At Aoléon’s home, Gilbert meets Aoléon’s family: her sister Una, mother Phobos, and father Deimos, as well as her overzealous pet Zoot. He is also introduced to Bizwat, a covert operator, and Procyon Commando, who uses his Saturn Pizza delivery job as a cover.
Gilbert then gets to visit the Martian Space Academy (Aoléon’s school), where he encounters Aoléon’s nemesis, Charm Lepton, and her friend Quarkina, in addition to receiving a history lesson on the Martian people by Plutarch Xenocrates. After class, Gilbert and Aoléon get to train in zero-G, and Gilbert is treated to a Psi-ball match between Martian Space Academy and Martian Science Academy.
Part two to Aoléon the Martian Girl is truly something else. After being told that he and Aoléon are Earth’s best defense against the evil space ruler of Mars, Gilbert is a little freaked out. To add the candles to the cake, Gilbert has to deal with being mentally inspected by a Martian empress and chased by her guards. Gilbert also has to meet Aoléon’s family, attend her space school, and play a game that is like no other.
Gilbert and Aoléon are now a little bit more familiar with one another in part two of this picture novel, and readers definitely get to see more action. Aoléon also reveals the secrets to some of her planet’s and people’s mode of operation. Frankly, I got lost in most of her explanations and preferred to just skip through those pages until she showed Gilbert something really cool like skyboarding.
I also find it really amusing that a lot of the Martian technology and lifestyle is similar to Earth’s. What is pizza really doing on Mars? Even if you give it a different name, pizza is still pizza. Also, Aoléon’s pet named Zoot is said to be similar to Earth’s dogs and even behaves like a dog. I won’t kick up too much of a fuss over this because I realize that it’s a children’s book and for them to really grasp what’s going on there needs to be something that they can relate to.
Still, what was most upsetting about this novel is that it has fewer pictures than it did in the first. Now that I’ve been reunited with picture books, it’s a little unnerving when I read a page that described a spectacular scene and don’t get an opportunity to actually see what was described. Nevertheless, the pictures that I do get to see are simply stunning; I marveled like a six-year-old at the fight scene between alien scum and the slick Bizwat (a new character and who totally rocks).
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Anyway, I can’t wait to start reading the third book in this series. I know that Bizwat is only the first addition to Gilbert and Aoléon’s team and I’m eager to see who else the author decides to add to the crew.
Rating: 6/10
Meet the Author:
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Mr. LeVasseur enjoys crafting good stories based on lovable characters designed to translate well to multiple media formats such as books, games, movies, and toys. He lives in New York when he is not commuting between Southern California and Olympus Mons, Mars. His hobbies include writing, 3D animation, musical composition, and intergalactic space travel. He also enjoys various sports such as skiing, running, and exospheric skydiving.
Connect with Brent: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Aoléon: The Martian Girl
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