I like books about smart kids. The characters in this book were A , and somehow this author makes sciencey stuff interesting to me. BUT I definitely didn't like it as much as her debut novel. I wanted way more explanations (and not about the technical stuff-- about the PEOPLE) and maybe a tad less action. ( )

It's fine. Fun and quick, but I wish there was more time spent on the repercussions of alternate earth. ( )

What a good book! While written for young adults, it does well for anyone who enjoys science fiction. Young people are selected to train to become a team for NASA’s Interworlds Agency (IA). While Eddie and Rosa are the focus of the novel, Reg, Brad, Trev, and Reg are also interesting in their own rights.

I liked the theme that people working together can be stronger than when they are apart. I think it gets summed up with this exchange:

“So our interactions matter. They change things. They actually change the universe.”

“That’s what life is,” Reg said softly. “Empty space and how we fill it.”

Who would like it? Any reader of science fiction or well-written young adult fiction. Who would love it? Anyone who likes Heinlein's "juvenile novels." This book would have six stars were it possible. ( )

Two teens, Rosa and Eddie, train and battle for an elite position for NASA’s mysterious and exclusive Interworlds Agency (IA) space exploration and research program. Smart, snarky, and snappy sci-fi with a twist!

Review by: Heather. R. (11th Grade)
Grade Range: 7th Grade and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Literary Merit: Excellent
Characterization: Excellent
What Goes Up revolves around four teens who have decided to join NASA’s Interworlds Agency (IA). This program was created after it was discovered that there are other life forms far away from Earth. The galaxy is so enormous that another world like Earth may of exist. Rosa Hayashi, Eddie Toivonen, Trevor Clayborn, and Brad Quatro are the lucky four that made it through the grueling tests that eliminated many of the other teens that were fighting for the top positions. However, the rough times are not immediately done after the four of them get to the top. Training seems like it will be easy at first, but when they actually begin training with their mentor, Reginald (Reg) Davis, everything becomes harder. By working together and not against each other, the IA trainees, along with Reg, discover each other’s strengths and weaknesses. All five of them soon realize how crucial it is to know their partner like the back of their own hand. Without this connection, a team will just crumble and break into a million pieces that cannot be put back together. Little did the group know that the enemy was just going to seem like a mirror of themselves.

The pace of this novel is amazing since it is neither too fast or too slow. From the moment I opened the book and read the first word, I was drawn in. The cover is even very appealing due to the fact that the colours are more vibrant and focused on the important elements. Instead of there being an astronaut on the Moon, there is an astronaut on Earth in the middle of a starry night sky. That is a very important distinction due to the fact that it signifies the main setting of the novel. The main characters are amazing, too. Rosa Hayashi, an American with both French and Japanese origins, is a complex character whose backstory is told well throughout the whole story. Eddie Toivonen, a small town farming teen from Oolitic, had a very deep and tragic backstory that greatly contributed to his development throughout the entire novel. Romance was not present much in the novel and that did not harm the story at all. This novel is comparable to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Though they have different kinds of characters in them and very different settings, they both convey the same message: having friends and working well together is leagues better than taking on the world by yourself.

Recommendation: Readers of Sci Fi or who are looking for an emotional book with a powerful message in it. ( )