Review of Apollo Dreams

Sofia Monteiro · Post by **Sofia Monteiro** » 24 Apr 2024, 19:30

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Apollo Dreams" by Syd Gilmore.]

4 out of 5 stars

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Apollo Dreams, by Syd Gilmore, is the first book in The Space Case Chronicles duology. Set in the 1970s, the book is a mix of fantasy and real life as we follow Billy, a smart nine-year-old with creativity to give out.

The book starts at a pretty fast pace as we are introduced to the world of Billy Apollo, the youngest captain in the history of the Galactic Fleet. Defending Constellation One's members and accompanied by his crew, Billy is living his adventures and carrying great responsibility. As we are engaged in the battle and ongoing interactions, we, the readers, and Billy are interrupted by Katherine, Billy’s mother, so he can get out of his spaceship (the dryer) and come to dinner.

Billy is a very sweet boy with great interest in space who is awaiting his birthday and the launch of Apollo 13, which are set to happen on the same day. As the storyline flows, we are presented and approximated to other characters, such as Sean, Lucy, and Butch, and their lives and conflicts are meshed into Apollo Billy's journey in a way that clearly overflowed Billy's real feelings.

I liked the depth of the secondary characters, such as Sister Mary Joseph’s backstory or Leo’s POV, but I especially admired the subplots present in the book. Billy was the main character, but Sean's troubled relationships, Butch’s, even if a little cliché, problems, and the Apollo mission developments added complexity to an otherwise pretty straightforward story. The climax was seriously distressing, with much of the plot reaching a critical point at the same time.

However, I don't think I liked the way the transitions between POVs were made, as often I had to reread some paragraphs because the change was made without notice. Still, at the end of the book, the change between Apollo Billy's narrative, Lucy's, and Sean's POV was good.

Another point is that while the book discussed some heavy themes and described violence in a pretty direct way, the ending and some interaction were a bit childish, so maybe, even if it could be a bit heavy, this book seems to be directed at tweens. In the end, the book was engaging from beginning to end, and despite the things I pointed out, it was a great read that made me want to pick up the next book, even if I felt the story was well finished. I would recommend it to 12 to 15-year-olds, or even older people looking for a lighter read. It is a great 4/5 book.

******
Apollo Dreams
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Leona Rodrigues · Post by **Leona Rodrigues** » 04 Jun 2024, 15:02

Sofia Monteiro wrote: ↑24 Apr 2024, 19:30 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Apollo Dreams" by Syd Gilmore.]

4 out of 5 stars
Share This Review

Apollo Dreams, by Syd Gilmore, is the first book in The Space Case Chronicles duology. Set in the 1970s, the book is a mix of fantasy and real life as we follow Billy, a smart nine-year-old with creativity to give out.

The book starts at a pretty fast pace as we are introduced to the world of Billy Apollo, the youngest captain in the history of the Galactic Fleet. Defending Constellation One's members and accompanied by his crew, Billy is living his adventures and carrying great responsibility. As we are engaged in the battle and ongoing interactions, we, the readers, and Billy are interrupted by Katherine, Billy’s mother, so he can get out of his spaceship (the dryer) and come to dinner.

Billy is a very sweet boy with great interest in space who is awaiting his birthday and the launch of Apollo 13, which are set to happen on the same day. As the storyline flows, we are presented and approximated to other characters, such as Sean, Lucy, and Butch, and their lives and conflicts are meshed into Apollo Billy's journey in a way that clearly overflowed Billy's real feelings.

I liked the depth of the secondary characters, such as Sister Mary Joseph’s backstory or Leo’s POV, but I especially admired the subplots present in the book. Billy was the main character, but Sean's troubled relationships, Butch’s, even if a little cliché, problems, and the Apollo mission developments added complexity to an otherwise pretty straightforward story. The climax was seriously distressing, with much of the plot reaching a critical point at the same time.

However, I don't think I liked the way the transitions between POVs were made, as often I had to reread some paragraphs because the change was made without notice. Still, at the end of the book, the change between Apollo Billy's narrative, Lucy's, and Sean's POV was good.

Another point is that while the book discussed some heavy themes and described violence in a pretty direct way, the ending and some interaction were a bit childish, so maybe, even if it could be a bit heavy, this book seems to be directed at tweens. In the end, the book was engaging from beginning to end, and despite the things I pointed out, it was a great read that made me want to pick up the next book, even if I felt the story was well finished. I would recommend it to 12 to 15-year-olds, or even older people looking for a lighter read. It is a great 4/5 book.

******
Apollo Dreams
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

The review is great, highlighting all the pros and cons. The book sounds interesting as well.