I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Breaking Sky by Cori McCarthy Published by Sourcebooks Fire on March 10, 2015
Genres: Dystopian YA, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
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In this high-flying, adrenaline-fueled debut thriller, America’s best hope is the elite teen fighter pilots of the United Star Academy
Chase Harcourt, call sign “Nyx,” is one of only two pilots chosen to fly the experimental “Streaker” jets at the junior Air Force Academy in the year 2048. She’s tough and impulsive with lightning-fast reactions, but few know the pain and loneliness of her past or the dark secret about her father. All anyone cares about is that Chase aces the upcoming Streaker trials, proving the prototype jet can knock the enemy out of the sky.
But as the world tilts toward war, Chase cracks open a military secret. There’s a third Streaker jet, whose young hotshot pilot, Tristan, can match her on the ground and in the clouds. Chase doesn’t play well with others, but to save her country she may just have to put her life in the hands of the competition.
Woo, BREAKING SKY was super fun, guys. If you are looking for something with lots of action, a fascinating dystopian society, ballsy characters, and a Top Gun vibe, you should be hunting down Cori McCarthy’s book right about now. It wasn’t perfect, but I wish there were more of them to come because I’d keep reading about this world and these characters for sure.
That Top Gun reference was no joke, friends. The main action in BREAKING SKY takes place at the Star Academy, an elite flying school in waaaaay northern Canada. In this version of the world, the globe has once again plunged into a Cold War, this time between the US and a conglomeration of Asian nations known as Ri Xoing Di. The two countries go after each other in stealth (obviously) in the air: the US with older aircraft and Ri Xiong Di with extremely dangerous drones. However. At Star Academy, the students–but especially a brash young thing, call sign Nyx–are testing newer, faster planes called Streakers. Figuring out which pilots will get to patrol against the Ri Xiong Di using these flashy new planes is the central drama until, well, more drama happens between Nyx and a new pilot, Tristan.
I really couldn’t put BREAKING SKY down. The pace was really great from start to finish. Which I guess you might expect from all the Top Gun/Air Force talk. It’s a really fitting characteristic for a book like BREAKING SKY, where things happen to the characters with awesome speed. However, if I had to also point out a NEGATIVE thing about BREAKING SKY, it would be that sometimes–but especially the closer we get to the end–things got too fast. It had that bit of a rush feeling I sometimes get with standalones.
Really, this is only a complaint because I loved the characters and the world they lived in and wanted more. Nyx in particular is so awesome. She fiery and a complete badass. She owns her body and her sexuality and is a driven to be the best pilot at Star Academy. Sometimes to the detriment of herself and her copilot, Pippin. Nyx doesn’t really do the feels, so her relationships aren’t always good ones, but she has a complex past and personal demons, and her reckless courage fits what we learn about her. I just loved her, even when she was frustrating.
Of course, Nyx is not the only person at Star Academy. There’s lots of other great characters, too. I particularly loved Pippin, Nyx’s radar operator. He’s super nerdy and loves Lord of the Rings, he’s a ginger, he’s from New Jersey, and he really broke my heart. His relationship with Nyx was one of my sources of great frustration with her. They just weren’t good at TALKING, for all that it seems that they are pretty close. I really wanted their relationship to be better since they both needed some friends.
The romance between Nyx and Tristan was good, too. It’s not what stands out to me in BREAKING SKY but I liked it. I liked the way Tristan didn’t try to make Nyx reign herself in, but their mutual feelings for one another softened up her edges a bit. Tristan is just as much of an ace pilot as she is, and so there was definitely some competition between them, but they did bring out good things in each other.
What really stood out to me about BREAKING SKY, and what I loved and simultaneously had a problem with, is the world-building. I was incredibly intrigued by the idea of a new Cold War between the US and Asia. BREAKING SKY is set in the not-distant future, and I always love dystopians that don’t completely undermine the current reality. Like, I can imagine this Cold War coming to pass in some shape or form. At the same time, I wanted more of it. I wanted more of Ri Xiong Di. I wanted more explanation of what happened, more details. There are echoes of the first Cold War in the way the US is trying to create a machine that will outstrip the Asian drones–it reminded me a little bit of what I know of the space race. This part of BREAKING SKY suffered the most from the “holy shit, this is a standalone and I have to end everything now” thing. SUCH a shame.
In truth, there were a lot of different angles in BREAKING SKY that could’ve been fleshed out into bigger storylines that would’ve added to an already awesome foundation. It’s what makes me wish so much that this was a series. I want to read more of this world and these people. Cori McCarthy definitely did a great job with the action and the drama, and it was satisfying, but more would’ve been even MORE SO. (Obviously.)
