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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was initially leary of this one because of the poor Goodreads rating, but after it made after several of Meredith's glowing endorsements, I decided to try it.
I was completely blown away by first half of the book. There's an alien invasion and all of humanity is given 30 days to get to Antarctica. If they do, they will be spare, and no one is totally sure what will happen to those who don't. I was riveted as people evacuate by any means possible to get to the coldest tundra on Earth.
The second half of the book wasn't as strong - though it was still very interesting. It got very sci-fi and I was interested in the direction the author took it, but couldn't help but wish he'd have focused on the 3 separate tribes that had formed.
Meredith had said that if you "liked Station Eleven but make it sci-fi, this book is for you", and I'd agree. But there were glimmers of the author attempting to examine humanity and the elements that make humanity so special - the arts, music, etc - but he kept if very surace level and focused on a whole new species instead. It was interesting, but I missed those softer parts of life and their connection to this crisis. Just a tiny bit of that would have made this book better!
If you like near future dystopian/sci-fi books, I would definitely recommend this one!
I was completely blown away by first half of the book. There's an alien invasion and all of humanity is given 30 days to get to Antarctica. If they do, they will be spare, and no one is totally sure what will happen to those who don't. I was riveted as people evacuate by any means possible to get to the coldest tundra on Earth.
The second half of the book wasn't as strong - though it was still very interesting. It got very sci-fi and I was interested in the direction the author took it, but couldn't help but wish he'd have focused on the 3 separate tribes that had formed.
Meredith had said that if you "liked Station Eleven but make it sci-fi, this book is for you", and I'd agree. But there were glimmers of the author attempting to examine humanity and the elements that make humanity so special - the arts, music, etc - but he kept if very surace level and focused on a whole new species instead. It was interesting, but I missed those softer parts of life and their connection to this crisis. Just a tiny bit of that would have made this book better!
If you like near future dystopian/sci-fi books, I would definitely recommend this one!
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sci-fi is definitely not my usual go-to genre but, after hearing about this on the Currently Reading podcast and previously enjoying Child 44 from this author, I decided to give it a go.
This starts when an alien fleet suddenly appears in the sky and tells the people of the world they have 30 days to get to Antarctica where they will be allowed to live. Anyone who does not get to Antarctica will be destroyed. Naturally panic ensues.
There is very little focus on the alien invasion itself - this is much more a story about survival and resilience, how human's decide what is right and wrong in the face of disaster and how those decisions have lasting implications.
I had some issues with the pacing at times, the time jumps were a little jarring and there were perhaps a few plot holes, but overall this is enjoyable and engrossing. This reminded me quite a bit of books by James Rollins, so if you like his stuff give this one a go.
This starts when an alien fleet suddenly appears in the sky and tells the people of the world they have 30 days to get to Antarctica where they will be allowed to live. Anyone who does not get to Antarctica will be destroyed. Naturally panic ensues.
There is very little focus on the alien invasion itself - this is much more a story about survival and resilience, how human's decide what is right and wrong in the face of disaster and how those decisions have lasting implications.
I had some issues with the pacing at times, the time jumps were a little jarring and there were perhaps a few plot holes, but overall this is enjoyable and engrossing. This reminded me quite a bit of books by James Rollins, so if you like his stuff give this one a go.
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Can humans adapt enough to survive Antarctica? Can scientific experimentation aid in that pursuit….and if it can, are there any limits to what can be tried?
In this engrossing new novel by Tom Rob Smith, the future of the human species rests upon the answers to those questions. When the story begins we meet Liza, an American med school student who is on a European vacation with her parents and sister, and Atto, a young Portuguese man working as a tour guide in Lisbon. Neither is particularly happy with their current life paths, but each feels drawn to the other. A sunset sail should be very romantic, but though Lisa is curious enough to accept Atto’s offer she isn’t convinced that it makes sense to act on their attraction. When they return to port, however, the world has changed. An overpowering fleet of extraterrestrial vehicles has taken complete control of the planet. The beings issue an ultimatum….any humans who wish to survive must move to Antarctica, and they have only thirty days to get there. Any humans who are not there on that thirtieth day will be killed.
Who decides who is allowed to make the trek? What supplies will be needed and can be brought there? Few individuals have the means at their disposal to make the journey; governments quickly commandeer whatever planes, ships, submarines and other vehicles for their own use. It is a mad scramble, and difficult choices need to be made quickly. The reader can not help but wonder….what choices would they make? Could they leave behind parents, children, or partners if they alone had the chance to survive? If they made it to Antarctica, would they possess the strength and abilities to make a new life?
The story alternates between this period of exodus and a point twenty years in the future. Some have indeed survived, and have created communities on the Antarctic peninsula. But it is a precarious existence at best, and slowly the population is dwindling. Scientists are working to genetically modify the human genome to create a new kind of human who can readily exist and thrive in this extreme environment. Ethical boundaries that had once seemed so clear and necessary have been reconsidered, and new beings have been created. The time has come to introduce some of these new creatures into the human population…but not all are sure that cooperation and co-existence are assured.
Cold People immediately captured my attention, and I found I could not put it down. It is a well-constructed story with fully developed characters struggling to exist in a supremely inhospitable environment. Many questions are raised, and there are no pat answers to them. The needs and desires of the individual are pitted against the priorities of the group at large. Can science go too far, if the only alternative is extinction? When does a human stop actually being human? I challenge all who enjoy a superbly crafted story and want to engage their intellect to read this remarkable novel and find their own answers to these and other questions. Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.
In this engrossing new novel by Tom Rob Smith, the future of the human species rests upon the answers to those questions. When the story begins we meet Liza, an American med school student who is on a European vacation with her parents and sister, and Atto, a young Portuguese man working as a tour guide in Lisbon. Neither is particularly happy with their current life paths, but each feels drawn to the other. A sunset sail should be very romantic, but though Lisa is curious enough to accept Atto’s offer she isn’t convinced that it makes sense to act on their attraction. When they return to port, however, the world has changed. An overpowering fleet of extraterrestrial vehicles has taken complete control of the planet. The beings issue an ultimatum….any humans who wish to survive must move to Antarctica, and they have only thirty days to get there. Any humans who are not there on that thirtieth day will be killed.
Who decides who is allowed to make the trek? What supplies will be needed and can be brought there? Few individuals have the means at their disposal to make the journey; governments quickly commandeer whatever planes, ships, submarines and other vehicles for their own use. It is a mad scramble, and difficult choices need to be made quickly. The reader can not help but wonder….what choices would they make? Could they leave behind parents, children, or partners if they alone had the chance to survive? If they made it to Antarctica, would they possess the strength and abilities to make a new life?
The story alternates between this period of exodus and a point twenty years in the future. Some have indeed survived, and have created communities on the Antarctic peninsula. But it is a precarious existence at best, and slowly the population is dwindling. Scientists are working to genetically modify the human genome to create a new kind of human who can readily exist and thrive in this extreme environment. Ethical boundaries that had once seemed so clear and necessary have been reconsidered, and new beings have been created. The time has come to introduce some of these new creatures into the human population…but not all are sure that cooperation and co-existence are assured.
Cold People immediately captured my attention, and I found I could not put it down. It is a well-constructed story with fully developed characters struggling to exist in a supremely inhospitable environment. Many questions are raised, and there are no pat answers to them. The needs and desires of the individual are pitted against the priorities of the group at large. Can science go too far, if the only alternative is extinction? When does a human stop actually being human? I challenge all who enjoy a superbly crafted story and want to engage their intellect to read this remarkable novel and find their own answers to these and other questions. Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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