contentNone
LanguageMild

Synopsis

A boy with martian genetics. A government with nefarious secrets. A complex game of power that challenges right and wrong.For fourteen years Reach has lived with his mother, helping with research projects, attending school, and studying the game of chess. Everything is followed to standard regulation and everything is classified — even information about Reach himself —until the day a government official arrives and makes a move on the chess board of Reach’s life.In Nation, the greatest honor is serving on a space mission. Those who come back alive are heroes, if they follow orders. When Reach is chosen, he learns dangerous secrets about himself and the government. As he navigates the complex politics of Nation, Reach relies on his skills for survival. Faced with high stake choices, Reach must decide what he’s willing to risk. Will he be successful in forging his own path, or die trying?In chess, even a pawn can checkmate. In Nation, the greatest honor is serving on a space mission. Those who come back alive are heroes, if they follow orders. When Reach is chosen, he learns dangerous secrets about himself and the government. As he navigates the complex politics of Nation, Reach relies on his skills for survival. Faced with high stake choices, Reach must decide what he’s willing to risk. Will he be successful in forging his own path, or die trying? In chess, even a pawn can checkmate.

Tags

Political ThrillerDystopian SFSpace Adventure

Is Reach (For the Stars) appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 13 and up.

This YA sci-fi novel features a genetically engineered teen navigating government secrets and dangerous space missions. Expect moderate peril, political manipulation, and life-threatening situations without graphic violence or sexual content.

What to know going in

This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include captivity, death, and manipulation (see the full list above).

Who'll love this

Teens will be drawn to Reach's struggle to uncover the truth about himself while surviving a corrupt government's deadly games in space.