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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started off a bit questionably. A bit trite, a few glaringly bad pieces of writing in the first couple of chapters. It quickly picked up pace and ended up being better than expected. I did want to keep reading and know what happened next.
A worthwhile addition to climate-fiction and decolonisation novels, I enjoyed the world building (or world deconstruction/reconstruction), the reflections on community, love, free will... and what it means to be human. And of course, the cyclical uncompromising nature of occupation and colonisation and its ultimate end (unavoidable decolonisation). But are occupying and colonising the same thing? Is it colonising when it's the only path to survival? That and questions about birthright, ethnic cleansing, and evolution will stay with me long after reading.
However, the author seemed to write from a great distance. The narration was simple and stark (similar in some ways to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go), but detached. The characters were unique and winsome, but I did finish the book feeling like I really didn't know them all that well. Some we were introduced to only briefly, with background information stopping the narrative flow.
3.5/5 because it's worth reading, compelling and in some ways very beautiful. But ultimately unsatisfying and detached.
Similar reads (5 stars): Never Let Me Go, The Children of Men, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Frankenstein.
However, the author seemed to write from a great distance. The narration was simple and stark (similar in some ways to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go), but detached. The characters were unique and winsome, but I did finish the book feeling like I really didn't know them all that well. Some we were introduced to only briefly, with background information stopping the narrative flow.
3.5/5 because it's worth reading, compelling and in some ways very beautiful. But ultimately unsatisfying and detached.
Similar reads (5 stars): Never Let Me Go, The Children of Men, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Frankenstein.
The first 75% of this had me hooked, but the last quarter was way too Sci-Fi for me. I also wish it would have just stayed with the first narrator; I really invested in her and her story, and I think the situation could have been fully explored with more humanity through her eyes the whole time.
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
ToB read. Kind of a strange genre-y book for the tournament, but I’m willing to try anything (OKAY EXCEPT A LOT OF THEM). This book glossed over some of the things I like most about dystopian/alternate histories and true sci-fi fans will not be happy with the iffy science.
There were some lovely things (the image of the world’s most important monuments, buildings and edifices standing together in an ice field…), but there was too much not explained and then the obvious set up for a sequel (HATE).
There were some lovely things (the image of the world’s most important monuments, buildings and edifices standing together in an ice field…), but there was too much not explained and then the obvious set up for a sequel (HATE).
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, it was mostly an easy, kind of fun book if you can suspend disbelief enough but I want to know what happened with the aliens!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes