Review: The Disasters

The Disasters

By: M.K. England

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: SciFi

Page Count: 352

Synopsis: The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this YA sci-fi adventure by debut author M. K. England.

Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours. But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy.

Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.

On the run, Nax and his fellow failures plan to pull off a dangerous heist to spread the truth. Because they may not be “Academy material,” and they may not even get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight.

Full of high-stakes action, subversive humor, and underdogs becoming heroes, this YA sci-fi adventure is perfect for fans of Illuminae, Heart of Iron, or the cult classic TV show Firefly and is also a page-turning thrill ride that anyone—not just space nerds—can enjoy.

This review will be spoiler free.

I have been wanting to read this book for months, and I was so excited when it finally came out! the synopsis had me hooked from the get-go, it seemed like the perfect book for me. I will admit that my expectations were quite high going in, and luckily the book did not disappoint; however, it did not surpass them either. I enjoyed Nax’s quick wit and entertaining internal monologue, however I do think the book would have benefited form at least one other POV. Overall it was quite short (less than 400 pages) and I think it could have been stretched out a bit more. I think this is meant as a stand alone, but I could be wrong. It definitely reads as a stand alone.

I loved the different characters, and honestly I don’t think I have ever read a more diverse book. There are bi characters, gay characters, transgender characters and characters of many different racial backgrounds. It was very refreshing, especially since YA has been typically slow to include diversity, especially in fantasy and scifi. It was really wonderful to read!

The world building was well done, but I would have liked to spend more time on the different planets the characters visited. It all felt very fast paced, which is not inherently bad, but it made me feel like I was being rushed through the story at times. That is why this book doesn’t get a full 5 stars from me. This is a small issue in an otherwise wonderful and engaging read. I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you like Guardians of the Galaxy, because it defiantly channeled that humour-action combination that Marvel does so well.

I hope this wasn’t a stand alone, because I would love to see more of Nax and his crew, and see where their adventures take them next, maybe to some more new and exciting planets!

Have you read the Disasters? Let me know your thoughts! If not, let me know your thoughts anyways! I love to hear from you all in the comments.