Satellite

Leo lives aboard Moon 2, a space station orbiting Earth, with his lifelong friends, twins Libra and Orion. All three teenagers were born in space and raised by astronauts. Now as the three turn 16, doctors believe that they are strong enough to move from their zero gravity existence to Earth, and all are eager to see the home they’ve never been to. The story is told entirely through Leo’s perspective, and it’s clear that he is missing some information—Lake (Whisper to Me) drop hints about a conspiracy and public protests, and Leo’s mother is standoffish and withholding. The mystery keeps the pages turning, but it’s a drawn-out unspooling of information. It doesn’t help that Leo narrates in something like text-speak: u for you, dr.ate for doctorate, and an aversion to capital letters that marks him as different from the very first page but that may test readers’ patience. But for those who embrace it, Lake’s novel raises many difficult moral questions to consider. Ages 12–up. Agent: Caradoc King, United Agents. (Oct.)