Mothership

In this futuristic comedy/adventure, first in the Ever-Expanding Universe tri%C2%ADlogy, Leicht and Neal introduce the most unlikely of protagonists: unwed 16-year-old mother-to-be Elvie Nara. Abandoned by the baby's father, Elvie ends up in space, at the newly founded Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers, a %E2%80%A8repurposed low-orbit cruise liner. Three weeks before Elvie's due date, her life %E2%80%A8explodes when the ship is boarded by a group of extremely hot guys who rescue the teen moms from the suddenly homicidal school faculty. Now Elvie and her schoolmates are caught between two feuding alien races, with their unborn children at stake. The fast-paced action, laugh-out-loud moments, and memorable characters don't quite disguise that this is a story about aliens knocking up girls without their knowledge, and not everyone gets out alive. The slangy narrative voice is more 2004 than 2074 ("How can an emergency exit door be locked? thinks Elvie. "Not cool, Hanover School. So not cool"), but it's still a whole lot of fun. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agents: (for Neal) Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media; (for Leicht) Joanna Volpe, Nancy Coffey Literary. (July)