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gerbilreads's review
5.0
Magnificent. In her own inimitable style Whiteley has done it again. Such truthful insight delivered so bizarrely, this book was a delight to read. Can’t wait to reread again in a few years and discover yet more, for I’m sure that there are layers to this tale.
rebeccafarren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.75
squaresofliving's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
2.25
I liked the writing, it was easy and even though I hated the story because it was like someone who'd been high had written it, I still didn't want to DNF it because it was moving on pretty well...
lykin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Penelope Greensmith is an epic main character….can I be a bio-librarian that moves through other worlds?
The author packed SO MUCH into a fairly short book and not once did I feel overly rushed or confuzzled. So much exquisite detail in the multiple worlds that Penelope visits and plant knowledge (plants and fungus that I know and love) laced throughout this space odyssey.
All the while Penelope grappling with the grief of motherhood, mortality/what we leave behind, and commitment to what we hold dear.
The author packed SO MUCH into a fairly short book and not once did I feel overly rushed or confuzzled. So much exquisite detail in the multiple worlds that Penelope visits and plant knowledge (plants and fungus that I know and love) laced throughout this space odyssey.
All the while Penelope grappling with the grief of motherhood, mortality/what we leave behind, and commitment to what we hold dear.
vhaynes's review
2.0
Most of this was incomprehensible. There was potential for this story, but it lacked a lot of necessary exposition. The relationship between the two MC’s was touching, though, even if I was left unsatisfied by it. I think this novel desperately needed a good editor.
Also was not aware going into this that it was a not-so-subtle critique of Doctor Who, a show I’d love to forget.
2.5/5
Also was not aware going into this that it was a not-so-subtle critique of Doctor Who, a show I’d love to forget.
2.5/5
barb4ry1's review
4.0
Penelope Greensmith, a middle-aged bio-librarian, dedicated her life to cataloging and safekeeping seeds of all known plants in a mysterious device left by her father. She has no other interests or meaningful relationships. She keeps irregular contact with her daughter (named Lilly after Lilium Longiflorum) and her ex-husband. People find her eccentricities charming at first, but unbearable in the long run.
One day a strange and charming adventurer, Hort, pays her a visit. He claims her collection can help in stopping a terrible plague that turns plants into rotten mush. All over the Universe. Penelope joins him on a space adventure to save the Universe. And maybe even Earth. The problem? Well, dimension-hopping and corporeal form don’t mix well; she needs to go through her own device and become information.
Does it sound like an iteration of Doctor Who? Yes, it does. And it’s intentional. It’s infused with subtle humor, and the narrative pokes fun at the staples of the genre. During Hort and Penelope’s travels, we meet rebel flamingos fighting evil lizards, a planet-sized sentient plant, hive minds, and more. The plot moves at a fast pace with Hort opening portals to new places with a gesture of his hand.
There’s almost no exposition and when it appears, it’s served with humor. Take this line appearing just before we get a condensed data about the world:
‘You need to understand what’s happening here and we’ve got an awful lot of exposition to get through so I’ll just ping that straight into your brain.’
And then Hort does it by touching Pam’s forehead. I loved this moment.
Gentle humor adds levity to the exploration of difficult themes (end of the world, destructive virus, loss, betrayal). To make matters more interesting, Whiteley plays with the form and tries to understand the limitations of human speech in describing reality and alien consciousness. Penelope tries to keep her sanity by trying to see the world the way humans fo, even though she knows it makes her experience warped. In other words, she tries to understand her experience in anything approaching human terms. Instead of experiencing the weird reality, she translates it for us using words we know. Whiteley’s descriptions of the unknown and undescribable are fascinating but require focus.
Greensmith feels uneasy at times, but it’s also fresh and unpredictable. It’s sad but also funny, melancholic but fast-paced. Well worth a read.
One day a strange and charming adventurer, Hort, pays her a visit. He claims her collection can help in stopping a terrible plague that turns plants into rotten mush. All over the Universe. Penelope joins him on a space adventure to save the Universe. And maybe even Earth. The problem? Well, dimension-hopping and corporeal form don’t mix well; she needs to go through her own device and become information.
Does it sound like an iteration of Doctor Who? Yes, it does. And it’s intentional. It’s infused with subtle humor, and the narrative pokes fun at the staples of the genre. During Hort and Penelope’s travels, we meet rebel flamingos fighting evil lizards, a planet-sized sentient plant, hive minds, and more. The plot moves at a fast pace with Hort opening portals to new places with a gesture of his hand.
There’s almost no exposition and when it appears, it’s served with humor. Take this line appearing just before we get a condensed data about the world:
‘You need to understand what’s happening here and we’ve got an awful lot of exposition to get through so I’ll just ping that straight into your brain.’
And then Hort does it by touching Pam’s forehead. I loved this moment.
Gentle humor adds levity to the exploration of difficult themes (end of the world, destructive virus, loss, betrayal). To make matters more interesting, Whiteley plays with the form and tries to understand the limitations of human speech in describing reality and alien consciousness. Penelope tries to keep her sanity by trying to see the world the way humans fo, even though she knows it makes her experience warped. In other words, she tries to understand her experience in anything approaching human terms. Instead of experiencing the weird reality, she translates it for us using words we know. Whiteley’s descriptions of the unknown and undescribable are fascinating but require focus.
Greensmith feels uneasy at times, but it’s also fresh and unpredictable. It’s sad but also funny, melancholic but fast-paced. Well worth a read.
lene_kretzsch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
hookineye's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
This was too epic in scope for me, for a fairly short novel. I wanted more worldbuilding, more detail, more character development.
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