"I'm so starry-eyed for this wise, romantic gem of a book." - Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Cal wants to be a journalist, and he's already well underway with almost half a million followers on his FlashFame app and an upcoming internship at Buzzfeed. But his plans are derailed when his pilot father is selected for a highly-publicized NASA mission to Mars. Within days, Cal and his parents leave Brooklyn for hot and humid Houston.
With the entire nation desperate for any new information about the astronauts, Cal finds himself thrust in the middle of a media circus. Suddenly his life is more like a reality TV show, with his constantly bickering parents struggling with their roles as the "perfect American family."
And then Cal meets Leon, whose mother is another astronaut on the mission, and he finds himself falling head over heels--and fast. They become an oasis for each other amid the craziness of this whole experience. As their relationship grows, so does the frenzy surrounding the Mars mission, and when secrets are revealed about ulterior motives of the program, Cal must find a way to get to the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.
Cal's father had the opportunity to live out his childhood dream after being selected as a candidate for NASA's mission to Mars. The catch? His family would have to relocate to Texas, and be part of a reality show. This stipulation threatens Cal's Flashfame show, and asks a lot of his mother, who struggles with social anxiety.
It was a bumpy ride, and the story took a turn I was not quite expecting, but I loved the outcome. A sweet romance was definitely one of the highlights for me, but I also appreciated the growth Cal and his parents experienced. All the space stuff really spoke to my inner geek too.
I am definitely looking forward to more stories from Stamper.
