Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star

Brenda Baltensperger is a playwright, a director of children’s
theatre, an editor of children’s fiction, and the author of Fractured
Fairy-tales.

Fifteen-year-old Kit is a street musician who dreams of becoming a rock
star but whose reality is that of survival. One stormy night Kit seeks
refuge in a flophouse run by Fat Sloan. On this particular night, Kit
shares a room with an alien Hydra named Rain, who really admires human
musicians and offers Kit his friendship.

Kit is rescued from a run-in with the Ice Boys by Quall, a talent scout
who persuades Kit that he can make him a rock star. True to his word,
Quall signs Kit to a contract and launches his career as Andy Nebular. A
young fan named Meta sneaks into Kit’s dressing room after a show and
ends up being transported, with Kit, to the next city on the concert
tour. Despite warnings about Quall’s infamous reputation, Kit is about
to sign for an extended tour on the Hydra’s planet when he discovers
that Quall is a dealer in Flash, a mind-altering drug he uses to control
his performers by addicting them to it. Meta and Kit escape, only to
find themselves stowed away on a ship headed for the Hydra planet. With
the help of Meta and Rain, Kit is rescued.

Kit’s life on the street and the temptations (and horrors) of the
drug scene bring an eye-opening dose of reality to this sci-fi novel.
Highly recommended.