Miya has been on the planet of Alpha Mion since she was five years old. She dealt with the cruel assertions of bullies, foster parents and even her teachers. Always the butt of the joke, always named the trouble maker. All she ever wanted was to go back to her home planet of Litune 5, and if that wasn’t possible, to fit in. One night, her foster parents ground her, and attend a party with the Supreme Imperator Typhon Kang, when her home is engulfed in flames. Trapped in the loft, with the fire raging beneath her, Miya fears for her life and imagines her father one last time. As he appears in her mind, she follows his silent actions and puts the tarnished ring she wears on a chain on her finger, mouths a word and claps her hands…
What The Legend of the Spacejumper does so well, is its no-holds-barred depiction of a bullied victim, who never sees herself as a victim. Even when Miya is face down on the floor at the merciless hands of the Imperator’s son, she somehow manages to keep her dignity. When everyone who is supposed to protect her either humiliates her or simply neglects her, she never loses her sense of self – she simply reminds herself that she can only rely on one person – her. One particularly heartbreaking section of the book sees Miya punished disproportionately by the school and her foster parents for something that she did in order to save her and her friends. She knew the punishment would come, but she had hoped that it would be delayed by at least a few days and that there would be some clemency because of the direness of the original situation. But, even after everything that the people of Alpha Mion have put her through, she underestimated the depth and cruelness of their discrimination.
At its heart, this is a book about a girl with a spirit the size of a planet, unexpected kindness and friendships that transcend race and species. It’s a beautiful book – that has wit, heartache and adventure.
S. A
First published on Reedsy Discovery as part of their ARC program. You can read the original review here.
The Legend of the Spacejumper is available to buy on Amazon. You can also read it for free with Kindle Unlimited.