I just finished Philip Reeve's Larklight. It's a fantasy set in an alternate Victorian period in space. Ok, just on that description, this book could have gone downhill really quickly. Not every author could pull it off without sounding really stupid, but I've found that Philip Reeve isn't just any author. One of his other books, Mortal Engines, is one that I always recommend to kids, but with the instructions that they not read the blurb on the back of the book until they've actually read the book. That's another one that, going by the description, could be really bad, but it's actually a very good book. Anyway, back to Larklight... Art and Myrtle (remember, it's Victorian) live with their father in a house that's floating in space near the moon, until they are forced to flee in a lifeboat after being attacked by giant spiders. They run into space pirates, as well as an assortment of creatures and aliens as they travel through the solar system and try to determine what exactly the key to Larklight, that the spiders are after, actually is and where it is. See what I mean? Starting to sound kind of dumb? Well I'm not Philip Reeve. When he writes it, it's quite good. I was a little disappointed in the ending - one of those "well we're out of pages, time to wrap it up" endings. But along the way it's a very entertaining book, that I'd recommend for middle schoolers. It's the first in a series, so look for sequels soon. Enjoy!
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