Otters in Space II: Jupiter, Deadly, by Mary E. Lowd

Review by Mamma Bear

After her initial adventure in Otter Space, Kipper just wants to go home... Unfortunately, she might have to save the galaxy first.

Jupiter, Deadly is the second book in the Otters in Space universe. It follows the continuing journey of an ordinary tabby cat with the extraordinary ability to find trouble. Kipper and her otter friends are dragged into a mysterious battle centered around Jupiter while, back on Earth, her family and her best dog pal Trudith are embroiled in a political campaign that could mean everything for the cats of Earth.

From page one, Kipper and Trudith have their work cut out for them. Kipper rushes to rescue a secret space cat colony from maybe the coolest alien invaders ever, and Trudith gets to deal with Kipper's siblings, their drama, and the confusing and convoluted world of politics, romance, and family dynamics.

Otters in Space II brought all the things I loved about the first book and made them even shinier. I found Kipper a great deal more likable as her arc continued to blossom, and the action/adventure element was dialed up to eleven in this one. The writing is sharp and simple enough for any audience, and the story is delightful from start to finish.

It is a multi-POV book, and in places the heads hop more than I'm used to, but the switches were done smoothly enough that after an initial pause, they didn't distract me or detract from the reading experience.  I found Jupiter, Deadly to be fun, playful, exciting, heartwarming, and very satisfying. My tiny quibble with the ending was that a few things that got summed up rather than experienced on the page, but Otters in Space II definitely left me wanting more. As soon as possible.

I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a good space romp, scifi, space opera, otters, and/or just a heartwarming  and fun family-friendly read.