Sanctuary

In space, no one can hear you scream—except for the aliens stalking you. Kenzie, 17, is a junior guard on Sanctuary, an orbital prison for superpowered teenage criminals. When she’s captured as part of a mass breakout attempt, she discovers an unexpected affinity with her captors, which comes in handy when they need to work together to survive an extraterrestrial invasion. With terrifying monsters stalking the space station and no hope of rescue, Kenzie and her new allies must use every ability at their disposal to escape. In this debut, Lix pays obvious homage to comics and movies such as the X-Men and Alien, creating a tense, claustrophobic thriller that finds room for romance along the way. While the premise is engaging, the worldbuilding feels lacking in places, leading to unanswered questions. The juxtaposition of superpowered teenagers, marauding aliens, corrupt corporations, and dark secrets makes this an exciting, if overstuffed and sometimes disjointed, story. However, the diverse cast and fast pace make up for these flaws. Ages 14–up. Agent: Caitie Flum, Liza Dawson Assoc. [em](July) [/em]