Pentapod reviewed Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Review of 'Airborn' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Oh my gosh, how is this book 15 years old and I'd never come across it till now? Okay sure, it's a Young Adult book but so are many other fun reads like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games and that never stopped me before. I'd have loved this book as a young teen. I still really enjoyed it.
If you like Treasure Island and Jules Verne type exploration and a slightly steampunk feel to an alternate Victorian-ish Earth where there are airships that fly with Hydrium (a lighter-than-helium element) then let me assure you, you'll enjoy this book. Our Hero Matt Cruse the cabin boy (think Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island) on board the airship Aurora working hard and hoping to captain his own airship one day, crosses paths with rich and very determined heiress Kate de Vries, on the Aurora determined to learn more about how her grandfather …
Oh my gosh, how is this book 15 years old and I'd never come across it till now? Okay sure, it's a Young Adult book but so are many other fun reads like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games and that never stopped me before. I'd have loved this book as a young teen. I still really enjoyed it.
If you like Treasure Island and Jules Verne type exploration and a slightly steampunk feel to an alternate Victorian-ish Earth where there are airships that fly with Hydrium (a lighter-than-helium element) then let me assure you, you'll enjoy this book. Our Hero Matt Cruse the cabin boy (think Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island) on board the airship Aurora working hard and hoping to captain his own airship one day, crosses paths with rich and very determined heiress Kate de Vries, on the Aurora determined to learn more about how her grandfather died while exploring the air (think: Disney's portrayal of Jane from the Tarzan movie). But while the Aurora is underway it's attacked by pirates and things go to hell from there, leaving it up to Matt and Kate to save the ship and the day of course... a swashbuckling YA adventure that was a lot of fun, and two sequels to follow up on next!