It’s 2048, and America’s best hope is in the two teen-fighter pilots of the United Star Academy. Chase Harcourt, call sign “Nyx,” is one of the two pilots chosen to fly the experimental “Streaker” jets at the academy. Her tough and impulsive nature, along with her lightning-fast reactions, help her in the sky, but they also lead her to push away anyone who tries to get close. Yet, Chase doesn’t need people; she needs to ace the upcoming Streaker trials instead. But when Chase cracks open a military secret and finds a third Streaker jet, piloted by the infuriatingly good-looking Tristan, she realizes she may need other people in order to save her country.
The plot is Breaking Sky‘s best aspect, but it’s far from flawless. I thought the beginning was really confusing; Cori McCarthy did not fully explain the premise until halfway into the book. (I didn’t realize until much later in the book that the synopsis does not exaggerate Chase’s significance.) In fact, I’m still confused about much of the plot. Breaking Sky is fast-paced and exciting, but much of the premise does not make sense. I didn’t get why the United States would rely on teenagers, especially Chase. Chase is reckless to the point of idiocy at times, and many characters in the book also reach that point. Don’t most adults realize that?
Other than Chase’s ROI (basically flying assistant), Pippin, I disliked the characters of Breaking Sky. Chase especially got on my nerves. Yes, her back-story explains much of her behavior, but she’s just overly reckless to the point where her behavior just doesn’t make sense at times. At times, other inconsistencies in her character had me closing the book out of irritation. Additionally, adults’ reactions to her behavior were equally appalling. Her rudeness to administrators, as well as her obvious carelessness, should have gotten her kicked out of the academy. Instead, Chase stays at the United Star Academy, performing even crazier stunts.
However, this being said, I truly loved the flying scenes. The author’s descriptions of flying are, to the best of my knowledge, pretty accurate. Each scene is necessarily for the plot’s development, but I wouldn’t have minded even if they weren’t. The scenes are incredibly well-written; I felt like I was on the jet with Chase and Pippin, and I kind of felt like puking… (that’s a compliment!)
Overall, Breaking Sky is an exciting read. Though there are some major flaws, the book is still a high-flying read. (Sorry for the pun!)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (March 10th, 2015)
Length: 416 pages (Hardcover)
ISBN #: 9781492601418
Source: Netgalley
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