Matt Cruse #3: Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel

My name is Tobias, and I met Matt while training to become one of the first astralnauts going into space. Everyone knows about his high-elevation adventures, including killing a famous pirate and boarding a ghost ship. He's become my best friend since I'm more used to exploring underwater rather than traveling up above the clouds. We don't know how many of us will make the voyage, there are a hundred other candidates here, but we're sure these two cocky air force recruits will make it. Matt has trouble with one of the required tasks, but he's awesome up in the air. People are a little nervous because the Babelites are threatening to stop the launch; Matt already thwarted their bombing in Paris. We have enough to worry about with surviving space and any creatures we might find up there, so we don't need to add the Babelites to our problems.

You can probably enjoy this book independently, but I recommend you read the previous two books. The first half of the book describes the training camp being used to choose the astralnauts who will control the ship, while the second half gets into the adventure of traveling to space. Matt's girlfriend Kate comes along, so their ongoing romance adds complications, especially since she's now engaged to someone else. This relationship is the only thing making the book young adult instead of middle grade. Kate is on board to explore new space life, and her biggest critic is also a passenger. He's a pompous man with an exaggerated sense of self-worth, so he adds humor to the story. I've enjoyed the "realism" of the first two books since they stretch the limits of scientific possibilities. This book is more fantastic. While the ship and creatures are based on science, they almost go beyond what my brain accepts as science fiction. The author creates a good deal of drama with character interactions, terrorist threats, and obstacles arising during the adventure. He includes details in the story, so the characters' decisions and problem-solving aren't unexpected. Overall, I've enjoyed the series and recommend lovers of science fiction give it shot.