RAIL HEAD, by Philip Reeve

The story: Zen is a punk thief on a second-rate planet when Raven chooses him to rob the Emperor and propel himself into immortality--and also onto the radar of every law enforcement officer in their part of the galaxy. All he needs is a little luck, a little help from a lovely android who wants to be human, and the ability to stay one step ahead of all the people who want to kill him. Stranger things have happened.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder, mayhem, political machinations, godless society in general, sci-fi violence) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: I do like Philip Reeve, but many of his books are just too hard for MS. This one is best for strong readers, 8th and up, mostly because a great deal of thinking has to happen before anyone will figure out what's going on. Explanation is kept to a minimum, but the author's fascinating world building is as strong as ever, and there's mile-a-minute action for anyone willing to strap in for the ride.