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 that of 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. I’m sure you all know by now that science fiction is not my favorite genre, so please take this five-star review as a GLOWING endorsement of Skyward. I have no words for how quickly I became obsessed with this novel after reading it (side note: I’m so frustrated that we have no book 3 news yet!), and I’m sure even the most hesitant of sci-fi readers will feel the same way. Where do I even begin… as I write this review I’m reminded that I didn’t even think I’d like the book at the outset. I found Spensa too hot-headed, and I felt like I was in for 500 pages of secondhand embarrassment. Let me tell you, Brandon Sanderson has a HABIT of writing characters that I think I’ll hate and then turning them into my favorite part of his books. I’m a #1 Spensa stan now, and nobody can take that away from me. I adore her. She changes her behavior over the course of the book and acknowledges the effect her actions have on others? What? I LOVE when that happens—literal growth is an underrated part of character development in my opinion. I found myself screaming out loud in support of her a couple times while reading, and I literally had to stop and flail. I can’t underscore enough how good of a heroine and narrator she becomes. Aside from my great love for Spensa, I also loved the world building and plot. They tied together perfectly, and I could visualize Spensa’s experience in flight school and piloting her ship to save Alta Base from the Krell. (In summary—Spensa’s planet, Detritus, is under attack by a well-armed alien species called Krell, and she wants nothing more than to defeat them and prove herself as a great hero). Sanderson is a master at world building that’s integrated with plot, so the pacing is well executed. There’s no laggy info-dumping, and there are even little diagrams of starships and flight maneuvers to break up the book’s sections. I always love a good diagram! I think it’s also important to mention that Skyward is romance-free! This is so important in YA, because we don’t need romance for a story to be enjoyable and valid. I love that non-romance arcs are taking priority in more and more books, not only because we shouldn’t assume all readers want to read romantic arcs, but also because some books are genuinely better without them! I loved that page time in Skyward was devoted to Spensa’s character and the war she fights in—it left lots of room for flying scenes, which were some of my favorites in the book. I basically think Skyward is perfect, and I’m very excited for more news on books 3 and 4 so that I can pick up the sequel without fear of a reading slump afterwards! 5/5 stars—if you haven’t read anything by Brandon Sanderson, I highly recommend his work.
1 Comment
8/2/2020 08:48:49 pm
Okay, I obviously really need to read this book. I'm a huge SF fan, so idk why I haven't yet. But clearly that's an oversight that I need to quickly rectify. Great review!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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