‘Dare Mighty’ Things by Heather Kaczynski

Dare Mighty Things \ Image: Harper Collins Publishing

Dare Mighty Things \ Image: Harper Collins Publishing

What is it about?

Dare Mighty Things is one of my favorite stories because its a quest with action, adventure, and involves a cast of physically and sexually diverse characters.

Our heroine is Cassandra Gupta, an 18-year-old Indian young woman from Texas who gets the opportunity to be the youngest person into space on a top-secret NASA mission. The catch is she’s competing against a slew of other young people from around the world who want the same opportunity.

The cadets are put to the test with everything from their endurance, mental stability, and teamwork skills under the magnifying glass. Their every move and every word are monitored to see if they are the right ones for the top-secret mission and it takes its toll on the characters as the story goes on.

For example, you see Cassandra come to the reality of not being able to talk to her family as her mail mysteriously never comes during her month-long stay. You see another cadet realize the importance of the risk they will be taking and decide maybe it’s not one they want to chance after all.

What about the storytelling?

Anyone who has read this kind of story knows the main character gets one of the two spots but which of the two and at what cost is what you are reading to find out. The story is just as much about the range of characters around the main character as it is about the main character.

Does it get personal?

Throughout the book, I wondered about the mission to Mars that’s been in the news and how I would feel being separated from my family for months all in the name of science and exploration. How would I handle not being able to be near them or even hear their voices? I didn’t like the feelings that welled up inside of me and I’m 33-years-old. I can’t imagine how an 18-year-old would feel.

The story ends happily but with a cliffhanger that will leave you hanging until October when the next book in the duology, One Giant Leap is released. I’m interested to see where Cassandra and her comrades go and if the author will make this series a true happy ending for all.

Disclaimer: This book was given to me as part of a review opportunity with Once Upon A Book Club through GeekMom Blog. For more on Once Upon A Book Club check out my review of their amazing product over on GeekMom Blog.

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