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The Disasters
The Disasters
The Disasters
Audiobook8 hours

The Disasters

Written by M.K. England

Narrated by James Fouhey

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

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 riviting thrill ride that anyone—not just space nerds—can enjoy.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperTeen
Release dateDec 18, 2018
ISBN9780062937902
Author

M.K. England

M.K. England is an author and librarian who grew up on the Space Coast of Florida and now calls small-town rural Virginia home. When they're not writing or librarianing, M. K. can be found drowning in fandom, rolling dice at the Dungeons & Dragons table, digging in the garden, or feeding their video game addiction. They love Star Wars with a desperate, heedless passion. It’s best if you never speak of Sherlock Holmes in their presence. You’ll regret it. They are also the author of The Disasters. Visit them at www.mkengland.com.

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Reviews for The Disasters

Rating: 3.901015228426396 out of 5 stars
4/5

197 ratings15 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fun Sci-Fi adventure that will keep you entertained. The audiobook is wonderfully narrated as well!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Who doesn’t love an epic space adventure with a bunch of miscreants blamed for a crime they didn’t commit. This was very good, can’t wait to check out the authors other works.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was so much fun! A great exciting plot, and an instantly lovable band of protagonists who have to save the world while dealing with their own problems and secrets. Plus queer and trans representation, a racially and religiously diverse cast, and a narrator voice that really sounds like a older teen (who really likes making jokes about kicking). Loved it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was so much fun! I really liked that it was a stand-alone sci-fi! I felt like I really got to know the characters in such a short amount of time. I loved that this story was complete in just one book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Honestly, could have been named “Bisexual panic in space” and would’ve fit perfectly. Was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat, was pleased with the ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 stars

    This was such a fun romp of a story. The characters are instantly likable, the pacing steady, the action excitable and entertaining. These kinds could be doing anything and I would enjoy reading/listening to it because I know it would be a good time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was one of the best Syfy books I have ever read! I highly recommend it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was fun! England's writing is occasionally a little forced, but I enjoyed this more than Spellhackers! I wish it were a whole series though, because I felt like it was a little rushed. Plus, I need to know what's going to happen with Case, Ryan and Nax. You can't just hint at a throuple and then leave me hanging!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3,45 stars

    The Goodreads star system is annoying with it's lack of half stars, because some three star books I've read have been a lot blander than this one. However, this doesn't quite reach four stars either, so I'm forced to revert to mathematically rounding it down to three.

    I feel like this book reads better for the under 20's audience. The thing that most often grinds my gears with YA scifi is the cast consisting of 17-year-olds saving the goddamn world. I'm not saying I don't get the combination of a YA book and teenaged characters, just that in no universe will I be able to stomach the glaring lack of competent adults involved.

    I appreciate the author's effort to make this as diverse and inclusive as she was able, but the incredibly forced "love-triangle" (not really, but you know what I mean) wasn't the best way to include bi-rep, in my humble opinion. A nice objective with a really lackluster execution. What I did like was the inclusion of non-christian religion, I felt like that was done in a lot more organic manner.

    The plot itself was, well, fine I guess. A story that's been told a hundred times in recent years with nothing surprising or unexpected. Everything went off a little too easy (I attribute this to the YA target demographic as well) and was in no way believable.

    In summary, this was a very fast and easy read with good representation, mediocre writing and an unremarkable plot. I'm sure whatever the author comes out with next will be a lot better, though, considering this was a debut.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I thought I'd try something I was inclined to like (Sci-fi! Found family! etc.) as I begin easing myself back into reading for work. Ugh. I am... not excited about this. But this book was a great choice because it's a quick moving heist-esque story with spaceships and misfits figuring out how they fit together. I really loved the characters, and the pace of the story kept me turning pages. I'd say it's a pretty solid read alike for Honor Bound and Ignite the Stars. Now to find something I enjoy this much that hasn't already been booktalked to our students. I AM STIll NOT IN A READING MOOD ugh.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this. A fun group of misfits ... who discover they fit together. You’ll find yourself in one of these crew members! I want to be a honorary member!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I heard this book marketed as six of crows in space and boy I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The disasters showcases a rag tag group of incredibly diverse characters from very different backgrounds who find themselves on a journey through space and different planets after accidentally getting caught up in events that lead to them needing to save the universe. And yes, as the book title suggests, they are complete disasters. Each character has a certain aspect about them that lead them to getting kicked out of Ellis Station Academy; some of them are slightly understandable while others are completely arbitrary and incredibly infuriating. There is a slight love triangle, which is my least favorite trope of any book, that I found incredibly unnecessary but at the same time I also felt as if it was handled differently than most other love triangles and it didn't really affect my thoughts of the story because of that. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and I loved what I read. I am a sucker for the found family trope, especially when the characters in said family trope have as many issues as the characters in this story do, and it definitely added to my enjoyment of the book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    To be fair to any readers of this review, I DNF'ed this book about 2/3 of the way through, so it's possible that the whole thing wrapped up spectacularly, but I spoiled the ending for myself and I highly doubt the ending would change my views on the book.My problems with this book were mainly that it didn't feel fresh or inventive, the problems that the characters faced were all miraculously solved by "coincidences" and the ~~love triangle~~ thing that was going on was annoying and didn't feel very realistic or add to the plot. I wanted this to be a misfits in space fast-paced adventure with some good action and honestly it was none of those things. The space world didn't seem to be the main point, it was a lot of planet hopping. The internal mechanisms of the future were so pedestrian I didn't have to give them a single thought, which disappointed me from a worldview perspective. And nothing felt really rooted in stakes that the characters (or I) cared about enough to put me on the edge of my seat. The pros to this book are that it does a fair job of assembling a diverse cast of characters and it's definitely a quick read. It reminded me in the vaguest of ways of Carry On, so if you liked that you might like this (although I think that book was better).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a solidly fun book. The dedication says it all: “To Everyone who’s ever felt like a disaster. Here, have a spaceship! Now fly.” That introduction kicks off a book that is both adventure and redemption. To me, I see it as a jumble or Firefly, with a bit of Star Wars, and Galaxy quest (minus non-humans) mixed in.Nax has a bit of a daredevil streak. He wants to be the best pilot in the spaceverse, and he pushes every limit there is. Even ones he shouldn’t. It gets him kicked out of flight school. However, that is one of the luckiest things that can ever happen to him and his ragtag group of ex cadets. Space has been colonized. The moon is the jumpstation. The space school, and education programs are there for future colonists to learn everything they need when they leave school forever. But there is something afoot. The station is taken over, Nax barely escapes with his life, and the lives of 3 others who all managed to flunk out of the academy. The rejects are the only hoping of saving the colonies. From what? From who? Like I’m going to tell, read the book for yourself. It’s totally worth it. There are many things that I liked about this book. I like how it was open. Nax, the leader of the group is attracted to people, not guys, not girls, but people for who they are not for their sex. Gender identification and sexul orientation is taken as wrote (mostly). This is just the way they are and it is okay. I also like the inclusion of other cultures. I had to find a dictionary for no less than 6 words, all of which were arabic. Once again it, it just is. I like that. And I love learning about these things. One character is muslim, and it’s no big deal. Yes there is a joke about knowing what time to pray when you’re in space, but it works. I just love the inclusivity.As for world and story building, it’s not bad. There are somethings I would think would be much further along. This story takes place in 2194, yet somethings like the tabs seem so 2019, I would think humans would have advanced passed tablets if they have been able to make space jumps take hours instead of lifetimes. But that is the science nerd in me complaining. It didn’t distract from the story but more of questions I would like fleshed out in future books.Speaking of future books, I asked the author, and currently this is a standalone. No sequels in the works. BUMMER!!! I would love to continue reading about this crew. In fact, I think this book would make for a great movie or show. The author does a decent job writing an action scene, and as there are quite a few in the book , so that is a good thing. This book has found the perfect algorithm to mix comedy, heart, and adventure to keep a reader turning pages. And while I know there is no future book coming any time soon, I look forward to seeing what this author brings us next.#MountTBR#Booked2019#LittenLoveBingo#NancyDrewChallenge#BNFantasyChallenge#KillYourTBR#SFFTBRChallenge
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A group of washouts from an elite space academy are the sole witnesses and soon the scapegoats for a terrorist attack by Earth First forces. The group of five use all their skills, wits, and just luck to survive and bring to light the plan of the group. Super fun. The diversity of the characters is woven in seamlessly.