What Goes Up
What Goes Up centers on Rosa and Eddie, two teenagers who apply to a NASA program. Only the very top of the top are going to get a coveted spot, and there is some particularly nasty competition on the way.
Rosa and Eddie make it, passing all of the tests with opposite strategies. Whereas Rosa is logical and calculating, Eddie is an outside-the-box thinker with a tendency toward bad knock-knock jokes. They learn early on that their best chance of succeeding is through collaboration. But their program is interrupted by a major event that rocks not just NASA but the whole world.
While remaining in the third person, the points of views are shifted between Rosa and Eddie fluidly, showing both from their own, and also outside, perspectives. They have a natural tendency to joke; one of the best parts of the book is their lighthearted banter.
Since the narrative is centered on a NASA program, science is a star—neither difficult to understand here nor dumbed down. Technical terms are used, and scientific processes are walked through, but the story remains clear. This makes for engaging reading. Plot twists are excellently delivered.
What Goes Up is a witty, heartfelt comedy about an amazing new scientific step for mankind. Polished and lively prose keeps involvement high.
Reviewed by
Hannah Hohman
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
