I enjoyed book one so much, I was eager to dive into book two. Michael has achieved his dream of being a kid astronaut - but everything isn't all roses and sunshine. He's thrust into the middle of a mystery, with dangerous consequences on the line if he can't solve it before time runs out. There were plenty of twists to keep you guessing, and the solution isn't obvious from the start. Make sure you read book one first, but once you do, you won't want to wait to read this one! ( )

With a balanced mix of fact and fiction, this read offers tons of space excitement while weaving in mystery and tension, too.

Michael's training has come to an end, and the day of the launch has arrived. He's nervous and excited but thrown for a loop, when they reach the space station and 'orders' change. Three Chinese astronauts are on-board, and the US government doesn't want them to know about an experimental drug, which could change the world. But strange things start happening, and it becomes clear that there's more than simple politics on the line. Not only that, but Michael's own long-hoped-for experiment may not be able to be completed, either.

This is the second book in the trilogy, and while I didn't read the first one, it was no problem to dive right in and follow the adventure. So, this can be read as a stand-alone. That said, it also is advertised as a young adult read, which it isn't. While Michael is fifteen, the story flows like a very solid middle grade read and holds that maturity level on the character's end, but, perhaps, on the upper side thanks to some terms, theories, and technical aspects.

Expect quite a bit of excitement, tension, and a trip through fact based situations when diving into this read. The author has done research and does bring across all sorts of technical details, while steering Michael through quite the adventure. Space fans will enjoy the jargon as well as detailed moments such as launch, docking, and more. It builds a solid background for the fictive plot and offers a bit of learning possibilities, too. Only a couple things didn't hit reality quite right, but it's fiction after all. I enjoyed the mix and found it well done.

The mystery end is well-laid and played. It adds quite a bit of drama and tension, and is hard to guess what is truly going on. The stakes are high, which keeps those pages turning until the very end. There are also some deeper themes and food for thought, which act as entrance doors for political, ethical, and other discussions. This makes this great for classrooms and homeschoolers, who are willing to take a more original twist into areas such as international relations, money vs. global benefit (ethics), and such.

It's a quick read with a lot of goodness inside. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the adventure quite a bit. ( )