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Starclimber: Adventure, Romance, and Terror Beyond the Bounds of Gravity
Summary
Matt Cruse is back in the phenomenal third volume in Kenneth Oppel's best-selling, award-winning series - and this time he's heading for outer space.
Airborn and Skybreaker, the first two books in the series, have been among our best-selling and most-honored titles, and we think you'll find this one just as thrilling - if not more so.
Featuring an international cast of larger-than-life characters, this is adventure fiction at its finest.
©2009 Kenneth Oppel (P)2010 Full Cast Audio
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Reviews
My Teacher Fried My Brains continues the story begun in My Teacher Is an Alien, following Duncan Dougal as he (and the rest of Kennituck Falls) deals with the aftermath of the revelation that the alien Broxholm had been impersonating a substitute teacher in the local school, and that Peter Thompson had left with the alien.While the viewpoint character in My Teacher Is an Alien was Susan Simmons, in My Teacher Fried My Brains the viewpoint character is Duncan Dougal, who had been a secondary character in the previous book. Duncan had been established as a dim-witted bully who, in the previous book, had spent most of his time pushing Peter around. In this book, Duncan is revealed as a sad child, pushed around by his brother and abused by his father (it is common in Coville books that childhood bullies turn out to be sad children beset with problems for whom the only way to express their sorrow is to lash out at others). While he still believes himself to be fairly stupid, part of his ignorance is explained by his family's disdain for education and learning. In fact, through much of the book Duncan proves to be fairly astute, even before his brains are fried.The story of the book revolves around Duncan's suspicions that one of the new teachers at his junior high school is another alien, reinforced by his discovery of a human like "glove" similar to the disguise that had been used by Broxholm to disguise his alien features. After getting in trouble with some typically juvenile delinquent behavior, Duncan narrows his search down to four teachers, finally focusing on the new science teacher. This conclusion is reinforced when he participates in an in-class demonstration of static electricity that he comes to believe has made him smarter. Later, when he tries to make himself even smarter by sneaking into the science classroom after school hours, he discovers an alien creature in the classroom refrigerator that seems to confirm his suspicions.Eventually, the alien is revealed as is the alien's plot concerning Duncan and the machine used to make him smarter. This is more or less merely a vehicle for Coville to work into the book his argument that humanity is fundamentally inhumane. Duncan's previous behavior, bullying and crude, is contrasted with his nicer, more thoughtful behavior after h has been made smarter. Duncan is also alerted to the fact that the Interplanetary Council (an organization all the alien races of the galaxy belong to) is concerned by the violence and nastiness of humans and is considering what steps to take to neutralize the threat humans pose.Coville's thesis may be true, but I have some serious problems with some of the elements of the book. The most glaring is the idea that when Duncan becomes smarter, her also becomes nicer and more humane. One only has to think back on human history to realize that being more intelligent does not seem to correlate in any significant way with being nice. I also think that the way the alien treats Duncan - performing experiments on him without his knowledge, kidnapping and then imprisoning him to use his brain as a communications device - seems to pretty much destroy any claim the Interplanetary Council may have to the moral high ground. Coville's theme, that humans are bad and the aliens are more moral and kind, seems to depend on the idea that whatever bad things the aliens do is justified by circumstance (this is not the first time in the series that an ostensibly non-evil alien has kidnapped and imprisoned an innocent human to further their goals). This sort of moral inconsistency simply saps away some of the message that the books are trying to convey.In the end, some dubious assumptions about human nature and some plot inconsistencies regarding the moral nature of the aliens mar an otherwise fun little book about kids dealing with alien teachers. While My Teacher Fried My Brains has flaws that undermine the message of the story, it remains at the very least a decent book for younger readers.
Last year, Duncan Dougal was a minor player in his sixth grade class's struggle to save their town from the alien who was masquerading as a teacher at their school. Now he's in seventh grade, hoping to turn over a new leaf and be a better, or at least less troublesome, student in his junior high, with new teachers.
Unfortunately, he's really not good at this whole "get to class on time, don't provoke the teachers, and do the assignments," thing.
Also, there's an alien teacher at the junior high, too. And since Duncan creates conflict with everyone, he's on his own in dealing with a problem everyone else wants to believe is over.
Duncan is a nicer kid than he wants to think he is, and his best efforts can't keep him from being really taken with his alien teacher's alien, slug-like pet. He also can't stop himself from doing the right thing when it's up to him to save the world.
It's a fun, and funny, sf adventure for younger readers.
It was originally published in 1991, so the tech is only slightly more advanced than when I was in junior high, but that doesn't slow things down.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
Unfortunately, he's really not good at this whole "get to class on time, don't provoke the teachers, and do the assignments," thing.
Also, there's an alien teacher at the junior high, too. And since Duncan creates conflict with everyone, he's on his own in dealing with a problem everyone else wants to believe is over.
Duncan is a nicer kid than he wants to think he is, and his best efforts can't keep him from being really taken with his alien teacher's alien, slug-like pet. He also can't stop himself from doing the right thing when it's up to him to save the world.
It's a fun, and funny, sf adventure for younger readers.
It was originally published in 1991, so the tech is only slightly more advanced than when I was in junior high, but that doesn't slow things down.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
I was going to do 4 stars but then I thought, no. This book is too good for four. It being the third in the series my expectations were already set high and Oppel delivered. Beautiful characters, amazing action, witty and above all set in an imaginative and original world. Lovely, just lovely.
Starclimber is the third book in the series that began with Airborn and is the conclusion of the romance of Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries. Set in an alternate steampunk universe, the trilogy is told from Matt Cruse’s perspective and begins with Matt as a cabin boy aboard the transoceanic airship, the Aurora. The first story was an adventure tale of sky pirates, fantastic creatures who live in the clouds and a burgeoning romance between the young Matt and the headstrong Kate. Each subsequent novel takes our protagonists higher than the prior. Skyclimber takes Matt and Kate into the upper atmosphere as they attempt a salvage mission to retrieve gold and artifacts from a legendary high-altitude airship. Starclimber, the third novel, takes Matt and Kate into outer space via the space elevator, a concept that has been around since 1895 when first proposed by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and recently given greater currency when the Obayahsi Corporation of Japan announced that they were working on plans for just such a structure. The characters in Kenneth Oppel’s series are well drawn and the story is engaging and thrilling. My only complaint is a tendency to red-shirt minor characters to emphasize the danger facing the protagonists. Matt’s feelings for Kate, the self-doubt, the jealousies, breath a life into the novel that makes each of the books a satisfying read.
"From Earth, from this very terrace, the view of the stars was wondrous enough. Imagine how much more you could see thousands of miles beyond it..."Third in the Airborn series! Matt Cruse and Kate DeVries are back, this time aiming for outer space. In their alternate world, the ship they will take is called the Starclimber -- literally the ship that will climb a thin wire into space. The wire is anchored far below the surface of the Earth, and the other in is attached to a rocket, shot into geosynchronous orbit so that the wire will stay taut enough for the ship to climb it. Terrorists are working to sabotage the project, and the crew includes a crazy photographer with a monkey, a cantankerous old zoologist who doesn't believe in life outside of Earth, and a selfish, overconfident pilot. Kate also had to get engaged to some high society boy so that her parents would allow her on board -- something that doesn't sit well with Matt AT ALL. Lots of action and interesting twists on what we know about space and space travel! 6th grade and up.
A wonderful sequel that furthers the adventures (and relationship) of Matt Cruise and Kate de Vries as this time they set their sights further up. This time to outer space.
This is a science fiction book. A book about the first trip into outer space. The canadian government has planned a mission to outer space. Guess who they choose to go, Matt Cruse. Kate also accompanies the voyage. On the way to outer space, Matt has to battle many mechanical failures, and aliens! This is book three in a short series.I really liked this book. I really like action and adventure books, so I particularly liked this one. I really liked the design of the spaceship. I mainly liked how it worked with rollers instead of what we use. I also like how the book kept surprising you and never got boring. I recomend this book to anyone and everyone. I rate this as my top favorite book I've read this school year.
I love this series. But in this third book, I was so put off by Kate's behaviour that it really prevented me from fully enjoying the story. Instead of being the strong, forthright person I remembered, she was sneaky and resorted to lying constantly, and she was hardly more mature than the bearded scientists trying to squash her. Also, the plot seemed a little familiar - Kate and Matt voyage to a new frontier, discover new species, lose a companion, and escape certain by the skin of their teeth. I'm glad to leave these characters behind.I'd give this to fans of the series, but with a warning that it isn't as good as the first book.As usual, the Full Cast Audio production was splendid.
The best out of the series and a great way to close the trilogy, I loved the new concept of a space elevator and it was a extremely interesting book. GREAT!
Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries, our 2 promising heroes, had been offered an extraordinary opportunity: To represent Canada in becoming the first astralnauts that will reach space! However, the path to earning the golden ticket onto the spaceship is not an easy one, as Matt must pass through gruelling tests and dealing with the fact that his love, Kate, may leave him forever as her parents want her to marry a suitable man and "fit into society". Fortunately, Matt overcame these problems, and secured his spot on the ship, but somehow, adventure and danger always follows him as there were even more problems that could possibly make this journey the last that anyone onboard will ever have, for good! In my Opinion, this is a great book in a series that could easily rival the Harry Potter Series! The book's sci-fi element seems to be out-of-this-world as the technology seems to be impossible to replicate in the real world in millions of years! Although, that would be a personal taste thing as I like it to be as wacky and out-of-this-world as possible for I think that we wouldn't have what we have today if it wasn't for those wacky people in history that had an incredible amount of imagination! It is certainly a book that, along with a lot of the other science-fiction books out there, sparks my interest and makes me think of all the possibilities out there in the world, just waiting to be discovered and utilized for the greater good! This book is recommended for anyone around 12 yrs. old, but it would still be a good read for anyone beyond that age, for everyone can use a little fantasy-like science-fiction in their lives!Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a Canadian author. Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, he spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England and Ireland, and is the winner of several literary awards including the 2004 Governor General's Literary Award for English language children's literature.
When Matt Cruse is invited the take the elevator to outer space, he is thrilled, for it is back at his home town, Lionsgate City. While they were there, Matt, and his girlfriend Kate de Vries, had finally met their challenges. Matt is a average, not really rich person, while Kate was born from a rich family. Will the parents of Kate change their mind? You'll have to read STARCLIMBER yourself. As I was saying, the elevator the outerspace is no other than the STARCLIMBER, hung to outer space by a thin cord... They experienced life and death on the STARCLIMBER, and one individual got sacrificed, for the cord snapped and fell back to earth. Will things change after they get back? READ!!!In my opinion, STARCLIMBER is so far the most awesome book I've read. This sort of reminds me of the time when I learned about the first astronaut to outer space, Neil Armstrong, for he was also the first man in outer space. I would recommend this book for people ages 12-25, for it may be for teens to adults, in my opinion that is.I think that this book is mainly about space, and love, for most of the story they are in outer space, and Matt and Kate face some problems, but they still got through, which I'm very happy for them.Info About the AuthorKenneth Oppel is born August 31st, 1967, in British Colombia. He is also the author of the very famous Silverwing, Sunwing, and Firewing, Darkwing. STARCLIMBER is the sequel to SKYBREAKER, which is the sequel to AIRBORN.
This book talks about a boy named Matt being an astronaut and going into outer space, but there was just one problem. The starclimber travels on a thin chord. The scientest thought the chord had all ready reached the other planet, but it still needed 5 more seconds until the chord reached it! Will they survive? Who will die?In my opinion, this book is really good and should be reccomened for teens like 13 -15 because the book isn't really that hard and it's really interresting! I love to read Kenneth Oppel books because i love adventure book with problems.
Matt Cruse is out of his element, in more ways than one. Whether he's trying to gain traction in the grueling astralnaut training program that will determine who will pilot the first vehicle into outer space, or attending posh garden parties to meet his sweetheart Kate's parents and society friends, Matt can't quite seem to fit in. And then comes the part of the story where he is very literally out of his element, as Matt goes on another of his wild adventures. But the ship in this one is a little bit different - it's an elevator to the stars.Airborn and Skybreaker, the first two books in Oppel's series, have at their heart Matt's passion for flying, and his skill and heroism when he is in the air. Removing Matt from the airships he loves so much and knows so well takes something away from the final book in the series. I missed the intense joy that Matt feels when he is flying - it is such a defining part of his character that he doesn't seem quite whole when he is out of the air. Matt is still a wonderful character, and his determination, resourcefulness, and desire to be good are still here in full force, but I couldn't help feeling there was something missing.By bringing Matt and Kate back to their home town, Oppel injects some unease into their usually sweet relationship. Some tensions that have been simmering underneath the surface during the first two books make their way to the surface, especially in regards to Matt's concerns about the class and economic differences that separate them. Kate is still vivacious and charming - and self-involved to an extreme. It is easy to see why Matt loves her, and also why he sometimes becomes so frustrated with her in this book. But the many twists and turns of their relationship make the end of the series that much more emotionally satisfying.Did this book reach the heights of Airborn and Skybreaker? I felt that it did not quite get there - but those were exceptional books. Starclimber still kept me awake until two in the morning on a work night - and I was more than willing to concede those hours of sleep to for conclusion of this exciting series.
I had been waiting so long for this book to come out, because I absolutely loved the first two ("Airborn" and "Skybreaker"). I was afraid that after already writing two novels on the subject, this third one may just seem like the author was dragging it out and adding needlessly onto the story.However, "Starclimber" does not disappoint. Complete with the same lifelike, memorable characters, the scientific/naturalist approach to research, and all of the exciting adventure, this book is an excellent addition to the series.Only a skilled writer such as Oppel could have shifted his setting from "sky ships" and deserted islands (the first two books more resembled Pirates of the Caribbean than true science fiction) to such a massively different world as outer space. The books lose none of their 18th Century, swashbuckling sailor feeling despite the dramatic change of scenery.As always, Oppel's writing compels the reader to continue. I could hardly put the book down at all. An amazing, exciting page-turner.
Space fever has gripped Europa. The French are building a space tower in Paris. And in North Americus, a Canadian consortium has even more ambitious plans. But not everyone is pleased. The Babelites find the whole idea blasphemous and are trying to stop the Tower. Airship officer-in-training Matt Cruse is recruited as one of the first astralnauts. Babelite plots, the rigors of training, and the dangers of space can't stop this plucky youth. But does budding scientist Kate De Vries share his vision of their future?A fun read, sequel to Airborn and Skybreaker.
Awesome. As good as the rest in the series. Funny. Exciting. Romantic. A had issues with the physics. Oppel is one of my favorite authors and this book does not disappoint. Reading it again with C.
This time around Matt and Kate are on a special mission for the Canadian government. The space race is on and Paris is supposedly winning but Canada has a secret plan and they've gathered together a crew which includes our two protagonists.This book is quite different from the previous two as it is mostly set in outer space rather than aboard an airship. The genre is also difficult to pinpoint as it is certainly science fiction but from a Victorian point of view, making it seem more fantasy. The world Matt and Kate live in is an alternate earth reality where society is similar to a mannered Victorian age yet they have a growing technology that it is very different from that developed on our Earth. It very much feels Jules Verne-ish.Again, I enjoyed the book. This series is superb. This book is not as dark as Oppel's others but there is death and taut suspense making this (as his other books) more appropriate for a YA audience. Oppel's vision of an alternate reality's version of outer space was incredibly intriguing. Well-written, a page turner and wonderful characters familiar and new. Especially Miss Karr and her pet monkey Haiku, who are a nod to the Canadian painter Emily Carr, and her monkey, Woo.The books in this series each has its own plot and can be read in any order but there is a relationship that develops throughout the books and mention of previous events so I do recommend reading them in order.I've read all of Oppel's YA novels now except his first two books which are stand alones. I will be going back to read them but can't wait to see what Oppel comes up with for his next new book.