Eleven year old Bell has always lived on Mars along with four teenagers, six adults, and Leo the cat. America’s Mars settlement is a homey, largely self-sustaining underground settlement where the inhabitants share chores such as harvesting algae and learning more about Earth through digital reels and the memories of several of the adults. There are only a few rules in the settlement, the most important of which is a ban on contact with the inhabitants of the settlements of other countries. The arrival of a shipment of supplies from Earth is a cause for celebration, but soon the adults in the settlement begin getting deathly ill. As the mysterious sickness spreads, Bell and the teens begin to realize that they may have to break this “no contact” rule before it’s too late for all them. Dropping hints about what is happening on Earth, the author has written a science fiction story that is captivating and will appeal to even those readers who don’t believe they like that genre. One of the best of the season!