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The Young Soldier #2
Pursuing Dreams
Friends and Enemies are made in war… But sometimes... it’s hard to make the distinction.
Don O'Hara was lucky. At least, that’s what everyone else said. Born the son of a General, with a guaranteed ticket to Commander's School, Don had his future laid out for him. Only, he didn't want that future. All he ever wanted was to be a Space Jumper. Lucky for him, he never lacked guts. Defying his father and sneaking off to Basic is an easy decision; a decision that forever changes the course his life will take.
Pursuing Dreams is an action packed, Sci-Fi, Young Adult novel that takes the reader on a wild ride as Don fights for his dream and stumbles upon the truth about his family and the O’Hara Legacy. With his life turned upside down and unable to shake the feeling that he is being watched, Don does the only thing he can: he keeps moving forward not knowing that every step takes him closer to becoming the most hated man alive.
Don O'Hara was lucky. At least, that’s what everyone else said. Born the son of a General, with a guaranteed ticket to Commander's School, Don had his future laid out for him. Only, he didn't want that future. All he ever wanted was to be a Space Jumper. Lucky for him, he never lacked guts. Defying his father and sneaking off to Basic is an easy decision; a decision that forever changes the course his life will take.
Pursuing Dreams is an action packed, Sci-Fi, Young Adult novel that takes the reader on a wild ride as Don fights for his dream and stumbles upon the truth about his family and the O’Hara Legacy. With his life turned upside down and unable to shake the feeling that he is being watched, Don does the only thing he can: he keeps moving forward not knowing that every step takes him closer to becoming the most hated man alive.
303 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
About the author
M.K. Clark
9 books11 followersMK Clark is an author based out of Austin Texas. She grew up believing she would be an astronaut. She settled for the second-best option as an author with a penchant for YA Sci-Fi and Post-Apoc. While working on the next book in her Young Soldier Series, she fills the publishing void with short stories like Impact and The Beetle Problem. If she had free time, she’d spend it shooting zombies while snuggled on the couch with her hubby and fur-baby.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 26, 2017
**** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review****
“Pursuing Dreams” is the first installment of what will turn into quite the epic sci-fi series as it follows the adventures of Don O’Hara while he trains as a soldier and then a pilot, all while trying to make his own way free of his father’s imposing shadow. Throughout his training, Don starts to suspect that he is part of something… something bigger and grander then just being the General’s son. As he goes from basic to the Space Jumper’s program, those feelings of unease grow, the prickle of trepidation follows him, and it makes him increasingly more paranoid as he suspects people are constantly watching him and trying to manipulate him, and his friends, from the sidelines. The problem is, Don has no clue to what end these outside forces could want with him or for what purpose exactly. Which leaves Don fumbling in the dark where all he can do is follow his instincts. All that stumbling eventually leads Don to discover the start of several plots and secrets he is not ready to face nor properly prepared to deal with.
There is a kind of “Ender’s Game” vibe to this book that is present in the undercurrents of the plot. A secretive space program, a war that never ends, using kid’s as soldiers to fight said war, a boy with instincts that propel him above his classmates, lots of detail about space combat and simulators, all of those elements are a constant in MK Clark’s book and make me think a bit of Ender. Don is not as stoic as Ender but he’s fun to get to know and his interactions with the others in his crew and his friends from basic are endearing to watch. I wish we got to spend more time with some characters and getting to know them (like Tyson) but given that this is the start of a new series, I have faith that a lot of these characters will be constants moving forward, even though Clark is not afraid of killing or hurting her characters!
Clark puts a lot of time, research, and effort into creating believable sci-fi scenarios and ship combat. You really feel like you are flying alongside Don and can understand why he feels so isolated when he doesn’t have the voices of his team constantly in his ear. That level of detail makes this futuristic world feel whole even though you don’t get to really see the alien forces they are fighting, it’s always space combat for the most part. It’s nice when an author has that level of detail in their work and Clark delivers!
As this is the first book in what feels like a long saga following Don to his ultimate end of overthrowing the Council (not a spoiler, people discuss this in the opening chapter and then the rest of the book is watching how Don will eventually get to that place), there are a lot of questions that get raised. I won’t bring them up because that would spoil the journey but most of those questions will linger into book two and beyond, so know that as you start, for you’ll want to stick with this series for a long time to get answers to all those questions.
This was a fun ride in a gritty military sci-fi story and I’m interested to see where Don goes from here and how he turns from an idealistic kid into someone people curse in taverns. Clark makes a lot of promises in this first book that I’m interested to see get answered in later installments. As the cast of characters in this book is mainly male, despite the author being a woman, I feel like this book is best suited for teenage boy readers who enjoy more mild versions of things like “Starship Troopers”. Clark is a great writer with a grand vision for Don that will take readers on a long, and fun, space journey, but as it is the first book with so many lingering questions, I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 stars.
“Pursuing Dreams” is the first installment of what will turn into quite the epic sci-fi series as it follows the adventures of Don O’Hara while he trains as a soldier and then a pilot, all while trying to make his own way free of his father’s imposing shadow. Throughout his training, Don starts to suspect that he is part of something… something bigger and grander then just being the General’s son. As he goes from basic to the Space Jumper’s program, those feelings of unease grow, the prickle of trepidation follows him, and it makes him increasingly more paranoid as he suspects people are constantly watching him and trying to manipulate him, and his friends, from the sidelines. The problem is, Don has no clue to what end these outside forces could want with him or for what purpose exactly. Which leaves Don fumbling in the dark where all he can do is follow his instincts. All that stumbling eventually leads Don to discover the start of several plots and secrets he is not ready to face nor properly prepared to deal with.
There is a kind of “Ender’s Game” vibe to this book that is present in the undercurrents of the plot. A secretive space program, a war that never ends, using kid’s as soldiers to fight said war, a boy with instincts that propel him above his classmates, lots of detail about space combat and simulators, all of those elements are a constant in MK Clark’s book and make me think a bit of Ender. Don is not as stoic as Ender but he’s fun to get to know and his interactions with the others in his crew and his friends from basic are endearing to watch. I wish we got to spend more time with some characters and getting to know them (like Tyson) but given that this is the start of a new series, I have faith that a lot of these characters will be constants moving forward, even though Clark is not afraid of killing or hurting her characters!
Clark puts a lot of time, research, and effort into creating believable sci-fi scenarios and ship combat. You really feel like you are flying alongside Don and can understand why he feels so isolated when he doesn’t have the voices of his team constantly in his ear. That level of detail makes this futuristic world feel whole even though you don’t get to really see the alien forces they are fighting, it’s always space combat for the most part. It’s nice when an author has that level of detail in their work and Clark delivers!
As this is the first book in what feels like a long saga following Don to his ultimate end of overthrowing the Council (not a spoiler, people discuss this in the opening chapter and then the rest of the book is watching how Don will eventually get to that place), there are a lot of questions that get raised. I won’t bring them up because that would spoil the journey but most of those questions will linger into book two and beyond, so know that as you start, for you’ll want to stick with this series for a long time to get answers to all those questions.
This was a fun ride in a gritty military sci-fi story and I’m interested to see where Don goes from here and how he turns from an idealistic kid into someone people curse in taverns. Clark makes a lot of promises in this first book that I’m interested to see get answered in later installments. As the cast of characters in this book is mainly male, despite the author being a woman, I feel like this book is best suited for teenage boy readers who enjoy more mild versions of things like “Starship Troopers”. Clark is a great writer with a grand vision for Don that will take readers on a long, and fun, space journey, but as it is the first book with so many lingering questions, I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 stars.
August 3, 2017
Pursing Dreams by M. K. Clark is the first installment in a young adult sci-fi series that had me engaged from the very beginning. Hidden gems like this book are the reason why I accept review requests from debut and little known authors. The synopsis was enough to peak my interest and I am so very glad I choose this book to read and review.
The story is about Don O’Hara, in a lot of ways a typical sixteen year old, who just happens to be the son of a general. His father, who as a single parent, is domineering and has run Don’s life like he was one of his military subordinates. Don has always known that his father would insist that he go to Commander’s School even though all he wants is to be a Space Jumper.
A chance encounter on the day he leaves for Commander’s School provides him with an opportunity to switch places with an unsuspecting kid headed to Basic Training. In his naive way of thinking, he believes by the time he is found out it will be too late for those in charge to correct. Unbeknownst to him, there is more than one group of persons following his actions very closely.
It is not long upon Don’s arrival on Earth, to start Basic Training, that his ruse is discovered. No one is happy about it, including his commander officer who does not want the responsibility of a general’s only son. Despite misgivings, Don is allowed to stay, but he wants to be shown no favoritism. It appears he is not going to get that wish and soon discovers he is being watched. At first, he writes it off as part of being a general’s son. Then when a training exercise goes wrong he stumbles onto people who hint at other outside forces. It becomes apparent to Don that there are multiple forces trying to steer his life. As he struggles to control his life and fulfil his dream of being a Space Jumper he gets more than he bargained for and it might cost him his life.
I totally enjoyed reading Pursing Dreams. I loved the attention the author paid to details of military training, space flight and especially what combat in space might be like. The character of Don also received the same level of detail. I loved the feeling of being inside of his head and watching him change and mature through his experiences. There was plenty of intrigue to help move the plot along and I found myself not wanting the book to end.
Well end it does, on a cliffhanger! Nevertheless, throughout the story hints of the future are intertwined with the present and the reader knows Don’s story is not over. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I just hope Ms. Clark does not keep me waiting too long.
Although this is a coming-of-age story, I think anyone who likes Sci-Fi will enjoy reading Pursing Dreams as much as I did.
Disclaimer: While I used my Kindle Unlimited account to read this book, the author did request a review.
Please see my other reviews, and author interviews, on my blog at www.thespineview.com.
The story is about Don O’Hara, in a lot of ways a typical sixteen year old, who just happens to be the son of a general. His father, who as a single parent, is domineering and has run Don’s life like he was one of his military subordinates. Don has always known that his father would insist that he go to Commander’s School even though all he wants is to be a Space Jumper.
A chance encounter on the day he leaves for Commander’s School provides him with an opportunity to switch places with an unsuspecting kid headed to Basic Training. In his naive way of thinking, he believes by the time he is found out it will be too late for those in charge to correct. Unbeknownst to him, there is more than one group of persons following his actions very closely.
It is not long upon Don’s arrival on Earth, to start Basic Training, that his ruse is discovered. No one is happy about it, including his commander officer who does not want the responsibility of a general’s only son. Despite misgivings, Don is allowed to stay, but he wants to be shown no favoritism. It appears he is not going to get that wish and soon discovers he is being watched. At first, he writes it off as part of being a general’s son. Then when a training exercise goes wrong he stumbles onto people who hint at other outside forces. It becomes apparent to Don that there are multiple forces trying to steer his life. As he struggles to control his life and fulfil his dream of being a Space Jumper he gets more than he bargained for and it might cost him his life.
I totally enjoyed reading Pursing Dreams. I loved the attention the author paid to details of military training, space flight and especially what combat in space might be like. The character of Don also received the same level of detail. I loved the feeling of being inside of his head and watching him change and mature through his experiences. There was plenty of intrigue to help move the plot along and I found myself not wanting the book to end.
Well end it does, on a cliffhanger! Nevertheless, throughout the story hints of the future are intertwined with the present and the reader knows Don’s story is not over. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I just hope Ms. Clark does not keep me waiting too long.
Although this is a coming-of-age story, I think anyone who likes Sci-Fi will enjoy reading Pursing Dreams as much as I did.
Disclaimer: While I used my Kindle Unlimited account to read this book, the author did request a review.
Please see my other reviews, and author interviews, on my blog at www.thespineview.com.
June 30, 2017
MK Clark has written a book unlike anything I've ever read before. Her use of the future against the past doesn't spoil the surprise so much as it asks questions that you, the reader, are left to answer. She doesn't provide those answers for you, rather giving you the information to make your own choices.
One of the things that I love most about this book is how the story and maturity of the story grows with Don O'hara. At the beginning Don is one of those characters that believes in black and white, with no other possibilities. As he grows, that view and that belief system shifts. Don can no longer believe in black and white, and is confronted with the possibilities that he can never escape the O'hara legacy. As Don grows, as he realizes the evils of the world, the book begins to get darker, the possibilities he sees no longer so happy, and the reader is drawn into the spiderweb of conspiracy theories and possibilities.
It's a book written to take you along the journey Don O'hara, and the ride is one you'll never forget. The end of the book is a mixture of sadness, anticipation, and cliff hanger that will leave you wanting to hurt the author for how brilliantly she wrote you to the cliff, just to leave you there.
People will ask, who should read this book? It's listed as a young adult, military, science fiction. Yes, this is a book for young adults, still I loved this book. I will be rereading it, and I will enjoy it every moment that I do. What MK Clark has written is enjoyable to both young adult and adult, which makes it a great book to spark discussion between and adult and young adult, to get a conversation going, or just to create a point of common interest.
One of the things that I love most about this book is how the story and maturity of the story grows with Don O'hara. At the beginning Don is one of those characters that believes in black and white, with no other possibilities. As he grows, that view and that belief system shifts. Don can no longer believe in black and white, and is confronted with the possibilities that he can never escape the O'hara legacy. As Don grows, as he realizes the evils of the world, the book begins to get darker, the possibilities he sees no longer so happy, and the reader is drawn into the spiderweb of conspiracy theories and possibilities.
It's a book written to take you along the journey Don O'hara, and the ride is one you'll never forget. The end of the book is a mixture of sadness, anticipation, and cliff hanger that will leave you wanting to hurt the author for how brilliantly she wrote you to the cliff, just to leave you there.
People will ask, who should read this book? It's listed as a young adult, military, science fiction. Yes, this is a book for young adults, still I loved this book. I will be rereading it, and I will enjoy it every moment that I do. What MK Clark has written is enjoyable to both young adult and adult, which makes it a great book to spark discussion between and adult and young adult, to get a conversation going, or just to create a point of common interest.
August 25, 2017
There were several areas where I felt the book did not flow or explain exactly what was happening. There was just no transition between what was happening and I found myself pushing through those areas. The battles did not really pull me in either. However, as you can see I gave it 5 stars because it kept me entertained even with the issues I mentioned above. Even with the negative issues with the book, I found it hard to put down. I will be waiting for the next book in the series.
June 19, 2021
I thought this was a very good book as I was not sure if I would like it but I so much liked it that I read it from the very beginning to the very end.
The charcter built up was so spectacular that the whole story made sense to me in my opinion.
The story telling was so good it impressed me so much I enjoyed it so much as this my opinion
I got this book for free, thru an Advanced Review Copy, ARC, with an honest review freely given.
The charcter built up was so spectacular that the whole story made sense to me in my opinion.
The story telling was so good it impressed me so much I enjoyed it so much as this my opinion
I got this book for free, thru an Advanced Review Copy, ARC, with an honest review freely given.
May 29, 2018
Bad
Could not find plot until last. MC is 17 but graduates advanced infantry school? Boring to say the least. Save your money
Could not find plot until last. MC is 17 but graduates advanced infantry school? Boring to say the least. Save your money
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews