Summary: Matt Cruse was born to fly. As a cabin boy on the airship Aurora he is living his dream, spending nearly all of his time in the sky! Then one night in a daring rescue attempt, Matt meets a seemingly crazed old man who speaks of majestic creatures that soar through the sky. It isn't until months later when Matt meets Kate, the old man's granddaughter, that he begins to seriously consider his claims.
Violence/Disturbing Images: Moderate; several characters are abruptly shot in the head by pirates; characters fall out of an airship and die; character is attacked by a wild animal and gets his leg torn up
Profanity: Moderate; two uses of “Bloody H—“; one exclamation of “G—d in heaven”; one “d—n”
Sensuality/Nudity: Moderate; Mention of character seeing a picture of a girl wearing a “daring one piece”; character is teased about having a sweetheart; a boy kisses a girl and talks about wanting to kiss her again
Morality: Low; no mention of any religion or belief system
Other: Characters are unknowingly drugged with an alcoholic beverage
My one big exclamation about this book is... IT HAS PIRATES! When was the last time you read a book for older readers that mentioned pirates?? But I digress; Airborn was a riveting read, very informational about airships and flying, filled with harrowing exploits, and a main character you will instantly love. His dialogue and point of view in the story are irreplaceable. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. I could recommend this book with greater certainty had there not been the problems of language and improper relationship between two twelve-year-olds. Outside of those issues, I very much enjoyed the storyline and author's creativity!
Overall Recommendation: 12+
God bless!
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