Official Review: The Flying Boy by Sean Wheeler

[CataclysmicKnight]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Flying Boy" by Sean Wheeler.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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A kid's book written by a kid is a great concept, but it's hard to believe a kid can write a book worthy of reading. When I was a kid I tried my hand at writing, but the end result certainly wasn't something I would want to show anyone. Sean Wheeler's The Flying Boy, thank goodness, is nothing like my first foray into writing.

Five-year-old Jeremy Floeter goes on a trip with his mom and dad to NASA for a tour, but they end up touring with another family with a bully of a son who goes by Knuckles. Jeremy is excited and tries out a couple simulations, but Knuckles belittles and even sabotages his enjoyment. By the end of the tour Jeremy calls Knuckles out, resulting in a gallon of anti-gravity potion being forced down Jeremy's throat. Jeremy ends up with the ability to fly, with the flip side of the coin being that he can never touch the ground for more than 3 seconds at a time, leading to him being thought of as a freak and unable to hide his power.

Flash forward nine years and Jeremy begins high school, but Knuckles is there as well. It isn't long before another student notices Jeremy's flight and tells her mad scientist father, Dr. Andy Paigne. Dr. Paigne desires Jeremy's power of flight, so a dastardly plan is hatched to get it from him.

While I never questioned that the book was written by a kid/teenager, the book was enjoyable overall and even had some extra charm to it due to the author's age. It was far more on the silly side than the serious side, so the cliches that were used (and sometimes even called out), the fantastic names (Dr. Paigne, Jeremy Floeter, Rex McCool, Eugene Bitterman) and the references included were excellent instead of getting in the way. The book was also very short (less than 60 pages), making this a quick, enjoyable read. There's even a "bonus scene" after the about the author section, much like Marvel superhero movies have!

While the book could have used a little editing and it's certainly not for everyone, for those who enjoy quick, easy, humorous reads with a bit of charm (and a "your princess is in another castle" reference), give The Flying Boy a try! I definitely enjoyed my brief time with it and find it worthy of 3 out of 4 stars.

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The Flying Boy
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Like CataclysmicKnight's review? Post a comment saying so!

[AA1495]

I'm glad you enjoyed reading this book. Thank you for the great review!

[Serena [Poetree]]

Sounds like a fun book! That's so cool that such a young person published a good (albeit short) novel. Great review!

[MsMartha]

This looks like a fun book--the character names caught my attention, among other details. Thanks for the review!

[lane_vespertine]

I bet this was a very hard book to be unbiased with considering how cool it was that the author was still a kid himself!
As usual, great review!

[Elaine5]

This book sounds like a lot of fun. We're heading to Florida later this year. It might be fun to read this with the kids before we tour the Space Centre! Thanks for a great review.