Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion

K. Tempest Bradford
Completed 9/20/2025, Reviewed 9/23/2025
4 stars

I don’t read many middle school YA novels, but I wanted to read something by Bradford who was one of the co-hosts of Seattle WorldCon this year.  She’s a delightful person known primarily for media criticism and short fiction featuring Black Girl Magic.  This book is a sci fi mystery featuring a young black girl who aspires to be an entomologist.  It has mysterious insect-like aliens and a cast of kids who don’t think their parents will believe their wild claims of an alien invasion.  It is a light book but still satisfying for an adult reader.   It won a 2022 Nebula for middle grade and YA novel. 

One day, Ruby finds a strange bug that is not anatomically correct.  She puts it in a jar, brings it home, takes pictures of it, and posts them on the internet asking for help identifying it.  Next thing she knows, the bug escapes from the jar by drilling a hole through the glass and getting outside by melting a hole in the window screen.  Suddenly, men in black show up looking for the insect, claiming it was an invasive species and needs to be captured.  Then all digital traces of the insect disappear.  Within a week, metal begins disappearing, like parts of chain link fences and playground equipment.  Finally, Ruby sees the strange insect grown to human size attacking the reclusive lady across the street.  Ruby and her friends call 911, but the insect isn’t found.  The lady is saved and the kids begin looking for the insect to destroy it.

Ruby is smart and sweet.  She’s a science whiz and her favorite subject is bugs.  I liked her approach to everything, being mature for her age in some things, but not others.  She felt real.  My favorite part is when she is confronted by her Science teacher who rejects her Science Fair project for being too advanced for such a young girl.  She shouts and pouts but apologizes and argues her case to the principal.  It’s a very satisfying moment in the book.  

I don’t really have much else to say about this book other than the fact that I thought it was delightful.  I didn’t feel like it would talk down to children, nor would it be too childish for adults.  It’s warm, sincere, suspenseful, comical, and endearing.  I give this book four stars out of five.