Review: Slow start, but well worth it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 23, 2011
CharactersCory is a 10 year old boy who finds himself in over his head when he moves to Midway Space station with his father. Though I like Cory as a character, I believe he should have been a bit older because, as someone who has way too much experience working with children, I don't see how any child, even one in the future, could be as intuitive and clever as Cory at only 10 years of age.John is Cory's father and the new Station Director at Midway Station. He is a serious man who very much loves his family, and is passionate about his political beliefs.Erith, Cory's new stepmother who also happens to be an alien, is a bit of a confusing character. She is portrayed to be someone who cares only about technology and facts, and has no knowledge of how to be part of a family. However I later learned that she feels with more emotion than I had thought possible for her character. The more I read of Erith, the more I liked her.PlotThe plot starts off slow. I found myself reading about a whiny child who was upset about his father re-marrying, and I was sure after the first 5 or so pages that I wouldn't enjoy the book. However, the book rapidly picks up pace and does not slow down, and I am very very glad I did not stop reading. The story's ending was action-packed and full of suspense.DesignThe book's cover will absolutely attract a younger fan-base. Olivia Kernot, the designer, did an excellent job.World BuildingI like that Jansen doesn't take the world building too far. She gives just enough of a description of the space station to put an image in your head, but doesn't deter from the storyline to do it.WritingIt is easy to tell that Jansen has written a thing or two in her time. Her writing has an excellent flow to it. However I felt like almost every thing Cory said when speaking to other people in the book was far beyond his age. This might be justified by saying that he does live in the future, but I don't find that entirely believable.OverallI like a book to grab me from the beginning, and though this book didn't really have that effect for me, I devoured it once the story got going. By the time I was 20 pages in I didn't want to put it down. As a reader, I would definitely read more of Jansen's work based on this experience.Three and a half out of five stars.Review by: Kayelee of Sift Book ReviewsSift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.