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Cosmic (2008)

by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
7724928,629 (4.12)6
Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Science Fiction. HTML:

Liam has always felt a bit like he's stuck between two worlds.

This is primarily because he's a twelve-year-old kid who looks like he's about thirty. Sometimes it's not so bad, like when his new principal mistakes him for a teacher on the first day of school or when he convinces a car dealer to let him take a Porsche out on a test drive. But mostly it's just frustrating, being a kid trapped in an adult world. And so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It's not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck between two worlds again--only this time he's 239,000 miles from home.

Frank Cottrell Boyce, author of MILLIONS and FRAMED, brings us a funny and touching story of the many ways in which grown-upness is truly wasted on grown-ups.

.
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» See also 6 mentions

English (48)  Spanish (1)  All languages (49)
Showing 1-5 of 48 (next | show all)
This would be a great choice for reluctant readers who like outer space, science, jokes, MMORPGs, and/or British things. It's so funny and it really flies by. I think I read it in under 3 hours and I enjoyed every minute. On top of the comedy and rollicking plot, it had some deep philosophical moments that bordered on the existential. I mean, being lost in outer space will definitely get you thinking about the meaning of life, whether you want to think about it or not.

Liam is only 12 years old, but he's so tall that people are always confusing him for a grown-up. He takes advantage of this when he can, especially when the opportunity arises to visit a super-secret theme park with the greatest thrill ride ever created. The only catch is that Liam can't go as a kid; he has to go incognito as an adult. Liam's perspective as a child pretending to be an adult is amusing and full of insight. In his study of "dadliness" his conclusions are fantastic because they're both funny and true.

The only reason this misses five stars for me is because I was totally skeptical of the ending. Granted, this is not realistic fiction, but even as science fiction it really stretched believability in order to come to a happy conclusion. Specifically, **Spoiler Alert** how did a bunch of untrained kids (geniuses though they may be) pilot a rocket ship around the moon and land it safely on the earth using a video game and maths? Ridiculous. ( )
  LibrarianDest | Jan 3, 2024 |
Although it had me laughing out loud and even got a little philosophical at the end, it is a little stained with old Orientalist attitudes in Hasan Xanadu, the rich Arab, and Dr. Drax, the genius yet detached Chinese with the name that is too long to fit on the side of a phone. ( )
  quantum.alex | May 31, 2021 |
"I'm not exactly in the Lake District."

This is how we meet Liam, a twelve-year old boy who looks much older. So much so that he is continuously mistaken for an adult. So much so that he finds himself in outer space, with a bunch of kids, who think he's a dad. And now everything has gone wrong and it's up to him to get them all home safely again. It's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with a bit of Space Odyssey and World of Warcraft thrown in.

One of the things that I love about Boyce's books is how he includes very philosophical ideas but makes them very accessible. In this case, he explores the psychological implications of seeing the earth from space with the concept of "dadliness," what makes a person a parent. Boyce balances these potentially contrived, sappy topics with pitch-perfect humor. He is a master of setting up scenes and writing dialogue.

This is one of my favorite books of this year, and I shall give it to everyone I see.


--Response of first reading (May 2010)--
Love! I would be reading this on the train and be very sad when my stop came and I had to put it away. How could I have forgotten how much I love this author? I even want to go back and reread the others now.

I love how Liam figures out his course of action by comparing life to World of Warcraft levels (note to self: have a WoW player read this and comment).

I love how the story is a kind of new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sort of. Kinda.

I did think that Liam managed to be very grown-up through the entire second half, and perhaps could have shown more of the boy who would probably be freaking out. But I didn't really care.

Florida cracks me up. I know so many kids just like that. ( )
  amandabock | Dec 10, 2019 |
Hilarious and touching. A perfect middle-grade book. ( )
  alexenglishauthor | Jul 11, 2019 |
Summary: This book is about a a twelve year-old boy who is mistaken as a grown up. He didn't like it so much though because he felt tapped. Though being mistaken as an adult comes in hand one day when he gets an adventure of a life time, which is getting to go out into space.
Review: Great book I liked it. The way the author wrote this book makes it feel that its a real store. It funny, adventures and easy to follow.
Class: Can use to teach children about Space
Media: print
Grade: Intermidiate
Genre: Sience Fantasy
  little_manb | Apr 10, 2017 |
Showing 1-5 of 48 (next | show all)
The hero of Boyce’s enchanting third novel has grown a bit over the summer. “Seven inches is not a spurt,” his father says. “Seven inches is a mutation.” Having facial hair and the height of an adult is a nuisance for 12-year-old Liam, until he realizes he can pass for a grownup. The charade escalates into danger when Liam passes himself off as his own father and wins a trip to a new theme park in China with his friend Florida, where they will be the first to experience an out-of-this-world new thrill ride. “The Rocket” turns out to be a real rocket, and the novel opens with Liam and four other kids literally lost in space. What follows is a hilarious and heartfelt examination of “dadliness” in all its forms, including idiotic competitiveness and sports chatter, but also genuine care and concern. Luckily for the errant space cadets, Liam possesses skills honed playing World of Warcraft online—yes, here is a novel, finally, that confirms that playing computer games can be good for you. A can’t-miss offering from an author whose latest novel may be his best yet. Ages 8–12.
added by 2wonderY | editPublishers Weekly
 

» Add other authors (1 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Frank Cottrell Boyceprimary authorall editionscalculated
Heyborne, KirbyNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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To my parents-
a book about the magic of parents
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Mom, Dad-if you're listening-you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school?
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Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Science Fiction. HTML:

Liam has always felt a bit like he's stuck between two worlds.

This is primarily because he's a twelve-year-old kid who looks like he's about thirty. Sometimes it's not so bad, like when his new principal mistakes him for a teacher on the first day of school or when he convinces a car dealer to let him take a Porsche out on a test drive. But mostly it's just frustrating, being a kid trapped in an adult world. And so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It's not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck between two worlds again--only this time he's 239,000 miles from home.

Frank Cottrell Boyce, author of MILLIONS and FRAMED, brings us a funny and touching story of the many ways in which grown-upness is truly wasted on grown-ups.

.

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