Skybreaker [Library]

The pacing, characterization and storyline in this series are all excellent and my son and I enjoy them immensely, but I am disappointed at the gratuitous glorification of drinking and smoking. The main characters drink regularly, even though Matt is underage. In one scene, Kate, who is clearly an inexperienced and unskilled pilot, drinks a glass of champagne at lunch and then flies, stating that she is 'very responsible' for limiting her intake to one glass. Real pilots have to wait 8 hours bottle to throttle.

In another scene, Matt and Kate give in to peer pressure and try smoking cigars, with Kate claiming she likes it, and another character is admired for her proficiency at smoking.

Neither scene is pivotal to the story, and their positive portrayal of these high-risk activities makes this book inappropriate for the target age group, which is a crying shame, because they are fabulous in every other way.

I first read this book a few years ago, reading it now I realize it is even better than I remembered it being! I loved the characters, the plot and the setting. What more could you ask for?! Kenneth Oppel has written another extraordinary masterpiece!

Matt Cruise and Kate DeVries are back and this time there after the treasure on the legendary 'ghost' ship "Hyperion" and all sorts of complications arise after it is publicaly known that Matt is the only person in the world who has the coordinates for the ship. Matt and Kate's relationship is also tried as they deal with the stress of the hunt and find themselves each falling for different people. They're going to have to decide whether love, money, or fame is the most important to them.

When I read 'Airborn', I LOVED it. This book is even better if that is possible. Since ground work for the characters and their world is well laid in 'Airborn', Kenneth Oppel wastes no time catching the read up to par in this page turner! The adventure takes off immediately, soaring till the end, leaving the reader to catch his breath. Congratulation to Kenneth Oppel for creating such a wonderful series! Packed with adventure, yet well ground and full-fleshed out characters, his awards are well-deserved.

Amazing book....always keeps you interested no matter what part you're at.