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The Icarus Project
by
Laura Quimby
More than anything, Maya wants to discover something incredible. Her parents are scientists: Her mother spends most of her time in tropical rainforests, uncovering ancient artifacts, and her dad is obsessed with digging up mammoths. When her father gets invited by an eccentric billionaire to lead a team investigating a mammoth’s remains in the Arctic, Maya begs to come alo...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
November 1st 2012
by Harry N. Abrams
(first published January 1st 2012)
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Thirteen-year-old Maya, the daughter of two scientists, isn't sure what she wants to be when she grows up, but she certainly has a strong interest in science. While her mother Skypes from her expeditions in South America, Maya and her father head off on an unexpected trip to the Arctic where her father has been hired by a wealthy investor to assist in uncovering mammoth bones. But there are plenty of surprises once they reach the dig, and the trip turns out to be a scam but with revelations that...more
I really liked how this started out, despite a couple of really stupid lines (like saying that the lesson of Jurassic Park is that dinosaurs are extinct for a reason--whaaaat? I'm pretty sure that's wrong). I liked the main character, Maya, and thought her family dynamic was really interesting, and I was totally intrigued by the mammoth angle.
But it felt like then things got a little out of control. There's a big deal made about how Maya has white hair and it's sooooo weird and everybody stares...more
But it felt like then things got a little out of control. There's a big deal made about how Maya has white hair and it's sooooo weird and everybody stares...more
Seen at Scott Reads It!
I did not finish reading The Icarus Project, I read about halfway before giving up. I am a sucker for a nice cover and I immediately wanted to read The Icarus Project when I saw the cover. Despite the fact that I was so excited to read The Icarus Project, I struggled to get through chapters.
The Icarus Project is targeted at young children and I am not really part of the targeted audience the author was writing for. I feel like reading The Icarus Project was like watchin...more
I did not finish reading The Icarus Project, I read about halfway before giving up. I am a sucker for a nice cover and I immediately wanted to read The Icarus Project when I saw the cover. Despite the fact that I was so excited to read The Icarus Project, I struggled to get through chapters.
The Icarus Project is targeted at young children and I am not really part of the targeted audience the author was writing for. I feel like reading The Icarus Project was like watchin...more
Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I came across The Icarus Project by Laura Quimby on NetGalley and was instantly intrigued. It sounded like exactly the sort of book I would enjoy. And enjoy it I did.
Maya is a great main character. She knows she wants to study science but is unsure of the field she wants to go into. Should she follow in her mother's footsteps? Her father's? Pave her own road? Going on an expedition to the Arctic to dig up a mammoth has never been high on her l...more
I came across The Icarus Project by Laura Quimby on NetGalley and was instantly intrigued. It sounded like exactly the sort of book I would enjoy. And enjoy it I did.
Maya is a great main character. She knows she wants to study science but is unsure of the field she wants to go into. Should she follow in her mother's footsteps? Her father's? Pave her own road? Going on an expedition to the Arctic to dig up a mammoth has never been high on her l...more
Originally published at Nose in a Book.
It’s that time of year again! You know, late September, you’ve read 70+ books and now you can’t even look at a book without feeling stressed and nauseous? Or is that just me? To cleanse my palate of angsty supernatural YA, I’ve been immersing myself in… supernatural middle-grade. All the fun and adventure without the romance! Perfect! (I’ve also been reading the Ruby Oliver novels, which are so silly and have almost no plot.) This one really doesn’t disappo...more
It’s that time of year again! You know, late September, you’ve read 70+ books and now you can’t even look at a book without feeling stressed and nauseous? Or is that just me? To cleanse my palate of angsty supernatural YA, I’ve been immersing myself in… supernatural middle-grade. All the fun and adventure without the romance! Perfect! (I’ve also been reading the Ruby Oliver novels, which are so silly and have almost no plot.) This one really doesn’t disappo...more
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. I would have liked this book a lot better had the cover and title not spoiled a major plot point. For me, there wasn't any mystery because of it. The main character's voice seems much younger than 13 and there was a lot of background information that, had it been included, would have made the story much better. I also felt that as a book very heavily involved with the scientific process, the scientists believe in "Charlie" way too quickly. There was one other thing that...more
This was a fun, exciting read. The main character, Maya, and her friend, Kyle, are both unlikely underdog heroes, and I liked how they were shown to posses confidence regardless of how others perceived them. Setting the story in the Arctic was unique and made the tale fun to escape into. The plot had several big twists, and while they weren't all easy to believe or understand, you were kept on the edge of your seat. Some scenes genuinely spooked me, and I'm an adult! My one big complaint is that...more
Thank you to NetGalley, and Abrams Books for my copy of The Icarus Project, by Laura Quimby.
I admittedly love to read middle grade fiction. I often do it under the guise that I am "checking it out" for my daughters... and in a way I am, but really I just relish creative thinkers. I love a book that is full of imaginative fun. And Icarus Project most certainly is.
I was not sure what I was signing up for when I started reading this book, but very soon, I grew quite fond of Maya, and her quirky se...more
I admittedly love to read middle grade fiction. I often do it under the guise that I am "checking it out" for my daughters... and in a way I am, but really I just relish creative thinkers. I love a book that is full of imaginative fun. And Icarus Project most certainly is.
I was not sure what I was signing up for when I started reading this book, but very soon, I grew quite fond of Maya, and her quirky se...more
I really enjoyed reading this :D Maya accompanies her father to a dig site in the Arctic Circle, where a woolly mammoth has been found... only it turns out to be a hoax - the tusk is made of plaster, and was planted there by billionaire Randal so that he could get a team of credible scientists to help him out with, well, something which they otherwise might not have believed in.
And that leads them to 'Charlie', a boy frozen in the ice... who has wings. And who causes a lot of people to have weir...more
And that leads them to 'Charlie', a boy frozen in the ice... who has wings. And who causes a lot of people to have weir...more
Feb 08, 2013
Nancy Packard
added it
The cover intrigued me from the beginning. As the plot unfolds, the cover art gives away the story line. Maya was a good character who was intrigued naturally with the field of science. Should she follow her mom's career path or her dad's or should she strike out on her own. She gets a good feeling at the end as to where her path will take her.
This book was a bit slow going to start with, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it. This book is actually aimed at younger readers, I would say between 10 and 12, so I was quite surprised to find it entertained me as well. There were a few too many characters for my liking and at times I found it hard to keep up with who was who, but I really liked Maya’s character. I don’t want to say too much about the story so I don’t give anything away, but there is quite a bit of mystery going on which was...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I liked the book because it was a good story told by maya. One adventure that goes thro the book keeps you guessing. There were lots of exciting twists like the boy escaping the ice. I knew that because my brother told me but there were lots of other surprises in it!
2.5 stars. A really intriguing premise, with a strong beginning. The writing is not always great. For example, the main antagonist introduces himself by stating that he is always victorious, no matter what. Even the person he says this to thinks it's weird.
When Maya's dad is given the opportunity of a life time, to be part of a team uncovering a mammoth in the Arctic, she begs to go with him. She doesn't know that protecting the find will put her father's life and her life in danger. This middle grade fantasy-adventure-mystery is a Dan Brown book for kids. You're never quite sure who to trust and there are lots of twists and turns. I look forward to seeing it on the shelves and passing it to middle grade readers.
Considering I read this over a year ago and forgot to review it, it's surprising how well this generally stuck in my head. A girl heads to the Arctic with her paleontologist father to look at mammoth remains, but it turns out there's something more up there - what appears to be an angel.
The story is familiar to those who know angel stories like this, perhaps most notably "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings." It doesn't go into "Surprise Jesus" territory like some books do, it plays it surprising...more
The story is familiar to those who know angel stories like this, perhaps most notably "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings." It doesn't go into "Surprise Jesus" territory like some books do, it plays it surprising...more
Despite a slow start evolved into a very interesting read. lost a star for the stereotyped adult and ethnicities... I don't want to spoil the book but it was very different to what I expected at first...
I would have liked this one better if it was just about digging up mammoths in the Arctic.
More science than fantasy, but still... interesting.
4 yummy oatmeal creme filled sandwiches.
Cover Love:
YES! When I first looked at this I didn't look closely. Once I got started reading it I looked closer and saw many hints to the story there. I love the cover!
Why I Wanted to Read This:
The synopsis caught my interest and I felt it would be a good middle grade book for my readers.
Read the rest of my review here.
Cover Love:
YES! When I first looked at this I didn't look closely. Once I got started reading it I looked closer and saw many hints to the story there. I love the cover!
Why I Wanted to Read This:
The synopsis caught my interest and I felt it would be a good middle grade book for my readers.
Read the rest of my review here.
I like the ending and how Maya encouraged Charlie to go back to his mother
Maybe 4 stars for some young YA readers.
Maya’s dream of going on a scientific expedition with her dad comes true when they head to the frozen north of Canada to investigate the possible discovery of a mammoth. What they find instead, though, is even more amazing - a frozen, winged creature that looks an awful lot like a fallen angel. Full of intrigue, twists and turns, science and psychology, this one kept me turning the pages!
for professional review
3.5
May 17, 2013
Karen
marked it as to-read
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