Warp Speed

Lisa Yee wrote a phenomenal trilogy, "Millicent Min, Girl Genius," "Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time," and "So Totally Emily Ebers." Warp Speed is sort of an accessory book to that trilogy... not part of it, but set in the same environment, and the three primary characters in those books all have small roles in this one.
Marley Sandelski is a Star Trek geek, meek, and a victim of any and all bullies at his middle school. Bullying is the primary theme. It is plain that Marley has a few good friends among his fellow geeks, but he has to learn that himself. He views them more as friends because they're his only option rather than friends because they all actually like each other. The bullying Marley endures for the first half of the book is show more relentless, and perhaps goes on a bit too long before the plot shift begins. Because of running from bullies all the time, Marley has inadvertently become an accomplished runner. Then when one of his primary tormentors turns out to be the victim of an even worse bully, things begin to shift for our hero.
(P.S. Ramen is right. Star Wars is best.) show less

Marley is invisible. Popular kids, teachers, even his old best friend Stanford Wong; they all ignore him. The only kids who pay attention to him are the three bullies who make his life miserable. He has a few friends in the AV club, but they’re not really the friends he wants. When Marley’s life gets too miserable to bear, when the bullies are after him, when he feels like he desperately needs to get away, he runs. The more he runs, the faster he gets. Finally, someone noticed just how fast he is. Will Marley still be invisible? Does he even want to be noticed?

I’ve skimmed through several of Lisa Yee’s middle grade realistic fiction stories, but this one I sat down and read beginning to end. Every time I started to put it down, show more sure that the author was sliding into stereotypes and a clichéd plot, the story swung around. I like the how Marley is portrayed as an ordinary kid; he’s not a flawless underdog, he hurts his friends’ feelings, gets in fights with his parents, and sometimes just wants to be “normal” and “popular” whatever that is. Marley changes and grows throughout the story, but he’s still Marley at the end. He still doesn’t fit in with the majority of the kids, he still has his odd personality quirks, and he doesn’t get the girl he desperately wants. But that’s ok. The point of the story isn’t about defeating bullies, although Marley does get them to leave him alone through various methods. It’s not about friendship, although Marley learns how to be a better friend. This story is about fitting in with yourself, letting go of the idea that you are a reflection of the people around you, and figuring out who you are and who you want to be.

I did think the eccentric parents were a bit over the top, but they do blend smoothly into the story. The bullies are also given strong characters and don’t just fall into the “guys who have low self-esteem and/or problems with their parents so they hit people.”

Verdict: A strong story about finding a sense of self and breaking out of the expectations and misery of middle school. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780545122764; Published March 2011; ARC provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter 2011; Purchased for the library show less

Marley is a school outcast. He's bullied, teased and assaulted on a regular basis. His refuges are AV Club, Star Trek, and his parents' classic movie theater. The author nicely weaves his Star Trek passion with the decisions he makes to be a different person (mainly to attract his crush Emily) and become less of a target of the bullies. SPOILER: I thought it was a clever twist that Marley decides not to participate in track even though he has the talent. I thought, oh, here's the theme, find your strength that will transcend your loser status. But his decision is how Marley keeps true to himself. He can be confident with who and where he is instead of "crossing to the dark side" as his friend Ramen might say.

The plot is interesting because the protagonist, Marley, has to choose between his geek friends and the more popular kids as Marley himself becomes more popular.

Marley is a Star Trek fan and his Captain's Log entries at the end of each chapter summarize the story in a Star Trek form. When he meets a kind popular girl his entry reads something like "freindly alien offers to guide through uncharted territory."

Fun lighthearted book about a nerdy seventh grader, Marley, and his friends, who endures bullying at school by running away at top speed from his attacker. The track coach asks him to be on the team! I liked the characters, fun Star Trek vs. Star Wars geek humor, and the connections to Yee's other books about this school, from Millicent Min Girl Genius to So Totally Emily Ebers. Good one to pair up with How to Survive Middle School.

Marley is used to being an outcast - eating lunch on a broken bench with his AV Club friends, getting punched and spit on by a number of bullies at his school. But when he meets the beautiful and sweet Emily Ebers, Marley thinks it might be time to try to turn things around. This fourth book in the interconnected books of Rancho Rosetta Middle School takes a look at bullying and how people's perceptions affect how they relate to one another. This is a nice addition to the series.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Marley is an expert on Star Trek - TSO (the Original Series), AV equipment, and bullying. He's a seventh grader who recognizes his place in the school social network - Geek with a capital G. He's not alone. Ramen, Troy, and Patrick are also fellow geeks and members of the AV Club. There's also a new member named Max who turns out to be quite a surprise.

Now that the AV Club has been awarded the status of an actual class at Rancho Rosetta Middle School, the group at least has a place to feel safe once a day. They have fun learning about AV equipment and being the minds behind the real workings of the school. Without their expertise, teachers would have malfunctioning show more computers, tangled film projectors, and DVD players with no sound. Marley feels comfortable with the equipment and happy arguing with his friends about which is best - Star Trek or Star Wars.

Before and after school is a different story for Marley. He is the target for every bully in the school. He is so used to being punched, shoved in his locker, and chased home by the biggest jerks in the school that he has come to expect nothing less. Reporting the harassment is not an option, since the school principal doesn't even know his name and his parents have problems of their own.

Marley lives in an ancient movie theater called the Rialto. His father doesn't like going out in public and chooses to spend his time running the theater, which is pretty much a losing proposition. Marley's mother is blind. Despite her challenging disability, she teaches piano lessons, cooks wonderful meals, and spends her free time playing golf. Marley knows his folks love him, but he doesn't feel he can share his troubles with them since they have so many of their own.

Seventh grade is proving to be more of the same as far as the bullying goes, but several new developments have Marley hoping this year might be different. First, there's Max, the new member of the AV Club. Marley and his buddies are shocked to learn after several days in class with this Max character that Max is actually a girl. She's not a Star Trek or Star Wars fan; instead, she's all about Batman, but they still welcome her into their group.

Then, after the collapse of AV teacher Mr. Jiang, the group finds themselves stuck in Home Sciences class working on some crazy partner project involving garbage bags and fashion. Marley can't believe his bad luck when he is partnered up with Emily Ebers. She seems pretty bossy at first, but the more they work together, the nicer she is to him. Maybe this is the year he will have some luck with girls.

Author Lisa Yee's WARP SPEED continues the stories she has created in MILLICENT MIN GIRL GENIUS, STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME, and SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS. Marley's character returns here to share his own story. It is full of humor, crazy middle school antics, and family problems. The use of a bullying theme also gives it a current connection to what is happening in schools today. Middle grade readers won't let this one gather dust on the shelves. show less