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10th out of 469 books
—
2,466 voters
Airborn (Matt Cruse #1)
by
Kenneth Oppel (Goodreads Author)
Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt's always wanted; convinced he's lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers his ship. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting thro...more
Paperback, 544 pages
Published
May 24th 2005
by HarperCollins
(first published May 11th 2004)
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If you like a lot of action in your reading, you'll love Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel. This 2005 Printz honor title reads just like watching a movie. Mr. Cruse is awfully young to work aboard a luxury airship. Even if he is only a cabin boy, he aspires to greater responsibility. Luckily, many opportunities arise for him to prove his mettle to the captain. But after the Aurora is attacked by pirates and left foundering after a typhoon, Matt's cunning and ability face test after test, leaving him phy...more
Jan 30, 2013
Elevetha Houre
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Elevetha by:
Johanna
I enjoyed it. I did. But I kept comparing it to Leviathan. There are enough similarities that I couldn't help it and I did try to be objective.
Let's start with characters, shall we?
Matt is nice but a bit bland. I'm sorry, but to speak plainly; he's in love with the airship, with the idea of flying, aaaand...that's pretty much it.
Kate: Oh, Kate. The sassier, I-just-don't-care character. I liked her, though she was a carbon copy of many girl characters I've run across recently. And I wasn't sure...more
I'm so glad I decided to listen to the Full Cast Audio production of this young adult novel. In fact, I didn't realize until after I had listened to it that it won a 2007 Audie Award. I believe it. I was riveted during this novel, even though I have read the book (and its sequel) before. Riveted while driving through whirling snow on a Chicago interstate is a little dangerous, but I survived.[return][return]Matt Cruse was born on an airship and has worked on one since the age of 12. He's only a...more
Jan 04, 2008
April Helms
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all ages
Shelves:
young-adult,
fantasy
Matt Cruse, a cabin boy on board a luxury airship, befriends Kate, a girl from a wealthy family. After the ship crash-lands on a deserted tropical island, he reluctantly teams up with her in a quest to solve the mystery of her late grandfather’s sighting of a mysterious winged creature near where they are stranded.
What’s not to like? It has action, it has good characters, it has a good grasp of history, it has mystery … and did I mention the action. I don’t think librarians will be able to keep...more
What’s not to like? It has action, it has good characters, it has a good grasp of history, it has mystery … and did I mention the action. I don’t think librarians will be able to keep...more
I really liked this one.
Airborn is about a cabin boy on an passenger air ship. It takes place in an alternate history of our world - so it may be classified as fantasy, but it is not really a fantasy story - it's an adventure story. Has an 1800's or maybe Edwardian feel. It might appear to be more of a "boy book", but there is a main character who is a girl, so there's someone girls can relate to, and a bit of wholesome romance. I wouldn't assume girls wouldn't like this one.
There's also a bit...more
Airborn is about a cabin boy on an passenger air ship. It takes place in an alternate history of our world - so it may be classified as fantasy, but it is not really a fantasy story - it's an adventure story. Has an 1800's or maybe Edwardian feel. It might appear to be more of a "boy book", but there is a main character who is a girl, so there's someone girls can relate to, and a bit of wholesome romance. I wouldn't assume girls wouldn't like this one.
There's also a bit...more
Nov 02, 2007
Susan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of pirate stories or old-school Indiana Jones or Treasure Island adventures
Shelves:
juvenile
This book is reminiscent of the best pirate adventures of the past, but ups the ante by setting half of the tale in the air, rather than the seas, and by taking time with characterizations, rather than creating stock Baddies.
There is admittedly an odd subplot with mysterious creatures which is...interesting enough, but really I found myself caught up the most with the "high seas" (or perhaps in this case, high over the seas) drama. Even the technical parts about the various parts of the airship,...more
There is admittedly an odd subplot with mysterious creatures which is...interesting enough, but really I found myself caught up the most with the "high seas" (or perhaps in this case, high over the seas) drama. Even the technical parts about the various parts of the airship,...more
Airborn is a young adult adventure novel set in a steam-punk style alternate universe in which dirigibles are the main air transportation.
Airborn justly serves as a great example of what the YA adventure market gets right.
Airborn is full of YA staples: a first person narrator trying hard to grow up, often surrounded by unsympathetic adults or peers, who goes on a series of action-laden adventures of near superhero proportions. There's a lot of alternate universe in YA, too, which gives the read...more
Airborn justly serves as a great example of what the YA adventure market gets right.
Airborn is full of YA staples: a first person narrator trying hard to grow up, often surrounded by unsympathetic adults or peers, who goes on a series of action-laden adventures of near superhero proportions. There's a lot of alternate universe in YA, too, which gives the read...more
Mar 09, 2009
Kricket
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Kricket by:
Kim
truly exciting and beautifully written adventure of matt cruse, cabin boy to the airship aurora, and kate de vries, a wealthy passenger on a mission of exploration. her late grandfather left documentation of a new species of strange winged creatures spotted during his fateful balloon trip, and kate intends to find the creatures. matt becomes her rather unwilling partner in the mission, as pirates hijack the airship and force a landing on an uncharted island.
i love the details in this story- tha...more
i love the details in this story- tha...more
A book about airships! I really was looking forward to liking this book as it's not the typical magic fantasy and really isn't even fantasy per say. It was a very slow moving book at first but at times I really got into it. It's a great adventure book with a bit of a mystery.
I really don't care for first person books, because it gets really old after a while. I found that Matt (the main character and narrator) was annoying, obnoxious and thought he was better then everyone else. He came across a...more
I really don't care for first person books, because it gets really old after a while. I found that Matt (the main character and narrator) was annoying, obnoxious and thought he was better then everyone else. He came across a...more
Jan 23, 2009
Jaemi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
teens, fanatasy fans, fans of flight, adventurers
Matt Cruse was born for Airship life–quite literally. When his father is killed in an accident, the idea of remaining at home is insufferable to him, and he takes a job aboard the very same ship his father used to frequent. The Aurora. To Matt, the ship is home.
In the air he feels most alive, most comfortable, most himself. At night he dreams of his father, by day he dreams of becoming a captain someday.
Through some rather interesting twists of events, Matt becomes a hero for rescuing a hot air...more
In the air he feels most alive, most comfortable, most himself. At night he dreams of his father, by day he dreams of becoming a captain someday.
Through some rather interesting twists of events, Matt becomes a hero for rescuing a hot air...more
I read this book first in German a few years ago when I was still younger. I got nostalgic so I HAD to reread it, and I did so in English.
First off, the language is exceptional for a book aimed at non-adults. It feels very descriptive and versatile, but also uses many extremely specific terms especially when talking about Airships and the like.
This creates a great atmosphere and the alternate-universe 1920s world comes to life.
The characters are interesting, and it's nice to see how every indivi...more
First off, the language is exceptional for a book aimed at non-adults. It feels very descriptive and versatile, but also uses many extremely specific terms especially when talking about Airships and the like.
This creates a great atmosphere and the alternate-universe 1920s world comes to life.
The characters are interesting, and it's nice to see how every indivi...more
Do you have an idea of what sailing the sky in an airship would be like? Kenneth Oppel does. Oppel writes the sci-fi story, Airborn, to explain what how he imagines sailing in an airship. Oppel, a Canadian author, born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, is fascinated about airships. He writes that, to him, “they seem almost miraculous.”
The story is set in the air above the earth. It is about a boy by the name of Matt Cruse, who lives and works aboard the airship the Aurora. Matt and his crewma...more
The story is set in the air above the earth. It is about a boy by the name of Matt Cruse, who lives and works aboard the airship the Aurora. Matt and his crewma...more
I started listening to this on unabridged audiobook on my commute because I saw it won the Prinz honor, and I had wanted to expose myself to some quality YA fiction. This book had some things which were really fun and charming, the fantastic flying ship, the whole fantasy Victorian setting, some of the supporting characters were great. While I had a hard time enjoying the main characters, what made me turn off the audio book as a poor use of 10 hours of my life was the terrible machinations of t...more
A fantastic read! I really enjoyed Airborn! I’d always like books that have like airships so this book did not disappoint me at all. I really like how descriptive the airship, Aurora, was described. With all the actions that Matt and the rest of the crew did to operate the ship, Oppel did a great job researching these stuff. However, one disadvantage of this is that sometimes the details would get confusing for me with all the technical terms for the different parts of the ship.
As for the charac...more
As for the charac...more
Feb 14, 2013
Beverly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
11-14 year olds
Recommended to Beverly by:
ALA Printz Honor Books
Airborn is a re-imagined high seas/pirate/adventure/survival story transformed into a part fantasy, part science fiction story. And it is wonderful. Matt Cruse has always dreamed of working on one of the luxury dirigible (blimp) cruise ships that travel the skies. Matt takes a grunt job on the same ship that employed his father. One day while he is on watch in the crow's nest, he observes a hot air balloon crash. His ship goes to investigate and thus the fantasy adventure begins. Before he dies,...more
Matt Cruse is the Cabin boy on board the luxurious Aurora (a huge airship) that carries passengers above 600 feet. Although he is poor he loves the ship and he loves his job, and he's got a fair expectation of being made junior sail maker soon. He is one of those people who love adventures and stuff. Then one night their ship gets attacked by evil pirates, their he figures out mystery, and it is Matt's duty to save the people along with a girl named Kate de Vries ( a beautiful girl who is rich...more
Airborn is about adventure; about having belief in the existence of things that have not yet been placed before our eyes; about the wonderment provided by a world less rigid and all knowing. I could argue at length about why such grand tales are so imperative to the development of young adults; about the ridiculous notion that such novels are now termed ‘middle-grade’ and thus seemingly not considered mature enough for the gritty abrasiveness of modern teenage life. Such issues however, are for...more
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Sep 16, 2012
Calmeraz22 C
added it
This book is about 2 kids named Mat (Mr.Cruse) and a grile named Kat.Mat who was born in a air plane..He works on a plimp called the Aoura where his father worked on but died by falling into the ocean.Kat is a passinger who misses take off andgets on a small plane and lands in th air.She is also very welthy.1 year ago her grandfather died frome brain something frome his brain but hes claims to see beautiful creatures thats why she`s here to see what he saw.Then thay get boarded bye pirates.Then...more
I hadn't read the premise of this book before starting it and I didn't realize it was science fiction and so I found it a little confusing at first, trying to figure out what time period it was supposed to be set in, and also because terminology is a little off...Atlanticus instead of Atlantic etc. Once I realized this was set in an alternate reality where airplanes had never been invented and air ships were king of the sky, I was able to just relax and go with it. It's a quick read, the writing...more
A fantastic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and up late at night and yearning for more.
The book takes place in a fantasy Victorian era where airplanes (rather ships in the air) are the centre of society. The first chapter may off-put some readers due to its technicality but is rather important, so do not be discouraged future readers.
We are introduced to the young protagonist a cabin boy, Matt Cruise. Matt Cruise does not fully capture your heart until he is paired with th...more
The book takes place in a fantasy Victorian era where airplanes (rather ships in the air) are the centre of society. The first chapter may off-put some readers due to its technicality but is rather important, so do not be discouraged future readers.
We are introduced to the young protagonist a cabin boy, Matt Cruise. Matt Cruise does not fully capture your heart until he is paired with th...more
This is a truly top-notch steampunkish adventure story! Another reviewer nailed it on the head with the description that Airborn is like a "steampunk Treasure Island." It combines all the very best elements of teenage adventure fiction - a gusty, likeable young protagonist in Matt, swashbuckling adventures on the high seas in the air, pirates, etc. They even get shipwrecked at one stage! Not to mention a daring mid-air rescue at the beginning of the book. It's just darn good stuff, and Kenneth O...more
Honestly, I have to say this is both one of the best steampunk books I've read and one of the best YA books. Set on a passenger liner airship in an alternate early 20th century, with a cabin boy as the main character. It's sort of inevitable to compare it to Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series, but besides taking place on a working airship there's not that much in common. This book doesn't deal with war, and it's set in a world that more closely resembles our own. There are no fantasy elements h...more
This book was a great read, page-turner with plenty of action and interest; I would definitely recommend this book to any teen who is into Steampunk or just likes adventure stories.
Matt Cruse had almost forgotten about the old balloonist. It had been a year ago when he sighted the balloon out over the Pacificus, clearly in distress, sinking fast toward the darkness of the ocean. The poor soul was half dead when they got to them, crazed with fever. He gripped Matt’s hand and asked him desperately...more
Matt Cruse had almost forgotten about the old balloonist. It had been a year ago when he sighted the balloon out over the Pacificus, clearly in distress, sinking fast toward the darkness of the ocean. The poor soul was half dead when they got to them, crazed with fever. He gripped Matt’s hand and asked him desperately...more
I found out about Airborn while surfing around looking for contemporaries of Harry Potter to see if any books had sold anywhere near the same number. Kenneth Oppel was unknown to me, although he has been writing for some time, partly because his previous books seem to have been aimed at a younger audience. The article I found was about who was going to replace the JK Rowling-shaped void in children’s publishing now HP was over. Oppel was the focus of the piece (it was for a Canadian site, he is...more
Damn straight.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is YA. This is YA in all its shiny glory. If you're tired of beautiful supernatural new kids falling in love with the mortal they can't be with...
Well. This is YA.
Damn straight.
Matt. A great guy. He is not a Stu. He isn't. I will solidly defend him from any claims of Stu-ness.
Stu = male Sue, for anyone who doesn't know.
Matt is pure at heart and all that crap, but he is not good-looking and he is not perfect. In short he's just a regular late 1800s guy, p...more
Ladies and gentlemen, this is YA. This is YA in all its shiny glory. If you're tired of beautiful supernatural new kids falling in love with the mortal they can't be with...
Well. This is YA.
Damn straight.
Matt. A great guy. He is not a Stu. He isn't. I will solidly defend him from any claims of Stu-ness.
Stu = male Sue, for anyone who doesn't know.
Matt is pure at heart and all that crap, but he is not good-looking and he is not perfect. In short he's just a regular late 1800s guy, p...more
The first time I listened to the audio of Kenneth Oppel’s “Airborn” I found myself not only fascinated by the steampunky adventurous tale but also by the talented cast performing it. First the story. Airborn is a fun YA steampunk tale about two teens—cabin boy Matt Cruse and society girl Kate DeVries—that get caught up in an air adventure aboard the airship Aurora. Like all good steampunk stories there are air pirates, new or slightly revised inventions and a girl that refuses to conform to Vict...more
Got Steampunk?
Matt Cruse lives in a time were airships, hot air balloons and ornithopters rule the sky. Matt is lighter than air; he was born to fly. He feels at home there, in the in the sky, closer to his father, who died in an accident while working in the airship The Aurora. The Aurora is a powerful transoceanic airship that is filled with Hydrium being lighter than hydrogen and smells like mangoes. Matt is working hard to earn a promotion to Junior Sailmaster. He has word on The Aurora as a...more
Matt Cruse lives in a time were airships, hot air balloons and ornithopters rule the sky. Matt is lighter than air; he was born to fly. He feels at home there, in the in the sky, closer to his father, who died in an accident while working in the airship The Aurora. The Aurora is a powerful transoceanic airship that is filled with Hydrium being lighter than hydrogen and smells like mangoes. Matt is working hard to earn a promotion to Junior Sailmaster. He has word on The Aurora as a...more
WHY: Logan is a bit too sensitive for the scary vampire bat in Oppel's "Silverwing" trilogy (which I loved), but he might like this series, which someone described as "Steampunk Treasure Island." I'll probably do a quick pre-read.
"Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt's always wanted; convinced he's lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas...more
"Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt's always wanted; convinced he's lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas...more
I think I've just read my first Steampunk novel!
Although I gave this book the same number of stars that Krystl did, I think I enjoyed it more than she did. I thought it worked well as a full-cast recording, especially with the characters who had distinct accents, like Vlad. And since we're talking about characters, I liked most of them, and I especially liked that they didn't fit into neat boxes. The rich kid who "stole" the main character's promotion ends up being a pretty nice guy. The notorio...more
Although I gave this book the same number of stars that Krystl did, I think I enjoyed it more than she did. I thought it worked well as a full-cast recording, especially with the characters who had distinct accents, like Vlad. And since we're talking about characters, I liked most of them, and I especially liked that they didn't fit into neat boxes. The rich kid who "stole" the main character's promotion ends up being a pretty nice guy. The notorio...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: young adult/adult sci-fi book about a ship [s] | 5 | 128 | Jan 06, 2012 04:44pm | |
| YA Reads for Teac...: Airborn (Matt Cruse, #1) - Kenneth Oppel | 5 | 24 | Jul 11, 2010 05:12pm |
I was born in 1967 in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia but spent the bulk of my childhood in Victoria, B.C. and on the opposite coast, in Halifax, Nova Scotia...At around twelve I decided I wanted to be a writer (this came after deciding I wanted to be a scientist, and then an architect). I started out writing sci-fi epics (my Star Wars phase) then went on to swords...more
More about Kenneth Oppel...
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“You two were in a cave together?’ said Miss Simpkins in horror.
‘Yes,’ said Kate, ‘and it was very, very dark.”
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‘Yes,’ said Kate, ‘and it was very, very dark.”
“Bloody Hell!”
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