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Michael

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Breaking Sky

by Cory McCarthy

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read in April 2015

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Michael said: "
Cori McCarthy in her book, Breaking Sky, tells the story of a young air force pilot named Chase. The story is set in the near future where America is in the middle of another cold war with the Ri Xiong Di Dynasty in China. America's hope lies with Th
Cori McCarthy in her book, Breaking Sky, tells the story of a young air force pilot named Chase. The story is set in the near future where America is in the middle of another cold war with the Ri Xiong Di Dynasty in China. America's hope lies with The United Star Academy and a group of elite teen pilots flying experimental jets called Streakers. The Streaker Program was an answer to combat the Ri Xiong Di's Red Drones. One day while test flying one of the most advanced planes in the world, Chase and her partner, Pippin, came into contact with another Streaker. This new Streaker was part of a Canadian program. Chase followed the Canadian Streaker back to the Canadian hangar and landed. The U.S. had signed a treaty of no assistance with Ri Xiong Di Dynasty stating that any U.S. plane landing on foreign soil would be taken as an act of aggression. The Ri Xiong Di Dynasty could declare war. Chase lost her privilege to fly after she landed. The cold war began to heat up.

One theme that the author shows throughout the book is trust and loyalty. All pilots have a duty to the United Star Academy and their country. At the beginning of the story Chase must swear into secrecy about the Streaker Program. Readers understand the seriousness that the leaders have when it comes to respect, trust and loyalty. The author captivates readers during flight scenes. Cori McCarthy vividly describes Chase’s emotions and actions as she breaks the sound barrier. Chase loves the isolation, vastness and sense of freedom of the open sky. The author describes how Chase steps into her Streaker and takes off as a metaphor for freedom. However, some other aspects of the story were less appealing. The characters could have been developed better. Chase is described as impulsive, reckless and very independent. These characteristics make it hard to believe that the U.S. Government would allow Chase to fly the most advanced plane ever built. Another confusing part about the story is the character’s call signs. The United Star Academy has given all cadets call signs instead of using their real names. This made it confusing because characters were identified with both call signs and real names in the story. The author should have used one name instead of switching back and forth between call signs and real names.

Cori McCarthy wrote Breaking Sky to create a fast paced thriller. The themes trust, respect, and loyalty were evident throughout the book and the description of flight was vivid and gave the reader the sense of freedom. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action and adventure. I rate this book with a 4 out of 5 because of the confusing names and iffy character development. Breaking Sky rivals other books in its genre, such as Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, but does not surpass them. ...more "

May 28, 2015 07:22PM · see review