Shaun David Hutchinson’s A Complicated Love Story Set in Space follows three teens who wrestle with the comedic set-up of the title while escaping from a bathroom, fixing a leaking coolant conduit, and rebooting a recalcitrant computer. All of which leads to a lot of space folding, awkward conversations, and constantly thrilling set pieces that will leave you gasping for breath. “Wacky” doesn’t quite cover it, but that’s the word we’re going to use. Hutchinson keeps us grounded, however, with relatable characters who struggle with issues that are all too familiar to modern readers. It’s a fable! No, it’s a metaphor! No, it’s a time-folding spaceship that skips along a meta Mobius strip of melancholia and mystery. “Wacky,” like we said. “Fun,” like we inferred, in case it wasn’t obvious from all these words.
–Mark Teppo, A Good Book, Sumner, WA
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