I don't read much middle grade fiction, but I needed “a book about a nontraditional education” for a reading challenge and this sounded like a fun diversion from my usual selections. I mean, the publisher's blurb kind of made it seem like Harry Potter but set in space, and who the heck could possibly not want to read about space Hogwarts??

Well, turns out it was kind of meh, at least for me. The plot and characters are one dimensional, everyone is insta-friends, the bad guy is obvious from pretty much the very beginning, and the ending is predictable. I'm not really the target audience, however, so it's probably more relevant that my 12-year-old son (who read it along with me) found it decently amusing. There's lots of vomit and (age-appropriate) gross humor and strange creatures and kids zipping around in space jets. The main character Amelia always seems to have the upper hand over the adults attempting to sabotage her success at Star Quest Academy, and she gets to do really cool things like ride on the back of space whales. I mean, who needs character depth when you have space whales??

And it is rather Harry Potter-ish. There's a mistreated orphan who is whisked away to a special school, a star bus to take her to <s>Hogwarts</s> the academy, space Dementors (called Rapskillions), an evil <s>wizard</s> Lord Fog who wants to take over Earth, secret co-conspirators hidden amongst the school's staff, unusual creatures, and, of course, a tight-knit group of friends (including a girl brainiac) who save the day. As far as other fandoms go, there's also a (presumable) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy “Don't Panic” reference, which was fun.

So, yeah. If you're an adult who enjoys reading middle grade novels with superbly fleshed-out characters and super engaging plots, this might not be the best choice as it's obviously written for a younger (and less discerning) crowd. If, however, you have a Harry Potter-loving future astronaut on your hands, it's very possible that they'll find Star Quest Academy entertaining. My own Gryffindor suggests I give it 3.5 stars as it's “funny but not as funny as Diary of a Wimpy Kid which would probably be a 4.5.” So there you have it. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Book Guild for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is February 28, 2025.