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A review by helenfrench
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
4.0
This was a heartwarming, inspiring and sometimes sad read. I find it very difficult, as an adult, to judge how this children's book might actually be enjoyed by children, but it worked for me.
Alex is an eleven year old with an obsession with rockets (and Carl Sagan, as well as his dog Carl Sagan), and a lot of family problems. His mum has a 'quiet days' which means she can't cook or care for him, so he cares for her instead. He has an older brother who pays their bills but is otherwise not present.
Largely left to his own devices, Alex is a member of a forum about rockets and goes travelling so that he can launch his own (small) rocket at an event. From there the story escalates. He meets kind strangers who help him on his way, tackles failure and finds out his missing father may be alive in Vegas.
I wouldn't say it's entirely believable. Nearly everyone he meets, and certainly everyone he trusts, is kind and helpful. There's nothing about being wary of strangers, no one he trusts that he shouldn't. Alex is eleven, but feels a lot younger. You have to seriously suspend your disbelief if you want to go along with the story.
That said, he's a quirky, charming narrator. The chapters are told as if they are audio recordings on a 'golden iPod' he plans to send into space. You quickly get a sense of his voice and really do want to see him happy. It's about love and sacrifice, really. And rockets.
Alex is an eleven year old with an obsession with rockets (and Carl Sagan, as well as his dog Carl Sagan), and a lot of family problems. His mum has a 'quiet days' which means she can't cook or care for him, so he cares for her instead. He has an older brother who pays their bills but is otherwise not present.
Largely left to his own devices, Alex is a member of a forum about rockets and goes travelling so that he can launch his own (small) rocket at an event. From there the story escalates. He meets kind strangers who help him on his way, tackles failure and finds out his missing father may be alive in Vegas.
I wouldn't say it's entirely believable. Nearly everyone he meets, and certainly everyone he trusts, is kind and helpful. There's nothing about being wary of strangers, no one he trusts that he shouldn't. Alex is eleven, but feels a lot younger. You have to seriously suspend your disbelief if you want to go along with the story.
That said, he's a quirky, charming narrator. The chapters are told as if they are audio recordings on a 'golden iPod' he plans to send into space. You quickly get a sense of his voice and really do want to see him happy. It's about love and sacrifice, really. And rockets.