FICTION

In the Quick

Random. Mar. 2021. 272p. ISBN 9780525511250. $27. F
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DEBUT Raised by her aunt and her uncle Peter Reed, who was instrumental in the development of fuel cells used for long-mission space travel, brilliant 12-year-old June participated in the building of the long-mission spaceships Inquiry and Endurance. Inquiry was launched just as Peter passed away and eventually went quiet, so it was assumed that the fuel cells had failed and the crew had perished. As an adult, June is posted to “the pink planet,” a staging point for space flight. The program is mostly shut down, but June encounters one of her uncle’s former students and convinces him that the crew of Inquiry is still alive. They agree to work on the fuel cell problem together, but can they rescue Inquiry and its crew?
VERDICT In this readable debut, Day captures the difficulties of both being and raising a gifted child, while incorporating details about space flight, training, and problem solving that make the story come alive without being overwhelming. Recommended for most fiction readers.
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