A review by lauracurrieee
See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? No

3.25

Another read that I did for teaching! I actually listened to the audio while following along with the book since there are sound effects and different voice actors! It took me a bit to get into because it does follow an eleven year old boy, and the voice was just a lot of energy (probably didn't help that I'd sped it up). This is definitely targeted at 10-14 year olds. It is reasonably straightforward until the end, where it does cover mental illness, neglect, and abuse. The main character, Alex, is optimistic and curious. He makes friends with strangers who cross his path and help him on his journey. He's caring and just wants to know more about his family. While trying to find the truth, an unexpected event occurs. This brings everyone together and forces those around him to stop sheltering him and tell him the truth about their family members. It's a pretty wholesome coming of age story. 

I will be curious to see how my class of boys responds to this as a novel study, I think there are going to be some good lessons and discussions around kindness, bravery, love, and connection (and I might touch on displaced responsibility - if the class is up for it).