Skyfleet, by Victoria Williamson

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it - the Firehawk - lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents' legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo's help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Follow the tale of two young humans as they fight to survive on a settlement being assaulted by giant irradiated bugs, as well as navigating the difficult world of adult politics... and I thought my teen years were difficult.

This book is SO much fun! What comes to mind when you see a story set on an alien planet where humans fight giant monsters? I was, of course, reminded of 'Starship Troopers' in the initial vibe, but this book definitely flies on its own, being smart and wonderfully realistic for the YA audience (and young-at-heart adults too).

The voices and perspectives of our heroes are perfect, as they try to navigate the life-or-death situations around them - because that's what kids do. The world is a strange and bizarre puzzle no matter what planet you're on, and exploring the unknown and tricky parts to establish your own place is a battle that we all have to fight.

The fact that Amberley uses a futuristic (albeit often broken) wheelchair and her friend Ricardo can only see with his special viewer just adds depth to this adventure. Both are fiercely determined even when the going gets tough, and having no reliable adults to help made me root for them all the more. Because yes, I am an adult who would 100% go to bat for the youngsters against their foes. It was a joy to see the representation in this story, be it age, race, gender or ability.

I was also very entertained by the multiple formats in which this story is told. Letters, communications, machine logs, all gorgeously presented and adding even more dimension to this world.

As the story progressed, I was actually reminded a little of the tiny cut scenes from 'Aliens', with a family just trying to make their way on a hostile world - and we know how well that turned out. Help may not be coming, so we have to do the best we can, and that's a good lesson to learn.

The fast-paced action had me cheering, and the thoughtful human connections inbetween made me feel the reality of this story even more fiercely. This book will stick with me, and I'll be recommending it to young family members and other friendly adults with teens who'll appreciate the tale (and likely sneak a peek themselves too).

Smart, engaging and an excellent first step into the world of science fiction. May this book's readers find their way to NASA or other aerospace organisations - or perhaps bug-based studies. Just in case.

Also look at the lovely survival items that the kind publisher sent to me!