So this past weekend, I was at a convention. Hypericon 2017, which is the localest of local cons to me and one that I will likely attend in the future as well. I mention this because I had the honor and pleasure to meet Leonardo Ramirez while I was there.
Hearing him speak about his works was honestly inspiring and he has a series that involves Jupiter (and later on, Mars, I am given to understand) and I was increasingly intrigued by that, so I picked them up while I was there.
I was delighted by the first book in the Jupiter Chronicles. It is a Young Adult book, specifically targeted for young chapter readers, so parents don’t be afraid to hand this one to your kids.
The Secret of the Great Red Spot was engaging and I loved the way it read. It was simple to understand without feeling patronizing or like it was being dumbed down for kids. I wish I had had something like this when I was smaller.
The two main characters, (Callie and Ian Castillo) were deeply amusing and I could clearly picture them and their antics in my head. The book also lends itself well to being read aloud, which is pretty awesome. There are fantastic space battles, awesome hijinks, and a farting robot.
It’s not often that I find myself saying this, but I really hope this gets picked up by a kids network and made into a show or movie. I think it would lend itself really well to that kind of medium as well.
This is a great first book and I’m looking forward to where this series goes next.
You can find this book and Leonardo’s other works here: The Leonardoverse
If you’ve read this book and want to chat about it, leave a comment below!