Katya's World (Strange Chemistry)
Like one of his acknowledged influences, Robert A. Heinlein, Howard does a wonderful job of enmeshing this teen-on-a-distant-planet into decidedly grown-up situations without patronizing her or simplifying the genre-related complexities. That’s achieved partly because Katya Kuriakova, a fledgling sub navigator on a water world, shares the stage with an ensemble cast of utterly believable and compelling characters. Most notable among these is Havilland Kayne, the mysterious pirate leader who is alternately Katya’s prisoner, savior, enemy, and friend. The other key ingredients are the intriguing plot—a vast, mysterious, and apparently self-aware weapon threatens to destroy friend and foe alike—and Howard’s deft storytelling. To access that storytelling one must first endure the prologue’s exposition dump, but that’s a structural strategy that pays off since the subsequent action doesn’t let up. Overall, this is a thrilling start to a series that hopefully won’t end anytime soon. Grades 9-12. --Peter Gutierrez