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onthesamepage's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
My feelings about this little novella went from, "oh, this beginning is intriguing," to "this is a lot of science and I'm not sure how much I care about it, hopefully something else happens soon," and finally to "this is horrible I feel so tense wtf is happening." It definitely took me on a journey.
The first half is pretty slow, but after that the tension steadily builds until I had a knot in my stomach. I'm sure for scientists the climax and the reason for how this book starts is very exciting, but I will admit I was expecting something a bit more bombastic as the driver for this novella. So all in all, this was a slow start, great middle, and the very end was kind of lackluster. Definitely worth a read, though, since it's pretty short.
The first half is pretty slow, but after that the tension steadily builds until I had a knot in my stomach. I'm sure for scientists the climax and the reason for how this book starts is very exciting, but I will admit I was expecting something a bit more bombastic as the driver for this novella. So all in all, this was a slow start, great middle, and the very end was kind of lackluster. Definitely worth a read, though, since it's pretty short.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Suicide attempt
slburg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Mental illness
taylah13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
a beautiful little novella about life and its infinite possibilities. Equal parts intimate, cosy, urgent and uneasy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
lonelylooper's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Minor: War
zogg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
ezwolf's review against another edition
DNF’ing because I asked my friend if this was a specific book she had told me about a couple years ago and she said “yes, but remember how I said you shouldn’t read it?” And she is almost always right so I am heeding the warning and stopping here. Maybe I’ll come back and finish it some day. I was enjoying it but I trust my friend so that’s it for now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, and Body horror
raptorq's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
annamorgan27's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
animalculum's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Confinement and Mental illness
depmythmoon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The novella follows 4 astronauts: Ariadne (the FMC whose name I’m still unsure how to pronounce), Jack, Chikandi, & Elena. They are sent on a mission to study planets beyond Earth’s solar system. Their trip there takes them 14 years—though they have something called ‘torpor’, which is similar to cryosleep without the ice; it slows their aging so that it’ll feel more like 2 years for them. The mission they’re on will last them a total of 80 years, but they get communications from Earth to hear about what happens in their absence.
This novella isn’t like your typical story that is action-packed or full of twists and turns. It’s not meant to be that, I’m sure. Rather than tell you of some alien that challenges the crew or life or death scenarios, this novella is more of a slice-of-life for astronauts. If you’ve ever been curious about the profession and what it entails, this will be the book for you. We keep track of the discoveries the group makes and get some detailed explanations of how they have to categorize this new information. So, if you’re jumping into this novella expecting a tale of alien civilizations or conquering planets, this may not be the read for you.
I wasn’t expecting it when I started reading, so I did find myself a bit bored for the first 50 or so pages, but I did get more enjoyment from it when the main conflict is introduced. The real enjoyment came when the story was ending. This is a novella that aims to make you think, and it leaves you pondering if the pursuit of knowledge is worth it. I love when reads make me question things in real life, so I found that the ending gave me a second wind of enjoyment. This novella also touches on our, human, impact on the environment. It points out that while there are dangers to us in new environments, we also have to recognize the dangers we cause knowingly and unknowingly. I enjoyed it.
Overall, the majority of the content in this book is mundane and tame compared to other books in the sci-fi genre, but the thoughtfulness and introspection it leaves you with are worth the read, in my opinion.
This novella isn’t like your typical story that is action-packed or full of twists and turns. It’s not meant to be that, I’m sure. Rather than tell you of some alien that challenges the crew or life or death scenarios, this novella is more of a slice-of-life for astronauts. If you’ve ever been curious about the profession and what it entails, this will be the book for you. We keep track of the discoveries the group makes and get some detailed explanations of how they have to categorize this new information. So, if you’re jumping into this novella expecting a tale of alien civilizations or conquering planets, this may not be the read for you.
I wasn’t expecting it when I started reading, so I did find myself a bit bored for the first 50 or so pages, but I did get more enjoyment from it when the main conflict is introduced. The real enjoyment came when the story was ending. This is a novella that aims to make you think, and it leaves you pondering if the pursuit of knowledge is worth it. I love when reads make me question things in real life, so I found that the ending gave me a second wind of enjoyment. This novella also touches on our, human, impact on the environment. It points out that while there are dangers to us in new environments, we also have to recognize the dangers we cause knowingly and unknowingly. I enjoyed it.
Overall, the majority of the content in this book is mundane and tame compared to other books in the sci-fi genre, but the thoughtfulness and introspection it leaves you with are worth the read, in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Animal death
Minor: Grief, War, Mental illness, Torture, Vomit, and Death