Dangerous by Shannon Hale (review)

Danger is literally her middle name, but Maisie, a quiet-living homebody, has never lived up to it until she wins a spot at astronaut training camp. Camp turns out to be much more sinister than expected: suddenly alien technology is coursing through her body, and her pals begin dying off at an alarming rate as their bodies struggle to accept the enhancements the alien nanites bring. Maisie, however, seems to be coasting along fine with her new brilliance, her exciting new romance, and, if she can manage to stay alive and hang onto the alien tokens that hold the abilities, the new role she can play in the world with her powers. There are few truly good or evil folks in this novel, as everyone seems driven by multiple, intricately layered motives. Not much is made of the fact that Maisie only has one arm, other than through descriptions of the alien-supercharged robotic arm she makes for herself, and the absence of earnest efforts at proving Maisie is like the others is refreshing. Hale fans will easily find much to appreciate in the well-developed setting and sturdy girl characters in this new genre for the author.