Today's review takes us to the future and the infinity of space...and universes. This one is for the middle grade audience and is packed with adventure. When I saw the cover, I'll admit I was wondering how the horses would filter in, and it wasn't what I thought.
Spaceships, twins, evil aliens, strange creatures, kidnapping, and the desire to return home....sounds intriguing to me.
So, off we go!
THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTERS
by Doreen D. Berger
Polaris Print
Middle Grade Science Fiction
254 pages
ages 8 to 12
For most adolescents, growing up is hard enough when one has both feet planted firmly on the ground. But for mischievous, twelve-year-old sisters Diane and Robin, life is complicated further by the fact that their father, Captain William Marsh, is the commander of the Starship Polaris. Living among the stars provides a never-ending realm of creative possibility for the free-spirited girls’ pranks and adventures.
When aliens bent on profit and revenge kidnap Diane and Robin, only their indomitable spirit, ingenuity, and a common love of trouble allow the pair to escape the alien vessel. Finding their way home seems assured until the sisters realize they have been taken further from home then they could ever have imagined, and that they must evade an enemy who will stop at nothing to get them back into his evil clutches. Blocked by interstellar battles, malevolent creatures, and overwhelming obstacles, the sisters fear they may never find a way to return to their own universe and to the father they love.
MY TIDBITS
Family love, sibling relationships, alien creatures, and exciting space adventure combine to make an entertaining read and, what seems, to be the start of a new series.
Diane and Robin are twelve-year-old twins, whose father is the captain of a spaceship. While riding their horses, a present from their father since they've been riding for years, they are surprised by a blinding light. Kidnapped by aliens, the sisters need to find a way to escape and figure out their way home. As if that wasn't enough, they learn of an evil enemy, who will do anything to stop them.
This is an easy to read space adventure. The twins, Diane and Robin, are a little mischievous but have tons of heart. Their love for their father and desire to return home is inspiring, while they face all sorts of high tension obstacles and intriguing creatures. It's well-paced and keeps the reader in the pages all the way through.
Imagination flows from every page, which really allows the creatures and worlds to shine. Luckily, readers aren't bogged down with detailed and technical descriptions, but each science wonder flows at an age appropriate level. The writing style was a little choppy, at times, but it still draws in. I enjoyed diving from one situation to the next with the girls and seeing how they got out of each situation. Diane and Robin do act a bit young for their age and sometimes skip the obvious once or twice. Still, they are fun to follow and root for. What I really enjoyed, though, was the lovely family relationship they shared. The love is impossible not to see, but then, some of this comes across better because of the inclusion of sections written from the adult's perspective.
This is a read, which packs tons of space excitement, family love, and tension, which is perfect for this audience.
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