Airman - Review
Link to the author's (E. Colfer) personal website
Genre: Fiction
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (17)
- Length (5 / 10)
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king’s daughter, Princess Isabella. But the boy’s idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a deadly conspiracy against the king. When Conor tries to intervene, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life, as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions.
There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly. So Conor passes the solitary months by scratching drawings of flying machines on the prison walls. The months turn into years; but eventually the day comes when Conor must find the courage to trust his revolutionary designs and take to the air.
Review: I have read this book many times, starting from when I was about 15, and loved it each time. It is a perfect example of a self-contained story with a clear arc, real stakes, glorious characters, and an overwhelming sense of adventure. Capturing all of this without being overwhelming, without being too long, and while being accessible to a younger audience, is a miracle. I highly recommend this book for those looking for an easily accessible stand-alone adventure. It will make you mourn, yet manage to leave a smile on your face when you think back on it.