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Jillian vs Parasite Planet
Can an anxious eleven-year-old find her chill and save her family from creepy aliens? Only if she’s the most awesome, super-brave astronaut since Spaceman Spiff! So take a deep breath, grab your sidekick, and blast off with Jillian to Parasite Planet.
Eleven-year-old Jillian hates surprises. Even fun ones make her feel all panicky inside. But, she’s always dreamed of joining her space-explorer parents on a mission. It’s Take Your Kid to Work Day, and Jillian finally has her chance to visit an alien world!
The journey to Planet 80 UMa c is supposed to be just a fun camping trip. But then the local wildlife starts acting really dangerous. Only the onboard computer SABRINA sorta knows what's happening—at least when it's not goofing off or telling bad jokes.
Looks like it's Jillian vs Parasite Planet—and Jillian is determined to win!
Eleven-year-old Jillian hates surprises. Even fun ones make her feel all panicky inside. But, she’s always dreamed of joining her space-explorer parents on a mission. It’s Take Your Kid to Work Day, and Jillian finally has her chance to visit an alien world!
The journey to Planet 80 UMa c is supposed to be just a fun camping trip. But then the local wildlife starts acting really dangerous. Only the onboard computer SABRINA sorta knows what's happening—at least when it's not goofing off or telling bad jokes.
Looks like it's Jillian vs Parasite Planet—and Jillian is determined to win!
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2021
About the author
Nicole Kornher-Stace
24 books438 followersNicole Kornher-Stace lives in New Paltz, NY, with her family. Her two most recent books are the adult SF cyberpunk dystopian thriller FIREBREAK (Simon & Schuster/Gallery/Saga, 2021) and her middle-grade debut JILLIAN VS. PARASITE PLANET (Tachyon, 2021). Her other books include the Andre Norton Award finalist ARCHIVIST WASP (Small Beer Press/Big Mouth House, 2015) and its sequel LATCHKEY (Mythic Delirium, 2018), which are about a far-future postapocalyptic ghosthunter, the ghost of a near-future supersoldier, and their adventures in the underworld.
You can find her on Twitter @wirewalking, where she is probably semicoherently yelling about board games, video games, hiking, aromantic representation, good books she's read recently, or her cat.
For tons of book extras, deleted scenes, and subscriber exclusives, check out her Patreon, which is single-tier pay-what-you-want for all access to everything.
You can find her on Twitter @wirewalking, where she is probably semicoherently yelling about board games, video games, hiking, aromantic representation, good books she's read recently, or her cat.
For tons of book extras, deleted scenes, and subscriber exclusives, check out her Patreon, which is single-tier pay-what-you-want for all access to everything.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 18, 2021
Highly recommended for anyone over age 9* or so who enjoys suspenseful adventure with strong, original characters.
*Based on a guess at reading level. But also it might be a little scary for younger kids, what with the attack worms and injured parents.
*Based on a guess at reading level. But also it might be a little scary for younger kids, what with the attack worms and injured parents.
July 13, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
They claim this book be for ages 8 to 12. I may be (much) older but that didn't stop me from really enjoying this space romp. The story follows eleven-year old Jillian who gets to go with her parents on Take Your Kid to Work Day. But her parents aren't accountants or lawyers. They are space explorers. How cool is that? But when Jillian accompanies her parents on a routine mission everything goes wrong and Jillian must save the day!
Good thing that Jillian has SABRINA, an artificial intelligence with a hive mind. I did love the robot and the developing relationship it had with Jillian. But what I loved more was how both characters had limitations that had to be thought through and dealt with. Jillian has anxiety and is . . . well, eleven. SABRINA's strengths and weaknesses are in it's programming. They have to use the skills they have to accomplish the mission. It was lovely to see both their teamwork and their individual growth. I was rooting for Jillian and loved seeing how everything worked out.
As an older reader I did have to suspend my disbelief a bit. However, I am positive that the younger readers will adore this excellent story. I continue to be a fan of Kornher-Stace's work and will read whatever she does next. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Tachyon!
They claim this book be for ages 8 to 12. I may be (much) older but that didn't stop me from really enjoying this space romp. The story follows eleven-year old Jillian who gets to go with her parents on Take Your Kid to Work Day. But her parents aren't accountants or lawyers. They are space explorers. How cool is that? But when Jillian accompanies her parents on a routine mission everything goes wrong and Jillian must save the day!
Good thing that Jillian has SABRINA, an artificial intelligence with a hive mind. I did love the robot and the developing relationship it had with Jillian. But what I loved more was how both characters had limitations that had to be thought through and dealt with. Jillian has anxiety and is . . . well, eleven. SABRINA's strengths and weaknesses are in it's programming. They have to use the skills they have to accomplish the mission. It was lovely to see both their teamwork and their individual growth. I was rooting for Jillian and loved seeing how everything worked out.
As an older reader I did have to suspend my disbelief a bit. However, I am positive that the younger readers will adore this excellent story. I continue to be a fan of Kornher-Stace's work and will read whatever she does next. Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Tachyon!
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August 2, 2021Not a review! My mom always told me I should try my hand at middle grade, so this is my attempt at that. Here's the long version of how this book came into being.
It's full of stuff I've always wanted to write about, such as portal-based space travel, mind-control parasites, and a shapeshifting intelligent nanobot swarm, all set in a survival story along the lines of Hatchet (my query comp) or The Martian (my agent's much more SF-relevant comp). And the protagonist is a girl (because we need about a zillion more girl and nonbinary protagonists in science-forward SF and adventure stories for kids) with anxiety (because as a parent of a kid with anxiety, I got fed up with the inescapable fictional shorthand of "anxiety=shyness" which is. Just. Horrifyingly inaccurate and actually got in the way of my kid's diagnosis! So I wanted to write something where anxiety was represented more accurately to our experience of it.)
I hope you--and/or a kid in your life--have at least half as much fun reading it as I had putting it together. :)
It's full of stuff I've always wanted to write about, such as portal-based space travel, mind-control parasites, and a shapeshifting intelligent nanobot swarm, all set in a survival story along the lines of Hatchet (my query comp) or The Martian (my agent's much more SF-relevant comp). And the protagonist is a girl (because we need about a zillion more girl and nonbinary protagonists in science-forward SF and adventure stories for kids) with anxiety (because as a parent of a kid with anxiety, I got fed up with the inescapable fictional shorthand of "anxiety=shyness" which is. Just. Horrifyingly inaccurate and actually got in the way of my kid's diagnosis! So I wanted to write something where anxiety was represented more accurately to our experience of it.)
I hope you--and/or a kid in your life--have at least half as much fun reading it as I had putting it together. :)
March 25, 2021
3.5/5
I liked it.
I liked it.
July 21, 2021
4.5 stars. I almost would've preferred this written as an adult SF novel. It had enough depth. The science was fantastic. The world-building was great. The only thing that jarred were the pics that didn't seem to match the descriptions given in the book. It's like the publisher thought this wasn't middle grade enough, so tried to fix it by adding cartoonish images.
January 24, 2021
If you think a middle reader book isn't for you, guess again. Jillian vs Parasite Planet may be about an eleven-year-old girl going on her first trip into space, but this is a fun adventure for everyone.
Jillian is turning eleven and more than anything she wants to go with her scientist parents to anther planet. She is an anxious girl, but upon meeting a nanite IA cloud that can become anything, she gets excited about the possibility of going exploring.
She is surprised when her parents decide to take her with them to a planet they have visited before--a safe planet. Then all hell breaks loose and Jillian and her AI must save her parents and herself to get off this planet filled with parasitic worms.
What a fun ride this one was!
Jillian is turning eleven and more than anything she wants to go with her scientist parents to anther planet. She is an anxious girl, but upon meeting a nanite IA cloud that can become anything, she gets excited about the possibility of going exploring.
She is surprised when her parents decide to take her with them to a planet they have visited before--a safe planet. Then all hell breaks loose and Jillian and her AI must save her parents and herself to get off this planet filled with parasitic worms.
What a fun ride this one was!
December 13, 2021
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book from Tachyon.
I am learning to love middle grade books. There is just something charming about them that I didn’t appreciate when I was the right age group for it. I can’t put my finger on it, so when I was offered a chance to read a sci-fi middle grade book I got excited. I am also learning to love sci-fi. Perfect chance.
The best and worst part of this book is SABRINA, the computer/robot/magic. I say magic, because SABRINA was so perfect and amazing it was like magic in the worst way. SABRINA managed to become so powerful that I never worried about anything working out perfectly. It was the reason I don’t like magic in my books, it takes away all the thrill. At least SABRINA had exactly 1219 jokes that were all funny, don’t mind the human scientist who says otherwise. So I both loved and hated SABRINA. It was the comic relief and it was the downfall of the story.
The plot was very much eleven year old survives against all odds in a situation that adults would have died in. So many times books do this there is no reason why the kid is in that situation or would be able to handle any of it, in this case it actually made sense. Kornher-Stace made the set-up brilliantly. The parents were accounted for, the knowledge that Jillian had made sense for her to have, and the world was advanced enough that things seemed mostly plausible.
The book wasn’t just thrills (as much as thrills could be had when I was convinced the robot was magic), it had some really cool mental health rep. Jillian had wanted to go into space her whole life, but the surprised of actually going to space was too much. It made her panic. Her anxiety was known and was supported by her parents. I loved how anxiety was covered in a middle grade book. Seeing someone like Jillian save the day while still being anxious was fantastic.
Overall, it was a dorky and fun read. I was not the best audience for it because of SABRINA, but if you like magic or sci-fi that is all about the adventure then this is for you.
I got an ARC of this book from Tachyon.
I am learning to love middle grade books. There is just something charming about them that I didn’t appreciate when I was the right age group for it. I can’t put my finger on it, so when I was offered a chance to read a sci-fi middle grade book I got excited. I am also learning to love sci-fi. Perfect chance.
The best and worst part of this book is SABRINA, the computer/robot/magic. I say magic, because SABRINA was so perfect and amazing it was like magic in the worst way. SABRINA managed to become so powerful that I never worried about anything working out perfectly. It was the reason I don’t like magic in my books, it takes away all the thrill. At least SABRINA had exactly 1219 jokes that were all funny, don’t mind the human scientist who says otherwise. So I both loved and hated SABRINA. It was the comic relief and it was the downfall of the story.
The plot was very much eleven year old survives against all odds in a situation that adults would have died in. So many times books do this there is no reason why the kid is in that situation or would be able to handle any of it, in this case it actually made sense. Kornher-Stace made the set-up brilliantly. The parents were accounted for, the knowledge that Jillian had made sense for her to have, and the world was advanced enough that things seemed mostly plausible.
The book wasn’t just thrills (as much as thrills could be had when I was convinced the robot was magic), it had some really cool mental health rep. Jillian had wanted to go into space her whole life, but the surprised of actually going to space was too much. It made her panic. Her anxiety was known and was supported by her parents. I loved how anxiety was covered in a middle grade book. Seeing someone like Jillian save the day while still being anxious was fantastic.
Overall, it was a dorky and fun read. I was not the best audience for it because of SABRINA, but if you like magic or sci-fi that is all about the adventure then this is for you.
August 6, 2021
Lo que más ansía Jillian es ir al espacio y conocer nuevos mundos. Pero cuando sus padres le ofrecen la oportunidad de explorar otro planeta, la ansiedad se apodera de su mente: ¿es seguro ir? ¿Y si pasa algo? ¿Y si ella no está hecha para ser exploradora? Pero sus padres le aseguran que todo irá bien y, al fin, Jillian atraviesa el portal a otro mundo con su madre, su padre y SABRINA, la inteligencia artificial que les ayudará en la expedición.
Y entonces les ataca una horda de gusanos de baba ácida.
Los peores miedos de Jillian se hacen realidad: sus padres acaban malheridos y ella debe sobrevivir y cuidar de ellos en un planeta extraño sin agua ni comida durante una semana.
¿Lo conseguirá o dejará que la ansiedad la domine?
Así arranca Jillian vs Parasite Planet, de Nicole Kornher-Stace, una novela middle-grade que Tachyon publicó hace unas semanas. Prometía aventuras y tensión, y en ese sentido no defrauda. Pero lo que a mí me llamó la atención fue el personaje de Jillian y la representación de la ansiedad en niñes. Comenta la autora que se basó en el caso de su hijo, que también sufre de ansiedad. Quería enseñarle que, con ansiedad y todo, es posible vivir una aventura.
Además, si os molan las inteligencias artificiales, debéis conocer a SABRINA y que os cuente uno de sus chistes malos.
¿Qué encontraréis en Jillian vs Parasite Planet, de Nicole Kornher-Stace?
-Una buena representación de la ansiedad
-Una aventura en otro planeta, protagonizada por una niña de 11 años
-Una IA muy curiosa y semiautónoma a la que le gusta contar chistes
-Bichos y parásitos y fauna extraña
-¡No muere ningún progenitor!
-Un mensaje ecologista que nos insta a actuar ya para no acabar definitivamente con nuestro planeta
-Unas ilustraciones muy chulas
Y entonces les ataca una horda de gusanos de baba ácida.
Los peores miedos de Jillian se hacen realidad: sus padres acaban malheridos y ella debe sobrevivir y cuidar de ellos en un planeta extraño sin agua ni comida durante una semana.
¿Lo conseguirá o dejará que la ansiedad la domine?
Así arranca Jillian vs Parasite Planet, de Nicole Kornher-Stace, una novela middle-grade que Tachyon publicó hace unas semanas. Prometía aventuras y tensión, y en ese sentido no defrauda. Pero lo que a mí me llamó la atención fue el personaje de Jillian y la representación de la ansiedad en niñes. Comenta la autora que se basó en el caso de su hijo, que también sufre de ansiedad. Quería enseñarle que, con ansiedad y todo, es posible vivir una aventura.
Además, si os molan las inteligencias artificiales, debéis conocer a SABRINA y que os cuente uno de sus chistes malos.
¿Qué encontraréis en Jillian vs Parasite Planet, de Nicole Kornher-Stace?
-Una buena representación de la ansiedad
-Una aventura en otro planeta, protagonizada por una niña de 11 años
-Una IA muy curiosa y semiautónoma a la que le gusta contar chistes
-Bichos y parásitos y fauna extraña
-¡No muere ningún progenitor!
-Un mensaje ecologista que nos insta a actuar ya para no acabar definitivamente con nuestro planeta
-Unas ilustraciones muy chulas
October 12, 2021
This is a middle grade novel that I would've been thrilled to read when I was younger but am equally as delighted to have read at 33 years old. Middle grade novels can really shine with having simple premises - it's take your kid to work day, and Jillian's parents just happen to work at a lab capable of interstellar travel! - without sacrificing the complicated emotional depth of being a human at any age. In Jillian's case, she's 11 years old and has anxiety, which almost stops her from going on a week-long trip to a different planet with her parents. When the planet they go to is suddenly absolutely not safe at all, Jillian has to step up in courageous and scary ways to ensure her and her parents' survival while they wait the long week for their portal home to arrive.
The planet itself is strange, beautiful, and wonderfully alien. Nicole Kornher-Stace's worldbuilding is top notch and provided just enough normal Earth stuff to make her descriptions tangible without sacrificing the oddities of a different planet. I enjoyed the illustrations a lot, especially ones involving SABRINA, the nanobot swarm that is Jillian's companion for most of the book, that loves jokes, pranks, and card tricks.
I loved Jillian; she's curious, thoughtful, caring, and extremely brave in the face of danger. I also suffer from anxiety and saw a reflection of my anxious thoughts in Jillian's internal monologues and feel like I can take away some valuable lessons from her.
The planet itself is strange, beautiful, and wonderfully alien. Nicole Kornher-Stace's worldbuilding is top notch and provided just enough normal Earth stuff to make her descriptions tangible without sacrificing the oddities of a different planet. I enjoyed the illustrations a lot, especially ones involving SABRINA, the nanobot swarm that is Jillian's companion for most of the book, that loves jokes, pranks, and card tricks.
I loved Jillian; she's curious, thoughtful, caring, and extremely brave in the face of danger. I also suffer from anxiety and saw a reflection of my anxious thoughts in Jillian's internal monologues and feel like I can take away some valuable lessons from her.
March 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It was a dramatic and interesting story. It is appropriate for elementary aged students, and I think many kids will like it because it is very entertaining. This is a story about Jillian and her quest to save her parents. Jillian is a little girl who lives on Earth. Her parents brought to the Parasite Planet on take your kid to work day because they work there. While there, she finds her parents nearly dead near a pod and sees Sabrina, a robot using herself as a Band-Aid on her parents. Jillian discovers that the parasites are responsible for her parents’ injuries, so she and Sabrina go on an adventure in an attempt to save her parents! My favorite part was the battle because I want to be a famous warrior when I grow up! My favorite character was Sabrina because she was a shape shifter! Be sure to read this book for a fun space adventure!
Review by Brendan G, 6, Delaware Valley Mensa
Review by Brendan G, 6, Delaware Valley Mensa
June 21, 2022
I’m not always huge on juvenile fiction, but I love Nicole Kornher-Stace, so I had to read it anyway. And yeah, for the first chapter or two I was kind of zoned out, but then, whoa! It got real good, like I should have known it would! Jillian is a super relatable character, and SABRINA super grew on me. And just…there’s a lot of fun stuff going on here—space exploration and alien biology and survival and a snarky AI… I kind of hope we get to see more of Jillian and SABRINA down the line!
Anyway, recommended if you like juvenile sci-fi, characters dealing with anxiety, survival stories, snarky AIs and parasites.
Anyway, recommended if you like juvenile sci-fi, characters dealing with anxiety, survival stories, snarky AIs and parasites.
December 7, 2021
Rattling Good Story!
I'm way, way past 'middle grade' and even middle age ... I loved it! The setting, the characters - and the accurate biological insight into the weird abilities of parasites to influence the behavior of their hosts. My grandson, who is approx middle grade but not normally an enthusiastic reader, insisted on taking it home with him. As soon as he'd finished JvPP, he started on the sequel (Firebreak) even though that's rated adult - it's become his read of the month.
I'm way, way past 'middle grade' and even middle age ... I loved it! The setting, the characters - and the accurate biological insight into the weird abilities of parasites to influence the behavior of their hosts. My grandson, who is approx middle grade but not normally an enthusiastic reader, insisted on taking it home with him. As soon as he'd finished JvPP, he started on the sequel (Firebreak) even though that's rated adult - it's become his read of the month.
November 2, 2021
This book is pretty much what it says on the tin. It's about Jillian, an anxious 11-year-old girl who goes to space with her parents to a planet that is infested with parasites. I really enjoyed this book, though I probably would have been really freaked out by some parts of it if I had read it in middle school.
4.5/5
4.5/5
June 25, 2022
"Jillian vs Parasite Planet" is a fun middle grade adventure. Jillian's parents take her to work...on a different planet. It was supposed to be a safe, routine trip, but things go wrong quickly. Jillian and a perky shape-shifting AI have to handle the crisis. It was an entertaining and gripping story.
January 18, 2023
I'm not a fan of YA or kids' books in general, although there are exceptions, so saying I liked this is like a 5-star from someone who enjoys the genre.
This is a very enjoyable story, told from the viewpoint of a very believable teen. And I LOVED Sabrina. Well worth reading, even if YA isn't your normal thing.
This is a very enjoyable story, told from the viewpoint of a very believable teen. And I LOVED Sabrina. Well worth reading, even if YA isn't your normal thing.
January 29, 2023
I would've adored this book when I was younger, and I still enjoyed it so much now as an adult. It's so much fun!! It's a shame it hasn't become popular enough to get translated into Swedish, because I know the kids at my mum's school would've loved it.
Also, I wish SABRINA was real, because I very much would've liked to be friends with her. I would love to read more stories about her!
Also, I wish SABRINA was real, because I very much would've liked to be friends with her. I would love to read more stories about her!
Read
April 28, 2026i didn't have a bad time but also there was very little tension, which was surprising given how inherently tension-filled many of the situations that jillian is in are (or should be). so most of the time i felt... not confused, really, but wrong-footed.
August 2, 2021
What a great kid book about space, adventure, robots, and survival! I'm looking forward to reading Kornher-Stace's teen & adults books next.
August 3, 2021
That cover and title are silly and deceptive. I can't call this book "serious", but it's a fun adventure perfect for middle schoolers.
October 20, 2021
Fun for middle grades, okay for adults. Loosely linked with the author's other books IMO but you don't need to read them to read this. Sabrina the polymorphous AI is fun.
February 10, 2022
Gross and excellent! Would love to see this as a movie. 💚
September 11, 2024
This book fucking RULES
November 28, 2021
This is a solid middle great novel. It's hard to find good sci fi written for this age group, and the main character has a unique voice. I particularly appreciated the way her anxiety is handled.
August 23, 2021
If you are:
A parent
A grandparent
A cool aunt/uncle/etc.
A babysitter
A teacher/educator
A librarian
Someone with young siblings
An adult with anxiety who's always loved to read and rarely saw themself portrayed accurately in fiction
YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS BOOK. Full stop, no question, go get it right now.
I have loved to read ever since I was a kid. I vividly remember checking out stacks of 12+ books and assuring the librarian that I would, in fact, read them all. My love of sci-fi started early, too, thanks to my dad, who insisted upon exposing me to things like star wars and so on at a preeeetty early age (to my mom's chagrin). I also have chronic, debilitating anxiety, which I wasn't diagnosed with until I was a teenager but has absolutely lived in my brain for much longer than that.
This book, had I had it when I was younger, would have been my favorite thing ever. Heck, I am almost thirty (yikes) and it is STILL one of my favorite things ever, and definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Nicole Kornher-Stace has once again created a story that hits all my buttons (space travel! average MC thrown into a chaotic adventure they have to Do Their Best to get through! Genre-savvy humor! [Spoiler] Creepy parasitic infections that don't end up killing everybody!! A sentient array of nanobots!!! I absolutely could go on) and, beyond that, written chronic anxiety in a way I don't think I have EVER seen in fiction (certainly not in kidlit) but that resonates extremely intensely with me. I was (am??) the kid who couldn't shut up. The kid who catastrophized constantly and needed desperately to be understood. Jillian and I present anxiety a little differently, but the feelings are all the same and very there and this representation is so so so so important.
This is a riveting, intriguing, wholesome thriller of a book with so very much heart, and I am so happy to have it in my life. I wish I was still in the elementary education field solely for the purpose of recommending this book to every kid and teacher I knew. As it is, I will absolutely be yelling about it to everyone I know with kids in their lives, and every grown-up chronic bookworm I know, too.
A parent
A grandparent
A cool aunt/uncle/etc.
A babysitter
A teacher/educator
A librarian
Someone with young siblings
An adult with anxiety who's always loved to read and rarely saw themself portrayed accurately in fiction
YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS BOOK. Full stop, no question, go get it right now.
I have loved to read ever since I was a kid. I vividly remember checking out stacks of 12+ books and assuring the librarian that I would, in fact, read them all. My love of sci-fi started early, too, thanks to my dad, who insisted upon exposing me to things like star wars and so on at a preeeetty early age (to my mom's chagrin). I also have chronic, debilitating anxiety, which I wasn't diagnosed with until I was a teenager but has absolutely lived in my brain for much longer than that.
This book, had I had it when I was younger, would have been my favorite thing ever. Heck, I am almost thirty (yikes) and it is STILL one of my favorite things ever, and definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Nicole Kornher-Stace has once again created a story that hits all my buttons (space travel! average MC thrown into a chaotic adventure they have to Do Their Best to get through! Genre-savvy humor! [Spoiler] Creepy parasitic infections that don't end up killing everybody!! A sentient array of nanobots!!! I absolutely could go on) and, beyond that, written chronic anxiety in a way I don't think I have EVER seen in fiction (certainly not in kidlit) but that resonates extremely intensely with me. I was (am??) the kid who couldn't shut up. The kid who catastrophized constantly and needed desperately to be understood. Jillian and I present anxiety a little differently, but the feelings are all the same and very there and this representation is so so so so important.
This is a riveting, intriguing, wholesome thriller of a book with so very much heart, and I am so happy to have it in my life. I wish I was still in the elementary education field solely for the purpose of recommending this book to every kid and teacher I knew. As it is, I will absolutely be yelling about it to everyone I know with kids in their lives, and every grown-up chronic bookworm I know, too.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews