Can They Beat the Odds?

Seth Cox isn’t the most athletic kid, and he’s a bit surprised during the Little League draft when he gets selected by a new coach. It turns out that making the baseball team will be the least shocking thing to happen to Seth for a while. He makes the team with Alex, Chase, and super pitcher, Jared. Although they know each other, they aren’t close friends and even get into a disagreement during the first practice. This seems to be the reason Coach Mirkana tells them they will be staying late at practice from now on to help clean up. He directs them to go to the Snack Shack and ask someone named Retne for four cups of coffee and four Tixie sticks, which really confuses them. They find the lady they need to talk to sleeping and she gives them strange directions that lead them to Strxia, a parallel world. The foursome learn that odd numbers aren’t allowed to be used by most people in Strxia, only the elite, and the impact will be utter destruction. Seth, Alex, Chase, and Jared discover that they have to work together to get the Encryption Pack and beat the odds. But how will they do that? While they are away in Strxia their Earth selves will be living a parallel life playing in baseball games. Actions in either place will impact each other and reflect what is happening. Can they get the pack and make it out alive? Do they have what it takes to work together and travel through time and space? Will anger and stubbornness prevent them from reaching their goal? What will happen if they don’t succeed? Journey through worlds and discover if they have what it takes to beat the odds.

Strxia: The Odds Are Against Us by Maggie Daniels and Matt Michel is a sci-fi adventure. Starting off with baseball tryouts will appeal to those who love the sport, like Chase and Jared. Those who don’t love it will agree with Seth. The characters were each unique, and readers will be able to relate to at least one of them. Alex is fast and stands up for herself, which I really liked. Chase is always cracking jokes and would be fun to have around. Seth seems like a nice guy who is amazing at math and science and likes to think things through, which are all qualities I like in friends. Baseball fanatic, Jared, has the hardest time listening to what others say, but I like his confidence in his abilities. It was fascinating to see how their lives at each point in time intertwined. If they did something well in Stxia, they played better in the game, which was cool and definitely interesting to think about. I recommend this book to anyone age eight and up who enjoys getting lost in other worlds. Sci-fi can involve some tricky math and science and the authors did a great job making sure readers understand what's happening and how the worlds work. The story will appeal to those who love technology, baseball, math, and space travel. This adventure wraps up, but readers can tell that there's more in store for the foursome as they work to save Strxia. I look forward to reading the next book and finding out what else is in store for them!

Has anyone else read Strxia: The Odds Are Against Us by Maggie Daniels and Matt Michel? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Stop back Saturday for an interview with the authors. 😀

Happy Reading!

~L

*Maggie and Matt are generously giving away three paperback copies of Strxia: The Odds Are Against Us.  All you have to do is comment on this review or our interview tomorrow to be entered for a chance to win. Winners will be randomly selected. Good luck! 

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Even the Odds...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we're counting the odds. Tune in Friday to find out how the answer ties into Lizzy's middle grade book review. See you all around the book block. ~ F

Add them up in a row; one is yes, two is no. Four is wrong, three is right—five is one in middle sight. With a total that's askew, can you guess which number queue?

What am I referring to? Answer: Odd numbers

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: Skipping Digits...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? They can be tricky! ~ F

Add them up in a row; one is yes, two is no. Four is wrong, three is right—five is one in middle sight. With a total that's askew, can you guess which number queue?

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!