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krammedshelf 's review for:
See You in the Cosmos
by Jack Cheng
“Most people give up on what they want. They’ll come across the first little obstacle and they’ll give up, and then they’ll try to tear down the people they see doing what they felt like they couldn’t.”
Do you have that feeling when you pick up a very good book? That’s how I feel with See You in the Cosmos. This book is touching. This book is comforting. This book simply makes me wish I read it when I was younger, because it teaches me about life lesson, family, my goal, my passion—everything in life.
Alex Petroski is 11-years-old boy who loves science and outer space. With his dog, Carl Sagan—who he named after his hero, Dr. Carl Sagan—Alex travels from Colorado to New Mexico to launch his home-made rocket and golden iPod fills with his recording about earth, human and his daily life.
The journey doesn’t just end there. Along the way, Alex meets some people who later play a very important role to the story. Most of them are adult, but somehow Alex manages to befriend with all of them. Little did Alex know, his journey actually isn’t about launching his rocket and golden iPod but it’s about revealing secrets of his universe?
“…if you're only brave when you're happy then it's not bravery.”
For me, Alex is a brilliant character. He’s also curious and wants to know more about his surrounding, people around him and of course, outer space. For a 11-years-old boy, I adore Alex’s intelligent. Not all 11-years-old throw space joke, or even interested to fly a rocket to the outer space. But yes, like the other boys on his age, Alex may be smart but he’s clueless on most mundane problems.
What’s unique about this book is how Jack Cheng narrates this story. Instead of chapter and narrative, we get to “listen to a recording” in every chapters. It almost feels like Alex is talking to me instead of to the intelligence beings out there. Most importantly, Jack Cheng successfully shifted my mood whenever I read this book. Whatever Alex feels throughout the book, I feel it too.
“…most religions started off being based on science, only it was the best science that they had at that time…”
When I said, this book teaches me more about life lessons, I’m not lying. There a lot of life lessons you can also learn. It teaches you the meaning of family; that family is not only the one you have blood related with. It teaches you about achieving your goals even when people around you say it’s impossible, about not giving up, about taking responsibility, about honesty, love, bravery…basically everything.
There are also some scenes that made me cry. I’ll give you one excerpt that made me missing my dad last night,
“He had to do what was best for his family, even if that meant that he wouldn’t get to see them. Even if it hurt him that he wouldn’t get to be with them. He had to take responsibility—real responsibility—for his actions.”
But, despite the positive things, the book—of course—has some holes, no books are perfect after all. I’m concerned about Alex travels with strangers, and some of the dialogue is not something a 11-years-old boy would say.
For my non-English speaker friends, I’m not sure if the translation version is available in your local bookstore, but the original version is understandable! Considering the book aims for middle grade readers. There are no unusual vocabularies, I’m sure you’ll be able to understand it just fine!
Will I recommend you to read? Absolutely!
My rating: 5/5 stars.
Favorites shelf: YES.
Do you have that feeling when you pick up a very good book? That’s how I feel with See You in the Cosmos. This book is touching. This book is comforting. This book simply makes me wish I read it when I was younger, because it teaches me about life lesson, family, my goal, my passion—everything in life.
Alex Petroski is 11-years-old boy who loves science and outer space. With his dog, Carl Sagan—who he named after his hero, Dr. Carl Sagan—Alex travels from Colorado to New Mexico to launch his home-made rocket and golden iPod fills with his recording about earth, human and his daily life.
The journey doesn’t just end there. Along the way, Alex meets some people who later play a very important role to the story. Most of them are adult, but somehow Alex manages to befriend with all of them. Little did Alex know, his journey actually isn’t about launching his rocket and golden iPod but it’s about revealing secrets of his universe?
“…if you're only brave when you're happy then it's not bravery.”
For me, Alex is a brilliant character. He’s also curious and wants to know more about his surrounding, people around him and of course, outer space. For a 11-years-old boy, I adore Alex’s intelligent. Not all 11-years-old throw space joke, or even interested to fly a rocket to the outer space. But yes, like the other boys on his age, Alex may be smart but he’s clueless on most mundane problems.
What’s unique about this book is how Jack Cheng narrates this story. Instead of chapter and narrative, we get to “listen to a recording” in every chapters. It almost feels like Alex is talking to me instead of to the intelligence beings out there. Most importantly, Jack Cheng successfully shifted my mood whenever I read this book. Whatever Alex feels throughout the book, I feel it too.
“…most religions started off being based on science, only it was the best science that they had at that time…”
When I said, this book teaches me more about life lessons, I’m not lying. There a lot of life lessons you can also learn. It teaches you the meaning of family; that family is not only the one you have blood related with. It teaches you about achieving your goals even when people around you say it’s impossible, about not giving up, about taking responsibility, about honesty, love, bravery…basically everything.
There are also some scenes that made me cry. I’ll give you one excerpt that made me missing my dad last night,
“He had to do what was best for his family, even if that meant that he wouldn’t get to see them. Even if it hurt him that he wouldn’t get to be with them. He had to take responsibility—real responsibility—for his actions.”
But, despite the positive things, the book—of course—has some holes, no books are perfect after all. I’m concerned about Alex travels with strangers, and some of the dialogue is not something a 11-years-old boy would say.
For my non-English speaker friends, I’m not sure if the translation version is available in your local bookstore, but the original version is understandable! Considering the book aims for middle grade readers. There are no unusual vocabularies, I’m sure you’ll be able to understand it just fine!
Will I recommend you to read? Absolutely!
My rating: 5/5 stars.
Favorites shelf: YES.