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austengal's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sereia8's review against another edition
4.0
A patron at the library just asked me to create a booklist for teen boys and this one will definitely be on it.
calbowen's review against another edition
4.0
This is an enjoyable young adult read.
The story follows a cabin boy on an airship and his adventures involving a trans-ocean voyage, air pirates, and mysterious new creatures that take to the sky.
On the up side, being a young adult novel this is a fast read, and easy, without an overbearing of jargon outside of air nautical terms.
The downside for me was the overly British feel of the language and the first person point of view.
All of that aside, I feel that this is actually a fun read, and I could see this more as a Disney style movie than real life, because of the involvement of the mystical creature, though I know that they would do well with airships using CGI. This had a very Treasure Planet style vibe to it for me, and that is what made it fun.
4 out of 5 stars.
The story follows a cabin boy on an airship and his adventures involving a trans-ocean voyage, air pirates, and mysterious new creatures that take to the sky.
On the up side, being a young adult novel this is a fast read, and easy, without an overbearing of jargon outside of air nautical terms.
The downside for me was the overly British feel of the language and the first person point of view.
All of that aside, I feel that this is actually a fun read, and I could see this more as a Disney style movie than real life, because of the involvement of the mystical creature, though I know that they would do well with airships using CGI. This had a very Treasure Planet style vibe to it for me, and that is what made it fun.
4 out of 5 stars.
trin's review against another edition
3.0
Mystery box book #36!
Finished this one back in November but forgot to review. I also initially gave it four stars, but it has not sat particularly well with me so it's dropping down one. Essentially: this is an old-school adventure in the style of Treasure Island, but with zeppelins and dragons and one (1) female character. It's fine, and maybe especially fine if you are a twelve-year-old boy, but I don't think Oppel really adds much to the genre with his updates, and in fact, Stevenson makes more interesting character choices, in my mind, than Oppel does; in fact, Oppel seems to default to. Glad to have finally read this -- it had been on my TBR for forever -- but I won't be continuing with the series.
Finished this one back in November but forgot to review. I also initially gave it four stars, but it has not sat particularly well with me so it's dropping down one. Essentially: this is an old-school adventure in the style of Treasure Island, but with zeppelins and dragons and one (1) female character. It's fine, and maybe especially fine if you are a twelve-year-old boy, but I don't think Oppel really adds much to the genre with his updates, and in fact, Stevenson makes more interesting character choices, in my mind, than Oppel does; in fact, Oppel seems to default to
Spoiler
killing characters off rather than continuing to develop them or leaving things open to ambiguitylfsalden's review against another edition
4.0
Delicious! Fun! How much did I enjoy it? I'm reading the next one very eagerly! (also, "reading" = "listening to the fabulous Full Cast audio recording. Really well done.)
protoman21's review against another edition
5.0
The book started a little slow for me, but boy was it worth it once you got going! This is the perfect book for anyone who loves adventure and the thrill of a character experiencing new things while thwarting danger at every turn! The action isn't overdone though and the characters really shine through. Matt Cruse is a very relatable character and Kate is so bold and brave that it is hard not to fall in love with her. The two of them play off each other brilliantly and it was very easy to visualize their adventures on land and in the air. The nuances of the world they live in are so perfectly woven into the story that you forget that this world doesn't exist and that airships aren't out there transporting passengers and cargo through the sky outside. I eagerly await the second book in this series!
baileydb96's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
creolelitbelle's review against another edition
Steampunk may not be for me. The last one I read did not involve a flying ship but a flying school, and that worked well with my imagination. The descriptions in the beginning gave me a slight headache and confused me. The strange flying creatures with the flying ship threw me way off. I listened to almost an hour of the audiobook and decided to move onto something that would make more sense to me.
susan___'s review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
caitlinh311's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5