Victories Greater than Death (Unstoppable #1)

A teen anticipates her true form in this fast-paced YA debut from Anders (All the Birds in the Sky, for adults). Though she’s been living on Earth for the last 17 years, attending school and battling bullies as a pale-skinned human, Tina Mains is actually a purple alien clone with a buzzing beacon implant. She knows that when the rescue beacon activates, signaling her maturity, her comrades will collect her. When it happens, though, she barely escapes enemy the Compassion (“ ‘compassion,’ as in ‘putting you out of your misery’ ”). En route to the HMSS Indomitable with her human best friend, Rachael, in tow, Tina learns that she’s the clone of decorated alien captain Thaoh Argentian, she’s boarding the ship Thoah previously commanded, and she’s completely unprepared to step into the captain’s shoes. While Thoah’s knowledge returns to Tina, personal memories remain missing, and the teen struggles to live up to her crew members’ expectations, then seeks her own route to intergalactic peace alongside a ragtag, variously inclusive group of eclectic teens. Exploring themes of identity and destiny against an intricately built universe, Anders folds it all into a revel of action and love. Ages 13–up. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh. (Apr.)