The message of the book seems to be that true heroism consists in sacrificing oneself for others–and that is a beautiful message! However, the message quickly becomes somewhat muddled. When the main thread is picked up once more, it only gets stranger–the aliens seem to be coercing Zita to help them, even though she already agreed to do so. At what point did the truth come out? We gloss right over that to carry on with Zita’s minor exploits. This is immediately confusing because the previous book ended with everyone seemingly convinced Zita’s friend Joseph was the true hero–at least, they wanted him to be king and never asked for Zita to rule them. The main plot revolves around a group of aliens who wish Zita to visit their world to protect it from an imminent attack from a group of Star Hearts, since they have heard how she saved a different planet from a meteor. If one is also reading for plot, however, the experience may be a little more disappointing. The parade of bizarre aliens and the chase scenes through distant worlds begin to overshadow the story and that is all right if one simply desires to marvel at the artwork. The characters are likable, the action fast, and the message laudable, but sometimes it all seems too much. Legends of Zita the Spacegirl picks up an unspecified amount of time after the events of the first book, Zita the Spacegirl, and its glossing over of the details represents the core problem of this installment–too much seems unexplained.

But the robot enjoys being a hero and, when Zita returns, decides to take over Zita’s life for good. The discovery of a robot who can mimic her appearance seems the perfect opportunity for her to escape all the attention while the robot signs autographs in her place. Legends of Zita the Spacegirl is one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Children's Books of 2012.Zita wants nothing more than to return home, but her reputation as the girl who saved a planet from destruction has preceded her throughout the galaxy and she cannot set foot anywhere without being mobbed by fans. Still, if anyone can find their way through this intractible mess of mistaken identity and alien invaders, it's the indomitable Zita, in Legends of Zita the Spacegirl. And who can you trust when your true self is being eclipsed by your public persona, and you've got a robot doppelganger wreaking havoc. Zita's exploits from her first adventure have made her an intergalactic megastar! But she's about to find out that fame doesn't come without a price. But things are never simple, and certainly never easy, in space. Zita is determined to find her way home to earth, following the events of the first book. Ben Hatke brings back our intrepid space heroine for another delightful sci-fi/fantasy adventure.

Legends of zita the spacegirl series