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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow start, but worth sticking with, October 9, 2004
Matt Cruse is a cabin boy aboard the giant airship Aurora, one of the many dirigibles that cruise the world, in this world-that-might-have-been. But, when he helps in the rescue of a runaway hot air balloon, he finds the dying pilot ranting about beautiful flying creatures. Little does Matt realize that this is the start of a grand adventure that will take him halfway around the world, up against storms and pirates, and on to the end of his rainbow!
My thirteen-year-old daughter gave me this book, and I must admit that I did not know what to expect. Now, the book does start out rather slow, and the first third might leave you wondering if this is really the book for you. But, don't give up on this book, its well worth your time!
I think it is correct to compare this book to the works of Robert Louis Stevenson; the author does an excellent job of creating an entirely new world, where airships cruise the skies and airplanes were never invented, where men wear top hats and women wear hats with feathers and flowers. I enjoyed the radical setting, the characters, and the plot which became quite gripping all the way to the end. So, if you are interested in an exciting read, one that harkens back to a different day and age, then this book is for you!
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Up and "Airborn", November 20, 2004
Kenneth Oppel, best known for writing about bats, seems to be channelling the spirit of Jules Verne in "Airborn," a wildly imaginative new fantasy book. Between mysterious flying beasts and pirate attacks, Oppel gives readers a glimpse of life aboard an airship... if airships, not planes, were the major way to travel.
Matt Cruse is on the crow's nest, as the "ship's eyes," when he catches a glimpse of a sinking airship. The dying balloonist dies shortly afterward -- but not before telling Matt about glorious winged creatures. Matt dismisses these as hallucinations -- but one year later, a routine cruise on the airship Aurora becomes something more when the dead man's granddaughter Kate arrives. Wealthy but treated like a nuisance, Kate is determined to find whatever her grandfather saw.
She shows Matt her grandfather's writings about these winged creatures, and Matt is slowly convinced that the old man wasn't just hallucinating. But their investigations are interrupted by a sudden pirate attack -- which leaves the Aurora sinking from a rip in its envelope. Soon the airship and her crew and passengers are stranded on a deserted island, which may hold the secret to Kate's winged beasts... but it also holds the pirates.
Oppel really hits his stride in this book, mixing science with science fiction and wrapping it in a fantasy tortilla. While his bat books were quite good, "Airborn" has the rare quality of slipping readers into his imagined universe. It's one of those stories that can be easily imagined as a reality, even if we do have planes and not airships. He even describes how creatures like the cloud cats could fly, were they real.
After the initial rescue, which gets readers hooked into the story, Oppel takes his time to unfold the plot, described in careful detail and with plenty of rich skyborne atmosphere. His setting seems to be, like Hayao Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky," a mix of old and new -- while it's full of airships and similar technology, the attitudes seem to be that of the Victorian or Edwardian era.
The pre-pirate plot is a bit slow, but very necessary -- Oppel introduces readers to the Aurora, her chummy crew, and the rich passengers they ferry over the ocean. It also gives Kate and Matt time to get to know each other -- for real, not merely "we're two teens in the same place, we're friends! And maybe more someday!"
Speaking of Matt and Kate, they are definitely good lead characters. Matt is "airborn," a kid born in an airship and now at home nowhere except in the sky, even though his father died there. Kate is a good counterpoint, since she is everything Matt is not -- wealthy, adventurous, and all too willing to let people know when she is frustrated. The supporting characters, from the prissy chaperone to the genial captain, are also well-drawn; the only exception is rich boy Bruce, who doesn't get much time.
Reportedly he is working on a sequel, which is not surprising. Kenneth Oppel created a rich new fantasy world in "Airborn," with plenty of sky left to explore.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Book, January 21, 2007
A Kid's Review
The creature was no more than twelve feet in front of us, and I felt a tremendous fear in me. I could see the fish's broken spine on the ground, its severed head and dead eye jerking with every pull from the creature's jaws.
She ate the fish. She could eat us.
Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel, begins with young cabin boy Matt Cruse aboard the Aurora luxury airship. One day, he meets a passenger, Kate de Vries, a passenger who is determined to see the amazing airborne creatures her grandfather once saw. However, before her dream comes true, the ship is attacked by the notorious pirate Szpirglas, and the Aurora is shipwrecked on a small tropical island. In the end, Matt and Kate find the creatures, great misty white "cloud cats," and get rid of Szpirglas once and for all. Airborn is the perfect fantasy adventure, combining suspense and excitement to create an excellent book.
One aspect of the story that I enjoyed is how it is set in an alternate past. Airborn takes place in an imaginary time where airships rule the skies, but the author makes this seem real throughout the story. For instance, little tidbits about how the Aurora works make these huge blimp-like airships more conceivable. When you are introduced to the crew and learn about all their jobs, this effect is considerably enhanced. Finally, Matt's grief over his deceased father, his efforts to become a sailmaker, and his troubles with Kate all add an air of realism to the entire novel.
Some other parts of the novel I found appealing are the sections with Szpirglas and his pirates. For example, the scene where the pirates first invade the Aurora has you almost fearing for the crew and passengers, and those fears are confirmed when the wireless officer Mr. Featherstone is shot and killed. Matt and Kate's escape from the pirate camp is filled to the brim with suspense, and the thought that Szpirglas may wake up at any moment is always at the back of your mind. Lastly, the final fight against the pirates onboard the airborne Aurora is the most dangerously exciting part of the book.
One other feature of the book I found intriguing is its endless surprises. Like when Matt discovers that the man he saved on the hot air balloon was Kate's grandfather. Or, more unfortunately, when Bruce Lunardi ruins Matt's chances of becoming a sailmaker. However, the biggest shock of all is when dozens of magnificent cloud cats fill the sky around the repaired Aurora.
Perhaps my favorite part of Airborn is the cloud cats. Described as "amazing creatures," they are majestic white panthers, but with a pair of four-foot wings. Born in the air, they are true creatures of flight, never touching the ground their entire lives. Ending with that, Airborn is a fantastic novel with a part for everyone, regardless of interest.
Wade H.
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