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Sep 11, 2011

The Styling Librarian rated it:

Why I love books by Lisa Yee, especially Warp Speed:
1. She introduces distinct characters that pull you in and don't let you stop caring, even with all their flaws.
2. She doesn't forget her subsidiary characters and provides surprises, beautiful nuances, and unpredictable twists and turns through the story.
3. Her plot makes me wish I could be a writer to tie in all the story lines with such brilliance: put together Star Trek, Star Wars, bullying, old theater celebrations, AV te More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 09, 2012

Karen rated it:

Marley is a bit geeky-- he's member of the school Audio Visual group (which is, oddly, allowed to move televisions around, even though all of my televisions are labeled "Students have been killed by falling equipment".), loves the orginal Star Trek, and not only hands over his homework regularly to Digger, but is frequently hit by "the Gorns" who bully him mercilessly. Marley has a good group of friends, including Ramen (even though he loves Star Wars), and Max (even though s More...

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Aug 30, 2011

M. rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Mar 08, 2011

Marjorie rated it:

WARP SPEED by Lisa Yee

I fell in love with Lisa Yee’s writing when I read MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS years ago. Since then, I’ve shared her novels with my students and they love them, too. Fortunately for us, she has graced her readers with a steady supply of great material over the years. Her latest, WARP SPEED, continues the laughter by focusing on one of the characters introduced in MILLICENT, Marley Sandelski.

Marley is the quintessential middle-school geek: a member of the More...

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Feb 06, 2011

Kait rated it:

I absolutely love the world that Lisa created for Marley—his life in a historical landmark: the Rialto. His blind mother and anxiety-ridden father. His love for the silver screen (paired with his knowledge of all the old film classics) and his nerdy obsession with Star Trek. It is fantastic that he lives in such a beautiful working theater and fascinating that his mother is blind—and I love that Lisa brought to life a protagonist so real that despite the unique background Marley comes from, we c More...

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Jan 17, 2011

Claire rated it:

Absolutely Maybe pulled me into Lisa Yee's corner. Loved that book!
About Warp Speed.
Marley is a Target. Not sure why, perhaps total geekdom, but that does not always brand a target on someone...
He is though, extremely aware of his outsider status, no one to back him up and is therefore Easy Target for lame bullies-The ones that slam folk into the lockers, that deliver bruising punches for No Reason, the ones that eat your homework, copy your test, threaten the decent folk....and More...

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Aug 26, 2011

Jessica rated it:

In my opinion, there are few (slightly older) middle-grade authors that capture a kids's voice as pitch-perfectly as South Pasadena-based Lisa Yee. They sound like a 6th or 7th grader realistically talking but are still well-written. They deal with real middle school issues (popularity, bullies, having crushes) and real world issues (job security, handicaps). And most importantly, to me at least, her books are hilarious. They have a huge amount of kid appeal but aren't SO kid-friendly that no More...

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Jan 31, 2012

Kay rated it:

I'm loving this one--glad to be back at Rancho Rosetta Middle School with old friends and new characters. I love Marley.

Lisa Yee takes us back to Rancho Rosetta Middle School in Warp Speed. Marley Sandelski may be my favorite student at Rancho Rosetta. (And I loved Millicent Min, Girl Genius and So Totally Emily Ebers. I’ve missed Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, but it’s on my TBR). Why is Marley my favorite?

Well, to start with he lives over the old Rialto Theater that h More...

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Oct 19, 2011

H rated it:

Yee returns to the middle school world of Millicent Min, Stanford Wong and Emily Ebers, this time telling the story of Marley Sandelski, a Star Trek freak and frequent bully target. Yee gives a fairly serious look at what it feels like to be the repeated target of bullies, and just why a kid might not want to tell - even in the face of some pretty brutal bullying. The adults - particularly the administrators, parents and teachers - are all pretty clueless at what might be an effective way to s More...

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Apr 24, 2011

Becky rated it:

Marley is invisible. At least he feels that way. The only people who seem to notice him are the school bully who expects Marley to do his history homework for him (who is rumored to have killed a kid who challenged him) and the Gorn, a group of Neandertals who punch him daily, for no good reason. Marley just wants to be left alone, so he can go to his AV club and wear his Star Trek shirts in peace. But Coach Martin, who sees how fast Marley runs from his constant pursuers, wants him to join the More...

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May 09, 2011

Megan rated it:

3 1/2 stars

Marley feels invisible as he starts his 7th grade year. The only things that get him through the day are Star Trek and the AV Club (picture the guys from The Big Bang Theory when they were in middle school). Many readers will relate to Marley: he worries about his family's financial situation, he gets bullied by kids at school, and he has a crush on a girl who makes him so nervous he blurts out Klingon phrases.

I appreciated that even though Marley had the c More...

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Jul 03, 2011

Diana rated it:

7th grader Marley is a bully magnet who lives in a decaying old, once grand movie palace, The Rialto. Terrific book for younger middle school with pitch perfect geekiness featuring Star Trek, Star Wars, and Batman fanatics. It has humor, relationships, insecurities, new found talents, and even a little romance that rings real and true. It is a companion book to Millicent Min Girl Genius, So Emily Ebers, and Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time but while the eponymous characters in those books appear in More...

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Aug 17, 2011

Christina rated it:

Fun lighthearted book about a nerdy seventh grader, Marley, and his friends, who endures bullying at school by running away at top speed from his attacker. The track coach asks him to be on the team! I liked the characters, fun Star Trek vs. Star Wars geek humor, and the connections to Yee's other books about this school, from Millicent Min Girl Genius to So Totally Emily Ebers. Good one to pair up with How to Survive Middle School. More...

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Jul 08, 2011

Clare rated it:

Marley is a geeky 7th grader who loves Star Trek. His main buds are Ramen (nicknamed for the lunch he always eats) who loves Star Wars and Max a Batman fanatic. They are in the AV club at school and lunch together under the 'tragic tree' away from the popular kids and the bullies who torment Marley.

Ramen and Marley argue endlessly about Star Wars vs Star Trek as they deal with the ups and downs of middle-school which include jocks, lack of funds, lack of friends, crushes, humiliati More...

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Apr 10, 2011

Donalyn rated it:

I don't think the publisher's blurb, which calls this book, "Diary of a Wimpy Trekkie" is accurate and might push away readers who would otherwise enjoy Warp Speed.

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 26, 2011

Rene rated it:

What a great book for starting a new year. Filled with nerds, AV class, discussions of what's better, original Star Trek, Star Wars, or Batman, and bullies.

Marley is an invisible student at his school, no one, except his buddies in AV and the bullies that hunt him down, know who he is.

I thought the angst and confusion about being a teenager in seventh grade was very well portrayed and the characters were great, full, real. This is the fourth book in a little series of com More...

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Jun 24, 2011

Mary rated it:

Okay - perhaps we aren't dealing with life-changing literature here. But this book is perfect for what it is: a smart, funny, and ultimately uplifting look into a smart, funny and resourceful young teen's head. The protagonist, Marley, is a self-described AV geek, and passionate about Star Trek. The book tells of his misadventures in Junior high, including his budding interest in a pretty girl, his interactions with friends new and old, his coping with bullies, and his discovery of new talents. More...

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Oct 22, 2011

Beth rated it:

Now this is what I'm talking about--I love this character! Lisa Yee is getting better and better. Stanford Wong's former friend Marley is getting beat up and tormented at school on a regular, frequent basis. When he gets spit on, you can practically feel it dripping down your arm. He's smart, funny, truly geeky, and he does have a few friends, but he can't figure out how to stop the bullies, and the (mostly) clueless teachers and principal are worse than no help. I loved the whole story. Marley More...

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May 11, 2011

Sarah rated it:

While I'd lock heads with main character Marley Sandelski in a battle over Star Wars vs. Star Trek, that only added to my enjoyment of this middle grade read. Marley, as a Star Trek fanatic, has a number of items he relies upon. When he needs to think or decompress, he has Spock ears to put on. When he's nervous, he speaks in Klingon. He records brief thoughts about his day in a Captain's Log. They're coded in Trek speak. For example, when he had to attend a Home Sciences class for a few weeks t More...

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Aug 30, 2011

David rated it:

Warp Speed would seem to be a slam dunk for me as a personal favorite. It's about Star Trek, one of my faves, and has a lot of Sci Fi references. It has a sub plot about an old theater that shows old movies, and I love old movies. It also has track and basketball in it, and I love sports. But Warp Speed is a lot more, and my reactions to it are also more nuanced.

Warp Speed by Lisa Yee is the fourth book about a group of students from Rancho Rossetta. The other three are Millicent Min Girl Genius More...

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Aug 05, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Marley is an expert on Star Trek - TSO (the Original Series), AV equipment, and bullying. He's a seventh grader who recognizes his place in the school social network - Geek with a capital G. He's not alone. Ramen, Troy, and Patrick are also fellow geeks and members of the AV Club. There's also a new member named Max who turns out to be quite a surprise.

Now that the AV Club has been awarded the statu More...

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Jan 01, 2012

Abby rated it:

Marley is used to being an outcast - eating lunch on a broken bench with his AV Club friends, getting punched and spit on by a number of bullies at his school. But when he meets the beautiful and sweet Emily Ebers, Marley thinks it might be time to try to turn things around. This fourth book in the interconnected books of Rancho Rosetta Middle School takes a look at bullying and how people's perceptions affect how they relate to one another. This is a nice addition to the series.

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Mar 29, 2011

Allison rated it:

Fourth in the series that began with Millicent Min: Girl Genius, the focus shifts to Marley, an earnest seventh grade Star Trek fan who feels invisible and is often bullied as he navigates the complex social structure of junior high. As always, Yee tackles some serious issues while keeping the book's overall tone light and funny, and there are some laugh-out-loud funny Star Trek vs. Star Wars vs. Batman debates in this one. Yee really has a gift for understanding how kids think and experience th More...

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Aug 31, 2011

Anne rated it:

Like so many kids, Marley feels like he is invisible. Only the other members of the AV Club really notice him – although he often seems to catch the eye of the school bullies as well. Luckily, Marley is a fast runner. But running fast might not be enough.

Great characters that will be recognizable as minor players in some of Yee's other books. Fast, fun read; good for boys and reluctant readers.

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Feb 12, 2011

Betty rated it:

What a wonderful book! I really appreciate this complimentary advance reading copy from the wonderful folks at Goodreads. I understand that this book will be published by Scholastic in March. Young middle schoolers will especially like all of the ups and downs experienced by Marley. Lisa Yee seems to understand many of the challenges faced daily by this age group. This is a great read for anyone who has ever had to deal with "bullying". As a reading specialist, I can't wait to share th More...

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Jul 12, 2011

Marianne rated it:

I have to admit that this book is painful for me to read. As an adult it is difficult to realize how little we know of they bullying that many children suffer through on a daily basis. I love that her characters, even the bullies, are more than meets the eye.

After finishing the book, I will reaffirm what I have already said above. A must read for parents and kids in middle school...

and no silly bracelets please.

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Nov 11, 2011

Joshua rated it:

Enjoyed this book, but it made me uncomfortable... Maybe a little too close to home..l hated Principal and teacher characters, saw some real nuance in the bullies, found the ending heartwarming but unfortunately fairytailish, and found the message mixed... But the book was really good, and the Yee-niverse characters are always interesting... I wanted more Millicent:)

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 12, 2011

Isabel rated it:

I won this book through Goodread first-reads. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book due to the age difference. But when I finished reading this book I found myself loving it... it was funny, nerds vs. bullies and standing up to what you believe in. This book reminds me of that old saying "don't judge a person until you've spent one day in their shoes." type of situation. It also remained me of funny childhood arguments with my friends but instead of the Star Wars vs. More...

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Jun 06, 2011

Barbara rated it:

Marley Sandelski tries to slide through middle school without getting noticed. But when he comes to the attention of the school bully, things get pretty sticky pretty quickly, and the race is on to see if Marley can survive his seventh grade year. This one has plenty of humor while dealing with some difficult issues with which most middle graders can relate. Several characters in Yee's earlier novels make appearances in this title.

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Dec 14, 2010

Pksoper rated it:

Milicent Min, Girl Genius fans will love this geek teen boy book. I think Marley's Captain's Log is the most fun.

My favorite one-line review? "Diary of a Wimpy Trekkie" (though, of course, we all know that the word is "Trekker," not "Trekkie").

Live long, and prosper, my friends!

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