As his 7th grade year begins, Marley knows where he stands in his school's social hierarchy. He's a geek who's obsessed with Star Trek and it feels as though he is invisible to everyone except for the school's bullies. Marley stoically prepares for a miserable year of being picked on - he's used to it by now. But as the year progresses Marley begins to attract more and more attention from bullies. Soon he's running for his life...until Marley's speed begins to attract some attention of its own.
My attempt at summarizing Lisa Yee's latest middle-grade novel really doesn't do the book justice. Warp Speed is a complex - but not complicated - story about one kid's middle school struggles. The characters, even the minor ones, are all very well developed. I really appreciate how characters from Yee's other books made their way into the story without ever stealing the spotlight from Marley. The bullying issue was handled very well, carefully balancing the poster-perfect "right thing to do" in this difficult situation with the reality of the bullies' harshness and their victims' helplessness. This book is honest and does not shy away from the realities of bullying, but somehow isn't completely depressing. Yee inserts plenty of happy moments too, including Marley's loving family, first crushes, and lots of nerdy Star Trek talk.
Overall Grade: A
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