Release: January 12th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N.
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This #ownvoices debut about losing and finding family, forging unlikely friendships, and searching for answers to big questions that will resonate with Erin Entrada Kelly and Rebecca Stead’s fans.
The only thing Rosalind Ling Geraghty loves more than watching NASA launches with her dad is building rockets with him. When he dies unexpectedly, Ro finds that there is still work remaining on the unfinished model rocket they were working on.
Benjamin Burns doesn’t like science, but he can’t get enough Spacebound, a popular comic book series. When he finds a sketch that suggests that his dad created the comics, excitement fills him. After his dad’s disappearance years ago, Benji has no way to contact him.
Though Ro and Benji were only science class partners, the pair become unlikely friends: Benji helps Ro finish her rocket, and Ro figures out a way to reunite Benji and his dad. But Benji hesitates, which infuriates Ro. Doesn’t he realize how much Ro wishes she could be in his place?
As the two face bullying, grief, and their own differences, Benji and Ro must try to piece together clues to some of the biggest questions in the universe.
About the Author:
Christina Li is a student studying economics at Stanford University. When she is not puzzling over her stats problem set, she daydreams about characters, drinking too much jasmine green tea or playing board games, stressing over her latest statistics homework, or being questionably productive on Twitter and Instagram.
She grew up in the Midwest but now calls California home. Clues to the Universe is her debut novel. Find her online at www.christinaliwrites.com.
Clues to the Universe Review:
“Clues to the Universe” is a fantastic middle-grade novel that talks about friendship and aspirations, and I loved reading it!
It’s rare to come across novels that touch you emotionally. It’s also a pleasant surprise that this happens to be the debut novel by the author. I thought it was perfect! The author touches on many factors like bullying, adjusting to a new place, making friends, and coping with losing a loved one. On top of all this, there is also a mystery that the team investigates in finding Benji’s father.
Ro and Benji are exceptional on their own. Ro is inspiring because she tries her best and puts effort into her work as a coping mechanism. In contrast, Benji tries to be brave and stand up for what is right, even if it means making enemies in the process. Both of them share a beautiful friendship where they support and overcome their challenges. They bring out the best in each other. For instance, there are some memorable moments in the story when Ro breaks down in front of Benji after the project incident and when they launch the rocket for the first time.
Also, Drew was impressive in the negative role, and I liked how the author handled the bullying issue.
Similarly, the author paces the story very well with the events that took place in the 80s. I loved the storyline of Benji searching for his father because I didn’t know what to expect. The author also dynamically writes the story, alternating between Ro and Benji’s perspectives between chapters. This method made the reading experience fresh and exciting.
Overall, I loved everything about this book. I highly recommended it to anyone in the mood for a realistic, middle-grade novel set in the 80s.
