Southern Cross

by Mike Sims

What happens when all the stars above are wrong and the earth below is out of place? For Miguel a young boy from a poor village in Mexico, he dreams of being an astronomer someday. That dream seems as distant as the moon is from the earth, yet opportunity can come in ways never expected. Miguel knows that as long as he keeps a good idea of where he is, the truth of life will reveal itself. Join Miguel in an adventure that will take him to places he never thought he would be.

Genres: Adventure, Fiction

274 pages, Paperback

Published January 18, 2018

About the author

Since his teenage years, Mike Sims has been the ultimate story-teller, creating written works of art of all types. He has built a following on social media entertaining people with his never-ending and unique brand of humor. Working tirelessly behind the scenes writing jokes for morning radio personalities to professional comedians. His work has caught the attention of Hollywood producers and marketing professionals across various industries from commercials to infomercials and everything in between. His passion for storytelling has led him to publish his work and bringing what he hopes is helpful and entertaining literature to the world.

Reviews

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, which (I believe) is definitely geared more toward middle school children, is about a young boy who lives in a village that has no electricity, where the homes do not have plumbing, and where most people choose to stay rather than go out into the "real" world.

However, young Miguel has a passion - he loves nothing more than to stare at the sky and dream of what is up there. His older brother has left the little village to make his way in the world, and when he comes back for a visit, he brings treasures. Luckily for Miguel, these include binoculars and books on astronomy.

However, one night, Miguel realizes something isn't right in the Heavens. The stars are not where they should be, and he realizes that the entire village isn't where it used to be. However, convincing the adults is another matter altogether. And what's with the sudden appearance of some type of petrol building that he found on a long jaunt with his father? Are they tied together?

As I said, this story is geared, and is written in the language of, younger children. It would be a good read between a parent and a child.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, believable story. The author is a true story teller. I’ve read his other books, as well. Enjoyed them all.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Updated review: Disclaimer, I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I have since gone back and finished this book that I had originally abandoned. I did get to enjoy the aspect that reminded me of “The Maze Runner”. Loved the premise that science rules (Bill Nye would be proud). Still maintain that further editing needs to be done on the edition I read.

My original review: (with one star rating)

“Disclaimer - I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
I rarely abandon books. I made an exception for this book. After the first 11% of the book, I had amassed 18 notes of corrections that should have been addressed by an editor before this book went to the public. I wanted to like the premise of the book, but I really couldn’t get past the missed commas, wrong words, awkward phrases, and narrative that didn’t flow.”

[NancyJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is lovely simple light sci-fi story suitable for kids of any age, particularly those who are interested in astronomy. Cynical teens and adults might find some of the characters and events unrealistically 'nice' but I found the story engaging and plausible enough to read straight through without pausing.

The Southern Cross refers to a constellation of stars that is visible in the southern hemisphere. It is important for navigation, comparable to the North Star in the northern hemisphere. I don't think I really knew that before, as I'm too far north to see it (and I don't know very much about astronomy), but the hero of the story knows it well. Miguel is a 12 year old boy who loves astronomy. He lives in a small village in Mexico where there are no city lights to obscure his view of the stars. So he noticed when one night the stars were not where they are supposed to be. This is my absolute favorite part of the story. I can't tell you the rest, but I can tell you that there is an interesting explanation. The plot was one that I hadn't heard before, and it was reasonably plausible for a sci-fi related story.

I like a happy ending, but this one is a little over-the-top and naive, particularly in this time of low trust in politicians and government agencies. The original story was apparently written in the 1990's, and I got a little shot of nostalgia by one section of the ending. It reminded me of when Nancy Kerrigan won an Olympic medal and they asked her "what's next?"

I won this kindle book in a goodreads giveaway earlier this year. I was browsing through my kindle library tonight, and I opened it to see what it was about. The next thing I knew I was half way through, and I had to keep going. It's not the kind of book I normally read, but I enjoyed the story. Thank you to the author for making it available.

[Denzel Struchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written

Unique story line which is plausible anD believable in today's society. The story will draw you in as a young boy ttys to convince others of t the truth. Sit back and enjoy

[James Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different than I expected. Not my usual type of book but it kept me interested. Good job.

[Debra Barstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was geared more for the middle age reader but the story was good.

[Raymond White · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abandoned this book--something I rarely do, but to me it was simply unreadable--a story line that was going nowhere slowly. I haven't done many one star reviews as I know how much work goes into writing a book, but maybe this way I can get Goodreads to stop sending me requests to update my "progress."