Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid

BEFORE TAKEOFF by Adi Alsaid (Let’s Get Lost) is a mind-bending story of a day (Alsaid calls it “my weird trip of a book”) at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Strange events (micro-climates like snow or a jungle inside the airport where all exits no longer function) are experienced by travelers including James, 16, and Michelle, 18, two strangers who develop a connection. Huge explosions, disappearing family members, and an earthquake are just a few of the often scary activities described by an omniscient narrator. Equally fascinating are the reflections on human nature as cooperative communities, a dance party, and looters or mobs form in various parts of the airport. While moving between gate areas, James and Michelle converse about sibling relationships (are there more who get along or more who don’t?); about becoming an adult (“The future is big and foggy. We’re always making plans that the world has no intention of letting us keep.”); about days that can change your life and finding joy while the fear presses in. Readers meet several other characters like Roger Sterlinger who regularly battles social anxiety and Rosa Velarde, a young TSA employee. BEFORE TAKEOFF contains elements of fantasy, romance, and mystery and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal (for grades 7 and up). Also by Adi Alsaid and on my TBR pile: We Didn’t Ask for This and Come on In (short story collection he edited).