Only Child

Twelve-year-old Cody's first trip outside his spaceship home takes him to the developing world of Patma, where he is kidnapped by natives who want to hold him hostage in order to force humans to leave their planet. As the drama unfolds, Cody discovers that the humans of Patma have covered up the existence of the natives because it is illegal to settle worlds where indigenous intelligent life already exists. To make matters worse, the human settlers are systematically killing the natives. Hoover ( The Dawn Palace; ; Away Is a Strange Place to Be ) has crafted a riveting, fast-paced adventure story laced with probing psychological insights into Cody's life on board ship and his coming of age in the aftermath of his kidnapping. This complex and engrossing novel is especially moving in the scenes evoking the aliens' culture and Cody's struggle to channel his outrage over its destruction. Hoover's forceful, visual writing will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end. Ages 9-12. (Mar.)