Overall, Crater was a refreshing mix of science fiction and old Western.  The moon’s landscape and denizens remind the reader of the Western frontier, and many of the characters also appear to be inspired by classic Western characters.  Crater is an excellent adventure story with plentiful action and a likeable, humble main character.  My only complaint would be that some of the battle scenes were too brief, which was too bad because Hickam writes some excellent battle scenes into this novel.  In addition to this, Crater also has a wide range of appeal.  For adults who enjoyed the westerns of their childhood and the excitement of the space race, Crater may very well be a blast from the past.  At the same time, Crater is a coming of age story, and teenage readers will connect with the main character as well as enjoy the new mix of western and science fiction.  Crater is a fast read, because you can’t seem to put the novel down!

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 1 religious exclamation. 

Violence/Gore: Multiple verbal threats/contemplating ways to kill a character; 4 reports of violence; one non-life threatening injury; multiple battle scenes including violence and death through kicking, punching, firearms, knives, axes, and explosions; several descriptions of death in space with mild description of the effects of vacuum on a human body. 

Sex/Nudity: Characters kiss twice and hold hands.

Mature Subject Matter:

Orphans, genetic experimentation, death, some negative Native American stereotypes.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Some characters drink alcohol.