Updraft (Bone Universe, #1)

by Fran Wilde

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Updraft by Fran Wilde

Thanks to the COYER Summer Reading list, I was able to tackle another book that I picked up at MidAmeriCon II in 2016. This book was mentions in several panels I attended over the course of the weekend and I was excited to acquire a copy at the event.

The world of Updraft is amazing. I was drawn in and soared with Kirit as she strived to uncover the secrets of the Spire and her family’s history. Wilde did a wonderful job explaining the caste structure of the world and describe what it felt like to fly among the clouds. I found it amazing that Wilde could make me feel as though I was flying with Kirit as she jumped from the towers. It was an amazing experience as a reader.

Where Updraft falls short me is that is just another installment in the young adult dystopian special snowflake world. There’s nothing new within the plot here. While the world that Kirit inhabits is unique, the structure and how the world is governed by secrets is not new. It’s apparent from the start where the story is going none of the plot twists, in my mind, were plot twists. They were wholly expected because of the number of the books that fit this structure are out there. This plot was probably new and refreshing at one point, but it feels tired and old to me by now.

If you are a fan of dystopian novels like Divergent or The Hunger Games, Updraft should be on your read list. However, if you feel you interests lie beyond special snowflakes saving the world by revealing how bad the ruling government is, it’s probably best to skip this story unless you are looking to dive into a truly unique world built among the clouds.