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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not a bad book (at least at the start), and I liked the premise. "Andrew" was a fun protagonist and some of the emotional beats were executed well. However, towards the end the book starts explaining all the metaphors and plot points in a completely unnecessary way. The point at which it really lost me was the list of cliches for Gulliver... why!!! After that the last part of the book was very predictable and convenient. Could have been a lot better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was pleased that I understood why it was called the Humans almost immediately and I was immediately captivated. I loved the journey to understand humans. However, when it turned a little preachy about enjoying life, the excitement I had fell. Overall, still an enjoyable read.
This book was touching and insightful in a lot of ways. It was fun, as you'd expect seeing things, being human from the perspective of an alien that comes from a much advanced species, but at the same time highlighted what makes us special and important in the most beautiful of ways.
“The Humans” is endearing and enjoyable, but also condescending and overly-simplistic. Several plot threads seem to just fizzle out without conclusion, and it’s themes are messy at best. It doesn’t trust the reader with even the simplest of ideas, insisting on over-explaining and repeating them over and over again, to the point where there are several scenes in which the characters are just shouting subtext at each other. This is definitely not the smartest book in the universe, but it really seems to believe it is.
The book tells the story of an alien coming to earth and finding our day to day life, relationships and possessions weird and irrational. And yet, they at no point question nor even note upon the neo-liberal status quo and the inequality it creates within our society. Matt Haig’s insights into the meaning of life are simple but positive, and made me smile several times. However, when his surrogate protagonist and narrator spends pages upon pages talking about how weird everyday objects are, and yet accepts his position of privilege as a cis-het white man and the lack of power the lower-class have over their lives without question, it only comes across as jarring and pretentious. Would an alien living on earth not find the unequal power relations in our neo-liberal, late capitalist society weirder and more illogical than the basic hygiene we exercise every morning?
Despite all that, the book’s simple message of appreciating life as it is was one I thoroughly enjoyed, and one really needed after the year it's been. "The humans" is charming and truly endearing at times, and the protagonist's loving demeanor towards sunsets, love, and peanut butter sandwiches are moving and a nice reminder of the beauty of the mundane. I wish the book didn’t assume its readers stopped emotionally growing past the age of 16, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Thanks Matt:)
The book tells the story of an alien coming to earth and finding our day to day life, relationships and possessions weird and irrational. And yet, they at no point question nor even note upon the neo-liberal status quo and the inequality it creates within our society. Matt Haig’s insights into the meaning of life are simple but positive, and made me smile several times. However, when his surrogate protagonist and narrator spends pages upon pages talking about how weird everyday objects are, and yet accepts his position of privilege as a cis-het white man and the lack of power the lower-class have over their lives without question, it only comes across as jarring and pretentious. Would an alien living on earth not find the unequal power relations in our neo-liberal, late capitalist society weirder and more illogical than the basic hygiene we exercise every morning?
Despite all that, the book’s simple message of appreciating life as it is was one I thoroughly enjoyed, and one really needed after the year it's been. "The humans" is charming and truly endearing at times, and the protagonist's loving demeanor towards sunsets, love, and peanut butter sandwiches are moving and a nice reminder of the beauty of the mundane. I wish the book didn’t assume its readers stopped emotionally growing past the age of 16, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Thanks Matt:)
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A solid 3* book that I enjoyed. I'll write a review later.
I don’t typically gravitate toward science fiction, but since my husband always takes one for the team with my book choices, I decided to branch out and pick something I knew he’d enjoy. To my surprise, I ended up loving The Humans. I was fascinated by the alien’s journey as he tried to understand humanity—even when it didn’t make sense to him, he kept trying. And what I loved most was how, despite his initial detachment, he ultimately fell in love with his wife. When he first arrived, he had no concept of love, but by the end, it became one of the most profound parts of his transformation. This book was such an unexpected delight!