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_david_'s review
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is exactly the type of story and focus I want from a sci-fi space exploration book.
The book and its descriptions of their discoveries sparked a magical feeling in me that I haven't felt since I was a child: Of looking up to the sky and wondering what's out there.
The focus is on the characters and their mindset. It shows the curiosity of scientists and how different a stressful situation can influence people. I loved the diversity of planets and what was on them. A planet doesn't have to be an oasis bursting with flora and fauna to be mesmerizing.
I loved the mindset of the crew, that they were observers, not colonizers. I wish OCA was real. I don't think there's a book with a more fitting title than this one.
The story felt a lot longer than it was, in a good way. It felt very full without feeling rushed or too fast paced. There was a moment just before the ending that I can imagine to be dull to someone without a (bio)chemistry background, but the narrator acknowledges that and it makes use of its dullness to make the ending even stronger. I really liked the ending.
The reason that I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that the characters did not all feel feel fully rounded. The quirks and parts of the personalities which were described were strong and interesting. I think what I would've liked to see was a little less predictability in the three side-characters personalities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Minor: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and War
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Confinement
Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, and Medical content
Minor: Death, War, Gore, Body horror, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Listened to this as an audiobook during a road trip and it kept me engaged the entire time. I don't think that this will be enjoyed by all since for a sci-fi it focuses more on the crew and slice-of-life moments, rather than the planets they explore, and the discoveries they make.
It does bring up the topic that there is a lot to be said about the ethics of science and experimentation. I think it all can be boiled down into something along the lines of having good intentions does not inherently guarantee that anyone/thing remains unharmed in the end or even in the midst of the process. This is true for the scientists themselves and/or their subjects.
Becky Chambers has done an excellent job of making distinct and memorable characters that feel real because the book runs the gamut of human emotions. There's quite a bit of existential dread, and it can be rather heavy at times, but it also has it's moments of fun, enchantment, excitement, joy, and happiness.
It does bring up the topic that there is a lot to be said about the ethics of science and experimentation. I think it all can be boiled down into something along the lines of having good intentions does not inherently guarantee that anyone/thing remains unharmed in the end or even in the midst of the process. This is true for the scientists themselves and/or their subjects.
Becky Chambers has done an excellent job of making distinct and memorable characters that feel real because the book runs the gamut of human emotions. There's quite a bit of existential dread, and it can be rather heavy at times, but it also has it's moments of fun, enchantment, excitement, joy, and happiness.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Colonisation, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you told me you hate Becky Chambers’ books because you found them boring I’d probably just say “fair enough.” This is essentially slice-of-life sci-fi, and I suspect (know, really) that that is not going to work for a lot of people. However, I personally absolutely love the way Chambers crafts characters and builds worlds. Something about her books just feels so comforting and cozy to me. They feel familiar even though I’ve never read them before, and I can’t help but love them. This book in particular I didn't like quite as much as The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but I chalk that up mostly to this being a novella and me not having as much time with the characters. Effectively ,this is not a book for everyone (it's kind of slow, and it's much more concerned with theme than with plot), but it is very much for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, and Sexual content
brittni_in_ink's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book deserves so much more attention! I was really moved by the story of this crew going out into space and facing the challenges of each planet they visit. The narrative structure is solid from beginning to end, and the idea of changing humans to suit other planet environments is fascinating to see play out. The book feels like a response to the popular portrayal of the lone space explorer/survivor as seen in works like The Martian - Chambers' story is about a collective effort to learn about other planets, with the highest priority being leaving the alien environments as untouched as possible. The crew dynamics are engaging, although not the key component of the story. There's trans, bi, and asexual rep, which was wonderful to see. This was definitely one of my favourite reads this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, and Blood
storykath's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A four-person astronaut crew explores life-filled planets light-years away from Earth, thanks to the technology of somaforming. As they explore each new world, they learn more about the universe, and also about themselves, each other, and human nature. As they leave Earth farther behind, they must confront the possibility of what they will find when they eventually return.
I am a big Becky Chambers fan - the Wayfarers series has a special place in my heart. To Be Taught isn't too far removed from Wayfarers, in that it's speculative, cozy sci-fi with diverse characters and engaging moral quandaries. That being said, To Be Taught doesn't quite live up to Wayfarers for me. I miss the multiple perspectives and lengthier narratives that get sacrificed in novella form. Some of the science is believable and well-explained, while other aspects feel less fleshed-out. For instance, the narrator Ariadne's role on the crew often feels contrived; she doesn't actually do much as the ship's engineer, which conveniently leaves her with plenty of opportunity to help the others and thus observe and narrate their actions. When she does act in her role, she can be indecisive and unscientific, with a lot of "probably"s and "I don't know"s that never get methodically addressed like I would expect.
As always with Becky Chambers, To Be Taught is an interesting, easy-to-read sci-fi that effectively uses outer space and science to reflect inwardly on humanity. While I can't rave as much about this novella compared to any of the Wayfarers books, I am still glad to have it on my shelf.
I am a big Becky Chambers fan - the Wayfarers series has a special place in my heart. To Be Taught isn't too far removed from Wayfarers, in that it's speculative, cozy sci-fi with diverse characters and engaging moral quandaries. That being said, To Be Taught doesn't quite live up to Wayfarers for me. I miss the multiple perspectives and lengthier narratives that get sacrificed in novella form. Some of the science is believable and well-explained, while other aspects feel less fleshed-out. For instance, the narrator Ariadne's role on the crew often feels contrived; she doesn't actually do much as the ship's engineer, which conveniently leaves her with plenty of opportunity to help the others and thus observe and narrate their actions. When she does act in her role, she can be indecisive and unscientific, with a lot of "probably"s and "I don't know"s that never get methodically addressed like I would expect.
As always with Becky Chambers, To Be Taught is an interesting, easy-to-read sci-fi that effectively uses outer space and science to reflect inwardly on humanity. While I can't rave as much about this novella compared to any of the Wayfarers books, I am still glad to have it on my shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Gun violence, and Sexual content
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