Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy

by Gareth Wronski

Holly Farb is not the Princess of the Galaxy. She may be top of the class in every subject, but she can’t even win a school election, never mind rule the Milky Way. The aliens who kidnapped her have gotten it all wrong.

Unfortunately Holly’s alien pirate kidnappers believe that she’s the princess they’ve been looking for, and so she finds herself hurtling through space on an alien pirate ship together with her teacher, Mr. Mendez, and Chester, the most annoying boy in her class. Now all she has to do is escape the pirates, find the missing princess, and get back to Earth in time for her big test on Friday.

But it turns out that space is a pretty big place, and before they can go home, Holly, Chester, and Mr. Mendez must face down space cruise liners, bounty hunters, giant worms, perky holograms, cosmic board games, sinister insectoid librarians, and a robot who is learning how to lie.

Between running from space pirates, defying the President of the Universe, and meeting a host of rather unusual new friends, Holly starts to wonder if there might be more to life than being top of the class after all.

Genres: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Adventure, Pirates, Space, Childrens, Aliens

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

Gareth Wronski was born and raised in Toronto. After watching Star Wars as a child on his grandparents’ VCR, he decided he wanted to tell science fiction and fantasy stories of his own. He currently resides in an old house by the Avon River in Stratford, Ontario, where he lives in constant terror of roaming swans.

Reviews

[Alexandra Ott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It's laugh-out-loud funny, with lots of fast-paced action and adventure. There are space pirates, robots, and aliens! Holly Farb is such an endearing protagonist, and the whole cast is endlessly entertaining. Highly recommend for fans of humorous middle grade adventures.

[Malena · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ebook given through Netgalley which doesn't affect my opinion*

I loved it! It's funny,interesting (even though I'm far from target audience) and it's fast pacing! I loved the characters,the writing,the humour - everything! This is perfect for those who love funny middle grade books who are also in love with fantasy. A must read for children and all of you who still feel young :)

[Darcy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book SO MUCH. Seriously. SO MUCH. Space pirates! Insufferable robots! Exploding aliens! Clever disguises! Friendship! Bounty hunters! Clapthorian Sponge Beasts! In summary, read this book: it's the most fun you'll have all summer.

[Amanda Searcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! It’s like a middle grade version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Doctor Who. This would be a great family read-aloud. There’s something in it for everyone.

[Anna Priemaza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Farb has a very important test on Friday, so it's terribly inconvenient when space pirates appear out of nowhere and kidnap her, another kid, and her teacher. If she doesn't figure out how to get home, she might be killed--or worse, miss her test!

I became especially excited to read HOLLY FARB AND THE PRINCESS OF THE GALAXY when I heard it compared to HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, and it did not disappoint. This space adventure is full of exactly the type of ridiculous but intelligent humour I adore. The president of the galaxy is a squirrel, the robot who's along for the ride insists he can only tell facts (fact: this is not entirely true), the department of justice is named after a soda company that provides it funding (and gets to mandate all its policy in return)...and so much more. I giggled pretty much non-stop. Super delightful!

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tests and school blast far, far away in this exciting adventure, where flubby pirate aliens, nut nibbling presidents and robots with a more than mighty vengeance come up against the most uninteresting creature in the entire universe--a human girl named Holly Farb.

Holly's life centers around one goal; being the best at school so as to gain acceptance into the highly exclusive Falstaff Academy. When a new boy enters her class, who seems to know the answer to all questions, it's almost more than Holly can stand. When three strange men show up and ask if she's an important person, her only answer is 'yes'. But that's the wrong answer. Kidnapped by space pirates, who believe her to be the Princess of the Galaxy, she suddenly discovers that aliens do exist, and she's about to become alien mince-meat.

This book is fantastic! Adventure, action and tons of quirky fun roll off of every page with a similar whimsical style as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Holly is an average, know-it-all middle school girl, who kind of wishes she had a couple more friends. During her journey through space, she discovers the answer to all of her questions, and not exactly in the most expected or desirable ways.

There is never a boring moment as Holly not only meets all sorts of creatures, but finds herself in the middle of a slimey, alien nest of intrigue. Luckily, she's has two friends from her school at her side, who aren't what they seem but at least, as true as alien blue.

This is a definite 'must read' and hits the top of my Summer books for kids list. But then, even the larger of us useless Earth creatures are sure to enjoy a dive into Holly's universe and wish we'd run into some space pirates of our own. I truly hope this isn't the end of Holly's adventures and there will be tons more to come.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and absolutely loved this book, so of course, I want to leave me honest thoughts and opinions.

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute space adventure featuring seventh grader, Holly Farb. The highlight was the narration by the robot that was interspersed throughout the adventure. However, I personally found that the story relied heavily on humour at the expense of the larger message that was just out of sight. Holly has no friends at home, but on this space adventure she finally gets one. I didn't find that the friendship was really developed to what it could have been. This one had its moments but ultimately didn't deliver anything new.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author lives in Toronto, so I am going to assume that the Earth-bound parts of the story are set there. However, when Holly is mistaken for the Princess of the Galaxy, and kidnapped by a bunch of space pirates, most of the rest of this humorous, action-packed story takes place on spaceships and other planets. This book probably will not win any of Canada's prestigious book awards, but it is a fun, delightful read for those who like science fiction and space opera.

[Kassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fact: This is a laugh-out-loud book.
Fact: It reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Fact: The dialogue is witty.
Fact: The brain-washing machine is creepy.
Fact: The ending is a little rushed.
Fact: You should read it anyway.

[Kari]

Meh, not much of a main character. Silly and kinda forgettable.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this came across my desk at the library, I knew I needed to check it out, and it turns out that I was totally right to do so. This book is as Farbulous as its heroine. It's basically like if a Muggle Hermione Granger was dropped into The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Holly is a typical overachieving seventh grader who's stressed because she got absolutely no votes in the school election (she feels voting for herself isn't right) and there's a big entrance exam for the local private academy this Friday - and if she doesn't get in to that, she'll never go to a good college. So, when a kid who knows even more than she does shows up in her science class one day, Holly's not happy. And when she, the science teacher, and the new kid get kidnapped by space pirates, Holly's downright angry and just wants to get back home. Of course, Holly can't get back to Earth as easily as she'd like, and in the course of the story, she becomes embroiled in the troubles of the Princess of the Galaxy, learns about how corrupt politicians can be, survives shoutouts to a number of sci-fi stories, and maybe even manages to figure out that most human of diseases: friendship.

Wronksi's writing is fast and funny, and the framing device of the story is a big source of the humor. In a narration style a bit like a hateful Lemony Snickett, Holly Farb is being told to the audience by a storytelling robot who views humans as pointless. At one point the robot goes on a rant about how human history is nothing but wars and splitting into different groups to have wars about. There's some fun bits where the robot inserts sound effects, and overall I can imagine that this would be a great audiobook or read aloud experience. The other humor in this book is good, and riffs a lot on other sci-fi stories (a Mos Eisley style cantina inside of a Dune space worm, for example) and on the real world. There's a great sequence when Holly and her buddies get to the capitol of the universe and discover that every department is under corporate sponsorship.

The characters are also great. Holly has a nice story arc about responsibility, freedom, and running away from life - and the point that doing what you're told can be a form of running away is very well made. This book manages to do the archetypical over-planned kid routine without it being an awful cliche. Chester/Jayla is cool because she's a nice version of the girl disguised as a boy thing, and because in a lot of ways she's dealing with the same issues as Holly, just on a bigger scale. The other characters don't get as much development, but they're still fun, and I especially loved AsTRO the encyclopedia bot. His need to state Fact before every statement reminds me of HK-47 from the Knights of the Old Republic video game. There's a great cast here, and they work perfectly in the great adventures they have.

I highly recommend this book to humorous sci-fi fans of all ages. I'm surprised I haven't heard more buzz about this, but I'll certainly be recommending it to plenty of my friends. It might technically be a kids book, but there's plenty here for adults to enjoy too, and I think that makes it especially great. I hope that there will be more adventures with Holly, and if so, I can't wait to read then.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author tried so hard to make this book funny. It wasn't funny at all. I would not have finished it except I was reading it to my daughter.

[Pop Bop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast Paced Girrlll Power Fun

Holly Farb, mistaken for a princess and on the run from space pirates, zips around the universe in this antic space adventure.

The book is an interesting mix of deadpan and frantic. On the frantic side we have a plot that never lets up and keeps Holly constantly on the move. A new weird creature shows up every few pages and the twists and turns just keep coming. But Holly's game and resourceful, so she just keeps rolling with the plot punches.

On the other hand, though, there's a lot of sly deadpan humor sprinkled about. It's not all lurking and escaping and taking flight. Holly has some interesting and witty conversations with these nutty creatures, and there are some set pieces, (a needy robot with issues, a crowded space travel terminal, a robot who's learning how to lie, the story's narrator - who's sarcastic and rather dismissive of Earthlings, fellow student Chester), that are much more amusing and sharply drawn than the antic premise would suggest. There's even a nice subtext about friendship and being your own person.

So, this is a rousing space adventure. But, it's more tightly crafted and slyly constructed than just that, and ends up being a rewarding and entertaining ride.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone described this as a cross between "Dr Who" and "The Hitchhiker's Guide." Have they watched "Dr Who," (except perhaps during the Matt Smith fangirl period) or read/seen "Hitchhiker's"?

Sorry, neither. This is a typical kids_accidentally_have_an_adventure, complete with a teacher who isn't as boring as he seems, various cute/mean aliens, and a nice neat ending. Oh, and it does feature a narrating robot who perhaps is supposed to be reminiscent of the narrating voice of the Hitchhiker's Guide, but is more like Marvin the Paranoid Android's extremely boring younger sibling. The writing is adequate, but didn't compel me to do more than skim it to get the highlights, so to speak.

Fine for kids who want science fiction/fantasy and aren't old enough to have read widely. Or, for that matter, adults who are equally new to the genre. Otherwise? #nothingnewhere

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy is a wonderful book for young readers. It is a book that is fun and funny, quirky and endearing, and is reminiscent of a more child-friendly Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I was rooting for Holly and her companions throughout the entire novel and was left feeling excited and wanting more by the ending.

OS-78 was hilarious. The occasional exchange was even funnier. Great fun.

[Diane Magras · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an utterly charming book about growing up, finding yourself, making decisions, and caring about other people. Those are the basic themes, put into a wildly imaginative story peopled with creatures of many different forms, including spider-like librarians, a robot vacuum with world-domination dreams, and a wonderful snarky robot narrator. A fast and funny read.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy by Gareth Wronski is a middle grade novel. Holly Farb is not the Princess of the Galaxy. She may be top of the class in every subject, but she can’t even win a school election, never mind rule the Milky Way. The aliens who kidnapped her have gotten it all wrong. Unfortunately Holly’s alien pirate kidnappers believe that she’s the princess they’ve been looking for, and so she finds herself hurtling through space on an alien pirate ship together with her teacher, Mr. Mendez, and Chester, the most annoying boy in her class. Now all she has to do is escape the pirates, find the missing princess, and get back to Earth in time for her big test on Friday. But it turns out that space is a pretty big place, and before they can go home, Holly, Chester, and Mr. Mendez must face down space cruise liners, bounty hunters, giant worms, perky holograms, cosmic board games, sinister insectoid librarians, and a robot who is learning how to lie. Between running from space pirates, defying the President of the Universe, and meeting a host of rather unusual new friends, Holly starts to wonder if there might be more to life than being top of the class after all.

Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy is the adventure of one young lady that has never felt in control, but has always tried to get her attention by being smart- because that is what she is good at. All she wants is to be important, to matter, and she does not even seem to get that at home. When pirate kidnap Holly, her teacher, and the new kid the real adventure starts. I loved the twists and turns, and while I expected a twist as to who the princess was, that twist was only one of the several possibilities that I had considered. I liked that while I knew something was coming, it was not so completely obvious that it was my only thought. I also liked how interconnected, but unusual, some of the turns the story took. The only thing that happened that I completely expected was the President of the Universe's attitude when push came to shove. While Holly began as a pessimistic and self pitying character, her actions and thoughts were understandable and I liked how much she changed and grew as the story continued. Chester, while not what they seemed at the beginning, changed and grew with Holly. I think it was their relationship and changing understanding that really pushed the book forward, even more so that the danger and adventure from space pirates, asteroid belts, the criminal element in a dive bar, and more that they faced along the way. I really liked that even in the moments of highest drama and danger there was an underlying sense of humor and fun. I love a story that does not take itself too seriously, and this book hit the balance of fun, danger, and emotional growth very well.

Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy is a middle grade adventure with a coming of age story arch and sense of humor that appealed to me, and that I think will appeal to many other readers that have ever felt as isolated and 'other' as Holly.

[Ella M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully silly! I've been longing for some lighthearted sci-fi, and this hit the spot!

Holly as a character is very entertaining. I love that she's not classically "likable" (although the balance between whining and being a grump is very thin and I'm not sure the author always pulled that off).

I LOVE the narrator. Can we have the Storytelling Robot (i forget his name) tell ALL THE STORIES, please? His narrative style is so brilliantly blunt. He actually made me laugh out loud-- and I almost NEVER laugh out loud at a book.

Mr. Mendez is also hilarious. Can we have a whole book about him please?

I guess those are this book's strong points: the humor and the uniqueness of it all. The aliens aren't malicious-- there's a species just for GUARDING DOORS! A little silly? Sure. But sometimes I need a break from murderous space monsters, you know?

Unfortunately, there are a few flaws that bothered me enough to keep it from being a five-star read.

Firstly, Chester. He's an obnoxious ass, but his banter with Holly was funny and I would've loved to see more of it. My real issue with this, though, I'm going to put under the spoiler tag. Jalya says that she "could be herself" as Chester, but I can't believe it. Jalya and Chester are so clearly separate people. Chester's an overconfident, snarky ass who thinks he knows everything; not actually a terrible person, but the heart of gold's not apparent. Jalya is gentle and wise and formal, practically made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Her friendship with Holly is too perfect, till that fight in the last quarter of the book, which was resolved in the narmiest way possible. Farbulous? really? Are you screwing with me?

And... are we supposed to believe this takes place over the course of only ONE DAY? No. Too much happens in this book for me to believe it's only been a DAY. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Holly's mother doesn't seem to notice that she's been gone, which she would if Holly had been gone for three days (a timeframe that fit much better with the sequence of events, IMO).

It's an easy, fun read that kept me engaged till the end. I want more novels like this in my life. I definitely recommend this for kids who want a fun read that's not too emotionally upsetting but not too childish, either.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly Farb is having a stressful week. First, she lost the student elections...really badly. She's now got to really make sure she aces the entrance exam for Falstaff. Falstaff is a prestigious science academy and her next step on the way to a good university and success. And then today in science class some new kid comes in and starts answering all the questions faster than Holly. Shaken from her 'best at science' throne, Holly is now even more worried about the exam and floundering in identity questions. But all of those issues soon take backseat to a more pressing crisis when Holly, the new kid, Chester, and their science teacher, Mr. Mendez, are kidnapped by space pirates who think they know where the Princess of the Galaxy might be hiding. Holly isn't going to let anything like space pirates get between her and Falstaff.

I really wanted to love this one. The concept is fun. The android narrator's voice is quite funny. But I just found Holly a bit too annoying and self-centered. And oh boy, does it take her a long time to learn some lessons. I had trouble enjoying myself because of her issues. The rest of the book was quite fun. The President's portrayal is brilliant. The bad guy was interesting. Chester and Mr. Mendez are full of surprises. The space world Wronski has built is imaginative and fun to explore. And the theme of redefining your purpose is all around Holly if she has the eyes to see it. I think most of the target audience who enjoy scifi space adventures should really enjoy this story. I will be recommending it to several readers.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some aliens are eaten or vaporized, and past torturing by pirates is mentioned. Two non-gory murders that happened in the past are important to the story. Our heroes are threatened with violence repeatedly, but manage to get out ok.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took my five-year-old and I months to read this book, basically because it's somewhat meaty, and we read one chapter at a time, broken up by other, shorter books... and then packed it for the move, misplaced it, and finally when found again, I had to skim to where we had been and then do a refresher night. I'm so glad we did.

This is starter science fiction in the truest sense. A nerdy, bookish overachiever, universally disliked by her peers and pushed hard by her workaholic mother, is kidnapped by space pirates who mistake her for the Princess of the Galaxy, and she is off on a string of unbelievable space adventures that involve aliens, blasters, murderous reprogrammed vaccuums, brainwashing, and a messy space cowboy bounty hunter. Somehow along the way, she *gasp* makes friends (girl, I know that feeling IRL), learns that politicians do not care at all about anyone but themselves, and figures out that sometimes your friends don't even mind you being a smug bastard as long as you never forget whose side you're actually on. We learn that it's ok to come to terms with the fact that your parents may not have been the best humans on the planet, that sometimes we run from overwhelming responsibilities, and that maybe you can sort that out.

Its brilliant and subversive in the best way, the side characters are delightful (ASTRO FTW!) and the narrator is kind of hilarious. Highly recommended. There are indeed some murders (dusting by blaster, mantis-person customer service cannibalism, carnivorous spider librarians, etc.), and other off-screen deaths (Jalya's parents, who die in not the greatest way), so it's probably not for a kid who isn't ok with that kind of thing. But if your kid is a adorably creepy weirdo like mine is, they'll love it.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was definitely really funny with weird and awkward parts to it. The book is mostly about a 12-year-old girl named Holly Farb that everyone hates. You know that person in your class that is so annoying because when you think something in class, and she proves you wrong and she always gets the answer right? Yeah. That's Holly. She looks down on herself because of this, but a few jerks at school are not going to stop her from pursuing her dreams. She wants to go to a school called Falstaff, but a couple of days before the entrance exam, her school gets attacked by space pirates and all a sudden, she is thought to be the Princess of the Galaxy. She goes on an amazing journey through space with the real Princess of the Galaxy, whose name is Jalya, and together, they escape alien spider chases, space pirates, and other weird aliens and machines that try to mingle with their brain or kill them.
I also really liked what the book actually shows. It really shows the bigger picture. Inside, it sounds like a really funny book, but when you put the book down and realize what this book really shows, you find that it shows how insignificant we really are. It also shows a good picture of the real world. Nobody cares about you except for the ones who do, but how many people really do care about you? Not many. This is really shown when the president of the universe doesn't care about the pirates, Jalya, Holly, or any of the people she cares about. The book also shows that people will do what is in their own interest. They won't do something for you, they will do it for themselves, except for the people who truly care about you.

[Edshara · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this missed the mark for me and I'm so disappointed because I really wanted to enjoy it. Everything about this just kind of fell flat for me.

I didn't connect to any of the characters, they all seemed a bit underdeveloped to me. Holly went back and forth between doubting and believing in herself. The only problem is when she would start to believe in herself, she would get arrogant and instead of listening to others or asking their advice, she would take charge only making things worse. The other characters, after completing their necessary major tasks, just kind of felt like fillers.

Their was some talk about death and their was a good bit of characters dying. It wasn't presented in a grotesque way, yet the author almost seemed to take it too lightly. The inclusion of the robot narrator didn't seem necessary, even though it pertained to the plot, and it was actually a bit distracting. I wasn't expecting this to be some hardcore Sci-fi, since it is geared towards MG readers, however, the author seemed to rely too much on the absurd to create the story. I wasn't impressed with the conclusion and while it was good to finally see Holly make a choice for herself, I would have liked for her mother to at least be given the option of the truth, rather than the book going straight for the "cover-up". Overall the idea was good, the execution just didn't do anything for me.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 2 out of 5]

While worrying about her friendless future, Holly is kidnapped by space pirates and dragged into the outer reaches with only her teacher and a mysterious new student as company - where her identity is mistaken for that of a princess, a fact she must utilize to save the galaxy and make it home safety. Wronski brings young readers a decently exciting adventure with some imaginative creatures and an alright sense of humour, though its boring cast and oddly dark imagery leave much to be desired. Can Holly find a way home in time for her school tests?!

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly Farb is a great student but has one problem, the new boy in class, Chester, is smarter than she is and answers questions without raising his hand! Turns out there is much more to Chester than meets the eye and she discovers this after they are captured by space pirates.
Humourous and fast paced, middle grade readers will enjoy this out of this world adventure. Recommended for all those smart girls who enjoy reading and getting the answers correct!

[Bookworm4Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Holly Farb is mistaken for the princess of the galaxy, she's thrown into an out of this world adventure as space pirates attempt to bring her, her teacher Mr. Mendez, and a boy named Chester into outer space and make her their princess. Throughout her adventure Holly is determined to do one thing:
Get back home
Will Holly succeed in her mission? Or will she remain in outer space and become its princess forever?

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased to have won this book in a recent Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

My grandson has been hankering after this book soon after receiving it in the post. I am sure he will love this book when I give it to him later today. I found it an enjoyable read, even though it was more suitable for middle grade. Recommended.

[Liz Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars rounded up. I laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. While I am definitely not the target audience, there were enough “adult” jokes in here to keep parents engaged as well. A middle grade read geared slightly younger, this would be the perfect read for ages 9-11, and a great read aloud option. Definitely recommend, this has something for everyone.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute science fiction book that kids will enjoy. a heroine who is likable, and learn alot about herself, and making sense of things when it seems like you are too small in the grand scheme of things to make a difference.

[Kinsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great action, unique narration, and surprising twists, though the characters and writing seemed to fall flat and did not always keep my attention. I could have done without the boring, leering librarian stereotypes.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy is perfection. Laugh out loud funny, this book filled the Douglas Adams sized hole in my heart. An excellent adventure. A great cast of characters. And super fun space travel. I loved every word and so will every child I know.