Lone Star Renegades — A YA Space Adventure!My name is Collin Frost. I’m a fairly unpopular seventeen-year-old high school student. This is my story … one that chronicles how my already dredge-of-a-life went from miserable to totally and irreversibly jacked. I guess I should start at the beginning … right before we were shanghaied-up into that alien spaceship. It all started on the way back from the game. I’m the kicker. We lost. It was because of me. Big surprise. But everything started to really go south when the school bus pulled up at another railroad crossing in just one more hicksville small town in rural Texas. At first, I didn’t see what the bus driver, the cheerleaders, or my teammates were gawking at. And there it was, hovering high up in the sky … a goliath-sized spaceship. I watched as the 6:15 Amtrak commuter train was unceremoniously sucked up into the spaceship’s gaping underbelly aperture. You guessed it, we were abducted. Right into the rank belly of what we later found out was called a sim rover collector ship. Do we survive the ordeal? Most definitely. In fact, our little group of alien abduction survivors go on to kick some major alien ass. At least for a while … But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Just know, sometimes … not often, but sometimes … the skinny kid, possessing no apparent talent, or aptitude for anything useful, does, in fact, rise to the occasion. Hey, maybe he even gets the girl, though the jury’s still out on that one.Author's While the ebook and the paperback versions are Teen/YA friendly vocabulary, the Audiobook has somewhat more explicit adult Lone Star Renegades is a Miracle.What a nice surprise this YA scifi book turned out to be. I love a great adventure space opera, and this one delivers to the nth degree. The author has a way of writing that reels you in. The reader gets to know the multi-dimensional characters. The good guys are flawed but easy to root for, and the bad guys have the depth that almost makes you sympathize with their evil ways.Very enjoyable readAt first, this seemed like a typical coming-of-age story, this one a teen science fiction space opera adventure, but I found it to be a fun and excellent read that deserves at least 2 follow-up books.- Doc NovaLone Star Renegades by Mark Wayne McGinnis / Enjoyable readingNice mixture of characters and behaviors reflecting typical teen fluctuations with the added excitement and young adult scifi, space opera, space travel, aliens, and warfare. The development of a cohesive group was optimistic at its best. Teens who provide hope for the protection of Earth. What a wonderful prospect.- SandraA SyFy Novel of Suspense, Mystery, Murder, Kidnapping of a PlanetThis is a thrilling teen space opera - an excellent YA science fiction book, Mark Wayne McGinnis has written of a society that instead of doing their own mining that finds a planet with a pre-space society and sends the materials via larger transport barges. This time they picked up a Texas High School Football Team. Little did the people who owned the barge know what havoc a Texas Football.- Kindle CustomerBest YA SciFi Space Opera I've Read in a Decade!Kudos to Mark Wayne McGinnis. I did not know this was a teen scifi book until I started reading it. Turns out it didn't matter. Great writing is great writing. When a group of teenagers in a school bus get abducted (along with the school bus) the great apace opera begins. All the characters from the captain of the football team to the coming-of-age nerd are fleshed out and full of surprises.
I would say that this is a decent enough young adult book. At least I am assuming that the target audience is the young adult segment. If not then the author missed his mark by quite a margin. It is a quite nice adventure story about a young man with more brainpower than muscle power and his “friends” with more muscle power than brainpower who, somewhat involuntarily, ventures out in space to discover a whole new reality. It is the kind of story I like.
Do not expect any hard science, elaborate story or deep characters from this book. It is a classical teenage adventure with some thrill, some romance and a fair bit of action. It is a decent enough story which is quite fun to read. There are huge holes in it though. The author ought to read up about airplanes before writing about them for instance. Most of the stuff about the Boeing 777 was just rubbish. And what about being able to talk to wolf-like aliens at first sight but then they needed translator devices to talk to the humanoids they encounter later on?
One of the main aspects of the story (minor spoiler ahead) is the fact that the humans are different, as in stronger, than most aliens around. Not invulnerable but definitely ass-kicking-like stronger. I liked this part of the story. It is the same concept as in T.R. Harris’ series The Human Chronicles but in a young adult version. Unfortunately the concept is not very developed in the book and most of the time Collin & Co are running around with inhibitors that limits their strength.
As a whole it was a enjoyable book. Not fantastic but worth the time spent reading it. Will I pick up the next one in the series if one comes out? Probably yes. It was good enough for me to want to know how things develop and how the series evolve.
I enjoy his style of writing . The book Jacked I liked it was an easy read and down home feel. I also read Simpleton and enjoyed that one even more. Keep them coming and I have my mom reading them too, she's into romance but she enjoys Mr Mcginnis writing too.
This the story of young adults who stepped up and grew up real fast. They were placed in a precarious situation and excelled. Sometimes it is the spirit of the human spirit that keeps us going and fighting for what is right
This is well written and worth your time to read. Well developed characters with plenty of fast suspenseful action. I enjoyed the book and am anxiously awaiting the next one in the series.
Ok first off this is a space opera, so expect things to be a tad outlandish and not-so-exactly sticking to reality. That out of the way, this is a rollicking fun ride of an adventure-part survivalist story and part coming of age all covered by a wild space opera. If you have ever watched Flash Gordon or enjoyed Star Wars you will probably enjoy this book. Is it the next top ten important novel of the decade? No but it is a fun, wild ride that will leave you wanting more.
Essentially a group of high schoolers on a football team get abducted accidentally into the middle of a space civil war. It is fast paced, over the top fun, and filled with likable and believably-behaving teenagers.
Very much looking forward to the next in the series.
Transported to space on the way home, a group of high school students must fight to return home. The characters didn't seem to be consistent, with characters changing to suit the story but not in natural ways and often for no reason and the language often seems vulgar just to try to show they are teenagers
Well paced with a fantastic central character I found myself vicariously piloting a ship called the turd in a crazy journey that needs a second book. Really enjoyed it
Enjoyed the book, kids had rough time but came out on top. Looking forward for book 2. A read that keeps you in suspense on how the teenagers will handle the horror they're going thru.
I read this book in one day. The storyline is a little far-fetched, but the characters and action make for a good read. I would recommend this book highly.
This was a great story and I can't wait for the next one in the series. It's a fun read and a good change from the doom and gloom to a cool adventure that I enjoyed.
Nice read. Leaves you wanting the possible sequel. Writing style easy to understand with a minimum of technobabble. Believable character and they do learn as they go!
Well written likeable characters. Fast paced, lots of action. This book is a roller coaster ride. I do hope there are more coming with the lone stars. A few errors but not enough to detract from the story
Fun, easy read. I really enjoyed the opening scenes. The plot was well developed and moved along at a good pace. Looking forward to the next in the series!