Review: Terrific, clean, coming of age story in history
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2014
Jessie and his family live in Florida and are basically kicked out of their home because of the space program in the mid-60s. Moving was very difficult for them--dealing with bullies, school, an alcoholic father, etc. I loved the way Jessie learned to survive and the relationship he had with his brothers was incredible. They really watched out for one another. I loved the positive male influences that Jessie had in his life. The respect these boys showed to their teachers, mother, and even father is inspiring. Jessie's passion for the space program dictated his life and really gave him direction.When I was young, I, too, was fascinated with the space program. I remember watching the launches on tv at school. I remember being saddened by the space shuttle explosion in 1986 and having a real desire to become an astronaut. I become very immersed in this story because I found a lot of it easy to relate to. Unlike me, Jessie did a lot of research on the astronauts and the rockets. He knew pretty much everything related to his love. I loved watching him grow, mature, and focus. I felt that these experiences, even Vietnam, were very true to history and the story progressed in a very realistic way.Jessie had a high school sweetheart, Virginia. I would have liked to see more resolution with that situation, even though it wasn't the main focus of the story. Other than that, I thought it was a well-researched and written historical story that was very entertaining.Content: no language; some violence--fighting, alcoholic abuse (none of it was extremely graphic); some kissing, but very mild. Clean!*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*