{"product_id":"val-vega-ben-francisco-9798989270903","title":"Val Vega: Secret Ambassador of Earth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"A captivating, heartfelt tale about family, diplomacy, and finding one's place in the universe.\" - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVal Vega figured that in her junior year of high school, all she'd have to worry about was getting a decent score on the SATs, captaining the softball team, and figuring out her unrequited crush on her cute nonbinary bestie. Then Val discovers a family secret she never expected: her t? Umberto is Earth's ambassador to an interstellar council of planets, and his unexpected death installs Val as his successor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo Galactic empires are on the brink of war, and only Val can salvage interstellar peace. She has to hammer out treaties with giant jellyfish-shaped aliens that float like zeppelins, gets abducted by underground insurgents, and has to navigate the divisions of a colonized planet where telepathy puts every thought and every conflict out in the open. Her impossible task is even harder since Earth is known across the Galaxy as a violent, self-destructive backwater planet with intolerable humidity. Worse, she learns her uncle's death was no accident - he was assassinated, and the prime suspects are the three aliens Val trusted as her uncle's allies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOut of her depth and with the weight of two worlds on her shoulders, Val must solve her uncle's murder and bring peace to the Galaxy-all while helping her grieving family, managing the dramas of her friends, and getting a passing grade in trig.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBen Francisco's debut novel is a Latinx space adventure populated by diverse humans and aliens who break the binaries of Earth and the Galaxy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ben Francisco\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798989270903\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Aventura Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/05\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 356\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.99lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.79d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/15\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePW Booklife Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/22\/2024","brand":"Ben Francisco","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44790518546687,"sku":"9798989270903","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5cf424a5-3d33-4c47-a8e5-1c742c18747b.jpg?v=1707289177","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/val-vega-ben-francisco-9798989270903","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}