Dragonfly Girl by Marti Leimbach (review)

Leimbach, Marti Dragonfly Girl. Tegen/HarperCollins, 2021 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780062995865 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780062995889 $8.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-10

Science-oriented high schooler Kira Adams has won an award that will take her to a conference in Sweden, despite the fact that she lacks the required PhD. With the help of the prestigious Dr. Munn, Kira is able to keep her award and the muchneeded prize money using a loophole in the rules, and she goes on to work for Mellin Institute, where Munn and other eccentric scientists make breakthrough discoveries, one of which she perfects: the resurrection the dead, performed on a rat. This attracts the attention of Munn's rivals, Russian scientists, who kidnap Kira and try to torture out her secrets. Leimbach imbues her story with a love of science, as Kira latches on to real scientific principles, discoveries, and fun facts in her quest to make an impact in the scientific world. Kira is the typical down-onher-luck protagonist, caring for her sick mother and fighting off a loan shark with prize money from science contests, and she's easy to root for as she tackles life's hurdles. Readers who can overlook that Kira's potential love interests are adults in their twenties while she is a minor and the absurdity of the Russian kidnapping plot will appreciate the unpredictability of the story that allows for satisfying plot twists that keep the pages turning, and the planned second book where Kira has to work for the Russians and report back to Munn is sure to be thrilling.