A different genre for Anderson as he pens his first science fiction novel! I read this one as an e-galley, and I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had a physical copy. When I read digitally, it's in smaller segments spread out over a couple of weeks. This was a novel I wish I could have had longer time periods to read, especially since it is lengthy (close to 400 pages, which is a fairly typical amount for Anderson). This story has a lot of adventure - I mean, there are space pirates - a lot of heart, and a great moral dilemma. You won't get everything answered as there looks to be a sequel. I recommend this one to 5th grade and up because of some mild language (again, if you've read Anderson's previous books you won't be surprised) and the length.

This is Science Fiction Middle Grade. I have to say I really enjoy this book, but it took me a little bit to get pulled into this book. I also felt some of the middle was to slow moving. I loved the characters in this book, and there was so much action in this book. I normally do not love space books, but this one was really fun and the characters made this book so good. I listen to the audiobook of this book, and I loved the narrator. I was kindly provided an e-audiobook of this book by the publisher or author (John David Anderson) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

“In the engine compartment of the Icarus, inside an insulated FTL drive designed by the brightest Aykari engineers, an electrical spark triggered the release of a very precious substance known to most of the galaxy as EL486. The element instantly fused with four much less precious other substances creating a chain reaction that Leo, despite his father's teaching and many diagrams and drawings, couldn’t even begin to follow. The power it released was immense but also highly channeled so that instead of blowing the Icarus to smithereens, it served to activate the FTL drive system creating a minor tear in the fabric of the universe and launching the ship and its five passengers into hyperspace. It was a beautiful piece of tech, a godly marvel perfected over centuries of space travel. The kind of technology that allows you to explore the unknown to expand the boundaries of your empire, to cement your place as the most advanced beings in the galaxy. It's only failing, and it wasn’t a small one, was its dependence on something that could only be found on one planet out of a thousand. And even then, the means of its mass extraction often resulted in the planet’s slow decline: disrupting its ecosystems, polluting its rivers, its oceans, its skies. Sapping the life out of it and eventually, inevitably, those who once called the planet home. There were some who called that progress. There were others who disagreed. And the rest of the galaxy was caught somewhere in between."

Alright, I'm not a big science fiction reader and I haven't read anything else by John David Anderson, yet, so I really didn't have high hopes for this book. Spoiler alert: I loved it. This was such a fun book that gave me both Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy vibes and I really really enjoyed it. We meet Leo, who is a young passenger aboard a spaceship with his brother, Gareth, and his father, Dr. Fender, who is a scientist studying the valuable resource of Ventasium, which is a powerful energy source. Dr. Fender get abducted by aliens and the spaceship Leo and Gareth are on is left in the middle of nowhere. When a pirate ship stops to pillage the ship, Gareth pushes Leo into the cargo area to go get help. Leo can't deal with the small space (I get it!) and goes to meet the crew of the Icarus. From there, Leo finds himself in plenty of sticky situations that challenge him and his decision making skills.

I really enjoyed this story and getting to know Leo better. Leo is a great protagonist for young readers and science fiction lovers are sure to enjoy this new story set in the not too far off future. Aliens and space travel sound amazing, but at what cost? This book really challenges the reader's thinking of what progress is and what destruction is. Stowaway was funny, full of action, and heartfelt. I had no idea this book was part of a duology until I got to the end and re-read the description on Goodreads. I will definitely be reading the second part of this story and recommending this book to my science fiction loving middle schoolers. A fun read for all ages!

TW: death, intergalactic war

**Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced listening copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Takes me a little time get into the audiobooks narrated with a synthesized voice and I thought maybe I just couldn't listen to middle grade ARCs at all but this one broke that mold! Yay! It was a little hard to get into in general but once I did, it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed Baz's crew! I was a little confused by Leo's father, I might've missed what he was actually doing with the Djarik. Eep. And hello? Must be the first in a series or at least have a sequel!! That cliffhanger ending!

This book had some major challenges to overcome. Set the stage for a world several decades into the future and a duology. Create a sci-fi environment with spaceships, pirates, aliens, and a precious mineral. Satisfy readers who love Star Wars without copying Star Wars. Did "Stowaway" succeed? I believe so. The cliffhanger at the end of the first novel definitely has me interested in moving on the to second half of the story. We take a trip through space with Leo. He is the younger brother and has been in space with his widowed father and older brother for several years. His dad is an award-winning scientist helping a band of planets to defeat their enemy--an alien race that destroyed many of the major cities on earth in an attack that killed Leo's mother. There is lots of back story in this first book which, though helpful in setting the stage, also seemed to pop up at the wrong times and interrupt the action. The synthetic voice narration was also a bit difficult to follow at times. It was my choice to go ahead and listen to the ARC even though it was not the final audio version. Not something I will do again.

Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for providing the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the synthetic voice audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Trigger warning for loss of a parent. It happens before the story opens but is referenced multiple times.

This was a fun, middle grade, space opera. I enjoyed the band of misfits vibes of the pirate crew, and I was hoping things would go well for everyone! The ending was kind of a cliffhanger, if you’re the kind of reader that waits for a whole series is out to avoid that, definitely wait on this one. Otherwise, I totally recommend it, especially for kids who love space stories.

This book had an interesting concept and a pretty good pace to it. I really enjoyed the characters and their takes on piracy and space. The setting was well thought out for a children’s novel and you could tell that the author had thought about space travel quite a bit. It was a very endearing plotline and one that is somewhat “believable” for a futuristic Earth. I can see the appeal to children, and this will be a great recommendation for those adverse to reading as the topic is timely and the language and action grab the reader right away.

The automated narrator was quite tinny and did miss a lot of inflections that could alter the story. It was easy to listen to although, with clear pronunciation and a neutral tone.

A departure for Anderson and what looks to be the first in a series, Stowaway is a science fiction book that follows 12-year-old Leo Fender and his quest to reunite his family.

The plot is definitely middle grade, while some of the language and insinuations make it feel more like young YA/middle school, making it a bit difficult for this 5th grade teacher to decide its appropriateness.

The parts that struck me the most were allegorical in nature: Anderson’s commentary on what happens to people when another group, more technologically advanced, arrive with promises to help, but that are actually destroying the land, the ecosystem, and the people living on it. The reality of what happens to the ones caught “in between” the two sides of a war. And that there is always more than one perspective to an event.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the supporting group of characters, “pirates” that each prove, in their own way, how characters - and people - are complicated and motivated by unseen, often very personal, lived experiences. Looking forward to continuing Leo’s journey as this series continues!

A good space story that keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat! I think students would love this story as well. Leo, a young boy, is off to space to rescue his father and gets a great adventure out of it!

It was okay I can see why someone would like it. There were times it was exciting. I know when I listen to it they used a computer Generated voice. A good actor voice would help.

John David Anderson does it again! One of my favorite middle grades author, specifically writer of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day. The characters in Stowaway were relatable and funny. The setting is unique and the plot has twists and turns. Highly recommend for a teacher to add to their classroom library.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of Stowaway by John David Anderson in exchange for a review.

This was my first John David Anderson book, I'm not really familiar with his writing or what type of genre he writes. I thought this book was a Children's book at first but then I slowly realized it might be more of a Middle Grade book than anymore. I'm glad I requested to the publishers and that they allowed me to listen a wonderful story of heartache, adventure, pirates, danger, fear and love.

Leo was a fantastic character. The way we saw the story through his eyes was fantastic and a necessity for the story to be perfect.

I recommend this book and will be coming back to listen from time to time.

John David Anderson has written some novels that I adore - so when I saw that he had a new novel out - I jumped on the chance to listen to it. It was a great space escape with a motley crew of pirates.
What I adored about this novel: The space pirate crew of the Icarus (loved the ship's name too). Bas reminds me of a jaded Han Solo. Kat makes me think of Black Widow if she was in an old western, Blue makes me think of Sully from Monsters Inc, but with four arms. And of course, there's a moody robot - she may be my favorite since her teenage moodiness made me laugh and roll my eyes. I also loved the dystopian take on this novel. It's completely realistic. Humanity would totally just sign away the planet's valuable resource for profit and protection and technology. That part was super believable.
What I wasn't a fan of: Bas is clearly into being a space pirate and doing what's right despite his dastardly reputation. Because of his propensity for adopting and protecting outcasts, I wasn't so much a fan of his back up bar plan and how much it was brought up. Also, the novel was a little too predictable - just a little deviation/twist would have spiced up this novel nicely. I think the end was a little too much - Leo's reunion and the last character who ruins the coalition was just too expected and not as in character.
Recommended for: dystopian novel fans, lovers of space odysseys, space adventurer, anyone in need of some space pirates

For a middle grade novel, this was actually pretty good.
I gave it two stars because, middle grade isn't my favorite genre. If I can get through 40% of a book and not care whether I finish it or not, there is no point in me continuing. There are too many great books out there.
I'm always looking for the book (like Harry Potter & Shannon Hale's Princess Academy) that has the same feel and intelligent plotting as YA without all the mature content so prevalent in today's books for teens.
I think kids who love MG and sci-fi will enjoy this book a lot. It actually had a strong Star Wars vibe to it... maybe just because they were a misfit band of smugglers.
I didn't like the flashbacks taking away from the action (although part of the history of the invasion was interesting but that could've been slipped in throughout the narrative.) There was way too much poetic prose and sentimentalism for MG.
Thanks, NetGalley for a review copy (robotic audio.)

3.5/5 - I thought this was a good middle-grade story. I really liked how the plot built over the course of the book. There was enough hinting at what the outcome would be but it didn't completely spell it out to the reader.

I found Leo to be a great character to follow and I loved the small band of pirates.

There's action, there's adventure, there's found family and a lot of heart. I think this will be a fun middle-grade series for young readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the audio ARC of Stowaway in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an absolute delight. Join the crew of the Icarus: A pirate captain with a bad habit of taking in strays, a fuzzy four-armed alien who's been exiled from his home planet, a teenage robot, an unfriendly (but secretly very caring and loyal) orphan, and, of course, a stowaway. After his ship is ransacked and his father kidnapped, the Beagle crew are left stranded in space, with no way home. The Icarus shows up shortly afterward, but they don't find anything worth taking. Leo's brother hides him in their ship with the hope that he'll be able to call for help. Unfortunately, Leo's not a great stowaway and gets caught immediately. He now has to stick it out with this odd group of criminals until he can find help. A story of space pirates, aliens, gratuitous pop culture references, and a war that's more complicated than it seems, Stowaway is sure to be a hit.

I had an absolute blast with this book. It took me a couple chapters to really get into it, but it was incredible once I did. The characters are funny, have great chemistry, and I got attached to them immediately. If you're looking for a new found family book, look no further. Anderson also reminded me that while I don't read a ton, I love space books. And the ending! It's a crime that I have to wait for the sequel.

As for things I didn't love: I don't think this book translates amazingly well into an audiobook. The formatting is a little confusing, and I have no idea how to spell anything. I would probably recommend reading it as an ebook or physical book instead. There are also a lot of flashbacks, some of which I felt were unnecessary, but it wasn't awful.

Aside from those two things, I adored this book. I will almost certainly be buying a copy once it comes out, and I'll be keeping an eye out for any news on the sequel. Highly recommend :)

I received an audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to write an honest and sincere review of this book.

Stowaway is an excellent science fiction novel for middle grade students (5th-9th). The main character, Leo, finds himself a stowaway on a space pirate's ship, but the pirates are actually kinder, and less cut-throat that Leo expects. If you know kids who are interested in science fiction (i.e. fans of Star Wars or Star Trek, etc.), this would be an excellent book for them. There are quite a few references to 20th and 21st century pop culture, which some kids might catch onto, adding some humor to the story.

I have read several YA level science fiction books that are similar to this title, but it has been a while since I have found a book for younger students in this genre. It is difficult to find good science fiction books for middle grade students, since so many have content or suspenseful themes that might be too mature for a younger audience. This book has just the right amount of space aliens, cybernetic body parts, suspense, and fear that should definitely increase a kid's interest in science fiction.

Fans of Guardians of the Galaxy will enjoy this space adventure of a boy named Leo who is trying to reunite with his father and brother after an alien abduction.

Leo and his brother are passengers on the research ship The Beagle, where their father is a scientist. Without warning, their ship is boarded by hostile aliens who kidnap their father and leave the ship stranded. As if things couldn't get worse, The Beagle is then boarded by pirates! Leo's brother urges Leo to stowaway in a hidden compartment on the pirate ship and to get help at the next landing. Those plans are dashed when Leo is discovered. Leo explains his predicament to the unsympathetic pirates who see this as an opportunity to further their own agenda. Over time, Leo becomes adapted to life on board the pirate space ship and has his world turned upside down when he learns more about what is in the galaxy beyond The Beagle.

Sci-fi is a genre I adore, but I feel like I don't pick it up as much as I would like (or even as much as I think I do). This was a way for me to try to make a conscious effort to read more sci-fi. As a result, I think I'm slowly understanding what I like and don't like in my sci-fi.

With this book, I think I'm discovering I don't like books set entirely on a spaceship unless it eventually lands somewhere. I love sci-fi set in space when we get to meet new cultures and people/races/aliens and explore new planets, inhabited or not. This didn't give me quite what I was looking for in that regard. Also, I listened to this on NetGalley via a "VoiceGalley" where a synthesized voice reads the book rather than an actual narrator narrating it. It created another layer of problems which I'll go into more depth in the categories.

Characters 2/5
I don't know if it's because this was middle grade or because of the VoiceGalley format I consumed this story, but the characters weren't very interesting to me. (The VoiceGalley format did make for a couple of funny deadpan dialogue moments that had me giggling at the irony.) I never found myself rooting for any of them or even having a favorite. Despite being a more plot-driven reader, the characters were a let down for me.

Plot 2/5
And, being more plot-driven, the plot wasn't gripping for me either. I think this is entirely my own issue as stated above with not liking books that have spaceships that don't lead to exploring places. This story has a lot of pieces that I tend to enjoy (lost and trying to get back home being something I tend to *really* enjoy), but the overall threads just didn't work for me.

Storytelling 2.5/5
Again, not sure if it was the format I consumed the story or just the story itself (or the fact that it's middle grade), but the pacing felt off. Some parts definitely felt too fast (and too convenient at times), and other parts seemed to drag a bit. Add on to that the extra effort of trying to reinterpret what the synthesized voice was saying and put it into appropriate context and apply the right inflections, and it just became exhausting at times.

Enjoyment 2.5/5
I definitely think I could have enjoyed this story more if not for the VoiceGalley format. I am curious if I would like this story more consumed either with an actual audiobook or by reading a physical copy. This format is not one I plan on trying again.

Atmosphere 2/5
Without having worlds or people to visit, there wasn't much atmosphere to create. The space pirates made for the most interesting piece of the world. Again, probably due to the format of the book, I never felt scared for the characters or excited at any action points. Even being stuck on a ship, I would have loved some sort of exploration into the technology on-board, but I don't know how well that would have worked for a middle grade audience.

Overall 2.2/5
This just didn't work well for me. I think it would have been better had it not been a VoiceGalley, but even still, I think I am just realizing the "stuck on a ship" device doesn't really interest me.

I listened to this as a synthesized voice eARC from NetGalley. It was my first time listening to a book like that and I was aware the entire time that there wasn't a person behind it, we empathize on certain words, or phases, and it was off putting to hear a "man" narrating what was very much a boy's young adult book with monotone. It was sometimes accidentally funny in not-funny spots and some jokes I had to think on before I actually understood why characters where reacting to a scene.

I did like the book, it remanded me of the 2002 movie, Treasure Planet. Only in that it has a boy getting help from pirates, to the theme of Treasure Island. Leo finds himself and his family torn between the "enemy" Djarik aliens, and the Ayakari - aliens who supposedly act as Earth's benefactors, and a pirate "family" that his brother Gareth stows him away on the ship of.

How Leo does and doesn't fit into the puzzle of the universe without his mother, without Earth and a "home", or ship to call his own, and now on a pirate ship looking for the last of his family makes a interesting adventure and I'm looking forward to how it all comes apart and back together with the sequel.