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B.E.S.T. World #1
Ace Takes Flight
Welcome to 2048. Every graduate of the B.E.S.T. Program can receive a bionic enhancement as a rite of passage. For Ace Wells, it is just the beginning of his epic augmentation journey.
Eleven-year-old Ace Wells’s dream has finally come true: he is a new cadet in the B.E.S.T. (Biological Enhancement Systems Technology) Program. Until now, he’s been living in the shadow of his superstar brother, Finn—but not for long.
This is new Ace! He knows he can make his mark on the world with SuperSoar wings, but on day one, nothing goes as planned. The antagonistic elevator AI Otis wants to eat his belongings, the physical feats set by his tough-nut coach are impossible, and his celebrity roommates are far from welcoming.
It becomes crystal clear that Ace is not prepared to fly—in any sense of the word.
As tensions build, Ace has a sinking suspicion that there's something more going on at B.E.S.T. than meets the eye. Will he ever make it to graduation and get the aug of his dreams?
Eleven-year-old Ace Wells’s dream has finally come true: he is a new cadet in the B.E.S.T. (Biological Enhancement Systems Technology) Program. Until now, he’s been living in the shadow of his superstar brother, Finn—but not for long.
This is new Ace! He knows he can make his mark on the world with SuperSoar wings, but on day one, nothing goes as planned. The antagonistic elevator AI Otis wants to eat his belongings, the physical feats set by his tough-nut coach are impossible, and his celebrity roommates are far from welcoming.
It becomes crystal clear that Ace is not prepared to fly—in any sense of the word.
As tensions build, Ace has a sinking suspicion that there's something more going on at B.E.S.T. than meets the eye. Will he ever make it to graduation and get the aug of his dreams?
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2021
7 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Cory McCarthy
19 books375 followersCORY (previously Cori)
…earned degrees in poetry and screenwriting before falling in love with writing for children and young adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. They have authored four acclaimed YA novels, with a middle grade series, young adult contemporary, and nonfiction picture book forthcoming. Cory coauthored the bestselling ONCE & FUTURE, a finalist for the New England Book Award, with their spouse A.R. Capetta.
…earned degrees in poetry and screenwriting before falling in love with writing for children and young adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. They have authored four acclaimed YA novels, with a middle grade series, young adult contemporary, and nonfiction picture book forthcoming. Cory coauthored the bestselling ONCE & FUTURE, a finalist for the New England Book Award, with their spouse A.R. Capetta.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 30, 2023
Ace Takes Flight is a futuristic sci-fi book that follows 11-year old Ace Wells as he finally gets to attend the B.E.S.T program. This two year programs trains cadets and allows them to pick a bionic augmentation. Ace has had his mind set on SuperSoar wings since the programs inception, but he finds that what was supposed to be the Best Thing Ever™️, is much more complicated than he thought.
I loved this book so much. This world is so queernormative and disability friendly I could cry. There are multiple disabled characters including Ace (ADHD). And I was happily surprised by how disabilities are uplifted and the bionics are not used to cure them. There is a side character with a nerve disorder that cause chronic pain and he does pursue a bionic that would help moderate the pain. As someone with chronic pain, there is almost nothing I wouldn’t do or try to alleviate it so I will just be over here a little jealous.
This book means so much to me not only for the story, but also Ace’s character. Had I know he had ADHD, I would’ve read this so much sooner. Since recognizing my own brain in other ADHD characters, seeing more characters with ADHD, autism or auDHD have been such a blessing. I see so much of myself reflected in these stories. The struggles and impulses Ace demonstrates are things I know I do daily and seeing him get to be loved for who he is, makes me so happy.
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I loved this book so much!! Ace Takes Flight is so wholesome and shows that superheroes can be disabled and being super doesn't HAVE to cure their disability. I really loved this look at Ace's ADHD, because it was 100% relatable. While there are differences between my own and Ace's brain, there were also so many similarities. How I wish I could've had this book when I was 11/12, it would've answered so many questions I had.
I can't read any of Cory's books without wishing I had them sooner. I am not meant for this kind of emotional processing!! Will I ever stop recommending him and all their books? NEVER :)
Rep: BIPOC (I don't remember but pretty sure biracial and western Asian American?) queer male with ADHD, Black queer cis male side character, Black cis female character (might have had anxiety or did I dream that?), nonbinary side character with a birth defect in their legs, they are also a wheelchair user, MC has two moms, various queer side characters, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Bullying, medical content, augmentation of human body, injury/injury detail, ableism, gaslighting.
Think I'll reread this to double check my rep and CWs so stay tuned.
I loved this book so much. This world is so queernormative and disability friendly I could cry. There are multiple disabled characters including Ace (ADHD). And I was happily surprised by how disabilities are uplifted and the bionics are not used to cure them. There is a side character with a nerve disorder that cause chronic pain and he does pursue a bionic that would help moderate the pain. As someone with chronic pain, there is almost nothing I wouldn’t do or try to alleviate it so I will just be over here a little jealous.
This book means so much to me not only for the story, but also Ace’s character. Had I know he had ADHD, I would’ve read this so much sooner. Since recognizing my own brain in other ADHD characters, seeing more characters with ADHD, autism or auDHD have been such a blessing. I see so much of myself reflected in these stories. The struggles and impulses Ace demonstrates are things I know I do daily and seeing him get to be loved for who he is, makes me so happy.
____________________________________________________________
I loved this book so much!! Ace Takes Flight is so wholesome and shows that superheroes can be disabled and being super doesn't HAVE to cure their disability. I really loved this look at Ace's ADHD, because it was 100% relatable. While there are differences between my own and Ace's brain, there were also so many similarities. How I wish I could've had this book when I was 11/12, it would've answered so many questions I had.
I can't read any of Cory's books without wishing I had them sooner. I am not meant for this kind of emotional processing!! Will I ever stop recommending him and all their books? NEVER :)
Rep: BIPOC (I don't remember but pretty sure biracial and western Asian American?) queer male with ADHD, Black queer cis male side character, Black cis female character (might have had anxiety or did I dream that?), nonbinary side character with a birth defect in their legs, they are also a wheelchair user, MC has two moms, various queer side characters, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Bullying, medical content, augmentation of human body, injury/injury detail, ableism, gaslighting.
Think I'll reread this to double check my rep and CWs so stay tuned.
January 23, 2023
This was a phenomenal read. It was my first middle grade book of 2023. Ace Takes Flight is set in a not so distant future. Let's go forward to 2048, where an organization called B.E.S.T (Biological enchantment systems technology) recruits cadets to receive bionic enhancements.
This is we're we meet eleven year old Ace Wells. He finally has a chance to attend B.E.S.T. and make his dreams come true. Ace lives under his brother's greatness and wants to make a name for himself. Once there, he will find out that achieving greatness will be harder than he thought. His fellow classmates don't take him seriously, and he will have to endure trial and error to find himself. I absolutely loved how the author incorporated technology and gave each character an amazing personality. It gave me such Naruto vibes because even when Ace knew things were difficult, he never gave up and had the adventure of a lifetime. I am so excited to read the sequel very soon because it left on a cliffhanger.
This is we're we meet eleven year old Ace Wells. He finally has a chance to attend B.E.S.T. and make his dreams come true. Ace lives under his brother's greatness and wants to make a name for himself. Once there, he will find out that achieving greatness will be harder than he thought. His fellow classmates don't take him seriously, and he will have to endure trial and error to find himself. I absolutely loved how the author incorporated technology and gave each character an amazing personality. It gave me such Naruto vibes because even when Ace knew things were difficult, he never gave up and had the adventure of a lifetime. I am so excited to read the sequel very soon because it left on a cliffhanger.
December 16, 2021
Ace is a likeable character from the start whom I wanted to wrap in a hug as I continued to cheer them on in this stage of their life. The inclusivity and diversity in this book were strong as were the life messages, perfect for readers of all ages but especially middle grade readers. What does it mean to be a friend and fight for your friends? "Ace Takes Flight" takes us on a quest!
October 23, 2021
Ace Takes Flight is such a cute sci-fi story. I liked the sibling rivalry with Ace and Finn and Leo and their twin Emma. Siblings can have so many complex emotions about each other, each set of siblings showed a variety. I enjoyed learning about the different augs and how they enhance the human body. Being the new kid at B.E.S.T. Ace definitely has challenges to overcome, building friendships, staying out of trouble and keeping up with his school work. I think middle school students will be able to relate.
November 8, 2022
This was such a quick, cute read! Ace Takes Flight is book one in the inclusive middle grade trilogy, B. E. S. T. World. This was a great, creative sci-fi story that I can see many kids enjoying 😊
April 22, 2022
3 1/2 stars
Ace and his fellow cadets are at B.E.S.T. (Biological Enhancement Systems Technology) Program to train to receive their augs (bodily augmentations) and prepare for their super epic futures, yet nothing is working out the way Ace dreamed. Having a famous big brother, big-name roommates, and a bully in the same class only makes things worse. Will Ace wash out before he even gets a chance to soar?
I would say "let's skip to the good part" however I want to get a few things out of the way first. From the first chapter, I wasn't sure that I even wanted to finish this book. The cover is amazing, and the premise sounded great, but then the story gets bogged down in massive amounts of acronyms describing the school's settings/situations. I struggled to process all of that, especially coming as one big awkward info dump.
The acronyms aren't the only things coming at you hard and fast. You meet ALL of the main cast, introduced with their pronouns, and diversity is fully represented. We have two moms, we have twins, we have neurodivergent people, we have people in wheelchairs who don't care if they are in wheelchairs, we have non-binary people, we have bullies (multiple), we have AI personalities, we have people of color, we have siblings who don't get along (multiple), we have coaches who are motivational, and more! Couple this with acronyms and I was lost. I hope you got all of that, because there isn't a refresher. I had to keep looking back. But wait there's more!
The plot, oh the plot, is screaming in your face that there is trouble at B.E.S.T. through some not so thinly veiled references to a protesters' movement and the fact that these enhancements that Ace and the other children so desperately want are not actually wanted by everyone. And oh, guess what? The enhancements *may* have dangerous side effects years later...cough cough. Totally didn't see that coming (insert sarcasm here.) What about those protesters? We don't get to find out as this book doesn't end properly. Everything is left up in the air (for book two I guess).
So what is good about this book that made me stick it out and keep reading as I was this close to giving up at the halfway point? Ace, our main character, was this bouncy ball type of a person; he waited and wished and tried and messed up so hard and then did it all over again. I wanted Ace to succeed. He was so lonely and breaking down that at one point he was having conversations with and it's the brokenness in him that made me root for him all the harder. He certainly didn't take the easy way. He was bullied and made his share of dumb mistakes. His vulnerabilities made him so much stronger in the long run, which is so typical in characters. And yet.
All of the other stuff about the environment and the protests and the ominous possibilities, pfff, I don't really care about that set dressing. I'm pretty sure how that will all turn out already. (The foreshadowing is a bit heavy-handed.) I am there for Ace, he/him, and may even read the second book when it comes out. The kid has heart.
Ace and his fellow cadets are at B.E.S.T. (Biological Enhancement Systems Technology) Program to train to receive their augs (bodily augmentations) and prepare for their super epic futures, yet nothing is working out the way Ace dreamed. Having a famous big brother, big-name roommates, and a bully in the same class only makes things worse. Will Ace wash out before he even gets a chance to soar?
I would say "let's skip to the good part" however I want to get a few things out of the way first. From the first chapter, I wasn't sure that I even wanted to finish this book. The cover is amazing, and the premise sounded great, but then the story gets bogged down in massive amounts of acronyms describing the school's settings/situations. I struggled to process all of that, especially coming as one big awkward info dump.
The acronyms aren't the only things coming at you hard and fast. You meet ALL of the main cast, introduced with their pronouns, and diversity is fully represented. We have two moms, we have twins, we have neurodivergent people, we have people in wheelchairs who don't care if they are in wheelchairs, we have non-binary people, we have bullies (multiple), we have AI personalities, we have people of color, we have siblings who don't get along (multiple), we have coaches who are motivational, and more! Couple this with acronyms and I was lost. I hope you got all of that, because there isn't a refresher. I had to keep looking back. But wait there's more!
The plot, oh the plot, is screaming in your face that there is trouble at B.E.S.T. through some not so thinly veiled references to a protesters' movement and the fact that these enhancements that Ace and the other children so desperately want are not actually wanted by everyone. And oh, guess what? The enhancements *may* have dangerous side effects years later...cough cough. Totally didn't see that coming (insert sarcasm here.) What about those protesters? We don't get to find out as this book doesn't end properly. Everything is left up in the air (for book two I guess).
So what is good about this book that made me stick it out and keep reading as I was this close to giving up at the halfway point? Ace, our main character, was this bouncy ball type of a person; he waited and wished and tried and messed up so hard and then did it all over again. I wanted Ace to succeed. He was so lonely and breaking down that at one point he was having conversations with and it's the brokenness in him that made me root for him all the harder. He certainly didn't take the easy way. He was bullied and made his share of dumb mistakes. His vulnerabilities made him so much stronger in the long run, which is so typical in characters. And yet.
All of the other stuff about the environment and the protests and the ominous possibilities, pfff, I don't really care about that set dressing. I'm pretty sure how that will all turn out already. (The foreshadowing is a bit heavy-handed.) I am there for Ace, he/him, and may even read the second book when it comes out. The kid has heart.
January 16, 2022
The cover looks like this will be an exciting book; it's not.
The audio is horrific--the reader voiced Ace like Spongebob with a lisp....
I appreciated the diverse group of kids; however, this will be one kids check out and then finish reading since the plot is a flat line.
The audio is horrific--the reader voiced Ace like Spongebob with a lisp....
I appreciated the diverse group of kids; however, this will be one kids check out and then finish reading since the plot is a flat line.
November 7, 2021
Ace takes flight weaves diversity of sexuality and body ability effortlessly. There is a non binary character and all of the characters introduced themselves by saying their name and their pronouns. There are disabled characters whose disabilities actually come into their aid.
Our main character himself has ADHD and indeed struggles with that and we get to see him overcome but it is not easy he is not a Gary stu. It might give kids hope that their struggles will amount to something, I think.
Our main character having to deal with living in the shadow of his successful older sibling is a really good plot point for kids who are the middle or younger sibling.
Ace Takes Flight is also really good at dealing with the realities of friendship. How hard they can be and how much work one has to do if they mess up.
Even with all of those serious topics this books was just a fun power fantasy. It's is also a mystery that ends (a little abruptly) on a cliffhanger.
Our main character himself has ADHD and indeed struggles with that and we get to see him overcome but it is not easy he is not a Gary stu. It might give kids hope that their struggles will amount to something, I think.
Our main character having to deal with living in the shadow of his successful older sibling is a really good plot point for kids who are the middle or younger sibling.
Ace Takes Flight is also really good at dealing with the realities of friendship. How hard they can be and how much work one has to do if they mess up.
Even with all of those serious topics this books was just a fun power fantasy. It's is also a mystery that ends (a little abruptly) on a cliffhanger.
December 3, 2021
When humans turn 11 in 2048, they are able to go to a special school/discovery zone/surgical center to become better in some way by having technology grafted into their body (Either making their body stronger in some way, their brains brainier, or some quality boosted). It’s like genetic engineering but AFTER the kid reaches puberty (or close to it). This book also ticks all the diversity boxes you can think of (MC with ADHD comes from a family with two moms, roommates are both POC, other roommate identifies as non binary and in a wheelchair and not looking to NOT be in a wheelchair, everyone introduces themselves with their pronouns, this list goes on). I was invested in Ace’s (MC) quest to get the augmentation he desires, but it’s only HALF a book. None of the plot lines are resolved. It’s not in anyway a finished story. It’s not a cliffhanger, it just ends… So, I guess there is a book 2, but I’m not going to worry about finding it.
November 2, 2021
Interesting series starter set in a future world where teens choose augs, biological enhancement augmentations, if chosen to attend an elite academy. Ace has dreamed of the SuperSoar -- the addition of wings for flying -- aug his entire life but he has to contend with his highly successful and obnoxious older brother (TurboLegs aug), a bully for a classmate, and boxmates (roommates) who don’t quite trust him. It seems his only friend is the elevator AI. When he starts to uncover secrets involving his boxmates, including Gray, son of the founder of BEST (Biological Enhancement Systems Technology), he is pulled into a dangerous situation.
July 17, 2022
7/17/2022 ~ A near future sci-fi; 11-13 year olds go to the Tower of Power to try out for the best body augmentation for their skill set. There are lots of hints in this book 1 of a planned trilogy that all is not well at ToP. There's a mystery protest group and there are "old" people (in their 30s) who are in the Med center having their augs (augmentations/modifications) worked on.
I appreciated the sibling rivalry between Ace and his older brother Finn. Ace and Finn also have moms: Mom and Mama Jay. All cadets at ToP have their pronouns included on their name tags.
I'm looking forward to reading more.
I appreciated the sibling rivalry between Ace and his older brother Finn. Ace and Finn also have moms: Mom and Mama Jay. All cadets at ToP have their pronouns included on their name tags.
I'm looking forward to reading more.
January 13, 2022
Ace Takes Flight made me think that The Jetsons and Sky High had the most amazing baby. There were so many things I loved about this book. I appreciate the way it celebrates each individuals unique qualities and skills and emphasizes that when great minds come together they can complete impossible tasks against all odds.
I look forward to seeing where Ace’s adventures take him in follow up books and hope that his strong boxmates are there with him the whole time.
There is no I in team and a team can always accomplish more than an individual.
I look forward to seeing where Ace’s adventures take him in follow up books and hope that his strong boxmates are there with him the whole time.
There is no I in team and a team can always accomplish more than an individual.
April 3, 2023
Fun world with kids trying to find their place in it and make the most of their strengths (and supposed weaknesses). The gadgets are cool and the friendships feel real. You’ll want to immediately get the sequel!
September 29, 2023
SUUUUUPER strong start to a series. This is not my typical go to, but I REALLY freaking enjoyed this. Imagine! A world where we’re augmented with so many different things! Wings! Turbo legs! A brain like da Vinci! Super empathy!
I love the sinister undertones as well. Very excited for book two!
I love the sinister undertones as well. Very excited for book two!
January 2, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley of Edelweiss
August 13, 2023
fun YA novel. quick read. Only thing I'll say is I hate when I don't realize that a book is first in a trilogy and then the cliffhanger. Also book 3 is not available yet..
December 29, 2023
Fun story. Kinda feels like a bouncy ball in a small room but fun nonetheless. I’ll definitely be checking out the other books! Overall not bad
Want to read
May 31, 2024SM
December 8, 2021
This sci-fi adventure reminded me of the Unwind series in a way. The seeds of that sort of dystopian body-mod/body-horror thing are definitely planted. There are non-binary characters presented in such a matter-of-fact way, disabled characters who don't want a magic cure, and 12 year olds acting like 12 year olds. Highly recommend.. except that it ends halfway through the story and demands a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews