Hullmetal Girls

Gr 7 Up—For 300 years, seven tiers of starships have unceasingly searched space for a habitable planet. Earth is no longer an option. Religious Aisha Un-Haad, 17, born on a lower ranking tier and Key Tanaka, 18, from the highest tier, both undergo surgery to become Scela—soldiers infused with powerful metal- and fiber-laced exos. Parentless Aisha chooses to have the procedure to help save her plague-infected baby brother and prevent her little sister from slaving away in the dangerous dyeworks. Key awakens from the irreversible surgery with holes in her memory and haunted by a blond boy she can't remember. Woojin Lih, another member of the squad, chose to become Scela over jail, but his exo's experiencing glitches and Praava Ganes needs the Scela salary to help fund her scientist sister's important medical research. The four teens work for the ruling General Body who is trying to keep the rebel Fractionists from taking over. When Aisha discovers a shocking truth about her aunt, who's taking care of Aisha's siblings, she's forced to keep quiet to ensure their safety. Told in alternating chapters by Aisha and Key, this exciting standalone is full of shifting allegiances; but the world-building and characters, especially the secondary ones, aren't well developed.