Airman (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Bronze Pen April Spisak Snyder, Zilpha Keatley The Bronze Pen. Atheneum, 2008200p ISBN 978-1-4169-4201-6$16.99 Ad Gr. 4-6 Conor was destined for flight from his birth, which took place unexpectedly, in the summer of 1878, in a hot-air balloon. Years later, he has found his bliss: he is studying aeronautics, supported by his parents and the king of the Saltee Islands (off of Ireland) in his unusual intellectual pursuits. Unfortunately, all plans are abruptly destroyed when the king and his closest advisor are brutally murdered by the power-hungry marshall. Conor, who saw the assassinations, is thrown into prison, and his parents and the princess are told he is dead. He uses his knowledge of flight and a few years worth of scavenged and bartered materials to make a daring escape, but he must choose between returning home to face the marshall, or letting everyone continue to assume he is dead and heading to America to continue his studies. Colfer meticulously develops rich and multifaceted characters, not only in the protagonist but also in many of the villains and allies around him. Although there are divisions between pure evil and idealized good, the individuals exhibiting these traits are all haunted by various pasts and driven by complex motivations. In addition, the setting of the nineteenth-century Saltee Islands, where the wildness of the seascape constantly threatens to creep back in, emerges as a character in itself, challenging Conor as much as his enemies. Although the environment suggests historical fiction, the gripping action scenes interspersed throughout will easily widen the audience to include adventure lovers as well. Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois