Starcross was a delightful read!  Reeve has the rare gift of being able to weave together big vocabulary and complex themes in a manner easily accessible to young audiences.  At it’s core, Starcross, is the story of what would happen if Victorian era Britain was able to colonize the solar system.  What I was most impressed with was Reeve’s ability to weave together the Victorian cultural motifs and sci-fi elements.  My favorite example of this is the novel’s villains, the Moobs, mind-controlling, time-traveling alien invaders disguised as top hats.  Even the sci-fi elements reflect the historic beliefs of Victorian Britain: space ships are literal ships, and the vacuum of space contains breathable air.  The book also plays as elaborate parody of colonial politics: a major plot involves a French spy working with the United states to upset British intergalactic supremacy.  Starcross acts as a serious reflection of the values and beliefs of Victorian England, playing them for absurdity merely by altering the setting.

The whimsical pros are captivating, it’s a great story, and it contains a treasure trove of knowledge about Victorian England made more accessible for the fictional elements.  This is the type of book needed to instill in young readers a lifelong love of the written word.  My only critique is the characters are fairly generic, never taking on much of a life beyond their setting.  It’s also worth noting this is a sequel to Reeve’s previous book, Larklight.

Jordan Beaudry, Washington Reading Corps