Intrepid teen regulator Jake Durango leads a daring pack of fearless freedom fighters in a dystopian future where humans rage against ferocious, porcine creatures called Drau, who prey upon human flesh. Based on Mars, Jake and his crew are hired to protect a colony of human miners from the Drau and their evil queen. Throw in a forbidden love triangle, an extensive underground cave system, a smart-alecky, trigger-happy Buckaroo Banzai–like soldier and plenty of blood and guts, and Gill scores a fast and funny science-fiction novel with plenty of surprises. The author injects many of the elements from his unforgettable first novel (Soul Enchilada, 2009) into this new work, including bizarro plot twists, kooky oddball characters and plenty of laugh-out-loud humor. His energetic sense of pacing keeps the pages turning even when the most ridiculous episode seems to be getting steroid injections. Despite the insanity, the plot races onward seamlessly, and well-rounded characters and sharp, contemporary dialogue keep the work grounded. Fans of science fiction and the strange will eat this up. (Science fiction. 12 & up)
