Go Big or Go Home

KLIATT

AGERANGE: Ages 12 to 15.

It’s lucky 14-year-old Brady is outside stargazing just at the moment when a meteorite crashes through the roof of his home in the Black Hills of South Dakota and lands right on his bed. When he and his cousin Quinn take the meteorite, which they name “Fred,” to a local professor, they learn it’s a rare rock from Mars. Even more exciting, it turns out to have bacteria on it: proof of extraterrestrial life. Brady and Quinn have always been into sports, the more extreme the better, but now Brady suddenly has almost superhuman speed and strength. He even vaults over a charging buffalo to save a small child, but then his super skills start to fade and he begins to experience numbness in his limbs. While the two boys are exploring a cave Brady almost falls into a pit, and then he finds himself unable to move, seemingly dead. Could Fred really be a threat to humanity? This fast-moving tale by an author known for exciting survival stories, like The Maze and Jackie’s Wild Seattle, is full of sports action, from basketball to biking and fishing. While the characters and plot are more sketched out than fully developed, the premise is intriguing and adventure fans will appreciate all the boys’ escapades. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick
March 2008 (Vol. 42, No.2)

VOYA

AGERANGE: Ages 11 to 15.

Brady Steele considers himself extremely lucky when a burning chunk of meteor crashes through his roof and puts a hole in the middle of his bed. For one thing, he was not in the bed at the time. Now he has possession of what he later learns is an unprecedented scientific discovery-proof of life on Mars, albeit bacterial life. Brady and his cousin Quinn are true outdoorsmen living in the Black Hills of South Dakota. At some point along their day-long bike rides through the mountains, cave explorations, overnight fishing trips, and battling the Carver brothers and their dog next door, Brady realizes how his exposure to the meteor may have affected him physically, and that it could even kill him. Hobbs is in great form here, combining his love of the outdoors and extreme sports with the fantastic element of an invader from space. The slow revelation of how Brady's body is being transformed is mysterious and compelling-the pace moves along as swiftly as gliding on two wheels down the Iron Mountain Road into Keystone. The sense of place is powerful, with bits of lore about the region making the reader feel immersed in the story and its setting, and the characterizations are especially strong in Brady and Quinn-two teens the reader really wants to know. Reviewer: Laura Lehner-Ennis
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)

Children's Literature - Laura J. Brown

Brady Steele loves star gazing, but he never thought his hobby would save his life. He was at his bedroom window watching the beautiful night sky when he witnessed a natural light show. What he didn't know then was that a meteorite was headed straight for planet Earth. He heard something hit his roof and then in a flash something crashed through his ceiling and right through his bed, before it finally settled on the floor there. He knew right then and there that if he had been asleep in his bed, he would have been toast. Once the smoke cleared, Brady peered through the hole in his bed and discovered that part of the meteorite had hit his house. He turned on the television news to learn that the light show was caused by a meteorite shower that could be seen for miles, but that the meteorites would burn up in Earth's atmosphere not make it to the planet's surface. Brady knew better than that. He had lived to claim a meteorite, but surviving the impact was only the beginning of Brady's adventure. This book is exciting and a lot of fun. It is a must-read for those who love nature, the stars, and a challenge. Reviewer: Laura J. Brown

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8- Setting is always central in Hobbs's books, and this time he's chosen the Black Hills of South Dakota as his backdrop. As fans would expect, he artfully weaves the human and natural history of the region into the story. As they might not expect, he amps up the outdoorsy action by tossing some sci-fi into the mix. Had Brady not been outside watching a meteor shower, he might not have lived to see his freshman year in high school. Dumbstruck, he watches as the entire horizon turns blue and a meteorite sails right through his roof, piercing the center of his mattress and wedging itself into his bedroom floor. The first person he calls is his slightly older and more athletic cousin Quinn, with whom he is close. When Quinn arrives, he can't help but notice that Brady now scorches him in every physical pursuit; he's suddenly much quicker and stronger-almost superhuman. Brady's been noticing-and wondering about-those changes too, and he knows that somehow they're linked to the meteorite. When the boys consult a scientist at a local museum, they find out that the rock comes from Mars and may contain long-dormant life-forms responsible for what is becoming Brady's increasingly troublesome transformation. His body, initially juiced by the Martian microbes, now seems to be quickly shutting down-just as he's become locked in a contest for possession of the meteorite with the twin brothers next door. Offering something to tantalize nearly every boyish taste, this title is a great choice for reluctant readers.-Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI

Kirkus Reviews

Extreme sports and extraterrestrial bacteria that thrive in extreme environments are the ingredients for Hobbs's latest adventure. A meteorite plunging through 14-year-old Brady's bed begins an exciting summer in South Dakota for Brady and his visiting cousin Quinn. Bike riding up and down the mountains, exploring an unknown cave, fishing for lake trout from a flimsy rubber boat and watching a full-size catapult hurl a discarded toilet bowl are all part of the action. The long-dormant extremophile bacteria from the meteorite revive to infect Brady. The first symptoms are positive-he can bike faster and longer than ever before. But soon he has disturbing episodes of total paralysis. On top of that, his long-time enemies, the Carver boys next door, get possession of the stone. The Black Hills setting is well drawn, including interesting details about the Crazy Horse Memorial, where Brady's father is a construction worker. With convincing, first-person narration, a fast pace and plenty of suspense, this is a welcome addition to Hobbs's extremely reader-pleasing work. (Fiction. 10-15)

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“Hobbs is in great form here...mysterious and compelling-the pace moves along swiftly...powerful.”