Books like 'Shortcuts'
Readers who enjoyed Shortcuts by Molly Brooks also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure space mystery children friendship poc-mc humor
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 80 ratingsA lone astronaut.An impossible mission.An ally he never imagined.Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and Earth itself will perish.Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time... -
![Network Effect by Martha Wells]()
Network Effect by Martha Wells
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsMurderbot returns in its highly-anticipated, first, full-length standalone novel... -
![Obsidio by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff]()
Obsidio by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsKady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao... -
![Gemina by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff]()
Gemina by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 60 ratingsMoving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault... -
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![Skyward by Brandon Sanderson]()
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsDefeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot... -
![Exit Strategy by Martha Wells]()
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsMurderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr... -
![Age of Deception by T.A. White]()
Age of Deception by T.A. White
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWar hero and daughter to two Houses, Kira is just beginning to learn how deep the rabbit hole goes. Agreeing to accompany her father’s people back to their homeworld, Kira Forrest prepares for the fight of her life. She’s agreed to undertake the Trial of the Broken, a rite of passage every member of her father’s House must pass... -
![Spaced Out by Stuart Gibbs]()
Spaced Out by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this New York Times bestselling novel the moon base commander has gone missing and Dash Gibson is on the case. The second mind-boggling mystery of the Moon Base Alpha series from beloved author Stuart Gibbs.There’s nowhere to hide on the world’s first moon base. After all, it’s only the size of a soccer field... -
![Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA planet in dispute. Farmers vs miners, and no one knows the full story.The Federation sends Rivka and her team to resolve a case of settlers squatting on a remote planet when the owners finally came calling.Not what it seems. Three generations of settlers and more. A planet that isn’t as welcoming as it appears. Crops coming ripe. Miners ready to dig. Tempers flare as the sides face off... -
![Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs, Gibson Frazier]()
Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs, Gibson Frazier
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTensions are running high when multibillionaire Lars Sjoburg is poisoned and demands to go home and everyone is looking to Dash Gibson to solve the case, in this third and final book in the New York Times bestselling Moon Base Alpha series.Moon Base Alpha was supposed to be an exciting place to live, but Dash didn't expect for it to be this exciting... -
![Artificial Condition by Martha Wells]()
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 65 ratingsIt has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue... -
![Deception by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Deception by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLies & deceit leading to a domino of crimes.The Trans-Pacific Task Force is getting ready to deploy but they don’t have what they need. Someone’s been skimming. A contract won through mistruths. Incomplete payments limiting the army’s readiness.Colonel Marcie Walton is angry and calling anyone who will answer.Magistrate Rivka Anoa is on the job and thrown into the middle of two shooting wars... -
![Miles, Mutants, and Microbes by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Miles, Mutants, and Microbes by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsContent: Falling free Labyrinth Diplomatic immunity Miles Vorkosigan/Naismith : his life and times.Two complete novels and a short novel in one large volume:Falling Free—The Nebula Award-winning novel. Leo Graf was just your typical efficient engineer: mind your own business and do the job... -
![Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells]()
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 59 ratingsSciFi’s favorite crabby A.I. is again on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is.And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good... -
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![Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid]()
Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsS. J. Kincaid has created a fascinating dystopian world for Insignia, her futuristic science-fiction adventure series perfect for fans of Ender's Game. Earth is in the middle of WWIII, battling to determine which governments and corporations will control the resources of the solar system.Teen Tom Raines grew up with nothing, some days without even a roof over his head... -
![Space Team: The Time Titan of Tomorrow by Barry J. Hutchison]()
Space Team: The Time Titan of Tomorrow by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsCal Carver's time is about to run out. He and his Space Team are broke. Forced to take low-paying gun-for-hire jobs just to keep the food replicator working, their prospects are not looking good. When they pick up a distress signal from a luxury space cruiser, they think their luck might be about to change. And it does. Sadly, not in the way they'd hoped... -
![Alien Scourge by Michael Anderle]()
Alien Scourge by Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCharley and Angelina have a lot to deal with. Do they help their friend or turn him in for being an alien?In some situations, you don’t know how you will react until someone tries to kill you...And your alien friend keeps you safe.Angelina’s boyfriend believes she will come back with the right amount of coercion if he gets rid of her “friend...Categorized as:
humor action-adventure adult book colonization fiction galactic-empire law-enforcement -
![Miles, Mystery, and Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Miles, Mystery, and Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsContains: Cetaganda Ethan of Athos Labyrinth.Diplomat, soldier, spy - Lieutenant Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan of the Barrayarayan Empire, a.k.a. Admiral Naismith of the Dendarii Free Mercenaries, is a young man of many parts... -
![The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness]()
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsWe were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss...Categorized as:
children friendship action-adventure aliens apocalyptic audiobook book coming-of-age -
![Space Case by Stuart Gibbs]()
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIt’s a murder mystery on the moon in this humorous and suspenseful space adventure from the author of Belly Up and Spy School that The New York Times Book Review called “a delightful and brilliantly constructed middle grade thriller... -
![The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera]()
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race... -
![Earth Bound by Michael Anderle]()
Earth Bound by Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s one stranded ex-lawman against a world full of homicidal psychopaths. Psychopaths who might, or might not, be human.Intergalactic lawman Terry Victor is betrayed by fellow officers and sent to a backwater planet on the interstellar arm of the universe.In short, he was sent to the planet called Earth.Fed up, he quits in a fit of disgust and seeks a peaceful retirement among the humans...Categorized as:
humor action-adventure adult book colonization fiction galactic-empire law-enforcement -
![Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff]()
Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsOur heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed... -
![Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm]()
Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter a catastrophic Unknown Event leaves the colony ship Orion stranded deep in space, it's up to thirteen-year-old Beth and her friends to navigate through treacherous and uncharted territory and reach safety... -
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![The Worst Ship in the Fleet by Skyler Ramirez]()
The Worst Ship in the Fleet by Skyler Ramirez
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA Military Science Fiction Adventure!Brad Mendoza is an idiot. He knows it, and so does everyone else. A promising naval career down the drain just because he accidentally killed 504 civilians. So, it's time for him to give up and accept a dead-end command on Persephone, the worst ship in the fleet... -
![Doctor Who: Nothing O'Clock by Neil Gaiman]()
Doctor Who: Nothing O'Clock by Neil Gaiman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThousands of years ago, Time Lords built a Prison for the Kin. They made it utterly impregnable and unreachable. As long as Time Lords existed, the Kin would be trapped forever and the universe would be safe. They had planned for everything… everything, that is, other than the Time War and the fall of Gallifrey... -
![Ravenor Returned by Dan Abnett]()
Ravenor Returned by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFollowing the adventures of Imperial Inquisitor Ravenor and his warband of the dark and gothic future, this title is the second in 'Ravenor' series... -
![The Countdown Conspiracy by Katie Slivensky]()
The Countdown Conspiracy by Katie Slivensky
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmbassador, you are go for launch in T- minus 5…4…3…2…. Get ready to blast off with this high-action, high-stakes middle grade adventure that’s perfect for fans of Chris Grabenstein and Peter Lerangis!Miranda Regent can’t believe she was just chosen as one of six kids from around the world to train for the first ever mission to Mars... -
![Guardian of Madness by Michelle Manus]()
Guardian of Madness by Michelle Manus
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis time, leaving Earth was not Nyx’s choice...After her latest trip off-planet, Nyx Fortuna has every intention of keeping both feet firmly on Earth Between... -
![Earth Force Rising by Monica Tesler]()
Earth Force Rising by Monica Tesler
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThirteen years ago, Earth Force—a space-military agency—discovered a connection between brain structure and space travel. Now they’ve brought together the first team of cadets, called Bounders, to be trained as high-level astronauts.Twelve-year-old Jasper is part of this team being sent out into space... -
![Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston, Jacqueline Rayner]()
Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston, Jacqueline Rayner
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe's got ice in her heart and a kiss on her lips...1939, New York. Private Eye, Melody Malone, is hired to find a stolen ruby, the Eye of Horus. The ruby might hold the secret to the location of Cleopatra's tomb - but everyone who comes into contact with it dies. Can Melody escape the ruby's curse?1939, New York... -
![The Bound Worlds by Megan E. O'Keefe]()
The Bound Worlds by Megan E. O'Keefe
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWorlds will collide and fates will be rewritten in the thrilling conclusion to the Devoured Worlds space opera trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O’Keefe. Naira and Tarquin have found a new home on Seventh Cradle. But the peace they’ve built is short-lived as mysterious assailants ambush the settlement and Naira is haunted by visions of a monstrous future... -
![A Gift of Time by Jerry Merritt]()
A Gift of Time by Jerry Merritt
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Micajah Fenton discovers a crater in his front yard with a broken time glider in the bottom and a naked, virtual woman on his lawn, he delays his plans to kill himself. While helping repair the marooned time traveler’s glider, Cager realizes it can return him to his past to correct a mistake that had haunted him his entire life... -
![Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder]()
Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“The answer is no, Lyra,” my mother utters her favorite—I swear—phrase. No means I have to travel with them to another planet—again. No means leaving all my friends fifty years in the past. Thanks, Einstein. Seventeen-year-old Lyra Daniels can’t truly blame Einstein or her parents for their impending move across the Milky Way Galaxy...Categorized as:
friendship humor action-adventure aliens archaeology audiobook book enemies-to-lovers -
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![Insignia by S.J. Kincaid]()
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S. J. Kincaid's fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender's Game.The planet's natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn't seem like a hero. He's a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin...Categorized as:
friendship humor action-adventure audiobook boarding-school book coming-of-age cyberpunk -
![Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman]()
Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThis humorous tale describes how aliens, rather than visiting Earth to take over the planet, really visit to steal your pants... -
![The Worst of All Possible Worlds by Alex White]()
The Worst of All Possible Worlds by Alex White
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.The crew of the legendary Capricious may have gone legitimate, but they're still on the run... -
![Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells]()
Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThis short story is told from the point of view of Dr. Mensah and follows the events in Exit Strategy.Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory was originally given free to readers who pre-ordered Martha’s Murderbot novel, Network Effect... -
![The Dust of Kaku by Julia Huni]()
The Dust of Kaku by Julia Huni
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey say you can never go home. But, you can clean it. Triana Moore, maintenance bot technician on Station Kelly-Kornienko, prefers life in orbit where the air is purified, the commute is short, and nature doesn’t get all over you. But when a minor infraction gets her sent to remedial training dirtside, she doesn’t complain... -
![House of Shards by Walter Jon Williams]()
House of Shards by Walter Jon Williams
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDrake Maijstral, the most daring Allowed Burglar in the galaxy, is now setting his sights on the Eltdown Shard, a spectacular necklace embodying the flame of a dying star. Through the media vids, the audience watches him--in an intricate plot designed to both steal the necklace and foil his major rival... -
![The Vacuum of Space by Julia Huni]()
The Vacuum of Space by Julia Huni
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen her maintenance bot found a body, Triana lost her lunch. Then she lost the body. How did she lose her memory? When a highly connected security agent interrupts her routine with stories of murder and missing bodies, Triana can’t ignore him; it’s cooperate or find a new job. A girl has to pay the rent, even on a crappy studio compartment... -
![Sweet Alien Savage by Sadie Carter]()
Sweet Alien Savage by Sadie Carter
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings* The last thing Koran Al’a desires is a human mate. They are illogical, emotional and show no respect for tradition and rules. His mate will be rational, sensible and obedient. Mila has always lived in the shadow of her successful, beautiful, older sister. But that’s okay with her, she likes being in the background. That is, until the day that Koran walks into her life... -
![Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris]()
Festival of Death by Jonathan Morris
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Beautiful Death is the ultimate theme-park ride: a sightseeing tour of the afterlife. But something has gone wrong, and when the Fourth Doctor arrives in the aftermath of the disaster, he is congratulated for saving the population from destruction – something he hasn't actually done yet. He has no choice but to travel back in time and discover how he became a hero.And then he finds out... -
![Alien Commander's Reluctant Bride by Juno Wells]()
Alien Commander's Reluctant Bride by Juno Wells
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor the first time in my life I'm surrounded by attractive, eligible males. If only I could choose one. Kearney Draconian Warriors are not only drop dead gorgeous, they’re more accommodating than any other species. My younger sister and I have signed contracts with the Draconians and they’re waiting for us to choose a mate, but I can’t focus on that right now... -
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![Darker Space by Lisa Henry]()
Darker Space by Lisa Henry
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBrady Garrett is back on Earth. He’s living with his partner Cam and they’re raising his sister Lucy together. Life is better than some feral reffo from Kopa has any right to hope, and Brady knows it. He’s even grateful for it, most of the time. He loves Cam, even though he’s afraid that he’s not good enough for him, and he’s still having nightmares about the alien Faceless... -
![The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles]()
The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis is what the boy is told:• He woke up on planet Trucon, inside a fence he shouldn't have been able to pass.• He has an annirad blaster wound to the back of his head.• He has no memory.• He is now under the protection of a mysterious benefactor.• His name is Chase Garrety.This is what Chase Garrety knows:• He has a message: "Guide the star."• Time is running out... -
![The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm]()
The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA kid raised on Mars learns that he can't be held back by the fears of the grown-ups around him.Bell has spent his whole life - all eleven years of it - on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid - he loves cats, any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping... -
![Doctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale]()
Doctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding into Earth's space. The Earth forces are resisting the Daleks in every way they can. But the battles rage on across countless solar systems. And now the future of our galaxy hangs in the balance...The Doctor finds himself stranded on board a starship near the frontline with a group of ruthless bounty hunters... -
![The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette]()
The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe world changed on a Tuesday.When a spaceship landed in an open field in the quiet mill town of Sorrow Falls, Massachusetts, everyone realized humankind was not alone in the universe. With that realization, everyone freaked out for a little while.Or, almost everyone. The residents of Sorrow Falls took the news pretty well... -
![Nyxia by Scott Reintgen]()
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhat would you be willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune? Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family. Forever...
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