The promotional line for this book was: The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy. The Breakfast Club was enough to get me to pick the book up, but for me it was more, The Breakfast Club meets Firefly, a movie and TV I loved.

For a book set in 'space' it didn't really feel like that, as a lot of the action took place on planets that had long been colonised, and felt like cities on earth. For someone who doesn't read a lot of sci-fi that's probably not a bad thing, as it's more of a fast paced action adventure, that just happens to be set in 2194. There is a diverse cast of characters and I enjoyed the witty banter between them. I liked the multicultural view of what future worlds might look like, and I like a good gadget, so the facechanger was pretty cool.

Probably not one for the sci-fi purists, but a nice introduction to the genre for those of us trying something new.

*thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins Australia and M.K England for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


2 stars.

Ohh this was a disappointment. It would have been so much better if I had of been mislead. The first thing that grabbed my attention with this book was the cover. It's amazing and definitely eye catching. But it was also the quote, "Space is hard. Grab a helmet". Right away I'm like, "YES!!!! A YA book about (teens in) Space!! Exactly my kind of book. But sadly no. That is not what we were given. True, the first chapter is very good! Lots of face paced action and it gives the illusion of a promise that this is what to expect for the rest of the story. But it's not. After chapter one its basically about being on another planet that's kinda similar to earth and the main characters running away from other characters. It's like that the whole way through.

I do have a couple positive things to say about this book though so it's not all bad. One thing is that there was light humor from Nax. I would have LOVED more humor from him as he was my favourite character. I also loved that he's Bi. He's so adorable. The characters in this are diverse which is another positive. I won't go into details because some might class that as spoilers. But it's all a tick from me.

If this had been about say something like maybe the characters space jumped from planet to planet or something that actually made this book be classed as an actual book with the storyline involving space, this would have been given a lot more stars from me. But also, if it hadn't given the impression it was a space theme, I might not have been so disappointed. The characters were there, the setting had been there in chapter one, but it went downhill after that. It is not a bad book though. I need to make that clear. It was written well. There was a storyline. It just wasn't what was expected.

If you are wanting a YA Book set in space then skip this one. But if you still want to read it anyway then, yeah, sure. It's not a bad story.

This was honestly such a brilliant, sass induced (mostly due to the main character, Nax) and fabulous adventure! I love how the author instantly pitched the reader into the story, there was nothing about the book that was slow or dull or anything!
I could easily visualise everything in this story - from the initial grief and inner torment that Nax felt when initially being kicked out of training, his hunger, his utter need, to become a pilot and I just couldn't help but feel for the poor guy! The author wrote him so perfectly, his blend of sassy remarks and quips and comebacks pretty much for everything were perfection and also he's bisexual! *throws confetti* he had some amazing scenes with his newfound friends and I love everyone as a squad but my favourite dynamic is hands down, Nax and Rion! There was just so much cheeky tension between them both and they had great flirtatious energy! There's also a brilliant trans character too and I just love reading about how everyone was pretty much wholly acceptance of one another and just worked so brilliantly together! I certainly feel like I'll miss these characters and certainly hope for more books featuring this amazing squad!

Promotional material for this book suggests it is The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy, and those comparisons are certainly not wrong. Though while on this journey with Nax and his crew, this reader couldn’t help but think of Firefly, especially with the introduction of a planet called Serenity, and various descriptions calling to mind settings from the beloved cult classic series.

Fans of The Illuminae Files will also likely find something to enjoy here, what with a group of teens being the only ones standing in the way of the destruction of the universe, along with the sense of humour.

It’s great to see a novel that is diverse in terms of nationalities and sexual orientation without feeling forced, and all in all this was a fun read with a little more depth, and characters from different walks of life all coming together for the common good of the universe. The only real point of contention with the blurb is the fact that it suggests the characters don’t get along, though in reality three of the four washouts are involved in a love-triangle of sorts, and there is never any major animosity of tension between the four. Not that this needed to be there for a fun ride, obviously, but the hinting at something that is clearly not there in the text can draw in readers who have a certain thing in mind and might be disappointed to find it isn’t there.

This is a quick and engaging read, and is bound to appeal to fans of the science fiction titles mentioned above more than it will to lovers of The Breakfast Club, though the varied backgrounds of the main characters don’t register this likeness untrue.

Pick this up if you’re looking for some fun space-going adventures, a race against the clock, and a range of different planets on which humans might survive.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to marathon Firefly… again…

This is such an incredibly fun space-romp with so much diversity, I fairly felt my soul sing! I crave action adventures where characters are as diverse as the world we live in -- and yes does this deliver. It also wholly balances moments of vulnerability and doubt, with exploding action adventure with high stakes and a bit of self-depreciating kickass sass in the middle.

The cast was definitely the stand out for me! Nax was our slightly chaotic disaster bisexual, who talked more than he thought, but he was so incredibly heartfelt. And reckless. And vulnerable. I also appreciated his character development, how he was learning from his mistakes and not cushioning himself behind fake apologies. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he was very easy to love. Then we have the motley crew: Zee, Case, Rion and Asra. They all had contrasting personalities, strengths and weaknesses that complimented each other. (Sometimes a little too perfectly? Honestly...the chances of everyone being a genius in a separate skill set that complimented each other...haha. Yes. I will take it for sake of the book, but it was very plot-contrived.) They were also brown, Muslim, had anxiety disorders, were trans, and had hugely different backgrounds they were running from! LOVE misfit crews. Love them.

The plot I did find a little hard to follow, but I suspect that's because I'm not well versed in sci-fi. I did expect it also to be more hysterically funny (see: similar to Illuminae, I guess?) but I still enjoyed it and it was just a lot of fun. The ending was satisfying, but definitely left it open for sequels, which I'd totally read!

I do not like giving negative reviews but I couldn’t find a lot to like about this book. The one good thing about it was that the writing seemed to improve in the second half, but overall the text did not give the impression of a a mature author. I would compare some of the writing in the first half to fanfiction, it seemed clunky and overly keen to make sure the reader was aware of all their fandom references. Some of them were about as subtle as a sledgehammer and I found it off-putting. I felt no particular affection for any of the cast of characters, the main lead was particularly irksome and difficult to like. I found it particularly frustrating that it took many pages just to learn their name, though perhaps this was a function of the first-person narrative. As a result of not liking any of the cast, I had no particular stake in what happened to the stereotypically rag-tag bunch of misfits. One thing I know this book does get praise for is representation and I will concede it does this well by including a diverse range of sexuality and religions.
The story itself was fairly generic and I found the action sequences stale. Perhaps I am the wrong demographic for this book but I just can’t rate it as great YA.

They say never to judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, I highly did with this novel. From the alluring book cover and catchy tagline, my expectations were too high. 

The Disasters follow the story of Nax and three other ‘burnouts’ who got kicked off the Academy. Only to collide with a life or death situation that so far, they only know. Landing on Al-Rihla only causes more havoc when they try to clear their name. Suddenly they bump into Asra, whose mission is to escape the planet and needs a ship to do so. With Nax’s crew and Asra fighting for the truth to come out and getting back to the Academy on time, who knows what will happen?

Sounds epic, right? Well, it was for a moment… Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who accepted my request to review this novel. I saw it all over my Instagram in December and had to know, what the hype was about. Besides, the colors of the cover drew me in instantly!

The conflict was hard to stand at first since it’s thrown at you in the second—third chapter. I had to get used to the characters being kicked out of the Academy and wanted more or less to know what they did. It came out vague, to be honest, so don’t expect a whole backstory, apart from the main character. The story was funny but I think M.K. England focused too much on the humor and action (chasing) to navigate the plot. It dragged often to a point where It didn‘t surprise me they got caught again or held up. 

The characters are a diverse butch, must I say. Our main character, Nax is a queer pilot, and Muslim, I think? It wasn’t clear but Asra was Muslim, and it always gives me the chills (the good kind) to see more Muslim characters being experimented on in novels/movies/tv shows. Case is an engineer and known perfectionist but still shows her flaws. Rion, our political queer who I loved because he made Nax blush! Then, there’s Zee who’s cool as hell. Russian medic who kicks ass, literally! With such amazing characters, you think ‘What could they have done to get kicked out of the Academy?’ or ‘Are they really misfits/outcasts?’ — the title was misleading for the characters. 

They got boring. Nax’s monologue was repetitive, all Rion did was smirk at Nax (okay, we get it hot shot), all Zee did was kick and Asra tapping on her pad. Apart from their actual character, I couldn’t connect with any of them. That’s one of the reasons I wasn’t hooked onto the story. 

I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a quick action packed Sci-Fi read but prepare for some repeats. The names and places in the story were unique, and I liked how the author included and did her research on Islam. It’s rare to see it mixed in with Science Fiction. 

However, for the misleading cover, two-dimensional characters, dragging story and bland plot, I’d have to rate this two stars.

The Disasters by M K England is a YA space adventure story, in which a group of teens are the only hope for most of humanity. It was mostly a fun read, but there were some physics issues that I found quite distracting.

Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.

But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.

On the run and framed for atrocities they didn’t commit, Nax and his fellow failures execute a dangerous heist to spread the truth about what happened at the Academy.

They may not be “Academy material,” and they may not get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight.

In many ways this was a fun book. The characters were entertaining and diverse which was fairly refreshing to read. The narrating character, Nax, ends up being the de facto leader of the little team and being inside his head wasn't terrible. It was a good mix of uncertainty, some silly teenage stuff and world-saving plans.

The worldbuilding of this future was based on some sort of magically fast jump drives (that weren't described in detail), which allowed for the colonisation of several habitable planets spread around the galaxy. A bit confusingly, the law is that once someone leaves Earth they can never come back to the planet. The closest they can get is in orbit if they want to talk to their loved ones over live video chat. This wasn't really explained in depth and, while it seems like the kind of thing that might be subverted in this sort of book, it was not. A little baffling, overall.

The biggest problem I had with this book, however, was the complete disregard for the laws of physics. Starting with the part where the space ships had rudders (overall, they behaved a little too much like planes, even when they were in vacuum). There was just so much that didn't make sense on that front that I couldn't ignore it and I couldn't enjoy the book. Every action scene generated a lot of "WTF" for me. Very disappointing. Perhaps if the book overall had been a little bit tighter and faster-paced, I could have ignored more of the physics gaffes. But as it was, I did not enjoy The Disasters and dragged out my reading of it because I just wasn't keen to get back to it. Alas.

So I would recommend this to fans of YA and action adventures in space, but the physics was appalling and I can't recommend it on that front. Obviously, that's not something that will bother everyone, but since it's a YA book and potentially influencing the understanding of space and physics in young minds, I cannot approve.

3 / 5 stars

First published: 2018, HarperCollins
Series: I don't think so
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

I was so looking forward to reading this, the cover for a start is fantastic, the blurb sounded great and I started it immediately it arrived. And off we went on what I thought for the first few chapters was going to be a really exciting, action filled space action thriller. Then everything slowed down, a lot.

This book got bogged down in detail. Looking at the cover you really think that the crash helmet is going to be key, that it will be needed for all the action and that Nax our main character is going to end up with it being very dented. Not so much. Yes there is some action but it is just too spread out.

I did like the way that the characters interacted, great snappy conversations, good tensions between the siblings, but too much talking and not enough doing for my tastes in YA. I would have loved the whole novel to be just a bit tighter.

I also am probably a little bit ruined for space drama having just read Leviathan Wakes which does all this stuff so well. I will probably buy this novel for school because I think there are students who are desperate for space books with action, and to be fair there is action in this, but just not enough to keep me engrossed.

Funny, sweet and surprisingly substantial, The Disasters showed me why I actually don't really hate Science Fiction.

Whenever the words 'Science Fiction' are uttered, my mind is immediately drawn to old, intensely space/time travel/alien orientated books and movies. But the world of Science Fiction has grown to become so much more than just its space-nerd counterpart and is now blossoming with diversity in characters, settings and plots. The Disasters is testament to that. Now, The Disasters is set in space and does certainly feature a largely space centred plot which, I have to admit, I didn't completely detest, however, there were certainly points when the technicalities of the setting lost me. Yet with its adorable bisexual love triangle, diverse cast of characters and relatively in depth character construction, the impact of the setting was minimal.

A solid 3.5 star read that even adamant anti- Sci-fi readers may actually enjoy.
Next in my list of science fiction books to read: Red Clocks by Leni Zumas.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

This one may have been a 'it's not you, it's me' kind of book? Despite trying for over a week, I haven't gotten into this AT ALL and I'm almost half way through. I'm not feeling any of the characters and the eventual mystery if what happened and why isn't enough to keep me reading. I have read like four other books since I started this one, so it isn't a slump, just a disinterest (maybe I'm burned out on space books?) It is rather pretty though, and I appreciate the diverse cast and the writing isn't terrible. Just not the book for me. But hey, I made up for it by also BUYING this book while waiting on Netgalley approval, so I failed and now own it twice.

Not for me, but not bad- perhaps others will like it more. Two stars.

I loved this smart arse, funny and charismatic main character. The space theme with colonialized planets was well thought out and the love interests really got your attention. I feel there will be more adventures of this crazy ball kicking crew to come and I can’t wait to read them.

the disasters by m.k. england is a zany, action packed ride full of a colourful and enjoyable cast of characters with effortless diversity. white authors take note, THIS is how diversity is done!!! it’s described as the breakfast club meets guardians of the galaxy but I gotta say, it’s so much better than both of those (sacrilege, struck down).

nasir ‘nax’ alexander hall is our mc, a cocky half pakistani, bisexual soccer player who fancies himself a hotshot pilot in the making. only he fails out in his first day at the academy and he and a bunch of other rejects are bound back to earth. only thing is, on their way back the academy is attacked and thousands of people, including students and instructors are killed. nax and the others are the only witnesses, but they’re soon blamed for the attack and on the run from a shadowy agency with nefarious aims to kill all human not settled on earth. their journey takes them across the galaxy, through the streets of a beautiful planet, through underground tunnels and high cityscapes.

“We’re raised to believe that if we do all the right things, the law will protect us. Reality is much harsher.”

nax has an absolutely delightful narrative voice, with an undeniable presence and wit. the first person point of view works beautifully in the disasters. nax has his faults and insecurities, his strengths and triumphs. he’s also gotdamn hilarious, evidenced by his internal monologue and his dialogue with other characters. he also has a complicated relationship with his parents and his brother, who he hasn’t spoken to in years. he hides his uncertainty with bravado, psyches himself and the others up when the mood is low.

I also loved rion so much, the african-british son of a parliamentarian – his full name is so badarse: rion william kwesi turner. ooft. feel the weight of that majestic name roll off your tongue. he’s a smoothtalker with the skills necessary to balance out nax’s terrible lying and enough confidence to bluff his way out of tight situations. i’m going to say i’m terribly, terribly biased because i love rion so damn much. he had some of the BEST dialogue (from ‘filthy shit factories’ to dancing on tables. guh.)

zinaida ivanovna ‘zee’ rozhavka aka ‘eyeliner’ is absolutely amazing – kazah by nationality, ethnically russian, mad soccer player skills and trans!! she’s got a high kick strong enough to knock out several men and saves nax’s ass multiple times. i’m in love… she’s also the Mum FriendTM and the resident medic, so she won’t hesitate to cuss you out on your deficiencies while wrapping bandages or stitching up wounds.

and case!! casandra hwang-torres aka ‘genius girl’, is korean and latina, also a master co-pilot and a veritable genius with a engineering degree!! she’s also discriminated against by the academy because she has anxiety (whoo anxiety rep!!) she makes some mistakes, but to err is human. without her the disaster would have been toast. she’s efficient and fast, balancing multiple responsibilities at once.

asra comes in late, by by jove does she make an entrance! asra haque is the incredible hacker with greyish morals i never knew i wanted!! she’s got balls of steel by opposing her stepfather and planning to hijack his ship (!!!) i love my hijabi baby criminal so damn much. there are other characters that are absolutely wonderful as well (like nanni, malik) but this review is getting a little too long so i’m cutting myself off lol.

the plot is topsy turvy and takes us on a wild and wonderful journey. I had remind myself multiple times, hey these are kids!! because the stuff they get up to made me want to shake my head. but if the adults aren’t willing to step up, then who’s left to take the lead? we jump from planet to planet, veering away dangerously from tiger squadron who’ve been tasked with searching and destroying our disasters before they can spread the news of the colonies’ imminent demise. I mean, I know it’s a ya scifi standalone novel and the heroes most likely aren’t going to fuck up the universes but it was still tense you know? i was emotionally invested in the characters’ wellbeing. i gasped when things went wrong, cheered at their successes.

let’s talk about: the muslim rep. as a muslim myself, and a desi one with connections to the pakistani community to boot, i think i’m qualified to talk about the muslim rep in the disasters. m.k. england isn’t muslim but they do represent it beautifully and with the utmost respect. the majority of the action occurs on al-rihla, a planet populated mostly by indians, pakistanis and bangladeshis, who are mostly muslim. little things like nax saying bismillah, protective prayers, mentions of the daily prayers filled my heart and made me so warm. positive depictions of muslims and islam are so!!! important!!! and just for that i am going to rec this book endlessly to all my friends!!!

and the romance!! i could talk about the romance all day (try me!!) nax has ~flirtations~ with both male and female love interests. the ust is THROUGH THE ROOF, i had to fan myself at some moments because jeez, these kids are ridiculous. their dynamic is so on point. (honestly at this point im praying for on OT3!!! this is what I deserve!!! and nax too, i guess.)

[Nax] “Latent homoeroticism is the backbone of the British education system, is it?”

“A long-standing public school tradition. Some of us take it more seriously than others,” he [Rion] says, and tosses me a wink.

i am a biiit disappointed that the only kiss that occurred was between a male and female character. i’m equality opportunity here, let boys kiss each other and girls kiss each other as well!! nevertheless, the kissing is a small part of a much larger narrative being: I am in fucking love with this book and these characters. please, please let there be a movie or a mini series made!!

i recommend that you read the disasters like, right now!!! yesterday would have been preferable. so order it from your local bookseller and/or request it from your local library! also add it goodreads and follow the author on twitter!

I was a little dubious about this title as I have seen many mixed reviews about it....
That being said, I enjoyed it for the most part, but I feel a little bit mislead, I assumed from the cover that there would be more space travel? But for the most part we are on a planet barely different from earth and we spend most of the time running away from the police type people and identifying as rebels?

Well written, just missed the mark for me.

The Disasters was full to the brim with action, amazingly diverse characters and awesome heart racing scenes. It was easy to read and made me laugh.

The main plot of this book takes place on an Earth-like colony and had lots of witty character banter. Overall a good, but not great read for me.

If you know me well, you’d know that I’m actually not that big of a fan of science-fiction books. I’m not a fan of space in general, so the idea of reading a book set in space puts me a little on edge.
But when I saw this book listed on Netgalley, I said that I had to read it. The cover looked out of this world (sorry!) and the plot sounded mildly interesting to me.
I didn’t think I’d like The Disasters this much.
First of all, the diverse set of characters on ‘The Swift Kick’ was amazing. While there may be more diverse contemporary novels making their way out into the world, there aren’t many outside of that bracket. ‘The Disasters’ featured gay, trans and bi-sexual characters and the intergalactic colonies (and Earth colonies) showed a wide range of races and religions. It was truly a story to be reckoned with.
Alongside those important factors were the really fast-paced and interesting plot line, and a super likeable cast of characters. I knew from the first appearances that I was going to like the whole crew onboard ‘The Swift Kick’, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Without a doubt, I will be reading future works by M.K. England, ESPECIALLY if they’re set in space!