Airman by Eoin Colfer

My name is Conor, and I don't know how my life changed so quickly. I became royalty for saving Princess Isabella's life, I was pursuing my life's dream to fly, and I finally told Isabella how I felt about her. Then, I witnessed the murder of the king and my teacher, but I was the one accused of the crimes. I was called a traitor, and even my own father wanted me dead. That's how I ended up in Little Saltee, the island prison of the nation. The prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds underwater, and my number one goal has been to survive. My first challenge is to keep a gang leader from killing me before I have a chance to adapt to prison life. However, it's important to have a goal in mind, and I refuse to spend the rest of my life in these mines. I will escape one day, and I'll do it by flying.

This story grabbed my attention right away, perhaps because I just finished reading the Matt Cruse series about the early years of flying. However, the book didn't involve much flying overall. Conor is a fantastic character due to his endearing personality. He's born into a perfect situation among royalty and privilege, and he could have become a spoiled brat due to his handsome appearance. However, he's blessed with empathy toward others, curiosity, and a willingness to work and learn. His heart's desire is to fly, and he's blessed with creative intelligence that can make that desire come true. The book is a contrast between two settings and stories. The first half describes Conor's life growing up, while the second half entails his imprisonment and struggle to survive. This journey takes him from the age of ten to the age of seventeen. The middle-grade novel became a book for young adults. My favorite parts are Conor's relationships with other characters. He tolerates and uses one of the guards even though the guy is a blowhard bully. The encounter with the gang leader leads to an unexpected "friendship", or maybe partnership is a better description. Overall, this book will be entertaining for young adults, and I recommend you give it a shot. I feel like there should be a sequel, but I guess it will never be coming.