Fortunately, that means that I've had some time to read! I've got a backlogged list of books that I'd like to share, starting with Frank Cottrell Boyce's latest book, Cosmic.
Liam is a boy trapped in a man's body. At the age of twelve, he goes through a series of growth spurts and is regularly mistaken for an adult. Sometimes this is great, such as the time when he was the only kid tall enough to go on the Cosmic theme park ride, or the time when he was mistaken for a teacher at school. But sometimes Liam just wants to be treated like a normal kid instead of having everyone expect him to act like an adult just because he looks like one. But Liam decides to use his adult appearance to his advantage when he wins a contest for the world's greatest dads, convincing schoolmate Florida to pose as his daughter. The prize? A chance to go on the greatest thrill ride ever: A trip into outer space. What could possibly go wrong?I liked this book well enough when I read it, but it's really grown on me over time. At first I just didn't quite buy the fact that Liam could carry on this deception for so long (someone would eventually catch on...right?), but I now appreciate this gimmick as an artful way of making commentary on the nature of childhood and adulthood. Because that's really what this book is about: Age and expectations. What does it really mean to be an adult or a parent? Is it really just about filling out boring forms and making your kids do things they don't want to do? What does it mean to be a child? Isn't adulthood wasted on adults, who don't seem to understand why it's important to visit all of the Waterloos the world over? Adults will appreciate Liam's awkward transition into "adulthood" (I know I saw a bit of myself in it) and kids will enjoy Liam's crazy adventures, both on Earth and in space. Everyone will love this book for its interesting characters.
Besides, it's a space adventure. What's not to love?
Overall Grade: A
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