kimberlydyer's review against another edition
4.0
Fans of flying and science, this is your novel!
My ambivalent feelings toward The Atlantis Complex made me weary as I started reading Airman. I was nervous that one of my favorite childhood authors would let me down. Far from disappointing me, Eoin Colfer exceeded my expectations.
Airman is an excellent steampunk adventure novel about young Conor Broekhart, who loves science and is obsessed with the sky.
The characters are personable and real—I really cared about them, even the ones who were only involved in the story for a short amount of time. I genuinely enjoyed Coner’s interactions with every single person, even the villains.
You can tell that Colfer really enjoyed writing this novel and invested a lot of time researching the science in it. There were a few scenes where Conner was scheming and talked about propulsion and angles and all that physics stuff. I’m not a science buff, but it sounded accurate enough to me.
This novel really should be given 4.5-5 stars, but I had a couple of problems with it that prevented me from giving it that high of a rating.
First of all, the villain’s name is Bonvillain. No joke. The first time I read his name, I said to myself, “Please. Don’t let him be the villain!” He was.
Secondly, although the dialogue had some really great gems, as Eoin Colfer’s dialogue usually does, there were times when I felt that it was a bit stilted. Maybe it’s just me, but it distracted me enough to make me remember that I was reading a book, and that’s never a good thing.
These minor complaints are the worst I have to say about Airman. It was truly fantastic! Be sure to put Airman on your to-read list! You’ll fall in love with it.
Review originally posted on The Stories We Read.
My ambivalent feelings toward The Atlantis Complex made me weary as I started reading Airman. I was nervous that one of my favorite childhood authors would let me down. Far from disappointing me, Eoin Colfer exceeded my expectations.
Airman is an excellent steampunk adventure novel about young Conor Broekhart, who loves science and is obsessed with the sky.
The characters are personable and real—I really cared about them, even the ones who were only involved in the story for a short amount of time. I genuinely enjoyed Coner’s interactions with every single person, even the villains.
You can tell that Colfer really enjoyed writing this novel and invested a lot of time researching the science in it. There were a few scenes where Conner was scheming and talked about propulsion and angles and all that physics stuff. I’m not a science buff, but it sounded accurate enough to me.
This novel really should be given 4.5-5 stars, but I had a couple of problems with it that prevented me from giving it that high of a rating.
First of all, the villain’s name is Bonvillain. No joke. The first time I read his name, I said to myself, “Please. Don’t let him be the villain!” He was.
Secondly, although the dialogue had some really great gems, as Eoin Colfer’s dialogue usually does, there were times when I felt that it was a bit stilted. Maybe it’s just me, but it distracted me enough to make me remember that I was reading a book, and that’s never a good thing.
These minor complaints are the worst I have to say about Airman. It was truly fantastic! Be sure to put Airman on your to-read list! You’ll fall in love with it.
Review originally posted on The Stories We Read.
nancybel's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED it! Conor is a hero you can relate to. The book grabbed me at the very beginning, and I couldn't put it down! Lots of adventure and a great story.
applesodaperson's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heidimrogers's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was an exciting story that I think boys/guys would enjoy as much if not more than I did.
northornbell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Abandonment
charlotte_reads_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
It was really, really good(amazing)! I like how Linus Wynter never gave up on Conor and in the end his patience worked out. Conor is a genius and I love how he used the coral to sketch his plane and eventually he flew......
The ending was great, Saved in the nick of time!
The ending was great, Saved in the nick of time!
swiftsword's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one of my absolute go toos, I love it so much
jetpackdolphin's review against another edition
5.0
Airman tells the story of Connor Broekhart, a young man who is fascinated with flying. And no wonder: he was born in the air. Connor's family live in a castle on an island called Great Saltee. His father is an honoured general who is good friends with the king of The Saltee Islands, and Connor has spent much of his life growing up and playing with the king's daughter, Isabella. But one night, he stumbles on a horrible conspiracy, which will change his life forever, involving the assassination of the king and Connor's own teacher and mentor, Victor Vigny. Sentenced for a crime he didn't commit and sentenced to live out a harsh life as a prisoner on the infamous Little Saltee, Connor whiles away the hours dreaming of escape, which means he may have to fly ...
This book is one of many I can read over and over again and still enjoy it as much as the first time I read it. This book is so good, but I didn't quite love it enough to give five stars. If I could give it four and a half stars, I definitely would.
Eoin Colfer (known for his other awesome series, Artemis Fowl), writes excellent characters and has a knack for a great plot. Overall, an excellent writer. The action scenes are great and Connor's time spent in prison is harsh, but well realised, and the prison escape is certainly one I will remember. Airman is easy to read, but still smart (if that makes sense).
All in all, Airman is so relentlessly awesome that I'd recommend it to everyone I know, because I'm sure they'd love it.
This book is one of many I can read over and over again and still enjoy it as much as the first time I read it. This book is so good, but I didn't quite love it enough to give five stars. If I could give it four and a half stars, I definitely would.
Eoin Colfer (known for his other awesome series, Artemis Fowl), writes excellent characters and has a knack for a great plot. Overall, an excellent writer. The action scenes are great and Connor's time spent in prison is harsh, but well realised, and the prison escape is certainly one I will remember. Airman is easy to read, but still smart (if that makes sense).
All in all, Airman is so relentlessly awesome that I'd recommend it to everyone I know, because I'm sure they'd love it.
tacanderson's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of my son's favorite books. For my birthday I asked my kids to give me their favorite book. It was fun to read this and remember my son at the age he was when he read it.
modalmle's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0