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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
This book was ok- I enjoyed June (Mary Sue that she was), and the psychological issues she went through as a child, and later as an adult and astronaut were interesting. The exploration of her atypical/neurodivergent personality and the challenges she faced was interesting. I liked the inter-personal relationships.
What I couldn't stand was the lack of communication that this supposed government space agency had with it's scientists and they had with each other... it was all so implausible.
Spoilers ahead:
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How could a space agency put parts into a rocket that only 4 people know how to operate or repair? With no backup? With no plan for what happens if something goes wrong?
How could an astronaut on a space station not know who was going to be on a mission with them?
How could this massive agency allow it's astronauts to do... whatever the heck they want for months at a time with ZERO oversight?
How could a space agency leave multi billion dollar rockets sitting there for years unused? Just wasting money?
What I couldn't stand was the lack of communication that this supposed government space agency had with it's scientists and they had with each other... it was all so implausible.
Spoilers ahead:
.
.
.
.
.
.
How could a space agency put parts into a rocket that only 4 people know how to operate or repair? With no backup? With no plan for what happens if something goes wrong?
How could an astronaut on a space station not know who was going to be on a mission with them?
How could this massive agency allow it's astronauts to do... whatever the heck they want for months at a time with ZERO oversight?
How could a space agency leave multi billion dollar rockets sitting there for years unused? Just wasting money?
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This infuriated me, but I think that's part of its genius. Moody and atmospheric and neurodiverse coded.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kate Hope Day får mig att ifrågasätta mitt minne. Jag har nämligen för mig att jag var rätt så förtjust i hennes första roman, "If, Then". Den var egen och påhittig och fint skriven, med runda, vuxna karaktärer.
På pappret lät det som att "In the Quick" kunde var detsamma, i alla fall i form av det där lite speciellt påhittiga. En kvinnlig astronaut, fast utan att vara en Weir-rymdthriller - nice!
Men... nja. Både språket och karaktärerna känns plattare, barnsligare. Visst, Hope Day räknar fortfarande med sina läsare; hon hittar på ett framtidsscenario med lite lagom avancerad teknik, dessutom kör hon in media res på flera ställen (I like!). Grejen är bara att inget är särskilt intressant. Alldeles för långa stycken handlar om tekniska manövrar, vilka till på köpet känns upprepande. Tre gånger i den korta boken beskrivs också hur huvudpersonens kropp förändras för att hon börjar träna (på i princip samma sätt varje gång). Här ifrågasätter jag även författarens minne; missade hon att hon redan skrivit nästan identiska stycken...?
Det stora problemet är nog dock att det förvisso finns intressanta karaktärer i intressanta situationen, men att det inte görs något med dem. Jag hade velat se fler relationer, känslor och dialoger - snarare än "jag fick ont i huvudet av gravitationsförändringar"-blaj.
En tvåa är kanske lite snålt, men allt är relativt - och Hope Day får skylla sig själv som skrev en bättre bok förra gången!
På pappret lät det som att "In the Quick" kunde var detsamma, i alla fall i form av det där lite speciellt påhittiga. En kvinnlig astronaut, fast utan att vara en Weir-rymdthriller - nice!
Men... nja. Både språket och karaktärerna känns plattare, barnsligare. Visst, Hope Day räknar fortfarande med sina läsare; hon hittar på ett framtidsscenario med lite lagom avancerad teknik, dessutom kör hon in media res på flera ställen (I like!). Grejen är bara att inget är särskilt intressant. Alldeles för långa stycken handlar om tekniska manövrar, vilka till på köpet känns upprepande. Tre gånger i den korta boken beskrivs också hur huvudpersonens kropp förändras för att hon börjar träna (på i princip samma sätt varje gång). Här ifrågasätter jag även författarens minne; missade hon att hon redan skrivit nästan identiska stycken...?
Det stora problemet är nog dock att det förvisso finns intressanta karaktärer i intressanta situationen, men att det inte görs något med dem. Jag hade velat se fler relationer, känslor och dialoger - snarare än "jag fick ont i huvudet av gravitationsförändringar"-blaj.
En tvåa är kanske lite snålt, men allt är relativt - och Hope Day får skylla sig själv som skrev en bättre bok förra gången!
In theory, this book should work. The synopsis is gripping, the blurbs are all glowing: a feminist space story. And yet. I think In the Quick suffers from poor marketing, because what you don't know going in is that this isn't just an "echo" of Jane Eyre, it's a retelling, and not a successful one.
The main problem I had with this book was that nothing happened. And when something seemingly did happen, it was out of nowhere, there and gone, with little consequence. There wasn't anything propelling the story forward, nothing motivating June; we were told (told, not shown) there's something larger going on (the mystery of the fuel cells, the status of Inquiry's crew), but I never felt any high stakes or emotions and so quickly stopped caring. None of the characters experienced growth: June was the same at twelve and eighteen, and being inside her head had me skimming lines toward the end. At least for me, it read like the author had an idea and several points she wanted to hit (thanks to the original material she was inspired by) but had zero clue what to write about in between these points.
The main problem I had with this book was that nothing happened. And when something seemingly did happen, it was out of nowhere, there and gone, with little consequence. There wasn't anything propelling the story forward, nothing motivating June; we were told (told, not shown) there's something larger going on (the mystery of the fuel cells, the status of Inquiry's crew), but I never felt any high stakes or emotions and so quickly stopped caring. None of the characters experienced growth: June was the same at twelve and eighteen, and being inside her head had me skimming lines toward the end. At least for me, it read like the author had an idea and several points she wanted to hit (thanks to the original material she was inspired by) but had zero clue what to write about in between these points.
adventurous
fast-paced
Despite its measured pacing I tore through this in about a day. I really loved June as a character and the idea of a woman who's greatest talent is really amusing over seemingly impossible problems until she solves them. I could have used another section after where the book ends but I understand Hope Day told the story she wanted to tell.
This is a quick and easy sci-fi. It’s not too heavy on the science, which I wish there was more of.
It’s Jane eyre in space, no really.
It’s Jane eyre in space, no really.
2.75 stars.
Ok so, Jane Eyre, but make it ... space
Ok so, Jane Eyre, but make it ... space