(2) 4-6 Chronicle of the Dark Star series. In this trilogy-closer, teens Liam and Phoebe (an alien Telphon) discover the force behind the destruction of their planets: an artificial intelligence called the Dark Star. By way of apology, the Dark Star creates an alternate universe with a new Earth for human refugees to inhabit and expands Liam's time-traveling abilities--but can she be trusted? Interest never lags as deceptions are unwound, temptations resisted, and humanity saved.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) YA Eli's long-time kidnapper brainwashed him into entering a mall to detonate a bomb attached to his body; sixteen-year-old Maya saved their lives. Almost a year later, fifteen-year-old Eli is haunted by his trauma and terrified he's still a danger to others, while Maya suffers from anxiety, a hair-pulling disorder, and PTSD. This intense and disturbing novel ultimately offers a modicum of hope.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) 4-6 Chronicle of the Dark Star series. In the aftermath of Earth's sun going supernova and the alien attack at Saturn base (Last Day on Mars), teens Liam and Phoebe plan to rendezvous with colonists at refueling-station planet Delphi. But Phoebe has a secret: she's not human. Rife with tension, time travel, and unexpected twists, this conceptually expansive science-fiction novel relies strongly on the human element to grab--and hold--readers' sympathies.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) 4-6 Chronicle of the Dark Star series. In 2213, the last ship to a new planet will depart Mars in less than twenty-four hours. While bidding farewell to their home, teens Liam and Phoebe discover alien technology that reveals future events--including sabotage dooming the human exodus, unless they can stop it. Emerson doesn't stint on the stakes or the magnitude of danger in this thrilling space adventure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(4) YA After the revelation in Encore to an Empty Room that famous musician Eli White is actually alive, band manager Summer, along with her boyfriend and his sister (Eli's kids) sneak off to London to find him. Though this journey of self-discovery is heavy on music jargon and light on characterization, it sufficiently resolves the series' questions, bringing the Exile trilogy to a fitting conclusion.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA The second installment in the trilogy finds band manager Summer juggling college applications, industry politics, and her quest to help boyfriend Caleb find musical messages left behind by his famous father. Emerson sustains a whirlwind pace throughout the novel and the mystery element is compelling, but his characters' dimensionality takes a backseat to his insider's view of the music business.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) YA Twelve days before his rock band, the Rusty Soles, takes the stage on Arts Night, eighth grader Anthony Castillo pens song lyrics that include the f-word. The song goes viral online, and Anthony has to decide whether he'll censor himself or risk getting in trouble at school. The story's situations and sentiments fit the angsty junior-high setting.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) YA Aspiring manager Summer has discovered the next big thing in band Dangerheart. Then she finds out that the lead singer (her boyfriend) is the son of a deceased rock legend and heir to his missing songs. Emerson's experience as a musician clearly informs his fiction, giving it depth and authenticity, and he weaves a compelling family mystery into a romance.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) YA Atlanteans series. Owen, his crush Lilly, and bully-turned-ally Leech venture into the parched, plague-stricken landscape beyond protected EdenWest in search of an ancient artifact that can reverse global warming. While the plotting is imaginative, the limp love triangle and muddled world-building sap some of the narrative's tension; the combination of hard science and mystical prophecies may not convince all readers.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) 4-6 Overachiever Haley and outcast Dodger must save humanity from extraterrestrial invasion after they inadvertently discover an intergalactic conspiracy while studying alien activity for a summer research grant. This funny science fiction adventure--with cross-country road trips reminiscent of Adam Rex's The True Meaning of Smekday--is perfect summer reading.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) YA Atlanteans series. In this story set following a global-warming crisis, Owen is selected to attend Camp Eden in one of Earth's four BioDomes. The lies told by the camp's administration along with Owen's physical transformation (he grows gills) set him and his friends on a quest for the truth. Though not a totally successful dystopian story, the novel will still keep many readers intrigued.

Reviewer: Madoka Fukai

(3) 4-6 Carlos interrupts class with crazy outbursts and thinks aliens are real. To teach him a lesson about being such a weirdo, Trina and her friends decide to trick him. But when Trina partners with Carlos for a class project, she begins questioning the group's cruel plan. Trina's struggle to balance what's right against peer pressure is well drawn.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio