As we celebrate the upcoming Star Wars holiday of May the Fourth, we are sharing some books that take place in outer space and explore how teens live there for young adult readers! Some of these books take place in the galaxy we know while others are in a galaxy far, far away. The titles featured below can be found on Hoopla or Libby either as an audiobook, eBook, or both. To find more titles, please search the Handley Regional Library System catalog using the search term #yaspacelife--many of these titles can be found on Libby and/or Hoopla as well!
Waste of Space by Gina Damico--Ten teenagers believe they are on a spaceship for the first reality show in space. But it's all fake, and the teens are safely in a replica ship in a warehouse. Millions tune in, but after communication from the outside gets cut, the teens believe they might be stranded in space, and viewers watch as the teens struggle for control to find out what went wrong, leading them to a shocking truth. This book can be found on Hoopla as an eBook.
Avalon by Mindee Arnett--Jeth Seagrave is captain of his late parents' spaceship, the Avalon. He and his team of teenage mercenaries travel through space stealing metatech, the technology that lets mankind travel faster than light. The government agencies that patrol the outer regions of space are just as corrupt as the crime bosses who rule there, so when Jeth discovers something extraordinary in the supposedly haunted Belgrave sector—a weapon from an old Confederation ship perhaps—both the agencies and the crime bosses come after him, willing to kill for his discovery. Jeth and the Avalon set off a chain of events that reverberate throughout settled space, and Jeth discovers secrets about his parents that change everything he has ever known. This book can be found on Hoopla as an eBook.
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth--On a planet ruled by violence and vengeance, in a galaxy where fate favors everyone with a “currentgift,” Cyra is the sister of a brutal tyrant, a brother who uses her gift of pain and power to rule the Shotet people. Meanwhile, Akos is the son of a farmer, gifted with an endlessly generous spirit and limitless loyalty. When Akos is thrust into Cyra's violent world, he and Cyra will either help each other survive—or destroy each other. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and an eBook as well as on Hoopla as an eBook.
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman--The fatefully named starship Icarus falls out of hyperspace to crash on an unknown world. The only two survivors are war hero Major Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux, the spoiled daughter of the galaxy's richest man. Though they have nothing in common, they find themselves forced to rely on each other to survive in this strange, seemingly abandoned world. But is it abandoned? What are the whispers they keep hearing in the dark? This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and eBook.
Black Hole Sun by David MacInnis Gill--Eking out a meager living on Mars, 16-year-old Durango has become the leader of a small band of mercenaries who carry out the dangerous jobs no one else wants. Their latest assignment is to protect a group of South Pole miners from a group of cannibals, the Draeu, hoping to get their hands on the miners' treasure. Aiding Durango in his efforts are two women: Vienne, his second-in-command whom he cares for more than he lets on, and Mimi, his former commander who is now an artificial intelligence implanted in his brain and with whom he converses in his mind. This book is found on Hoopla as an eBook.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness--Residing in an all-male town where everyone is infected with the Noise germ -- which allows people to hear each other's thoughts -- Todd Hewitt, the only boy on the planet of New World, anticipates that the town is hiding a secret from him as he approaches manhood. Todd escapes with his loyal dog, whose voice he hears as well, and begins to question everything he has ever known when he stumbles upon Viola -- a girl -- in the woods. With a mob of townsmen in hot pursuit, Todd continues his journey, struggling to reconcile his past with the future. This book can be found on Libby as an eBook.
The 100 by Kass Morgan--When 100 juvenile delinquents are sent on a mission to recolonize Earth, they get a second chance at freedom, friendship, and love, as they fight to survive in a dangerous new world. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and an eBook.