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A review by steelcitygator
Airman by Eoin Colfer
1.0
I wanted to be generous and give this 2*'s. I think that feeling came from an at best mediocre middle being so much better than the atrocious first 1/4 or 1/3 or so that it made it seem better than it is even with the drag race paced ending. So, in the abridge version, no this is not worth your or anyone's time. I'm honestly shocked anyone could write a novel so focused on the beauty of flying and the wonder it invokes that I find so utterly awful.
Steampunk flying men with a late Victorian island between Britain and Ireland and a crown for contention? Seems like a good setup. Except the steampunk it does is touching it's barest toe into it and then immediately running away from it so there's actually little character to the flat setting, much like the characters. The good king and mentor are killed off in such a predictable way that me, the guy who purposely doesn't try and solve mystery media knew what was happening in 30 pages. The protagonist is the most cookie cutter YA main guy it hurts and the main antagonist is literally named villain (and is just as much a caricature of an enemy without any caricature charm). That's really what this book lacks, charm/character/any sort of interesting charisma or idea. That sort of unimaginative writing and development is littered throughout the story including what seemed like a sprung upon ending with no stakes because they'd been wrenched out multiple times when deaths were faked, mystery revealed to early, and so simple a grade schooler with a good knowledge of sitcom plots could storyboard it.
And have I mentioned how bad that opener is? It annoys you again anytime the events are called back upon later in the book when the writing and plot become passable. i think the author thought it would be clever to have generic villain realize his schemes got to convoluted before his death but it just makes you sad realizing the author knew the whole thread tying the book together was such a mess of unbelieve-ability as to disrupt any hope of the reader suspending their disbelief and getting into the story and then thinking he can wink at the camera at the end and make it not shit to use the bluntest language possible. I feel I could write three more essays on just everything this does wrong, I'd call it a bad YA cash grab but it doesn't hit enough tropes and feels like it's trying to be better but there is just a lack of skill there to do it.
YA as a genre does not mean it has to be bad or lazy. Young Adults are, after all, capable learners and growing and not stupid or in need of coddling. Rather, they deserve interesting works of fiction aimed to relate to them and their issues. IDK how so many saying this (according to my edition middle to high school demographic) book is "good at handling mature topics in a way acceptable for teens" or some variety of it. At least it's an easy read and doesn't overstay it's welcome. That's about the extent of my positive opinions on this work.
Steampunk flying men with a late Victorian island between Britain and Ireland and a crown for contention? Seems like a good setup. Except the steampunk it does is touching it's barest toe into it and then immediately running away from it so there's actually little character to the flat setting, much like the characters. The good king and mentor are killed off in such a predictable way that me, the guy who purposely doesn't try and solve mystery media knew what was happening in 30 pages. The protagonist is the most cookie cutter YA main guy it hurts and the main antagonist is literally named villain (and is just as much a caricature of an enemy without any caricature charm). That's really what this book lacks, charm/character/any sort of interesting charisma or idea. That sort of unimaginative writing and development is littered throughout the story including what seemed like a sprung upon ending with no stakes because they'd been wrenched out multiple times when deaths were faked, mystery revealed to early, and so simple a grade schooler with a good knowledge of sitcom plots could storyboard it.
And have I mentioned how bad that opener is? It annoys you again anytime the events are called back upon later in the book when the writing and plot become passable. i think the author thought it would be clever to have generic villain realize his schemes got to convoluted before his death but it just makes you sad realizing the author knew the whole thread tying the book together was such a mess of unbelieve-ability as to disrupt any hope of the reader suspending their disbelief and getting into the story and then thinking he can wink at the camera at the end and make it not shit to use the bluntest language possible. I feel I could write three more essays on just everything this does wrong, I'd call it a bad YA cash grab but it doesn't hit enough tropes and feels like it's trying to be better but there is just a lack of skill there to do it.
YA as a genre does not mean it has to be bad or lazy. Young Adults are, after all, capable learners and growing and not stupid or in need of coddling. Rather, they deserve interesting works of fiction aimed to relate to them and their issues. IDK how so many saying this (according to my edition middle to high school demographic) book is "good at handling mature topics in a way acceptable for teens" or some variety of it. At least it's an easy read and doesn't overstay it's welcome. That's about the extent of my positive opinions on this work.