middlegrade/teen graphic novel with Asian protagonist - fitting in at new school/elite space academy; adventure and friendship

surprisingly (and pleasantly) more complex than I thought this would be. Enjoyed it and would like to see more. ( )

Sooooo boooooring. Opening the cover, I thought I'd be able to read this sci fi kids book about the first earth boy at a galactic ranger boarding school full of aliens in less than 45 minutes. But it took me twice that time to pull myself through the many dull captions about Benson Chow's many dull days dealing with bullies, discrimination, administrative indifference, and depression. Pirates eventually show up, but way too late to matter.

I was surprised to find that growing up on a farm is akin to a super power in space, what with all the incredibly applicable animal husbandry knowledge and the sage advice farmer dads are constantly dropping. I guess I grew up on the wrong farm, 'cuz all I got are a couple small scars from temperamental cows and a father who had a drinking problem and died prematurely from all the stress brought on by the fickleness of the weather and corn futures.

The art is okay, but the coloring is in weirdly flat pastels that looked murky and kept anything from popping off the page even during action scenes. ( )