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Warp Speed

by Lisa Yee (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 339 ratings · 85 reviews

Lisa Yee returns to her core strength in older middle-grade fiction and the characters that made her famous in this "Diary of a Wimpy Trekkie."

Entering 7th grade is no big deal for Marley Sandelski: Same old boring classes, same old boring life. The only thing he has to look forward to is the upcoming Star Trek convention. But when he inadvertently draws the attention of

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Arthur A. Levine Books

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Jul 20, 2011 The Styling Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-books, middle-school

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 teams... and come up...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 12-14 yr old

Recommended to Beverly by: Best Books for Young Adults/ala.org

Shelves: good-reads-for-reluctant-readers, outstanding-young-adult-books

Warp Speed is funny, romantic and realistic. I loved Warp Speed, but it was not always an enjoyable read. The descriptions of bullying are so realistic and frightening, it is hard to read without getting angry and sad and angrier. Once again outstanding YA author Lisa Yee takes readers to Rancho Rosetta Middle School. This time we get to know Marley, a bright, creative Star Trek geek. Marley is dreading seventh grade knowing he once again will be totally invisible to everyone but his small grou...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 she is a she and love...more

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Aug 30, 2011 M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Mar 08, 2011 Marjorie Light rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 AV Club, a Star Tre...more 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 AV Club, a Star Trek fanatic, and the target of bullies. He goes beyond the stereotypical character, however, with the close relationships he has in his life. The bond between Marley and his parents is a special one. Even when Marley is annoyed with them, their love for one another shines through. Best of all, the parents are layered characters, strong people with believable flaws.

Another focus is his friendship with AV Club members: Ramen, his good friend; and Max, the new kid. While they split hairs over the superiority of Star Trek vs. Star Wars (and a little Batman thrown in for good measure), the three friends have each other’s backs…most of the time. WARP SPEED has layered subplots, too, in both the home and school settings. Woven into the mix is the mystery of Marley’s missing diary (aka Captain’s Log) and whether the culprit will use the information against our ill-treated main character. Yee skillfully blends all of the pieces into a fast-paced read.

Author Lisa Yee writes with humor-filled honesty – from the angst of Marley’s crush on Emily, to his dealings with bullies in the group he calls Gorn, and his run-ins with his chief nemesis, Digger Ronster. In middle schools everywhere, students deal with bullying on different levels, and Marley represents “everyman”. WARP SPEED would be a fantastic classroom read aloud, as the humor and real-life situations will keep students interested, while Yee’s straightforward treatment of bullying would lead to some valuable classroom discussions. Sprinkled among the laughs are some powerful moments when painful secrets are revealed.

I already have a list of kids in my class who want to read WARP SPEED, as I book-talked it last week! Be sure to include it in your classroom, library, or give it as a gift to the readers in your life!
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NOTE: Teachers, parents, and administrators should read WARP SPEED to see if they recognize themselves and the solutions some adults come up with to stop the bullying problems plaguing students.

~Marjorie Light

(less)

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Feb 06, 2011 Kait Feldmann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

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 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10-to-12-year-old-readers, a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, bullying, guys-read, high-school-fairs

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 go utterly unn...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, middle-grade, children, humor

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 ad...more 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 adult would want to read it (see: Babymouse, Captain Underpants and other popular kids' series).

In Yee's super popular "Millie trillie" (the trifecta of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-time, and So Totally Emily Ebers, in which the same events are told from three different perspectives), popular basketball player Stanford Wong (how I love that the main character of a children's book is a super-popular Asian-American star of the basketball team... who's failing math!) recalls how he used to be a loser, just like his old friend Marley. After receiving a question at a school author visit about Marley, Yee decided to tell his story, too. Marley is a geek. He's always picked last in PE, he's in AV club, and he gets good grades, especially in history, his favorite subject. He spends most of his time with his best friend Ramen (so called because he eats Top Ramen every day for lunch), a fellow geek who loves Star Wars as much as Marley loves Star Trek. It turns out that Marley is fast, very fast, from all that running away from bullies that he does every day. When an opportunity arises to move up the social ladder by becoming a jock--and ditching his AV friends--will Marley take it?

If you're a Millie fan, you'll delight in this book. It was fun to read about Stanford, Emily, and Millicent (Stanford and Emily are in the book more though), who all interact with Marley in the book. I also loved Marley's "Captain's Log" a diary of sorts recording his interactions throughout the day in the style of Spock or some other galactic commander. For example, after finding out that his new friend Max is actually a girl, and not a boy like he originally though, he writes, "Captain's Log: Major miscalculation of new crew member's origins." But you don't have to be a geek to love Marley's self-deprecating humor. It's a great, funny book that fits in nicely with the Millie Trillie (though it's doesn't take place during the summer between 6th and 7th grade, but rather the year following).

Grades 5-7(less)

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Jan 31, 2012 Kay Mcgriff rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 his parents run. He has a s...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Caleb Despain rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: soper-ya-lit-class

Not my favorite book, but an entertaining read. I blew through this novel and it is definitely for "tweens." Another thing about this book is the disturbing likeness it is to my own middle school life. I was obsessed with Star Trek growing up. No, the original series was never my favorite. I always liked the Next Generation, that is the one I grew up with. Yes, I built spacecraft, including a shuttle from the Enterprise in my basement. Even his relationship to other kids was fairly similar. At t...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: upper elementary/lower middle school

Shelves: arc, first-reads, contemporary, handicaps, intermediate, realistic

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 chance to join the track tea...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Warp Speed was my first Lisa Lee novel. It was recommended to me at a Best Books conference this year, and I'm glad I picked it up. Lee has created a rather extensive world revolving around the Rancho Rosetta Middle School, and her characters (both the children and the adults) weave in and out of a series of YA novels. Neat concept and both school and the town surrounding it seem fully realized. Lots of features and quirky details are included that one can tell might easily be major settings or...more Warp Speed was my first Lisa Lee novel. It was recommended to me at a Best Books conference this year, and I'm glad I picked it up. Lee has created a rather extensive world revolving around the Rancho Rosetta Middle School, and her characters (both the children and the adults) weave in and out of a series of YA novels. Neat concept and both school and the town surrounding it seem fully realized. Lots of features and quirky details are included that one can tell might easily be major settings or plot points in one of the other books in the series. It's always a pleasure to "dwell" in a literary world that's well planned out, as it provides the author with great opportunities to be clever.

Lee's characters share this advantage with her setting. Because they clearly "show up" in each other's novels, the writer really has a chance to develop them into rich human being, which is very cool. I like the way she handled both the middle school students and the adults. The kids were as true to life as one can get in a middle grade novel without allowing them to slip into completely boring normalcy. While some adult readers might think she was exaggerating a few of her pre-teen characters, I've seen mirror-images of some of these students sitting in my classroom. I'm almost frightened to admit the same thing about her adult characters. At times, I thought she was going a little over the top with some of her adult characters, just for the wacky effect. Then I thought about some of the things we teachers do in order to capture our students' attention, and I decided that Lee was basically on target. Embarrassing, but true!

I was predisposed to really love the main character Marley, and his buddies in the AV club, since those were essentially my friends when I went to school (today too, for that matter). For a fully committed geek such as myself, to read the arguments between Marley and his friends about which franchise reigns supreme Star Trek, Star Wars, or even Batman was nothing short of awesome. What's not to love about a boy who refers to the bullies who regularly torture him as the Gorn and records his thoughts and observations in his Captain's Log, just like a star ship commander. Yeah, I'll own that, every last geeky bit of it.

Warp Speed will be finding a home in my classroom library, and I'll probably begin acquiring Lisa Yee other Rancho Rosetta novels as well. (less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Net rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school-books, good-books

Marley Sandelski, a 7th grader, is a geek. Well, that's how his schoolmates view him. He'd be your average invisible middle schooler, if it weren't for one thing: he's a bully magnet.

I enjoyed Marley's personality very much. While sometimes I cringed at his social ineptness (view spoiler), he was an interesting character. I didn't get bored with him, and neither did I grow to hate him (as I tend to do with some books).

I liked Marley's development throughout t...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, realistic

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.

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Jul 08, 2011 clare rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, realistic-fiction, bullying, middle-school

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, humiliations, and life...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dcf-2012-2013

Another bully book. Wow! Important scene when Digger himself is bullied. Marley is an eclectic boy who lives above a theatre that his socially awkward father and blind mother run. These characters are very real. They aren't trite. Mom is an avid golfer and cook. Dad loves good movies. The teachers, however, are very flat -- almost Dahl-like in their qualities. If Marley likes the character, the reader finds a character with depth. If students like this book, suggest the companion books. Millicen...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Amanda Peterson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-356

This book reminded me of middle school, and how much I hated those years! I was the nerdy shy girl, and why I was a little bit higher on the food chain than Marley, we both still hated this experience. As I was reading it I could literately smell my old middle school again. With that being said, this book was slow. I feel like it was really dragged out, and should have been less than 200 pages, instead of 311. I could see that this book would bring new shed light to bullying, and help others sto...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Donalyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-realistic-fiction, ncbla-committee-2012-books

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.

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Aug 26, 2011 Rene Kirkpatrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 companion books that start...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

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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Nov 05, 2012 Vincent rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, kid-s-books

This is the third Lisa Yee book the boys and I have read together. Every once in a while, the boys will retell the scene from Bobby where his little sister asks him what his fish is doing and then break out laughing. Marley, the narrator in Warp Speed is older than Bobby but lives in the same Rancho Rosetta community. Looking on the book flap at Lisa's other books, their interconnectedness makes me think that maybe Lisa is this generation's Beverly Cleary. My youngest is reading Henry Huggins no...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Beth O'Connell rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 W rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads, middle-grade, bullying, contemporary, 2011, favorites

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 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 the log entry became: "Temporarily docked on strange new planet."

Beginning with Marley's take on his name, spurring both the Marley of Charles Dickens and the one of dog fame, I found the narration quirky and engaging. Marley has a society ranking of his school based on the solar system. The popular athletes and scary top girls are on Mercury while Marley is on Pluto, what is no longer deemed a planet. Marley is at once observant and unaware. His story has an immediate feel, one enhanced by its use of the present tense. Humor is strong in this book, but there is also a brutality to it that powers the story.

The brutality takes the form of bullying, which defines much of Marley's life. His one friend at the start of seventh grade, Ramen, is his best friend because he doesn't have any other friends. Three guys Marley calls the Gorn hit him every day at school. Marley doesn't tell on them when they attack because he doesn't want them to get worse. He endures being shoved into lockers and into showers; he is spit upon while others watch. A different bully, Diggers, forces Marley into doing his history homework. One thing I found very interesting in the book is that it also demonstrated how bullies can be trapped into a cycle of bullying and what could be motivating them. Marley's horror as the school launches an anti-bullying campaign made me pause and the action that happens afterward says much about platitudes without power behind them.

Marley's one enjoyment of school comes from Technical Services class, formerly known as the AV club. Here there might be taunts, but they are in jest and over different science fiction and superhero series. The new member of the class, Max, even joins Marley and Ramen for lunch outside at the Tragic Tree (they wouldn't dare try to eat in the cafeteria). Even AV club has its down moments though when Marley discovers he made a major assumption about Max.

When the Gorn take to hunting down Marley outside of school, Marley comes to discover how much he enjoys running for the freedom it makes him feel. He's also good at it, so good that the school coach tries to get him into track. Can this offer Marley a way out?

Another element to Warp Speed is how it deals with poverty. Marley's family lives in the old theater that they run. While the theater is amazing, especially the room Marley fixes up, business is slow. His clothes come from the thrift store, his family relies on an elderly transportation service to get around and they shop at businesses that cut them a break. Ramen received his nickname for what he brings to lunch every day.

The introduction of Marley's mother is well done. That she is blind surprises multiple characters who meet her for the first time. To Marley, she is his mom and he cannot picture her another way. He is frustrated by the pity people try to give her when she can function independently.

I look forward to sharing this book with children and adults. I received my copy of Warp Speed as part of the GoodReads firstreads program.(less)

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Mar 15, 2012 H rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 sto...more

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Aug 30, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-fiction, realistic-fiction

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 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, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, and So Totally Emily Ebers. Marty Sandelski is a middle-school geek: a member of the AV Club, and Star Trek fanatic. Marty lives in an old movie theater, the Rialto, and has a mother who's blind.

Though Marty feels that his life is boring, he is actually a target of bullies, like the Gorn, who shove him into lockers and chase him after school. Then he inadvertently draws the attention of Digger Ronster, the biggest bully in school, who forces Marley to do his homework for him and threatens to put his dad's old movie theater out of business.
Woven into these elements are a crush over Emily, maintaining his friendhip with Ramen and Max, and the mystery of his missing log. Marty also discovers his running ability and info about Digger. Marty must also make a decision regarding popularity and true friends.

The dialogue is a strength of this novel and of Lisa Yee. The bullying theme is one that should lead to lots of discussion and hopefully some action towards preventimg bullying in middle schools. The section where Marty gets beat up is disturbing, as are the many bullying incidents, and the example of abuse is upsetting.

In some ways Marty annoys me. He is talented at running, and he knows more details about Star Trek than I do after following it for 45 years. On the other hand, I've been to a lot more cons than he has! I love the Captain's Log summaries of the action. All the sci fi and nerdiness reminds me of the TV show The Big Bang Theory.

This is an entertaining, well told, and important story about bullying, and it deserves a wide readership by being in school and public library collections. I do find the conclusion a little too perfect. I wish all bullying situations could be taken care of so neatly, but question whether this will begin happening widely.

For ages 10 to 12, principals and teachers, abuse, bullying, humor, fitting-in, friendship, realistic-fiction, and fans of Lisa Yee.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

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 status of an actual class at Rancho Ros...more 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 status of an actual class at Rancho Rosetta Middle School, the group at least has a place to feel safe once a day. They have fun learning about AV equipment and being the minds behind the real workings of the school. Without their expertise, teachers would have malfunctioning computers, tangled film projectors, and DVD players with no sound. Marley feels comfortable with the equipment and happy arguing with his friends about which is best - Star Trek or Star Wars.

Before and after school is a different story for Marley. He is the target for every bully in the school. He is so used to being punched, shoved in his locker, and chased home by the biggest jerks in the school that he has come to expect nothing less. Reporting the harassment is not an option, since the school principal doesn't even know his name and his parents have problems of their own.

Marley lives in an ancient movie theater called the Rialto. His father doesn't like going out in public and chooses to spend his time running the theater, which is pretty much a losing proposition. Marley's mother is blind. Despite her challenging disability, she teaches piano lessons, cooks wonderful meals, and spends her free time playing golf. Marley knows his folks love him, but he doesn't feel he can share his troubles with them since they have so many of their own.

Seventh grade is proving to be more of the same as far as the bullying goes, but several new developments have Marley hoping this year might be different. First, there's Max, the new member of the AV Club. Marley and his buddies are shocked to learn after several days in class with this Max character that Max is actually a girl. She's not a Star Trek or Star Wars fan; instead, she's all about Batman, but they still welcome her into their group.

Then, after the collapse of AV teacher Mr. Jiang, the group finds themselves stuck in Home Sciences class working on some crazy partner project involving garbage bags and fashion. Marley can't believe his bad luck when he is partnered up with Emily Ebers. She seems pretty bossy at first, but the more they work together, the nicer she is to him. Maybe this is the year he will have some luck with girls.

Author Lisa Yee's WARP SPEED continues the stories she has created in MILLICENT MIN GIRL GENIUS, STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME, and SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS. Marley's character returns here to share his own story. It is full of humor, crazy middle school antics, and family problems. The use of a bullying theme also gives it a current connection to what is happening in schools today. Middle grade readers won't let this one gather dust on the shelves. (less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Abby Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

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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Mar 19, 2012 Deb rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really like Lisa Yee's universe and perspective from one character. While other characters in the school who've had books of their own intersect, we see them only from main character's viewpoint. Marley is invisible, and we feel his misery and stuckness in his situation. No big revelation makes bullying go away. In the end Marley sees other people for the first time himself, and really understands he doesn't have to be alone (invisible) in his struggles.

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About Lisa Yee

Lisa Yee was born and raised near Los Angeles. As a kid, she loved reading, opening brand new boxes of cereal (to get the prize), and riding the teacups at Disneyland.

Lisa attended Brightwood Elementary School in Monterey Park, California where she once won an award for best decorated cake. However, Lisa cut the ribbon in half because her friend Linda had also worked on the cake, and they had agre...more Lisa Yee was born and raised near Los Angeles. As a kid, she loved reading, opening brand new boxes of cereal (to get the prize), and riding the teacups at Disneyland.

Lisa attended Brightwood Elementary School in Monterey Park, California where she once won an award for best decorated cake. However, Lisa cut the ribbon in half because her friend Linda had also worked on the cake, and they had agreed to split any prize they might win.

While at Alhambra High School, Lisa was on the debate team and president of the honor society. On occasion, she would ditch class and sneak off to the library. (Okay, so she never quite figured out the juvenile delinquent thing.) At the University of Southern California, she majored in English and Humanities, and she also took a bowling class.

Lisa has been an inventor, a hand model, and the associate director of a creative think tank. At Walt Disney World Lisa was a writer/producer and one time, when she was the only short person around, she got to be Mickey Mouse.

As co-owner and creative director of Magic Pencil Studios, a strategic creative company, she's written and directed creative projects for Fortune 500 clients, led creativity seminars for dairy farmers (moo), and been featured in the Wall Street Journal for her obsessive workaholic behavior. (She is now practically, totally cured of this.)

Lisa's been part of the Official Olympic Committee Torch Run Caravan (until the police requested that she leave), and she's been paid to eat chocolate. But what she likes doing most is writing. Her writing assignments have included labels for cans of refried beans and a speech for the President of the United States (The President's speechwriters rewrote the speech but they did include Lisa's immortal words, "Hello, Joan and Ben.")

Lisa has also penned her own newspaper column, written TV and radio commercials, menus that have been read by millions, jingles for waffles, and television specials for Disney.

Livesin South Pasadena, California. In her spare time, Lisa likes to read, make things out of junk, and consider taking a nap. Her HUGE collection of Winnie the-Poohs is on loan to the White River (Ontario) Winnie-the-Pooh Museum.

With the publication of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Lisa has realized her lifelong dream of becoming an author. The winner of the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award, there are over 500,000 copies of MILLIE in print. Lisa's second novel, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time won the Chinese American Librarian Association Best Book of the Year award, and was named an American Library Association Notable Book.

Lisa was also named the 2007 Thurber House Children's Author-in-Residence. Her third novel, So Totally Emily Ebers came out in 2007 and so did Good Luck, Ivy, an American Girl historical novel.

In 2009, Lisa's first YA novel, Absolutely Maybe, debuted, as did Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally), the first of her new chapter book series, which was followed up by Bobby the Brave (Sometimes) in 2010.

2011 marks two more American Girl books, Aloha, Kanani and Good Job, Kanani, plus Warp Speed, a spin-off of the Millicent Min Trilogy.(less)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9472854-warp-speed?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328839269l/9472854.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9472854-warp-speed?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Warp Speed by Lisa Yee[/url]

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