As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, as Ed’s execution date gets close his appeal are denied and his only hope now is the Governor but Joe doesn’t have much faith.

Shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award, The YA Book Prize, CBI Book Of The Year Award and the CLIPPA Award. I just began the sequel, Moonwar, and the narrator (performer) is not as good (the extra engineering -- voice effects, see below -- is also absent).

Joe has what little money he has earned from his job working with his friend Reed at Reed's Uncles garage.

Jinny Anson is a character whose name is a mashup of Heinlein’s middle name and his wife’s first name.Since completing a masters in creative writing, she has been working to promote creative writing in schools. Two unlikely but resilient friends yearn to know who they really are in this sensitively told novel in verse. Joe's main male figure has been his older brother Ed, he has been the one to make sure he got up in the morning and made it to school with some sandwiches for lunch time. Bova was the science advisor for the failed television series The Starlost, leaving in disgust after the airing of the first episode. Other good discussion points include the death penalty and the way poor people often are treated in the justice system.