Author(s): Lauren James

Young Adult | Dyslexia-friendly | Social Issues & Relationships | Science Fiction, Dystopia, and Fantasy

Readers are transported to a whole new galaxy in this wildly imaginative sci-fi adventure from the author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.

At an elite academy where the wealthiest students from across the galaxy come to be educated, Hugo works as a watchmaker in a dusty attic room. But he is one of the lucky ones. Many androids like him are jobless and homeless. A privileged student like Dorian could never understand their struggle - or so Hugo thinks when the pompous duke comes knocking at his door with a broken time-travel watch.

But when Hugo and Dorian discover that powerful quantum energy is being stolen from the watches, they fear that someone is plotting a sinister scheme ...

Android and student must reconcile their differences if they are to track down the culprit before the whole academy is placed in danger.

Review:

"SUCH an adorable and fun short story ... You're in for a treat" -- Alice Oseman, author
"Rich and brilliantly bonkers ... Its themes of social justice and equality really set it apart in the sci-fi genre" -- Belfast Telegraph
"Charming and funny" -- BookTrust
"James creates a world full of impossible wonders ... an important story about friendship and doing the right thing by others" -- The Letterpress Project
"Fantastic science-fiction ... wildly inventive" -- Armadillo Magazine

Prizes: Short-listed for STEAM Children's Book Prize 2020. Nominated for Carnegie Medal 2020.