Though the pacing is a little slow, the story was enjoyable, and unexpected, in that the main character is a bit of a sad sack who stumbles upon a lucrative find, then has every criminal organization in colonized space after him. Johnny Gomez gets beat up repeatedly, and it's only after it happening once too many times, the formerly adventure-seeking guy from Luna begins to appear, and taking control of his life.

Johnny had originally left his home on Luna looking for bigger horizons, new prospects and adventure. He eventually ended up on Kilgore station, and had to get a job. The only one he was really qualified for was on the custodial staff, and Johnny has become adept at cleaning up and disinfecting after all sorts of aliens. His boss is awful, and super creepy, and submits Johnny to repeated humiliations and harassment, and sends him out to clean up the worst messes.

Johnny has also made only one friend, a heavily modded human named Rygar, who looks out for Johnny whenever possible.

One day at work, Johnny finds a chit lodged in a drain, and he pockets it, intent on turning it into security. Before he can, he's beaten by a pair of lowly criminals, and rescued by a pair of starbound spacefarers (people born in space) named Hooper and Liliana.

They whisk Johnny to a fence, Lisette, formerly of Luna (and the woman Johnny has been daydreaming about), and before they can do anything else, Johnny is attacked again, and soon he, Hooper, Liliana and Lisette are headed to Luna, in the hope of selling what is on the chi.

They keep getting targeted by criminals, and it's only when Johnny occasionally changes his attitude from "Poor me" to "I'm not taking this anymore" that their journey and his relationships with those around him begin changing for the better.

I found the first third of the book a little on the slow side, but things picked up, and though it takes Johnny a long time to find his self-confidence, it does happen eventually, taking the character on an emotional journey.

The story is light in tone, and there is humour (e.g., Hooper and his hats!) but it's the quiet character moments, and the friendship that grows between Johnny, Hooper, Liliana and Lisette, and the deepening of his friendship with Rygar, that made this as enjoyable as it was.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Angry Robot for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was an absolutely hoot! If you loved Titan A.E. and Treasure Planet growing up, you have found the one! This book is a quirky mix of absurd space scenarios (in the best way possible) and real heart. I loved it from start to finish!

The characters are diverse and unique. Puerto Rican descendants, augmented humans, aliens with questionable bathroom habits all blend together in a interesting universe! I loved how the protagonist, Johnny, has been a custodian (Space Broom) for many years and stumbles into this deadly journey. He finds friendship, adventure, and maybe a little love along the way! Don't miss out on this fun space romp that takes you from the edge of the universe and back to the planets you call home!

Space Brooms is about a down on his luck janitor that comes I to possession of something all the wrong people want.
While there were moments of lag in the story, for the most part, Space Brooms was definitely an enjoyable thrill ride.
Johnny Gomez is a great protagonist. I could honestly see several books being centered on this guy. He was a likable everyman just caught up in things beyond his control.
A.G. Rodriguez came up with a great universe to tell stories in. One part Hitchhiker’s Guide. One part Old Man’s War from Scalzi.
Do yourself a favor and check this book out.
I doubt you’ll regret it.

What a wild ride through the universe this was! An extraordinary number of different species, different lifeways, augmentations and space/earthbounders... It was an incredibly rich and detailed world but not enough that you felt overwhelmed. It drew you in because the descriptions had that subtle thread woven through that pulled on the common conscious interpretation for what a space station would look like but with enough sensory input to round out the whole environment. And the "Rosa"! What a nice surprise to have a plush spaceship as the main vessel.
The characters were a mixed bag but they worked together. Although the down-on-his-luck, timid, no confidence character of Johnny sometimes grated, overall he was a decent MMC and the supporting characters (although they had just as much story and page time as the MMC) rounded out the ensemble into an entertaining jaunt to Luna.
I was a little disappointed in how the whole thing ended (and I did enjoy like Tia's character) but I did like that hook at the end. Poor Johnny and those coveralls he can't get away from!

Lots of action but not much of a plot. This follows one character as different characters help but just make it worse. Book one of a new series.

Space Brooms! was a fast-paced, fun, and exciting read! I loved the vivid world-building—it was immersive without feeling like an info dump, and the writing style was super easy to read.

The characters were vibrant, complementary, and full of personality, truly coming alive off the page. I also really appreciated that the plot wasn’t predictable like so many books have been lately. Even though it’s on the shorter side, it never felt rushed.

A solid, enjoyable read that kept me engaged the whole way through!

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for my eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

A fast paced, highly readable, found family adventure, featuring a likable, hard luck space janitor who gets caught up in doings well outside his normal expertise. The book’s cast of companions, villains, and minor characters are well drawn and kept me engaged. Really doesn’t cover any new ground but put a smile on my face for a few hours, which is what I hoped for. Recommended. I would read a sequel or another book by new-to-me author Rodriguez.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

“All my life I wanted adventure.”

Space Brooms! By A, G. Rodriguez is a wild sci-fi adventure that follows Johnny Gomez a space broom – term for a custodian- as he teams up with a captivating cast of characters. After Johnny happens upon a data chit containing information worth millions, his boring life becomes much more entertaining and filled with the new and exciting people he meets along the way.

Space Brooms! is an easy to read book that quickly becomes immersive and enjoyable. The characters, starting with Johnny, are delightful even if they don’t all have Johnny’s best interests at heart. They’re likeable and well written so you aren’t reading about characters that just seem to be copy and pasted to only fill the pages. The new terminology that exists in this new futuristic space world is introduced and understood easily. There is no need for a glossary to help keep track of everything Rodriguez has included in the book. The beauty and wonder of space and the wreckage of Earth – or Terra – was mostly abandoned in are both described wonderfully. Reading sci-fi that discusses Earth’s future is always an experience whether good or bad and no matter who gets blamed; Rodriguez’s telling is no different. While Space Brooms! is a story of adventure and survival, it is also the story of found family. Johnny goes from having one friend to finding a few more. Even if they originally just became involved in his life in order to make money from the data chit. There was a hint of romance that I’m kind of glad didn’t come to fruition. A person you daydream about from afar without knowing anything about them is not going to miraculously become your life partner. Since they met each other and have gotten to know each other, maybe a romance could be in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed Space Brooms! very much, It is an easy read that I could see rereading in the future. I found A. G. Rodriguez’s writing style and world building enjoyable and entertaining. Once the sequel promised at the end of the book comes out, I will definitely be buying it. If you’re a fan or sci-fi and found family and if you won’t mind reading a bit of violence, then I recommend Space Brooms!

Wasn’t impressed with the writing or the plot. While I’m grateful that I received this book as an ARC, I think the author needs to take some courses on writing. There’s a good idea in this book but it was world building (but barely) and then all the tropes of middling sci-fi. The antagonists were poor sketches of a villain and the belief that multiple crime lords could get away with crimes “cuz governments are corrupt” is poor writing.

Also, the fact that the main character gets the shit kicked out of him and always winds up as a damsel in distress and then happens to always wiggle his way out of a jam is unbelievable.

A great sci-fi adventure comedy featuring a captivating plot, excellent pacing, and rich world-building, along with lovable, diverse characters navigating a perilous journey through our fascinating futuristic universe. The story highlights themes of found family and second chances, with strong female characters, and kindhearted male characters, all packed into a fast-paced read. I highly recommend Space Brooms! if you enjoy sci-fi filled with laughter and adventure.

Thank you to the publisher, Angry Robot, who provided me with an eARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

NO SPOILERS

Space Brooms! is a delightful space adventure in a richly-built world that is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop and Firefly. The author is excellent at describing and and painting this world for the reader, with each detail clearly lovingly imagined. The physical world around the characters is so thoroughly described I had no issues immersing myself in the setting.

The book stumbles a bit early on, particularly with the writing of the character dialog, until just before the halfway mark. While I found the dialog and banter a bit awkward, it’s also possible I was just not the target audience for the humor, which was a bit bro-y at times.

I loved that the protagonist was in their late 30s rather than 20 years old, particularly as the creeping dread of “have I wasted my life/is this all there is” makes a LOT more sense when the character is nearing 40 rather than just freshly out of puberty.

I loved the family dynamic between the protagonist and his tia and tio, as well. There is so much nuance to how Latine families handle grief, loyalty, and love that spoke to me directly and reminded me of my own family. I think I enjoyed those parts of the book the most.

I liked this book enough that I think I’d like to check out the sequel, whenever it comes out. I think the author hit their stride with the story and characters by the end, and any further books will pick up on a much higher note. I look forward to seeing more!

A.G. Rodriguez's SPACE BROOMS! is a fast-paced, pulpy sci-fi comedy with plenty of action and a core group of likeable, well-rounded characters.

Our narrator is Johnny Gomez, a 37-year-old janitor for Astro-Suds on the space station Kilgore. He is a guy who gave up on his dream of directing films (holofilms, this is a sci-fi book after all) and moved penniless to this space station to find work and hopefully one day adventure. All he's found, though, is a miserable job for a miserable boss and a whole lot of disappointment. He does have a helpful and friendly roommate, Rygar, who continues to surprise throughout the novel. This augmented fellow might know more about the sort of adventure Johnny is looking for than he has ever let on.

One day Johnny finds a data chip while cleaning a zero gravity restroom and, on his way back from the job, is jumped by two thugs looking for the chip. He's saved by cousins Hooper and Leilani, smugglers who seem at first to be helping him just for fun. When Johnny is again attacked by a different criminal cartel while trying to turn the chip into the space station's security force, Hooper chimes in unexpectedly on Johnny's communication system to once more help him out of the jam. This time they meet up and head to the station's underbelly (where Rygar, the roommate, seems to hold some away) and introduce Johnny to Lisette, a fence who can help sell this mysterious data chip. And while Johnny hasn't previously met Lisette, he has seen her around the station many times and incorporates her into his adventurous, film-like daydreams. So this is the adventure Johnny has been waiting for.

The group of four, aided at times from afar by Rygar, now have to get to Luna (our moon) to sell the chip, the seemingly unimportant contents of which kind of blows Johnny's mind. On the way to Luna they'll run into multiple criminal syndicates, pirates, and police forces, and have all the galactic fights, chases, and potential romances one should expect in a good pulpy sci-fi novel.

A.G. Rodriguez is a strong writer who keeps the action clear and moving at a brisk pace, and I had a truly great time getting acquainted with this janitor with big aspirations. As a 30-something guy that has personally abandoned the dreams of my youth for the monotony of the modern work force, it's easy to relate to a character like Johnny. My only real complaint about the book is that it reaches a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion, with some running threads either not being resolved fully or closed in ways that are a little less upbeat than the rest of the book, which is witty and light-hearted even in stressful story beats, would have you expect.

But, hey. I think we'll get to see Johnny, the space cowboy Hooper, the fierce mechanic Leilani, and the fence Lisette again in the future. I look forward to it.

4/5

My thanks to NetGalley, A.G. Rodriguez, and Angry Robot for this ARC.

Space Brooms! by A.G. Rodriguez

Johnny Gomez is a dreamer, just like everyone else. He has his goals and passions, but in a galaxy far away, Mr. Gomez finds himself settling in Kilgore Station. Unfortunately, his life is far from glorious. Feeling like a failure, he adapts to a monotonous routine as a janitor. Dirt and grime build up in Johnny’s mind, and it sweeps away any sense of happiness. Fortunately or unfortunately, conveniently up for debate, he stumbles upon a chit. A chip of sorts containing some top-secret information. Data that could change the landscape of the gaming community and one that garners a whole handful of trouble. Will he be able to withstand the barrage of various bounty hunter types who want to steal what he has discovered?

Fun. Simple in approach, yet effectively written. The witty banter among the group translates perfectly. I felt among the crew. With a childlike similarity to finding the golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, rabid wolves circle their prey, and vultures swoop down to pick at the corpse and retrieve the prize. Johnny is still alive, thwarting attacks with the help of three others: Hooper, Leilani, and Lisette. Their mission is absurd: to sell the “chit” for an unbelievable sum of money, which would give each of them the foundation for a lifestyle they never thought was possible. However, they must evade both the authorities and rival gangs. A.G. Rodriguez’s story oozes action and yet manages to stay on course throughout. Its strength relies upon the reader’s relatability to the dull drums of working an endless nine to five, our dreams conveniently thrown to the waste side like a piece of trash, waiting for pickup from our friend Johnny Gomez, who also experiences the same issues in his life. The book’s simplistic nature fooled me, for I felt strong emotions in my readthrough. Regret, hope, and family bonds come to mind.

An underlying message circulated through my veins. It’s never too late to pursue what we love. Believe in yourself and stick to your principles in times of peril, and for heaven’s sake, have fun. I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading!

Many thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

DNF @30%. The book is not badly written per se, but it hasn't convinced me after reading a third that it's worth spending my time reading it. The main issues are an accumulation of coincidences that reflect bad planning for the novel, overly simplistic depiction of the sci-fi element (almost comes across as "under-educated"), a protagonist that is so lukewarm that you neither love nor hate him and struggle to care for him overall, and a tone of hilarity and lightheartedness that the author struggles to deliver on (vs, e.g., Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett).

Space Brooms is definitely a great read for Star Wars fans. I think it hits a lot of the same story beats. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, and a lot of this book fell flat for me. I think there's a lot here, but maybe just too much. The side characters don't really make a lot of sense, I'm not really sold on their motivations or personalities. The romance especially feels stiff, I don't think there was enough build up or chemistry. The first 50 pages also have a random subplot that's never mentioned again.
However, it does move very quickly, and I think it's best when things are happening. There's a lot of confrontations which really help to build up tension. The humor isn't really my type, very self-deprecating, but that mostly comes down to personal preference. There's definitely an audience for this book, but I'm not sure it's me.

Just as Star Trek: Lower Decks reminded us that not all space adventures happen to the officers on the bridge, Space Brooms! centers on one of Kilgore Station’s janitors, Johnny Gomez, whose spiteful boss has him cleaning zero-g toilets — imagine the mess! But when Johnny finds an illicit data chit in the alien excrement, he’s off on adventure with some unusual companions to try to change his fortunes. Can he sell the data and escape his humble life, or will the assassins and mobsters get the better of him? This space romp is not to be missed by those seeking lighter sci-fi fare.

This sci-fi adventure follows Johnny Gomez, a lowly space station janitor whose life takes a dramatic turn when he accidentally stumbles upon a valuable data chip. Suddenly thrust into a dangerous world of mercenaries and smugglers, Johnny must rely on his wits and a newfound found family to survive. i enjoyed the fast-paced plot, engaging action sequences, and the unique premise of a "space broom" protagonist and the lighthearted tone and the humor, comparing it to a fun space romp, while others found the humor to be juvenile or the lightheartedness inappropriate for some of the heavier scenes.

The book's world-building is appreciated the creative descriptions of space stations, alien species, and the overall galactic setting. The development of Johnny's relationships with his ragtag crew was another highlight, with many reviewers enjoying the found family trope and the supportive friendships depicted. The author's ability to balance the sci-fi elements with the character-driven narrative was also noted, creating a world that felt both immersive and accessible.

I felt the pacing was rushed, particularly towards the ending, and that the story could have benefited from more depth. As mentioned previously, the humor was divisive, with sometimes finding it entertaining and other cringeworthy. Despite these criticisms, many reviewers expressed a desire for more adventures in this universe, highlighting the overall enjoyment and potential of the story.

With thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the ARC!

I requested this book because I am a huge sci-fi fan. I love anything to do with space, including space opera. This book caught my eye because I loved the cover and the description, and I was ready to dive into this new world!

I loved the world-building. I loved learning about the different space stations, the different aliens, the ships, the different cultures and people. I was so interested in all of it, and I thought this was smartly presented to the reader. All that information wasn't info-dumped so it was easy to keep up with it all. I also really enjoyed learning about the characters backstories, and I think the author really excelled at the found family trope here.

However, there were a few points where this book fell short for me. The first is how short the book is. Normally this wouldn't necessarily be an issue but I feel like it was very rushed a times, including the ending. The second is the humour. It definitely fell a bit flat, and at times I was rolling my eyes. And the third point is our main character himself. We are told he is in his thirties, yet some of his interactions around certain characters are so incredibly juvenile. I think this is where the author tried to play up the humour but I'm afraid all I did was cringe instead of laugh.

I do recommend this for people who want a short romp through space, or are interested in galactic world-building.

A very light hearted space adventure. I found it a bit too lighthearted at times in it's reactions to some quite heavy scenes which made the plot and characters feel a bit flat. The humour wasn't really for me and the insta found family a bit rushed and unbelievable. However I really enjoyed the galactic world building and the space dog! A quick read that could work well as a palette cleanser.
Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book. Aside from the great, well-paced story, its strong points included good character development, ensemble cast, and world-building. The book is light-hearted and I was expecting a certain amount of silliness, but was surprised by the books’ thoughtfulness. Certain passages were so well-written that I would read them over and over. Overall this is a great read and I look forward to more adventures of this crew. Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the advance reader copy.