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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I really loved and enjoyed the adventure of Alex and his dog named after his hero, Carl Sagan. Alex is a pure boy. Terra was right, Alex is a sweetheart. This book is enjoyable to read/listen. I prefer to listen to the Audiobook instead.
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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Every now and then I think that most of us avid reader's need a break from our usual reads, myself included. Although I don't read many children's books, every now and then, I hear about a children's book that really grabs my attention. And so it was with this book.
I found this book difficult to rate. I needed to remind myself that in order to be fair to the book, I needed to compare apples with apples, meaning that I needed to put on my kiddie cap and read and review this book in that vein. Obviously, I couldn't compare it to the normal books that I read, as those are adult books and are written with totally different styles and language. But one thing always remains constant for me when rating and reviewing books: how much did I enjoy the book and would I recommend it to others.
I did enjoy this book but I wasn't wowed by it. I've seen it compared to the wonderful book by R.J. Palacio titled "Wonder" and for me personally, it didn't quite live up to those standards, but this is still a good read. Alex is a wonderful character. He's intelligent, confident, outspoken and has big dreams. He also comes from a slightly troubled background and although we don't know the full story behind his family history, we do learn very early on that his family background is slightly unconventional.
Alex's road trip set out in the first half of the book is definitely an adventure and we meet some lovely characters along the way, like Steve and Zed. What I did find with this story though is that it seemed to tackle some rather grown up subjects, namely around Alex's family history. For me, this meant that the story had this underlying seriousness about it and although Alex is pretty funny at times, I thought that there was perhaps not enough excitement for younger readers. At times I really battled to view this as a children's book. It just seemed like the underlying story was very grown up.
Alex is an eleven year old boy, which means that this story targets readers between the ages of 7 and 11. Mmm, as an adult I found this story enjoyable and I could appreciate the serious topics that it touches on, but I'm not sure how it will go down with younger readers. Also, young readers in South Africa specifically might find the underlying plot a tad unrealistic, in that Alex basically goes off on a road trip on his own (with no parents or guardians) and meets strangers along the way, which then become friends. Not very likely to happen in South Africa where kids can't even walk around the block on their own. Be that as it may, this is a decent read. It has some good lessons in those pages. For those of you with children or grandchildren in the relevant age group, I definitely think it could make a nice gift, especially for those children who are fascinated by science, space, rockets, NASA and that sort of thing. My advice would probably be that this story is more suited to older children and I don't think it's a story that would hold the interest of younger readers.
My Rating: * * *
Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)
Genre: Children's Fiction / Middle Grade
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author Jack Cheng and Penguin Random House SA for my copy.
Every now and then I think that most of us avid reader's need a break from our usual reads, myself included. Although I don't read many children's books, every now and then, I hear about a children's book that really grabs my attention. And so it was with this book.
I found this book difficult to rate. I needed to remind myself that in order to be fair to the book, I needed to compare apples with apples, meaning that I needed to put on my kiddie cap and read and review this book in that vein. Obviously, I couldn't compare it to the normal books that I read, as those are adult books and are written with totally different styles and language. But one thing always remains constant for me when rating and reviewing books: how much did I enjoy the book and would I recommend it to others.
I did enjoy this book but I wasn't wowed by it. I've seen it compared to the wonderful book by R.J. Palacio titled "Wonder" and for me personally, it didn't quite live up to those standards, but this is still a good read. Alex is a wonderful character. He's intelligent, confident, outspoken and has big dreams. He also comes from a slightly troubled background and although we don't know the full story behind his family history, we do learn very early on that his family background is slightly unconventional.
Alex's road trip set out in the first half of the book is definitely an adventure and we meet some lovely characters along the way, like Steve and Zed. What I did find with this story though is that it seemed to tackle some rather grown up subjects, namely around Alex's family history. For me, this meant that the story had this underlying seriousness about it and although Alex is pretty funny at times, I thought that there was perhaps not enough excitement for younger readers. At times I really battled to view this as a children's book. It just seemed like the underlying story was very grown up.
Alex is an eleven year old boy, which means that this story targets readers between the ages of 7 and 11. Mmm, as an adult I found this story enjoyable and I could appreciate the serious topics that it touches on, but I'm not sure how it will go down with younger readers. Also, young readers in South Africa specifically might find the underlying plot a tad unrealistic, in that Alex basically goes off on a road trip on his own (with no parents or guardians) and meets strangers along the way, which then become friends. Not very likely to happen in South Africa where kids can't even walk around the block on their own. Be that as it may, this is a decent read. It has some good lessons in those pages. For those of you with children or grandchildren in the relevant age group, I definitely think it could make a nice gift, especially for those children who are fascinated by science, space, rockets, NASA and that sort of thing. My advice would probably be that this story is more suited to older children and I don't think it's a story that would hold the interest of younger readers.
My Rating: * * *
Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)
Genre: Children's Fiction / Middle Grade
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author Jack Cheng and Penguin Random House SA for my copy.
Okay, so I have lots of mixed feelings about this.
Story wise, it's probably 4 stars. I listened to it and an audiobook is definitely the way to take in this story. The way it's written is perfect for an audiobook especially since there are sound effects and a full cast. There are a lot of topics in the story that were completely unexpected and it kept things interesting. And I thought that I would be annoyed by the constant stream of consciousness from an 11-year-old, it actually worked really well for this story.
However, the story does require some suspension of reality. The sequence of events, at times, is a little unbelievable. It's not that the things that happen within the story are "impossible," just... it's SO MUCH that happens in one story.
Also, this is definitely not a story that just any MG kid could pick up. I almost think this is more YA and that younger kids who do read it will need a trusted adult to talk to about the topics and be able to ask questions.
Story wise, it's probably 4 stars. I listened to it and an audiobook is definitely the way to take in this story. The way it's written is perfect for an audiobook especially since there are sound effects and a full cast. There are a lot of topics in the story that were completely unexpected and it kept things interesting. And I thought that I would be annoyed by the constant stream of consciousness from an 11-year-old, it actually worked really well for this story.
However, the story does require some suspension of reality. The sequence of events, at times, is a little unbelievable. It's not that the things that happen within the story are "impossible," just... it's SO MUCH that happens in one story.
Also, this is definitely not a story that just any MG kid could pick up. I almost think this is more YA and that younger kids who do read it will need a trusted adult to talk to about the topics and be able to ask questions.
This is a sweet book, but the character read much younger to me than middle school, which is a little strange considering he was forced into leading a fairly adult life due to his family situation. That got a little tedious for me so I didn't finish it. Cool framework for the story though, and a fun full-cast audio to compliment the structure.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Trying some Middle-grade fiction. This was a cute book! Alex is a very adorable kid.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
This an out of this world book about an adorable, rocket crazy boy who goes on a wild adventure with his dog. A wonderful, touching story.
This an out of this world book about an adorable, rocket crazy boy who goes on a wild adventure with his dog. A wonderful, touching story.
Have had this on my radar since it came out, and I'm so glad that it lived up to my expectations!
In See You in the Cosmos, an eleven-year-old boy named Alex who loves space, Cosmos, his dog Carl Sagan (named after his hero), and his mom and brother, goes on a trip to launch a homemade rocket and meet his online friends from a rocket-enthusiast website. He hopes that his rocket will make it into space along with his Golden iPod, which he is recording his thoughts and impressions on Earth into with the hopes that alien lifeforms may stumble upon it and be able to listen to the recordings. This book is sweet, smart, and contains quite a bit of emotional depth, while still being funny and a quick read. Alex is one of my favorite characters that I've encountered in quite awhile, his voice is unique and true, and I loved that he dressed in turtlenecks and sport coats just like Carl Sagan did. He's also half-Filipino and half-white (like me!) and is definitely a character I would have loved to read about when I was eleven, and I'm so glad that kids today get characters like Alex to relate to.
This book explores notions of family, as well as what it means to love and to be brave, told with a lot of insight and humor, that anyone who has nerded out while watching (the original) Cosmos will appreciate. This is the perfect story for anyone who's every felt a bit outside of normal. Highly recommended!
In See You in the Cosmos, an eleven-year-old boy named Alex who loves space, Cosmos, his dog Carl Sagan (named after his hero), and his mom and brother, goes on a trip to launch a homemade rocket and meet his online friends from a rocket-enthusiast website. He hopes that his rocket will make it into space along with his Golden iPod, which he is recording his thoughts and impressions on Earth into with the hopes that alien lifeforms may stumble upon it and be able to listen to the recordings. This book is sweet, smart, and contains quite a bit of emotional depth, while still being funny and a quick read. Alex is one of my favorite characters that I've encountered in quite awhile, his voice is unique and true, and I loved that he dressed in turtlenecks and sport coats just like Carl Sagan did. He's also half-Filipino and half-white (like me!) and is definitely a character I would have loved to read about when I was eleven, and I'm so glad that kids today get characters like Alex to relate to.
This book explores notions of family, as well as what it means to love and to be brave, told with a lot of insight and humor, that anyone who has nerded out while watching (the original) Cosmos will appreciate. This is the perfect story for anyone who's every felt a bit outside of normal. Highly recommended!
What a complex story! I enjoyed it immensely as an adult, but I'm not too sure how much a middle-grade reader would understand or appreciate it. It's from the perspective of an eleven year old, but the book involves themes of depression/schizophrenia, affairs, and other grown-up issues that Alex, the main character, doesn't understand fully or isn't aware of until others around him explain it to him. As a kid, reading this, it might not been very clear until these themes are explained, and, again, it's told in as child-friendly a way possible, but I'm not sure how much a kid reading this would enjoy these parts of the book.
There are other moments that are much more suitable to kids - like Alex's journey to send his golden ipod into space, filled with all his audio diaries of what he went through on earth. All the parts about space and rockets is very cool and very interesting. Alex's life is a complex mess, but he's such a happy, optimistic child, who's searching for the truth, because that's what his hero, Carl Sagan, searched for his whole life. In some ways, Alex is very much an adult, or, in his terms, his responsibility age is 13. I love his connection with his dog, who he's named Carl Sagan, after his hero, and I love all the people Alex encounters and befriends along his journey.
It's such a heavy book - it reminded me a lot of [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|Mark Haddon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479863624s/1618.jpg|4259809], with a child narrator but the book itself is much more adult in it's storytelling. The language is meant to be child-friendly, after all, Alex narrates and his understandings of what's happening and going on around him are only what a child would understand about those things - albeit Alex is a little more mature than most eleven year olds.
Still, I enjoyed this book and I would give it to kids who are on a higher reading level and are also mature for their age. I just think they'd get more out of it. There is a lot of life-evaluation in this book and I think a mature middle-grade reader would find that interesting. Perhaps the space and rocket themes would be the hook. I'd also recommend it to any adults I know who enjoy juvenile literature. It's a very well written story and the characters are interesting. Definitely a solid read for me (however, I did listen to the audiobook version, which I'd also recommend - it includes several narrators, which is nice, and the boy who narrates Alex is very good!)
There are other moments that are much more suitable to kids - like Alex's journey to send his golden ipod into space, filled with all his audio diaries of what he went through on earth. All the parts about space and rockets is very cool and very interesting. Alex's life is a complex mess, but he's such a happy, optimistic child, who's searching for the truth, because that's what his hero, Carl Sagan, searched for his whole life. In some ways, Alex is very much an adult, or, in his terms, his responsibility age is 13. I love his connection with his dog, who he's named Carl Sagan, after his hero, and I love all the people Alex encounters and befriends along his journey.
It's such a heavy book - it reminded me a lot of [b:The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|1618|The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time|Mark Haddon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479863624s/1618.jpg|4259809], with a child narrator but the book itself is much more adult in it's storytelling. The language is meant to be child-friendly, after all, Alex narrates and his understandings of what's happening and going on around him are only what a child would understand about those things - albeit Alex is a little more mature than most eleven year olds.
Still, I enjoyed this book and I would give it to kids who are on a higher reading level and are also mature for their age. I just think they'd get more out of it. There is a lot of life-evaluation in this book and I think a mature middle-grade reader would find that interesting. Perhaps the space and rocket themes would be the hook. I'd also recommend it to any adults I know who enjoy juvenile literature. It's a very well written story and the characters are interesting. Definitely a solid read for me (however, I did listen to the audiobook version, which I'd also recommend - it includes several narrators, which is nice, and the boy who narrates Alex is very good!)