What do you think?
Rate this book
The Fog Diver #1
The Fog Diver
A deadly white mist has cloaked the earth for hundreds of years. Humanity clings to the highest mountain peaks, where the wealthy Five Families rule over the teeming lower slopes and rambling junkyards. As the ruthless Lord Kodoc patrols the skies to enforce order, thirteen-year-old Chess and his crew scavenge in the Fog-shrouded ruins for anything they can sell to survive.
Hazel is the captain of their salvage raft: bold and daring. Swedish is the pilot: suspicious and strong. Bea is the mechanic: cheerful and brilliant. And Chess is the tetherboy: quiet and quick…and tougher than he looks. But Chess has a secret, one he’s kept hidden his whole life. One that Lord Kodoc is desperate to exploit for his own evil plans. And even as Chess unearths the crew’s biggest treasure ever, they are running out of time...
Hazel is the captain of their salvage raft: bold and daring. Swedish is the pilot: suspicious and strong. Bea is the mechanic: cheerful and brilliant. And Chess is the tetherboy: quiet and quick…and tougher than he looks. But Chess has a secret, one he’s kept hidden his whole life. One that Lord Kodoc is desperate to exploit for his own evil plans. And even as Chess unearths the crew’s biggest treasure ever, they are running out of time...
332 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2015
107 people are currently reading
3987 people want to read
About the author
Joel N. Ross
13 books55 followersJoel Ross is the author of two World War II thrillers for adults (Double Cross Blind and White Flag Down). The Fog Diver is his tween debut. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Lee Naftali, who is also a full-time writer, and his son, Ben, who is a full-time kid.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 392 reviews
November 10, 2016
The Fog Diver is the tale of a ragtag team of orphans navigating the skies in a salvaged air raft. They brave pirate-infested clouds, delve into the Fog where dangerous creatures prowl, and scour the abandoned Earth for treasures to sell in payment for their next meal. Chess and his crew have a secret, one that gives them an advantage over all the other fog divers. But people are talking; spreading rumors threaten to reveal their secret and put all of their lives in danger.
The strength of this book has to do with its world-building and seamless delivery of exposition. The origin of the Fog, the creatures living in it, and mankind's adaptation to the Fog after it invaded the Earth is creative and well executed.
The Fog was treacherous and brutal, but it was beautiful, too. Shimmering shapes tumbled in the mist, and my body felt different. Buoyant, weightless. I jumped impossibly high, I twirled and flipped and sprang.
The author makes it clear from the start that the character's actions are driven by a need to save a woman dear to them: Mrs. E. But an explanation for her importance to the characters is late in coming, making it difficult for the reader to form an attachment to her.
Despite the dire state of the Earth and the seriousness of the characters' circumstances, the book is sprinkled throughout with humor:
"In the old days," I said, pulling my blanket to my chin, "before the Fog came, people used to see shapes in the stars."
"You already told us that," Swedish said. "They called them constipations."
"Constellations," Hazel said with a soft laugh.
"That's what I said!"
One could argue The Fog Diver is fast paced just as easily as one might claim that it's hyperactive. There's no room for sentimentality in this book. Almost every chapter ends with an explosion, impending crash, death threat, or some other melodrama. This will either appeal to - or put off - readers according to their preferences.
After all of the drama, the book reaches an abrupt end. The story is mostly concluded but leaves room for events that are likely explored in its sequel.
The Fog Diver offers a distant future in an apocalyptic world, where adventures await in the sky and a few orphaned slumkids hold the key to making themselves legend.
The strength of this book has to do with its world-building and seamless delivery of exposition. The origin of the Fog, the creatures living in it, and mankind's adaptation to the Fog after it invaded the Earth is creative and well executed.
The Fog was treacherous and brutal, but it was beautiful, too. Shimmering shapes tumbled in the mist, and my body felt different. Buoyant, weightless. I jumped impossibly high, I twirled and flipped and sprang.
The author makes it clear from the start that the character's actions are driven by a need to save a woman dear to them: Mrs. E. But an explanation for her importance to the characters is late in coming, making it difficult for the reader to form an attachment to her.
Despite the dire state of the Earth and the seriousness of the characters' circumstances, the book is sprinkled throughout with humor:
"In the old days," I said, pulling my blanket to my chin, "before the Fog came, people used to see shapes in the stars."
"You already told us that," Swedish said. "They called them constipations."
"Constellations," Hazel said with a soft laugh.
"That's what I said!"
One could argue The Fog Diver is fast paced just as easily as one might claim that it's hyperactive. There's no room for sentimentality in this book. Almost every chapter ends with an explosion, impending crash, death threat, or some other melodrama. This will either appeal to - or put off - readers according to their preferences.
After all of the drama, the book reaches an abrupt end. The story is mostly concluded but leaves room for events that are likely explored in its sequel.
The Fog Diver offers a distant future in an apocalyptic world, where adventures await in the sky and a few orphaned slumkids hold the key to making themselves legend.
July 17, 2017
Ever read a book that makes you do a happy dance around the room when you finish it?
I was dancing last night.
This is the kind of book I've been wanting to read for a long time - a wild, crazy, jaunt into an exciting and magical place. An adventure in the truest sense of the world.
Dialogue: Check!
Story: Double Check!
World Building: Double Check!
Characterization: Double, Double, Check!
Adventure: Double, Double, Double, Check!
This book was amazing, I enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to read the sequel!
Content: There was a couple of crude lines/words. A lot of peril and danger.
I was dancing last night.
This is the kind of book I've been wanting to read for a long time - a wild, crazy, jaunt into an exciting and magical place. An adventure in the truest sense of the world.
Dialogue: Check!
Story: Double Check!
World Building: Double Check!
Characterization: Double, Double, Check!
Adventure: Double, Double, Double, Check!
This book was amazing, I enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to read the sequel!
Content: There was a couple of crude lines/words. A lot of peril and danger.
July 18, 2016
3.75 stars.
Review to come.
Review to come.
November 24, 2014
First off, I have to say that I expected something entirely different from what The Fog Diver ultimately turned out to be.
I went into this book thinking this will be something along the lines of The Maze Runner, only instead of the maze we'd have the fog. I thought the majority of the plot would be spent in the fog, but though the lead character is a fog diver, he spends very little time actually diving in the fog (we're talking maybe 10 pages total). I kind of had this idea that this book would be about exploring the fog, fighting the dangers lurking inside it, maybe getting trapped down in the fog covered areas and racing against time, trying to stay alive. I don't really know what I imagined exactly *shrugs*, but it definitely wasn't what I got. The majority of the plot plays out while the characters are flying around on their air-raft, trying to escape mutineers and lord Kodoc, or get from one point to another.
Chess is a freak. He was born in a cage, down in the fog, and he has one fog-filled eye to always remind him of the fact. The fog is actually not just some meteorological anomaly, it's a cloud of nanites, designed to fix the smog covering the Earth. These nanites were meant to heal the Earth and keep it clean, but they took the cleaning process to a whole new level,deciding that the human race is the source and cause of pollution, and, therefore, humans have to be kept out. The fog attacked humans, killing millions and driving the rest of them up to the highest peaks of Earth, where they were forced to live above the fog level. Chess and his crew are scavengers, searching the fog for anything that could be salvaged and then sold (usually for food and clothing). Chess is, of course, the diver. He is the one who goes all the way down to look for anything valuable. His nanite-filled freak-eye somehow protects him from the fog-sickness.
As it turns out, his "freakiness" is no accident. He was "made" this way by lord Kodoc, who wanted someone he could use to find the machines that control the fog. Because, if you control the fog, you control the world. And now Kodoc is after Chess.
This was a good story that moved along at a nice, even pace. I thought Chess was an interesting character and the supporting cast was strong,too. I liked the diversity and how each of them was so unique. Chess is only 12, which supports my theory that this is most likely a middle grade novel (GR doesn't specify the age level, I initially made the assumption that this was a YA novel, but the writing is more fitting for Middle Grade crowd).
It's most definitely an entertaining story, filled with good-natured humor (lots of little pop culture anecdotes that will make you chuckle), amusing dialogues, fast-moving action and mostly unexpected twists. I think it's a great book for young boys, particularly those who happen to be reluctant readers. The writing is easy to absorb, mostly dialogue-based and it should keep them captivated. It was a little bit too immature for me, but I still enjoyed it quite a lot.
I went into this book thinking this will be something along the lines of The Maze Runner, only instead of the maze we'd have the fog. I thought the majority of the plot would be spent in the fog, but though the lead character is a fog diver, he spends very little time actually diving in the fog (we're talking maybe 10 pages total). I kind of had this idea that this book would be about exploring the fog, fighting the dangers lurking inside it, maybe getting trapped down in the fog covered areas and racing against time, trying to stay alive. I don't really know what I imagined exactly *shrugs*, but it definitely wasn't what I got. The majority of the plot plays out while the characters are flying around on their air-raft, trying to escape mutineers and lord Kodoc, or get from one point to another.
Chess is a freak. He was born in a cage, down in the fog, and he has one fog-filled eye to always remind him of the fact. The fog is actually not just some meteorological anomaly, it's a cloud of nanites, designed to fix the smog covering the Earth. These nanites were meant to heal the Earth and keep it clean, but they took the cleaning process to a whole new level,deciding that the human race is the source and cause of pollution, and, therefore, humans have to be kept out. The fog attacked humans, killing millions and driving the rest of them up to the highest peaks of Earth, where they were forced to live above the fog level. Chess and his crew are scavengers, searching the fog for anything that could be salvaged and then sold (usually for food and clothing). Chess is, of course, the diver. He is the one who goes all the way down to look for anything valuable. His nanite-filled freak-eye somehow protects him from the fog-sickness.
As it turns out, his "freakiness" is no accident. He was "made" this way by lord Kodoc, who wanted someone he could use to find the machines that control the fog. Because, if you control the fog, you control the world. And now Kodoc is after Chess.
This was a good story that moved along at a nice, even pace. I thought Chess was an interesting character and the supporting cast was strong,too. I liked the diversity and how each of them was so unique. Chess is only 12, which supports my theory that this is most likely a middle grade novel (GR doesn't specify the age level, I initially made the assumption that this was a YA novel, but the writing is more fitting for Middle Grade crowd).
It's most definitely an entertaining story, filled with good-natured humor (lots of little pop culture anecdotes that will make you chuckle), amusing dialogues, fast-moving action and mostly unexpected twists. I think it's a great book for young boys, particularly those who happen to be reluctant readers. The writing is easy to absorb, mostly dialogue-based and it should keep them captivated. It was a little bit too immature for me, but I still enjoyed it quite a lot.
March 28, 2016
Wow. Very well written and in such great detail. I might follow up with the next book in the series.
May 26, 2017
The Fog Diver by Joel Ross
****3.8****
The Fog Diver is a fun and easy middle grade read that can also be fully enjoyed by adults.
The story centers on a boy named Chess and his shipmates; Cap'n Hazel, Swedish and young but brilliant gear girl Bea (who talks to the ship and insists that the ship talks back). The four Orphans were brought together as a family by Mrs. E. But now, Mrs. E's life in trouble and its up to Chess and crew to find a way to save her.
The world building in this is great. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that the this takes place in post apocalyptic future earth (there are many references, though highly [and purposefully] incorrect to things from our earth, such as Skywalker Trek who fought Tribbles, Ewoks and the Borg or Seas that were full of whales, squid and squarepants and people who used to ask The googol for advice, all found in a scrapbook left to Chess by his now dead father). Here the fog covers everything, and anyone who spends too much time in the fog gets fog sickness and eventually dies. This is what happened to Mrs. E. See, Chess was born in the fog, his pregnant mother was lowered into the fog by Lord Kodoc, to give birth to him, in the hopes that he would be able to survive the fog and find a special device that Lord Kodoc is looking for (which is in the fog covered earth), which will allow him to control the fog and therefore the world.
Mrs. E descended into the fog in order to rescue Chess as a baby. As a result of being born in the fog, Chess has a 'fog eye' which means his one eye has white motes floating around in it and as a result, he can survive in the fog (so far longer than anyone else alive). He hides this eye from everyone except his crewmates and Mrs. E. They don't want Kodoc to find and use him for his own nefarious purposes.
The crew gets food and money by sending Chess diving into the fog to collect trinkets and rare things from the past that will fetch a price (note here that most slum dwellers do this to survive, but their tether kids [which is what Chess is] don't survive more than a few years). Now, they are trying to find something worth enough money to buy them passage to another city called Port Oro, where they heard people there might have the medicines to save Mrs. E from Fog sickness.
Add in a dash of Mutineers (a brother and sister who each have a ship), the evil Lord Kodoc searching for Chess, the horrors that sometimes await in the swirls of the fog and the wonderful bonds of friendship and family between Chess and Co. as well as some unlikely allies and you've got a really fun, fast paced adventure (mostly) in the skies.
The ending ties up most things, but still leaves it wide open for a sequel, which is already published. I enjoyed reading about Chess, Hazel, Swedish and Bea and will likely pick up book two at some point.
****3.8****
The Fog Diver is a fun and easy middle grade read that can also be fully enjoyed by adults.
The story centers on a boy named Chess and his shipmates; Cap'n Hazel, Swedish and young but brilliant gear girl Bea (who talks to the ship and insists that the ship talks back). The four Orphans were brought together as a family by Mrs. E. But now, Mrs. E's life in trouble and its up to Chess and crew to find a way to save her.
The world building in this is great. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that the this takes place in post apocalyptic future earth (there are many references, though highly [and purposefully] incorrect to things from our earth, such as Skywalker Trek who fought Tribbles, Ewoks and the Borg or Seas that were full of whales, squid and squarepants and people who used to ask The googol for advice, all found in a scrapbook left to Chess by his now dead father). Here the fog covers everything, and anyone who spends too much time in the fog gets fog sickness and eventually dies. This is what happened to Mrs. E. See, Chess was born in the fog, his pregnant mother was lowered into the fog by Lord Kodoc, to give birth to him, in the hopes that he would be able to survive the fog and find a special device that Lord Kodoc is looking for (which is in the fog covered earth), which will allow him to control the fog and therefore the world.
Mrs. E descended into the fog in order to rescue Chess as a baby. As a result of being born in the fog, Chess has a 'fog eye' which means his one eye has white motes floating around in it and as a result, he can survive in the fog (so far longer than anyone else alive). He hides this eye from everyone except his crewmates and Mrs. E. They don't want Kodoc to find and use him for his own nefarious purposes.
The crew gets food and money by sending Chess diving into the fog to collect trinkets and rare things from the past that will fetch a price (note here that most slum dwellers do this to survive, but their tether kids [which is what Chess is] don't survive more than a few years). Now, they are trying to find something worth enough money to buy them passage to another city called Port Oro, where they heard people there might have the medicines to save Mrs. E from Fog sickness.
Add in a dash of Mutineers (a brother and sister who each have a ship), the evil Lord Kodoc searching for Chess, the horrors that sometimes await in the swirls of the fog and the wonderful bonds of friendship and family between Chess and Co. as well as some unlikely allies and you've got a really fun, fast paced adventure (mostly) in the skies.
The ending ties up most things, but still leaves it wide open for a sequel, which is already published. I enjoyed reading about Chess, Hazel, Swedish and Bea and will likely pick up book two at some point.
May 14, 2015
The Fog Diver is the fantasy MG I've been looking for all year. It's fun, and it has heart and danger and complete originality. I loved it!
I'd never known a world like this before, where a fog has taken over the earth and people now live on the top of mountains. So first off, the world sucked me in, because it was just so new and interesting. And then I got attached to the characters, Hazel and Bea especially. The characters in The Fog Diver are an air-raft crew who take advantage of Chess's ability to survive the fog (because he was an experiment of Lord Kodoc's) to salvage things of worth from the ground. I loved their dynamic and their easy friendship, how they'd clearly been together years and knew each other inside out. The world of this book drew me in but the friendships kept my eyes glued to every page.
This book has everything I was looking for. There's enough fun to space out the stakes and the angst of Chess's back-story, the characters are individuals and likeable, their relationships are real, and everything about the plot is compelling. I'm so happy this book exists and I got to read it. The Fog Diver is the best middle grade I've read all year. I loved it, your kid brother or sister will love it, and I'd bet even your grandma would love it too.
I'd never known a world like this before, where a fog has taken over the earth and people now live on the top of mountains. So first off, the world sucked me in, because it was just so new and interesting. And then I got attached to the characters, Hazel and Bea especially. The characters in The Fog Diver are an air-raft crew who take advantage of Chess's ability to survive the fog (because he was an experiment of Lord Kodoc's) to salvage things of worth from the ground. I loved their dynamic and their easy friendship, how they'd clearly been together years and knew each other inside out. The world of this book drew me in but the friendships kept my eyes glued to every page.
This book has everything I was looking for. There's enough fun to space out the stakes and the angst of Chess's back-story, the characters are individuals and likeable, their relationships are real, and everything about the plot is compelling. I'm so happy this book exists and I got to read it. The Fog Diver is the best middle grade I've read all year. I loved it, your kid brother or sister will love it, and I'd bet even your grandma would love it too.
April 12, 2015
THE FOG DIVER is a post-apocalyptic science fiction story that is filled with action and adventure. It is also the story of four orphans who are on a mission to save the woman who took them in and made them into a family.
Chess, Bea, Swedish, and Hazel work together to scavenge things they can use or sell from the Fog that covers everything except the highest mountain tops. They need to find a big haul in order to sneak Mrs. E to Port Oro where there might be a cure for her fogsickness. However, they need to battle the Fog, mutineers and the evil Lord Kodoc who wants Chess.
The Fog is composed of nanites that were created to clean up pollution on the Earth. After they did that, they were supposed to die. But the nanites learned to create other nanites and decided that humans were the cause of the pollution.
No one can go down into the Fog without becoming infected with the nanites and dying. Chess is an exception. He was born in the Fog and can survive in it. He was born with one eye that has the Fog visible in it. He has been hiding his difference for all of his thirteen years. Now Lord Kodoc, who thought he didn't survive, has found out that he is alive and is searching for him. Lord Kodoc wants Chess to search the Fog for a machine that will let Kodoc end, or control, the Fog. Scientists from Port Oro, a place that rebelled and is fighting against Kodoc's rule, also wants Chess. They also want that machine.
I loved the airships that the kids use to scavenge. They had a very steampunk feel. I also loved the relationships between the kids with Hazel the leader, Swedish the pilot, Bea the engineer, and Chess as the explorer.
While this is clearly the first book in a series, readers will be pleased that the ending is not really a cliffhanger but still leaves lots for our characters to do in future books.
Chess, Bea, Swedish, and Hazel work together to scavenge things they can use or sell from the Fog that covers everything except the highest mountain tops. They need to find a big haul in order to sneak Mrs. E to Port Oro where there might be a cure for her fogsickness. However, they need to battle the Fog, mutineers and the evil Lord Kodoc who wants Chess.
The Fog is composed of nanites that were created to clean up pollution on the Earth. After they did that, they were supposed to die. But the nanites learned to create other nanites and decided that humans were the cause of the pollution.
No one can go down into the Fog without becoming infected with the nanites and dying. Chess is an exception. He was born in the Fog and can survive in it. He was born with one eye that has the Fog visible in it. He has been hiding his difference for all of his thirteen years. Now Lord Kodoc, who thought he didn't survive, has found out that he is alive and is searching for him. Lord Kodoc wants Chess to search the Fog for a machine that will let Kodoc end, or control, the Fog. Scientists from Port Oro, a place that rebelled and is fighting against Kodoc's rule, also wants Chess. They also want that machine.
I loved the airships that the kids use to scavenge. They had a very steampunk feel. I also loved the relationships between the kids with Hazel the leader, Swedish the pilot, Bea the engineer, and Chess as the explorer.
While this is clearly the first book in a series, readers will be pleased that the ending is not really a cliffhanger but still leaves lots for our characters to do in future books.
March 14, 2016
This one had such a strong premise but the possibilities were overshadowed by reality leaving me less than impressed. Full review to come.
December 30, 2016
It was okay. I think it would have been better as a standalone, though, and despite the mildly cliff-hanger ending I have no desire to read the sequel.
June 25, 2016
First Impression:
*I really enjoyed the cover of this book, love covers with the steampunk look.
*MG & Steampunk? Yes Please!
*Enjoyed the Writing flow right from the start, knew they were going to be characters I liked.
The Story & Characters:
*The story takes place in an apocalyptic future. I want to say very close to our time maybe a little further ahead. Loved all the references they would make about the “past”. They even messed up the meaning of some things which made it really funny.
*The Story is told in one POV Chess, I actually enjoyed all the kids in this book. I wanted more character development, but the world build was pretty good, I actually found it very interesting how the world was destroyed.
*The book has a LOT of information in the beginning and it seemed a little slow however the end makes up for it with it’s fast paced action. I am hoping the next books will have a lot more action in it since a lot of what was in this books was build and information.
*I really liked everything about this book and can’t wait to continue the adventure in the next book.
Final Thoughts:
*Overall I think this is a great book with a really great story. I loved the build of the world and the background of how the world is in ruins.
*I would recommend to MG and Adults. This has a lot of fun references and some parts make me laugh. I adored the kids and think this is the start of a great series.
*I really enjoyed the cover of this book, love covers with the steampunk look.
*MG & Steampunk? Yes Please!
*Enjoyed the Writing flow right from the start, knew they were going to be characters I liked.
The Story & Characters:
*The story takes place in an apocalyptic future. I want to say very close to our time maybe a little further ahead. Loved all the references they would make about the “past”. They even messed up the meaning of some things which made it really funny.
*The Story is told in one POV Chess, I actually enjoyed all the kids in this book. I wanted more character development, but the world build was pretty good, I actually found it very interesting how the world was destroyed.
*The book has a LOT of information in the beginning and it seemed a little slow however the end makes up for it with it’s fast paced action. I am hoping the next books will have a lot more action in it since a lot of what was in this books was build and information.
*I really liked everything about this book and can’t wait to continue the adventure in the next book.
Final Thoughts:
*Overall I think this is a great book with a really great story. I loved the build of the world and the background of how the world is in ruins.
*I would recommend to MG and Adults. This has a lot of fun references and some parts make me laugh. I adored the kids and think this is the start of a great series.
September 27, 2016
This was so good, oh my gosh, I loved every character (except Kodoc, duh).
Like, Chess was so sweet and fragile but he got his character growth! And Swedish was adorable because he kept getting his butt-kicked even though he was the 'big, tough' one! And Loretta being totally and delightfully violent! AND HAZEL *gasps* she is amazing, like, I was just loving her every single scene. She's SUCH a great captain. Then there's Bea. Sweet child Bea, I loved how she talked to machines and said purple and UGH SO AWESOME!
It was super beautiful how everyone (including Chess) was like PROTECT BEA AT ALL COSTS even though Chess was the one technically in the most danger. I loved the friendship and relationship dynamic everyone had, and I loved how the whole Loretta thing was handled, YES.
Plus, the pirate siblings *screaming* I LOVE NISHA AND VIDIOUS SO MUCH. That moment at the end between them before Vidious goes and does the Thing was like *screams*
No one's going to let Chess live down the goose incident and that's also beautiful.
I know, I know, I squealed a lot. <3<3<3 Love this book.
Like, Chess was so sweet and fragile but he got his character growth! And Swedish was adorable because he kept getting his butt-kicked even though he was the 'big, tough' one! And Loretta being totally and delightfully violent! AND HAZEL *gasps* she is amazing, like, I was just loving her every single scene. She's SUCH a great captain. Then there's Bea. Sweet child Bea, I loved how she talked to machines and said purple and UGH SO AWESOME!
It was super beautiful how everyone (including Chess) was like PROTECT BEA AT ALL COSTS even though Chess was the one technically in the most danger. I loved the friendship and relationship dynamic everyone had, and I loved how the whole Loretta thing was handled, YES.
Plus, the pirate siblings *screaming* I LOVE NISHA AND VIDIOUS SO MUCH. That moment at the end between them before Vidious goes and does the Thing was like *screams*
No one's going to let Chess live down the goose incident and that's also beautiful.
I know, I know, I squealed a lot. <3<3<3 Love this book.
April 27, 2016
This book was a lot of fun and a great new series for elementary students. I really enjoyed the final act of the book and I can't wait to read the next entry in the series. Some of the references to our time (book takes place in the distant future) lose their appeal as it is the same type of joke over and over again. That being said, I think young readers will still chuckle at the awkward retelling of popular culture. A great addition to the Bluebonnet List.
November 1, 2016
Good but too many issues remained unresolved at the end of this first book, and you really need to read the second book to get to a good stopping point. There were many very good examples of dialog and I liked the characters. I felt like the humorous device of mixing up old cultural references was overused and sometimes felt forced, though a 4th or 5th grader may like them.
February 22, 2017
This book was so fast paced, imaginative, and fun that I loved every minuted of it! The dialog and world building were incredible! In fact, it felt too short, that's how exciting it stayed!
Though the end was sufficient and this book is fine as a stand alone, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the author created for the sequel!
Though the end was sufficient and this book is fine as a stand alone, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the author created for the sequel!
September 16, 2018
Fantastic Read
Went into this for something “different” after binge reading Percy Jackson with the nephews. WHOLLY recommend this - fast paced steampunk gem with strong, well rounded characters and great plot. That’s all I’m saying, because my nephew is sitting here begging for me to “buy the next book already” 😅
Went into this for something “different” after binge reading Percy Jackson with the nephews. WHOLLY recommend this - fast paced steampunk gem with strong, well rounded characters and great plot. That’s all I’m saying, because my nephew is sitting here begging for me to “buy the next book already” 😅
January 10, 2021
This is still one of my favorite books ever! I get really nostalgic when reading this. It's so full of memories. I love the characters, they are so real in my head. Really, really, good.
Ages 7+ Although I would recommend for anyone and everyone!!!
Ages 7+ Although I would recommend for anyone and everyone!!!
June 24, 2017
This book is hands down amazing
November 17, 2016
I loved this book! Now I neeeed the second book, where is it!?! Thanks Kyle for the recommendation!!
November 25, 2017
This is one of those books where I wish I could somehow teleport the book back in time and make sure my ten year old self got a hold of it. Great fun for the middle grade set
November 12, 2025
Such a cool story. The world is so unique and well built, the characters are absolutely loveable and just the best little found family team. Really well written, lots of great lessons! Very glad my son read this and then asked me to as well! We’re both looking forward to reading the sequel.
August 25, 2016
Warning: I go over a lot of the world's background, which is spoilerish for the first 100 or so pages of the book, so you are warned if you want to come to the book completely fresh (but if so, why are you reading reviews?)
Centuries ago, humanity created the fog. It was meant to be Earth's salvation, a cure for all environmental ills, a nano-machine that could scrub pollutants from the world. Unfortunately for humanity, it decided that mankind itself was the most dangerous pollutant and it turned against its creators; a fog-like cloud that encircled the Earth and rose until everything but the mountains were within its grasp. Inside the fog, humans don't live long, partly because the fog's nano-machines affect their vision, making the world a near-featureless white wasteland so that they don't notice the feral animals that live quite happily in the fog, partly it's because over time, as nano-machines get inside you, they give you fog-sickness and death is a certainty, and then there are the legends: of aggressive nano-machine-aggregate monsters that hunt humans in the fog. So all that's left of humanity are a handful of cities clinging to the tops of mountains where the fog can't reach (or at least hasn't thus far). For a handful of elites, known as the Five Families, life on the Rooftop isn't bad so long as you do what Lord Kodoc says, while for others living on the lower slopes it's fairly bearable (with the same condition), but then there are the slums, rickety balloon-elevated platforms that drift off the edges of the Rooftop controlled by vicious gangs who are only too-happy to dump a block that fails to pay protection or gets uppity ideas. Here, life is pure hell, but you can still survive... if you don't draw Lord Kodoc's attention.
Our protagonist Chess is triply unfortunate in that not only does he have the most dangerous of occupations, being a tether-boy on a salvage crew who deliberately descends into the fog to recover relics of the old world, but he also lives in a slum, and it just so happens that he's a freak who was born in the fog and because of that has fog-machines inside him, giving him special abilities, oh, and if Lord Kodoc ever realized that one of his test subjects survived he'll move the entire Rooftop to recover him as Chess is the key to recovering something important. As if all that wasn't enough, Chess's foster-mother Mrs. E is dying of fog-sickness and he and the crew have very little time to figure out how to get her from Rooftop to Port Oro, the only other known human habitation, which happens to be locked in a war with Rooftop ever since its leaders told Lord Kodoc to go to hell. Fortunately, Chess isn't alone, and his fellow crewmates are quite capable as well: the cunning Hazel, captain of their crew; Swedish the paranoid but fearless pilot; and Bea, their quirky mechanic with a special skill for getting the most out of machines. Even so, it's going to take all their resources to escape Rooftop alive.
The Fog Diver attracted my attention (as is so often the case) with its cover art, but it took me a while to get around to reading it because I kept forgetting the title or getting it wrong (Cloud Diver... Sky Diver... no... MIST DIVER... nope...) and it would pass out of my mind until I saw it at the library again and would remind myself to look it up on Goodreads and see if it was any good, and then we'd just go through the whole forgetting and mis-remembering cycle again. Anyway, the sequel recently came out and I figured, hey, if it was good enough that a sequel got greenlit, I can probably afford to give it a chance, so I picked up both there and then and here we are. The story and world reminds me (in equal parts) of Snowpiercer (handful of humans surviving in highly caste-based society tenuously in a world that an eco-correction device ended up destroying), Matrix (humans built machines, machines turned on humans), and Mortal Engines (airships, outcast main characters, weird city-states (not traction cities though... sadly), mad overlords, and powerful ancient technology lying around... that's so Mortal Engines) and to a lesser extent the Cunning Blood (which, if you've even ever heard of it, I'll be shocked, but it's a story (in part, it's also about an Earth ruled by a Canadian matriarchal oligarchy and a prison world where electricity doesn't work, pretty weird really) about people who have nano-machines inside them, which can make them more powerful) and Reign of Fire (the movie, because of the stories Chess tells the crew, though it also has a similar basic vibe if you get past shirtless McConnaughey fighting dragons), which is pretty good company (mostly). I really enjoyed Joel Ross's world-development and the story and characters were both interesting and entertaining. It's not mind-blowing (unlike Mortal Engines), but it's a fun little sci fi story and if it may retread some well-covered ground, it moves quickly and doesn't get too political.
Centuries ago, humanity created the fog. It was meant to be Earth's salvation, a cure for all environmental ills, a nano-machine that could scrub pollutants from the world. Unfortunately for humanity, it decided that mankind itself was the most dangerous pollutant and it turned against its creators; a fog-like cloud that encircled the Earth and rose until everything but the mountains were within its grasp. Inside the fog, humans don't live long, partly because the fog's nano-machines affect their vision, making the world a near-featureless white wasteland so that they don't notice the feral animals that live quite happily in the fog, partly it's because over time, as nano-machines get inside you, they give you fog-sickness and death is a certainty, and then there are the legends: of aggressive nano-machine-aggregate monsters that hunt humans in the fog. So all that's left of humanity are a handful of cities clinging to the tops of mountains where the fog can't reach (or at least hasn't thus far). For a handful of elites, known as the Five Families, life on the Rooftop isn't bad so long as you do what Lord Kodoc says, while for others living on the lower slopes it's fairly bearable (with the same condition), but then there are the slums, rickety balloon-elevated platforms that drift off the edges of the Rooftop controlled by vicious gangs who are only too-happy to dump a block that fails to pay protection or gets uppity ideas. Here, life is pure hell, but you can still survive... if you don't draw Lord Kodoc's attention.
Our protagonist Chess is triply unfortunate in that not only does he have the most dangerous of occupations, being a tether-boy on a salvage crew who deliberately descends into the fog to recover relics of the old world, but he also lives in a slum, and it just so happens that he's a freak who was born in the fog and because of that has fog-machines inside him, giving him special abilities, oh, and if Lord Kodoc ever realized that one of his test subjects survived he'll move the entire Rooftop to recover him as Chess is the key to recovering something important. As if all that wasn't enough, Chess's foster-mother Mrs. E is dying of fog-sickness and he and the crew have very little time to figure out how to get her from Rooftop to Port Oro, the only other known human habitation, which happens to be locked in a war with Rooftop ever since its leaders told Lord Kodoc to go to hell. Fortunately, Chess isn't alone, and his fellow crewmates are quite capable as well: the cunning Hazel, captain of their crew; Swedish the paranoid but fearless pilot; and Bea, their quirky mechanic with a special skill for getting the most out of machines. Even so, it's going to take all their resources to escape Rooftop alive.
The Fog Diver attracted my attention (as is so often the case) with its cover art, but it took me a while to get around to reading it because I kept forgetting the title or getting it wrong (Cloud Diver... Sky Diver... no... MIST DIVER... nope...) and it would pass out of my mind until I saw it at the library again and would remind myself to look it up on Goodreads and see if it was any good, and then we'd just go through the whole forgetting and mis-remembering cycle again. Anyway, the sequel recently came out and I figured, hey, if it was good enough that a sequel got greenlit, I can probably afford to give it a chance, so I picked up both there and then and here we are. The story and world reminds me (in equal parts) of Snowpiercer (handful of humans surviving in highly caste-based society tenuously in a world that an eco-correction device ended up destroying), Matrix (humans built machines, machines turned on humans), and Mortal Engines (airships, outcast main characters, weird city-states (not traction cities though... sadly), mad overlords, and powerful ancient technology lying around... that's so Mortal Engines) and to a lesser extent the Cunning Blood (which, if you've even ever heard of it, I'll be shocked, but it's a story (in part, it's also about an Earth ruled by a Canadian matriarchal oligarchy and a prison world where electricity doesn't work, pretty weird really) about people who have nano-machines inside them, which can make them more powerful) and Reign of Fire (the movie, because of the stories Chess tells the crew, though it also has a similar basic vibe if you get past shirtless McConnaughey fighting dragons), which is pretty good company (mostly). I really enjoyed Joel Ross's world-development and the story and characters were both interesting and entertaining. It's not mind-blowing (unlike Mortal Engines), but it's a fun little sci fi story and if it may retread some well-covered ground, it moves quickly and doesn't get too political.
Read
October 11, 2015Originally posted at Log Cabin Library
Back in the olden days there was a terrible Smog that covered the world. To attempt to rid the air of the Smog, a group of nano-engineers created "Nanites." Their job was to cleanse the air, but the Nanites did their work to well and began to adapt and change, in the end they made themselves into a thick Fog. This Fog does not affect living plants and animals, but causes any human who enters it to get a terrible fogsickness. Everyone so far but Chess, he is different, he has one eye that swims with the Fog in it. Chess is a part of a crew of "slumkids" traveling on aircrafts, scavenging through any wreckage that they find, anything of value that can be sold. Each day they travel further in the hopes of finding one expensive item that can be traded for passage into Port Oro. It's there that the crew hope to find a way to save their beloved Mrs. E from the fogsickness. Mrs. E is the woman who came to Chess' rescue after his mother gave birth to him while hanging in a cage below the Fog. She has been taking care of him, Hazel, Swedish and Bea since they were all little. They make up a tight knit family and now they would like to return the favor by saving Mrs. E. But the crew becomes stuck in a battle between the bosses, mutineers, and Lord Kodoc, a tyrant who rules all of the Rooftop. And Lord Kodoc will stop at nothing to get Chess back, his prize experiment, the one who will help him to finally find the Compass that he desperately needs in order to control the Fog.
The Fog Diver is a fairly fast paced adventure, but there was also a technological aspect that I really enjoyed with the introduction of the Nanites. Aside from the adventure, their is also lots of humor and even some pop references in the stories that Chess tells from his fathers scrapbook. Plus who doesn't like scenes of battling air vessels in the sky and Chess hurtling himself into the abyss of the Fog tethered by nothing but a rope? Very reminiscent of Sky Jumpers by Peggy Edelman and a smidge of Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull. The crew themselves were also appealing, Hazel with her confidence and ability to know just what to do under any circumstance, Bea the mechanic and youngest member, Swedish the pilot and Loretta, who manages to win everyone's trust and confidence in her fighting skills. Lovely little crew, Bea would call it the "purplest."
Back in the olden days there was a terrible Smog that covered the world. To attempt to rid the air of the Smog, a group of nano-engineers created "Nanites." Their job was to cleanse the air, but the Nanites did their work to well and began to adapt and change, in the end they made themselves into a thick Fog. This Fog does not affect living plants and animals, but causes any human who enters it to get a terrible fogsickness. Everyone so far but Chess, he is different, he has one eye that swims with the Fog in it. Chess is a part of a crew of "slumkids" traveling on aircrafts, scavenging through any wreckage that they find, anything of value that can be sold. Each day they travel further in the hopes of finding one expensive item that can be traded for passage into Port Oro. It's there that the crew hope to find a way to save their beloved Mrs. E from the fogsickness. Mrs. E is the woman who came to Chess' rescue after his mother gave birth to him while hanging in a cage below the Fog. She has been taking care of him, Hazel, Swedish and Bea since they were all little. They make up a tight knit family and now they would like to return the favor by saving Mrs. E. But the crew becomes stuck in a battle between the bosses, mutineers, and Lord Kodoc, a tyrant who rules all of the Rooftop. And Lord Kodoc will stop at nothing to get Chess back, his prize experiment, the one who will help him to finally find the Compass that he desperately needs in order to control the Fog.
The Fog Diver is a fairly fast paced adventure, but there was also a technological aspect that I really enjoyed with the introduction of the Nanites. Aside from the adventure, their is also lots of humor and even some pop references in the stories that Chess tells from his fathers scrapbook. Plus who doesn't like scenes of battling air vessels in the sky and Chess hurtling himself into the abyss of the Fog tethered by nothing but a rope? Very reminiscent of Sky Jumpers by Peggy Edelman and a smidge of Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull. The crew themselves were also appealing, Hazel with her confidence and ability to know just what to do under any circumstance, Bea the mechanic and youngest member, Swedish the pilot and Loretta, who manages to win everyone's trust and confidence in her fighting skills. Lovely little crew, Bea would call it the "purplest."
July 26, 2015
In a world where natural fog had been replaced with a deadly mist made of nanites (nanomachines), humans are fighting for survival and now live on mountains. A power crazy and evil lord, in a crazy attempt at a way to control the nanite fog, conducted human experiments that always lead to the subjects death. Until one of them survived.
The book follows a group of scavenger kids on the quest to find any item of value from the ruins that will help finance a cure for their sick and dying mother figure.
I can not believe how much I fell in love with the world in the book. The post-apocalyptic feel, the steam powered technology, the extremely hard life in the slums and how resilient and resourceful Chess and his friends were.
I love all the characters. Super-tetherboy Chess and his struggle with bravery or cowardice. Skilled mechanic Bea and her extremely candid nature. Smart and witty captain Hazel who sometimes takes on way too much responsibility, and strong Swedish whose loyalty never fails. Of course there is also Loretta but I'm still not sure how to feel about her past, so I don't trust her much (just yet). Nisha and Vidious the mutineers captains felt a little cliché at times but it didn't bother me too much.
I found the plot quite intriguing and definitely a page turner although at times certain details didn't quite make sense or feel pertinent to the scene they were revealed in.
The book ended at a satisfying point but there are so many questions left unanswered, and Koboc menace was still strong. It left my heart pounding but not in a cliffhanger way.
How long until book 2? And I hope and pray they don't change the cover design. I love this one so much.
The book follows a group of scavenger kids on the quest to find any item of value from the ruins that will help finance a cure for their sick and dying mother figure.
I can not believe how much I fell in love with the world in the book. The post-apocalyptic feel, the steam powered technology, the extremely hard life in the slums and how resilient and resourceful Chess and his friends were.
I love all the characters. Super-tetherboy Chess and his struggle with bravery or cowardice. Skilled mechanic Bea and her extremely candid nature. Smart and witty captain Hazel who sometimes takes on way too much responsibility, and strong Swedish whose loyalty never fails. Of course there is also Loretta but I'm still not sure how to feel about her past, so I don't trust her much (just yet). Nisha and Vidious the mutineers captains felt a little cliché at times but it didn't bother me too much.
I found the plot quite intriguing and definitely a page turner although at times certain details didn't quite make sense or feel pertinent to the scene they were revealed in.
The book ended at a satisfying point but there are so many questions left unanswered, and Koboc menace was still strong. It left my heart pounding but not in a cliffhanger way.
How long until book 2? And I hope and pray they don't change the cover design. I love this one so much.
March 16, 2018
The Fog Diver takes place in apocalyptic future in a world covered in fog, deadly to humans. Only the last of humanity has stayed on mountains to survive. Our story centers on a salvage crew. Chess the fog eyed tether-boy, Swedish the pilot who’s suspicious about everything, Bea the lively mechanic, and Hazel the clever captain of the crew. All united by their teacher, boss, motherly figure and unfortunately fogsick Mrs. E.
Chess was born from the fog from an experiment from Lord Kodoc, vile man that is hellbent on finding a machine to control the fog. Fortunately for Chess, he doesn’t know Chess exist with the help of Mrs. E. Though Chess hides his eye for the fear that Kodoc will someday find him and work him to death.
The salvage crew goes into the fog in hopes of finding a big enough load of salvage to smuggle Mrs. E into Port Oro to find a cure. when Chess uncovers one the most valuable treasure of his life he is a few steps away from getting in Kodoc’s clutches.
The author did a great job of making very likable characters and making out loud laughable humor. The story really moved me to appreciate more of my closest family members, and friends and really taught me to not give up hope in situations. I highly recommend this book if you're into steampunk, adventure, and apocalyptic books.
I’d give this book a 4.5. The writing was very charming, The characters were fun and likable and felt like just by reading we saw their perspective on the world they're put in. The setting was original and interesting and has a lot of interesting ideas.
Chess was born from the fog from an experiment from Lord Kodoc, vile man that is hellbent on finding a machine to control the fog. Fortunately for Chess, he doesn’t know Chess exist with the help of Mrs. E. Though Chess hides his eye for the fear that Kodoc will someday find him and work him to death.
The salvage crew goes into the fog in hopes of finding a big enough load of salvage to smuggle Mrs. E into Port Oro to find a cure. when Chess uncovers one the most valuable treasure of his life he is a few steps away from getting in Kodoc’s clutches.
The author did a great job of making very likable characters and making out loud laughable humor. The story really moved me to appreciate more of my closest family members, and friends and really taught me to not give up hope in situations. I highly recommend this book if you're into steampunk, adventure, and apocalyptic books.
I’d give this book a 4.5. The writing was very charming, The characters were fun and likable and felt like just by reading we saw their perspective on the world they're put in. The setting was original and interesting and has a lot of interesting ideas.
September 15, 2016
Originally posted here at In the Senter of it All
The Fog Diver is a Texas Bluebonnet Nominee for this year. We are also using it for our Quest for the Crown competition.
Such a fun middle grade steam punk! Our 4th and 5th graders are always wanting dystopic books and start asking for Divergent and Hunger Games. I love having books like Fog Diver in my arsenal to hand them instead.
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopic
AR level: 4.6
Grade appropriate: 4th and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5--I loved this book and its characters!
Creativity: 5/5-- Loved the clever references to current pop culture. The characters are in the future when current technology has been destroyed and so they don’t understand current sayings or culture references and they are always misusing them. They also use cash as toilet paper because it is soft. It is so thought provoking about what we value and what its intrinsic value is.
Characters: 5/5
Engrossing: 5/5-- So great! There were times I didn’t want to put it down and do my job.
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Perfect for my kiddos looking for dystopia.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild-- The characters are slum kids and they fight adults and kids alike to stay alive.
Drugs/Alcohol: none
The Fog Diver is a Texas Bluebonnet Nominee for this year. We are also using it for our Quest for the Crown competition.
Such a fun middle grade steam punk! Our 4th and 5th graders are always wanting dystopic books and start asking for Divergent and Hunger Games. I love having books like Fog Diver in my arsenal to hand them instead.
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopic
AR level: 4.6
Grade appropriate: 4th and up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5--I loved this book and its characters!
Creativity: 5/5-- Loved the clever references to current pop culture. The characters are in the future when current technology has been destroyed and so they don’t understand current sayings or culture references and they are always misusing them. They also use cash as toilet paper because it is soft. It is so thought provoking about what we value and what its intrinsic value is.
Characters: 5/5
Engrossing: 5/5-- So great! There were times I didn’t want to put it down and do my job.
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Perfect for my kiddos looking for dystopia.
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality: none
Violence: mild-- The characters are slum kids and they fight adults and kids alike to stay alive.
Drugs/Alcohol: none
February 28, 2016
Okay, this is amazing. 16% of the way through and totally loving it. Chess is a well crafted character and the humor in this book is amazing. Seriously.
"Gazing at the stars I nearly told them the old tale of "Skywalker trek," about a space war between the Klingons and the Jedi, set in a future when people lived on distant planets, and fought Tribbles, Ewoks, and Borgs."
Star wars and Star trek? Priceless. Or how about:
""On port Oro," Swedish said, trying to mimic Hazel's voice, "everyone wears yellow boots."
"And there are no junkyard bosses," I added.
"Pigeons lay scrambled eggs," Swedish said.
"It rains soup," I added. "and snows rice!"
"And apples grow on trees!"
I gave him a look. "Um, actually, they kind of do …"
I couldn't stop laughing over that one and the next.
""It's history," I said defensively, because the scrapbook was my only connection to my father. "How else would we know about the weird animals that used to exist? Spelling bees? Hello kitties?"
"How did kitties say hello?" Bea asked.
"The same way bees spelled, I guess," I said.
By now you're probably wondering why I haven't rated this five stars. Well, here's the answer: There's a lot of gaps. What happened to Chess' father? I want to learn more about this "Mrs. E" person. The book alludes to too much and doesn't give the information at the right time. Tsk, tsk.
"Gazing at the stars I nearly told them the old tale of "Skywalker trek," about a space war between the Klingons and the Jedi, set in a future when people lived on distant planets, and fought Tribbles, Ewoks, and Borgs."
Star wars and Star trek? Priceless. Or how about:
""On port Oro," Swedish said, trying to mimic Hazel's voice, "everyone wears yellow boots."
"And there are no junkyard bosses," I added.
"Pigeons lay scrambled eggs," Swedish said.
"It rains soup," I added. "and snows rice!"
"And apples grow on trees!"
I gave him a look. "Um, actually, they kind of do …"
I couldn't stop laughing over that one and the next.
""It's history," I said defensively, because the scrapbook was my only connection to my father. "How else would we know about the weird animals that used to exist? Spelling bees? Hello kitties?"
"How did kitties say hello?" Bea asked.
"The same way bees spelled, I guess," I said.
By now you're probably wondering why I haven't rated this five stars. Well, here's the answer: There's a lot of gaps. What happened to Chess' father? I want to learn more about this "Mrs. E" person. The book alludes to too much and doesn't give the information at the right time. Tsk, tsk.
November 11, 2016
Ross, Joel The Fog Diver, 328 pages. Harper, 2015. $7. Content: G.
Chess was born with the Fog in his eye. Adopted by a Mrs. E. , he and a handful of other orphans have cobbled together a life in the junkyards of the Rooftop – one of the few places above The Fog – a swarm of nanites originally programmed to cleanse the world of Smog, but they decided that humans were the source of the problem. The ruler of the Rooftop, Lord Kodoc, created Chess in order to consolidate his rule of the world, and when the wrong person sees Chess’s eye, Lord Kodoc is on the hunt again. How can a tiny family of misfits escape the most powerful person in a very small, dangerous world?
Ross cracks me with her crinkled historical references. The action and danger are spot on, with a heaping dose of fun and whimsy. I love little Bea who talks to machines and Chess’ other family members are just as endearing. Awesome recommendation for all students.
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
Chess was born with the Fog in his eye. Adopted by a Mrs. E. , he and a handful of other orphans have cobbled together a life in the junkyards of the Rooftop – one of the few places above The Fog – a swarm of nanites originally programmed to cleanse the world of Smog, but they decided that humans were the source of the problem. The ruler of the Rooftop, Lord Kodoc, created Chess in order to consolidate his rule of the world, and when the wrong person sees Chess’s eye, Lord Kodoc is on the hunt again. How can a tiny family of misfits escape the most powerful person in a very small, dangerous world?
Ross cracks me with her crinkled historical references. The action and danger are spot on, with a heaping dose of fun and whimsy. I love little Bea who talks to machines and Chess’ other family members are just as endearing. Awesome recommendation for all students.
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
November 8, 2015
The Fog Diver, by Joel Ross, was an absolutely amazing book. The main character, Chess, is the only person that can thrive in the deadly fog that now blankets the Earth. He and his salvage crew must fight to keep their adopted family alive. The descriptions and dialog really told how, Chess, is feeling whether he is battling an extremely aggressive goose, being found by the person who has terrified him for his whole life, or just eating dinner with his salvage crew. I thought the theme was that, if one perseveres through the hardships they face, they can achieve their goal, however big or small. The book truly revealed the personality of each crew member and what their lives were like. In every chapter the crew is faced with a new life-threatening situation. I recommend this book for people that love fantasy-adventure books that build suspense. It is packed with fun and cool characters, suspense, and funny dialog.
June 20, 2016
This was a fun little book, great for those kids you hope to introduce Firefly to someday. It has that same mixed up family, plenty of shark, and an overreaching government bent on taking a special someone and bending them to their will. Yep. It's got a Firefly feel for sure. Set in a wonderful steampunk setting.
I really felt like this book had everything going for it, and yet, I really had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt distant from them for some reason.
What I realize the issue was was the chapter lengths. I love short tense chapters, but this book had a chapter break at every point of conflict, big or small. Every moment seemed to earn a chapter break, which really kept me from connecting with the characters. This improved as the story went along, but I really didn't like how often I got pulled from the action to start a new chapter.
I think most younger audiences will probably overcome this just fine, but it did hinder my enjoyment.
Rated PG: Adventure
I really felt like this book had everything going for it, and yet, I really had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt distant from them for some reason.
What I realize the issue was was the chapter lengths. I love short tense chapters, but this book had a chapter break at every point of conflict, big or small. Every moment seemed to earn a chapter break, which really kept me from connecting with the characters. This improved as the story went along, but I really didn't like how often I got pulled from the action to start a new chapter.
I think most younger audiences will probably overcome this just fine, but it did hinder my enjoyment.
Rated PG: Adventure
Displaying 1 - 30 of 392 reviews