I have loved Ian McDonald's books in the past. However, I'm not a fan of this attempt to break into the suddenly popular and lucrative area of YA speculative fiction. He has dumbed down his storytelling in some misguided attempt to appeal to the YA audience. And he's added Steampunk elements to the story, I guess cashing in on that trend as well. AND written in the cliff-hanger serial style which just annoys me. It's almost like his agent said, "Look, you need to earn some hard-cold and quick. This is the formula. We'll both be rich." I'm sure they're both laughing at the reviews all the way to the bank! I clearly picked the wrong book here since the main character is a 14 yr. old boy. However, not wanting to give up so easily, I persevered and when I finished the book, the only sane conclusion that I can draw is that I really should not have continued reading. Not because this is a bad book, or badly written, mind you, just because 14 yr. old boys do not make for very believable strong, smart, main characters in books. I understand that this is a concession to make fiction appeal to the young adult (this being young adult fiction after all, and yes, I should have paid more attention when I picked this book) but 14 yr old boys (and other 'young' characters in the book) don't behave like this. When it comes to fiction I have no problem with talking dragons or three-headed aliens, but a kid behaving like an adult, able to 'see' in seven dimensions, and the lack of any explanation of how things are supposed to work the way they do, is too unreal for me to swallow. If you can see past my objections about this book (and not just this book but probably most young adult fiction) I guess it's an okay-ish story that lacks a lot of the basic stuff that makes sci-fi believable.Note to self: pay more atttention next time when picking a book.70/100
What do You think about Planesrunner (2011)?
A fantastic, fast read. The novel is marketed as YA but adults will love this too
—Hailleybailey
Planesrunner = His Dark Materials + Leviathan + quantum mechanics.
—Judy
Cracking book really enjoyed it.Can't wait for the next...
—jensupercalismart
