Warning, john Barnes is a firm believer in truth in titling. When he writes a book called "Losers in Space" be prepared for actual losers. And oh my, these kids are losers when we first see them. Even the protagonist, Susan is just another "drunken sex kitten" in a world where that is an actual occupational track. See, nobody actually has to work anymore, the vast majority of humanity subsists (at a standard most previous generations would envy greatly) on a basic stipend that everyone gets, in fact, if your hobby makes money, they cut your stipend to compensate. Only those who pass certain tests or become popular enough are "eligible for employment" and allowed to make more money. For most people, the only way to get ahead is be a celebrity and of course, as we see every day, there's plenty of fame in being a wild party girl if you look good enough and have passably notable parents or friends. So that's Susan's chose track to fame and fortune, and the choice of most of her friends, but it's just not good enough and so they come up with a plan to stow away on a spaceship (technically, an Aldrin cycler) and get even more famous. Of course things go wrong, mostly because of them is a complete sociopath. The growth of most of the characters is interesting to observe, especially the growth of Susan, seen largely through her changing opinion of the others. That said, she is not a nice person, the book ends up going in some rather unexpected directions because of that.The decision to break out infodumps into "Notes for the Interested" but leave the notes in the main text sometimes breaks the flow of the story. Probably a poor decision for a YA book. That said, I still enjoyed them, but then again, one of my favorite authors is David Weber, king of the five page infodump. Not sure how well this book plays with its intended audience, but it worked for me. I cannot succinctly say why I disliked this book so much. The only reason it got 2 stars instead of 1 is because it held my interest enough for me to actually finish the book. *I was a little surprised to find that this isn't a 2nd book in a series because the beginning of the book felt that way. You are immediately thrown into the story with a small amount of establishment or introduction. Oftentimes, I like this method of story telling (assuming the reader is smart enough to follow along), but it felt clunky and as if there were big holes. (Yes, I read the Notes For The Interested). *The secondary characters all have interesting names: Fleeta, Derlock, Glisters. The main character? Susan. #wut*I'm supposed to believe that Susan is suddenly immune to Derlock and his charms? For no reason other than because she chose to? No. I've been a teenage girl. It doesn't matter how terrible the guy is - you still feel things. Similarly, I don't think everyone else would turn on him as quickly as they do either. It was HIS idea to go into space to begin with - he's manipulative and charming which is what got everyone to agree to the trip in the first place. Not everyone would turn on him at once - I really think it would've taken more convincing and more time for some of them.*I nearly gave up when Fwuffy showed up, partially because I didn't think I could handle reading the word FWUFFY repeatedly. I did end up liking how they worked him into the story, even if the sudden appearance of a pink elephant is really weird.*What in the world is Susan actually doing with her life in the epilogue? Except wearing unsensible shoes.*I think it's disgusting, irresponsible, slightly unbelievable and too easy of an answer that Derlock and his father were dealt with by arranged murders. I am completely disgusted by Susan's arousal of the murder discussion.
What do You think about Losers In Space (2012)?
More like 3.5 I need to reread Orbital Resonance again. Forgot how much I loved John Barnes.
—Sarakleu
Really good there wee a couple of dull parts but other than that very enjoyable
—Klhswim1
This book is just awful. I didn't get more that 20 pages in.
—scottshon24
