I'm not a good writer so I'm borrowing the best parts of the review from PluggedIn Online: In principle, it's a great idea, but the way it plays out makes it less like the icing on the cake and more like a ketchup filling inside a pie. You can swallow it, and it won't kill you, but something's not quite right about it. Perhaps it's the fact that while Charles' dream is exciting, it's not very morally substantial. Aside from a few weak lines about wanting to educate the world about space, the dream is almost completely selfish. Charles wants the experience of space. He wants to prove he can do it on his own (so much so that he rejects an offer to take a ride on the next shuttle mission, which would get him to space legitimately—and in relative safety). In contrast to other "follow your dreams" stories, Charles' quest lacks the nobility and depth needed to make his sacrifice psychologically worthwhile.