Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel
Buy Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Victoria Guest
Summary: The third in the series for the 10+ age group, Starclimber follows Matt Cruse, an ambitious and brave boy-pilot, as he prepares to explore where no one has been before; outer space. An exciting book, full of suspense and intrigue, spaceships and love. It will keep you reading to the very last page.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 496	Date: May 2009
Publisher: Faber Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0571238392
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Starclimber follows the adventures of Matt Cruse, boy pilot, as he begins his summer break. He plans to spend his summer in Paris with his sort of girlfriend Kate de Vries, but his plans are quickly changed when he is offered a place on an astralnaut training programme in their Canadian home town. Starclimber is an exciting book, with Matt Cruse caught up in the whirlwind of the space race and experiencing love for the first time.

It's not all smooth sailing though, with Matt facing hardships in his training, and eventually on the expedition itself. The Babelites, a group of people opposed to space travel and who would do anything to stop it, provide much of the conflict within the book. We meet them in the explosive first chapter, when they try to take over the aerocrane commanded by Matt Cruse. This first chapter could be a short story; it is perfectly formed and high with tension and drama, but it also serves to introduce us to Matt, and show us he is brave and level headed under pressure, like a true hero.

Even though this is a children's book it does deal with some adult themes, such as class and women's rights. The character of Kate de Vries is the main vehicle for this. She is part of the suffragettes. She also feels she has to keep her relationship with Matt a secret from her family because they believe she should marry into a wealthy family with high status, at least level with her family, but preferably higher. It is clever writing; Oppel manages to teach history, and the difference between right and wrong, in such a subtle way, without preaching. His story is so strong that you can get lost in it, but he also makes you think.

The love story between Matt and Kate is something I enjoyed whilst reading Starclimber. I felt that this is a book aimed at a male readership, because of the action, guns and spaceships, and also because the main character is a male, although the love story added a little 'girly' factor for me, and meant I enjoyed the book more than I would have otherwise.

One thing I found slightly difficult was the fact that this is the third book in a series, and I hadn't read the previous books, Airborn and Skybreaker. Occasionally the book will refer to previous events, or character descriptions are skimmed over. I still enjoyed reading the book, and I don't think it is necessary to read the first two books, but I do think it helps.

I admire Kenneth Oppel's writing style. It's fluid and so easy to read, and his stories are action packed. Even though this is a long book for a children's book at 478 pages, the pages fly by. Also, Starclimber never fails to surprise. Many books for this age group follow a similar pattern, and usually it's easy to guess what will happen, but the unpredictability, and the suspense that comes with that, is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. Overall Starclimber is an exciting, action-packed read, and I would recommend it to anyone over ten. Even adults.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy Dusk by Kenneth Oppel or Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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