Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

When eleven-year-old Art Mumby finds out that a visitor is arriving at his run-down home, Larklight, which floats in space beyond the moon, he hardly expects to be thrust into a frightening adventure of pirates, plates, and a millenium-long conflict upon which the fate of the solar system rests. He tells the story of this adventure in LARKLIGHT (occasionally giving his older sister, Myrtle, a chance to narrate via her diary), and the story is nothing if not fantastic.

Philip Reeve (author of the HUNGRY CITY CHRONICLES) has created another fascinating world in LARKLIGHT. Art lives in the Victorian society of the 1800's--or rather, what Victorian society would have looked like if they'd developed space travel, and astronomy worked according to early speculations about aether (an air-like substance in space that people can move and breathe in), and interplanetary beings (Venus, Mars, and the moons of Jupiter are all home to a variety of life forms). Reeve cuts no corners, painting the cities and citizens of the solar system in dazzling detail. The setting is a gorgeous mix of fantasy and science fiction, and fans of both genres will find much to enjoy.

If the world wasn't exciting enough on its own, the adventure is of the edge-of-your-seat variety. Art and Myrtle tumble from one tense situation to another with alarming frequency. Most chapters end on cliffhangers, so be prepared to have trouble finding a place to pause. Reeve throws in enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing right until the end, and both Art and Myrtle get the chance to play hero.

Art, as the main character, is not yet a teen himself, so teens may find his narration a little immature for their liking. If they're willing to give him a chance, though, they will discover that LARKLIGHT is a fast-paced, imaginative journey well worth taking. ( )

A truly fun read. This story has a little bit of everything. Readers of all ages will enjoy this book. Larklight is a wonderful adventure story with great characters and interesting twists and turns in their lives. I enjoyed that the story is told from Art's perspective with bits of diary entries from Myrtle. ( )

It's average overall, but i suppose unique in that it's steampunk for kids. ( )

Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live with their father in Larklight, a house that travels on an orbit outside the moon. The house is quite large and in some ways falling apart. Things are peaceful (if you don't mind Myrtle's piano playing), until a ship full of spiders invades their house and set them on course to encounter space pirates and many other exciting adventures.

The setting is an alternate history of Victorian England (and far beyond), and Phillip Reeve uses the charm and stylings of that age to infuse the story with humor. I really enjoyed this one. This is just the kind of Steampunk that I like to look for. I like rousing, jaunty adventure a la Jules Verne, and this story fits the bill. This is a well plotted young adult novel with interesting characters and well wrought art work throughout. A good fun read. ( )

Unusual space tale involving England in the 1800's and their colonies in outer space. Instead of colonizing the world, they are colonizing other worlds. The reader suspends what they know about science and history to enter an alternate universe and a space adventure involving alien life forms bent on taking over the universe. ( )