Skyward
2018
- science fiction
- air pilots
- extraterrestrial beings
- survival
- war
- fiction
- nyt:young-adult-hardcover=2018-11-25
- children's fiction
- survival, fiction
- war, fiction
The story
**SPENSA'S WORLD HAS BEEN UNDER ATTACK FOR DECADES.** Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's--a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa the daughter of a coward, her chances of attending Flight School slim to none. No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars. This description comes from the publisher.
What it’s like
Taut, kinetic and bright against a bleak backdrop: the book's sky is the main stage, and its prose moves with the pace of a dogfight, short punchy sentences in the cockpit and wider, dusty description on the cratered ground below. The world feels scorched and under siege, with cramped flight-school corridors, rusted hangars and lonely cavern passages lit by a dim, unreliable glow, and the sense of open air at altitude gives the story a clean sweep of blue-and-grey distance. Sound is implied through engine roar, radio chatter and the quiet after a close call. The vibe is hopeful grit, an underdog spirit with a wistful edge, best suited to a long weekend read, a commute, or a stretch of quiet evenings. Violence is present and occasionally sharp: aerial combat and alien attacks with some peril and death, but no gore and nothing lingering. A young protagonist works through shame and self-doubt toward courage and earned belonging, and the book suits readers who want adventure with heart, teen and adult readers alike, and fans of cockpit-level action who are happy to stay with a character growing into her own nerve.
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