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hayleybeale's review against another edition
3.0
Workmanlike and engaging science fiction for elementary grade readers. See my full review here.
novelyon's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
4.5 Stars
The cover for The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra by Jason Fry pretty much sells itself. Hold this up to a bunch of upper elementary kids and watch their eyes light up with anticipation. To seal the deal all you need to say are three magic words: Pirates. In. Space. Now try not to get knocked over. This book is all kinds of fun, but also has some more serious elements tossed in that make it so much more than it first appears.
The Hashoone family are privateers licensed by their home government on Jupiter to take Earth merchant ships as prizes. They mostly live aboard their ship, the Shadow Comet. Twelve year old Tycho Hashoone is a member of the bridge crew along with his twin sister, Yana, and his older brother, Carlo. Their mother is the Captain and their father is the First Mate. Their grandfather, the former Captain, does a lot of curmudgeonly grumbling about how things aren't like the good old days of pirating while his daughter tells him to be quiet. When the Shadow Comet captures a ship that has a mysterious and suspect diplomat from Earth on it, they take the ship home and allow the court to decide if its fair game or not. Soon they realize that one ship is only one layer of a conspiracy by Earth that involves an old enemy and a dangerous mission to find out what is happening to Jupiter ships and their crews that are disappearing.
There is a lot of adventure and mystery in Hunt for the Hydra. The book has all the elements one could possibly want in a book about pirates in space. There are space battles, close calls, intrigue, shadowy figures doing shady things, and ships to capture. In all of this there are underlying themes of diplomacy, the politics of war, slavery, and humanity. There is also the interesting question of how different is a pirate and a privateer? Where does one draw the line? The Hashoone's grandfather is not quite as ethical and honorable as his daughter. Where does that leave him? On the side of the good guys? Are there any good guys? It is a lot of thought to pack into a 200 page book of adventure, but Fry does it well. We are left wondering a lot about this futuristic world in which there were space colonies of earth all over the galaxy, some kind of rebellion that gave them the right to rule themselves, and now a war between some of the former colonies and Earth.
What is the most interesting part of the book for me is the dynamic between the three siblings. Tycho is definitely set up as the hero of the book. The book follows his perspective and thoughts. He is not the best at anything. His brother is the better pilot, and he is quite full of himself as a result. His sister has her own special talents, and has an attitude to go with it that includes challenging her mother, the Captain, far too often. The interesting thing about them is only one of them will be able to take her place. They are in active competition for the role of Captain of their family's ship, and they know it. This does an interesting thing to the sibling dynamic, which is always fraught and full of competitiveness to begin with. These kids aren't just competing in their own minds, their parents have set up a computer log to track and rank everything they do on the ship from simulations to actual battles. Talk about pressure. They have no ideas what the logs say, and their parents don't tell them. This family has some serious issues as a result of this, but they also clearly love and care for one another. They have each other's backs and work together (the kids have a hard time with that from time to time thanks to the competition, but make improvements as the book continues). It's a really fascinating character study.
And again, I'm impressed with Fry's ability to do all of this and the heart pounding action in 200 pages. Bit pretty much snatched this out of my hand the second I was finished with it. I wasn't kidding about the appeal to kid factor at play here. If you have a young lover of adventure stories in your life, this is a book to add to your home, school, classroom, etc.
4.5 Stars
The cover for The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra by Jason Fry pretty much sells itself. Hold this up to a bunch of upper elementary kids and watch their eyes light up with anticipation. To seal the deal all you need to say are three magic words: Pirates. In. Space. Now try not to get knocked over. This book is all kinds of fun, but also has some more serious elements tossed in that make it so much more than it first appears.
The Hashoone family are privateers licensed by their home government on Jupiter to take Earth merchant ships as prizes. They mostly live aboard their ship, the Shadow Comet. Twelve year old Tycho Hashoone is a member of the bridge crew along with his twin sister, Yana, and his older brother, Carlo. Their mother is the Captain and their father is the First Mate. Their grandfather, the former Captain, does a lot of curmudgeonly grumbling about how things aren't like the good old days of pirating while his daughter tells him to be quiet. When the Shadow Comet captures a ship that has a mysterious and suspect diplomat from Earth on it, they take the ship home and allow the court to decide if its fair game or not. Soon they realize that one ship is only one layer of a conspiracy by Earth that involves an old enemy and a dangerous mission to find out what is happening to Jupiter ships and their crews that are disappearing.
There is a lot of adventure and mystery in Hunt for the Hydra. The book has all the elements one could possibly want in a book about pirates in space. There are space battles, close calls, intrigue, shadowy figures doing shady things, and ships to capture. In all of this there are underlying themes of diplomacy, the politics of war, slavery, and humanity. There is also the interesting question of how different is a pirate and a privateer? Where does one draw the line? The Hashoone's grandfather is not quite as ethical and honorable as his daughter. Where does that leave him? On the side of the good guys? Are there any good guys? It is a lot of thought to pack into a 200 page book of adventure, but Fry does it well. We are left wondering a lot about this futuristic world in which there were space colonies of earth all over the galaxy, some kind of rebellion that gave them the right to rule themselves, and now a war between some of the former colonies and Earth.
What is the most interesting part of the book for me is the dynamic between the three siblings. Tycho is definitely set up as the hero of the book. The book follows his perspective and thoughts. He is not the best at anything. His brother is the better pilot, and he is quite full of himself as a result. His sister has her own special talents, and has an attitude to go with it that includes challenging her mother, the Captain, far too often. The interesting thing about them is only one of them will be able to take her place. They are in active competition for the role of Captain of their family's ship, and they know it. This does an interesting thing to the sibling dynamic, which is always fraught and full of competitiveness to begin with. These kids aren't just competing in their own minds, their parents have set up a computer log to track and rank everything they do on the ship from simulations to actual battles. Talk about pressure. They have no ideas what the logs say, and their parents don't tell them. This family has some serious issues as a result of this, but they also clearly love and care for one another. They have each other's backs and work together (the kids have a hard time with that from time to time thanks to the competition, but make improvements as the book continues). It's a really fascinating character study.
And again, I'm impressed with Fry's ability to do all of this and the heart pounding action in 200 pages. Bit pretty much snatched this out of my hand the second I was finished with it. I wasn't kidding about the appeal to kid factor at play here. If you have a young lover of adventure stories in your life, this is a book to add to your home, school, classroom, etc.
ladymab's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A fun little swashbuckling romp. What is better than actual pirates but in space??
oneangrylibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so much fun and I can't wait to promote it with my students. A wonderful example of an action/adventure science fiction book. I love that this book feels like a swashbuckling adventure. Set in the distant future, it follows a charismatic and believable family as they sail amongst the stars as privateers. This was a quick read and I know it will soon be a popular series on my shelves.
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
Space pirates are fun! But there was too much on the competition in the family and not enough piratey things.
abigailbat's review against another edition
2.0
So, not my cup of tea, but I would hand this one to Star Wars fans. It's a little bit of an exciting space adventure and a lot more space politics as the Jovian (Jupiter) privateering crew of the Shadow Comet tries to figure out why Earth is putting seemingly fake diplomats on their cargo ships.
andrewbenesh1's review against another edition
5.0
Snappy Space Fun
I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if Jason Fry hadn't tweet about it - the book is targeted towards younger readers (8-12 y/o), and even though I intellectually know there's great stuff there I struggle with my biases towards adult and YA lit. And me missing this book would have been a shame, because it's the most fun read I've had in recent months.
The book focuses on a family of privateers who engage in interstellar piracy. Despite being relatively short, each character is given a chance to fully develop, from the brash and trigger happy Yana to the stern but compassionate Diocletia. The family is well developed in general; we see them navigate conflicts while maintaining cohesion, and find ways to balance their dual roles as both crew and kin. It's very easy to become emotionally attached, which pays of well in the final act. Even more curmudgeonly characters like Huff are very likable in the end.
While focusing closely on the family relationships, this book does a good job of capturing larger galactic intrigue. The plot is centered on political subterfuge, and is presented in a way that is both complex and accessible. Fry doesn't talk down to younger readers, but instead illustrates more abstract and indirect processes organically. As a result, the book serves as a good introduction to more politically oriented science fiction.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the action and fun of the book. The dialogue is quick, smart, and clever, and there's a handy appendix of naval terms if readers have a hard time keeping up. The action is written in a very clean manner, so that readers can track what's happening without being overwhelmed. And throughout it all, there's a sense of energy, lightness, and fun; the reader never feels bogged down with details and the world building never feels irrelevant to the storyline.
Whether you're looking for a book series to introduce your young reader to modern science fiction, or if you're looking for something fun and rewarding for an adult reader, this book will deliver. It's way more fun than it has any right to be.
Needless to say, Book 2 is on my shopping list!
I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if Jason Fry hadn't tweet about it - the book is targeted towards younger readers (8-12 y/o), and even though I intellectually know there's great stuff there I struggle with my biases towards adult and YA lit. And me missing this book would have been a shame, because it's the most fun read I've had in recent months.
The book focuses on a family of privateers who engage in interstellar piracy. Despite being relatively short, each character is given a chance to fully develop, from the brash and trigger happy Yana to the stern but compassionate Diocletia. The family is well developed in general; we see them navigate conflicts while maintaining cohesion, and find ways to balance their dual roles as both crew and kin. It's very easy to become emotionally attached, which pays of well in the final act. Even more curmudgeonly characters like Huff are very likable in the end.
While focusing closely on the family relationships, this book does a good job of capturing larger galactic intrigue. The plot is centered on political subterfuge, and is presented in a way that is both complex and accessible. Fry doesn't talk down to younger readers, but instead illustrates more abstract and indirect processes organically. As a result, the book serves as a good introduction to more politically oriented science fiction.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the action and fun of the book. The dialogue is quick, smart, and clever, and there's a handy appendix of naval terms if readers have a hard time keeping up. The action is written in a very clean manner, so that readers can track what's happening without being overwhelmed. And throughout it all, there's a sense of energy, lightness, and fun; the reader never feels bogged down with details and the world building never feels irrelevant to the storyline.
Whether you're looking for a book series to introduce your young reader to modern science fiction, or if you're looking for something fun and rewarding for an adult reader, this book will deliver. It's way more fun than it has any right to be.
Needless to say, Book 2 is on my shopping list!
birdmanseven's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the mutli-generation aspect to the story and found the overall premise to be pretty interesting. While this book as a lot of world-building and setup, I'm looking forward to digging in with the sequel.
I had the chance to interview author Jason Fry over on the Howe's Things podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/jason-fry-on-star-wars-minecraft-and-more
I had the chance to interview author Jason Fry over on the Howe's Things podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/jason-fry-on-star-wars-minecraft-and-more
scubajen's review against another edition
4.0
This is a young adult book and a fun and enjoyable read. It combines sci-fi and mystery, my two favorite genres.