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dinogirl2000's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
tense
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? Yes
5.0
posies23's review against another edition
4.0
EXO is one of those great sci-fi adventure books that manages to be both a page-turner and an exploration of contemporary themes. It takes place on an Earth that has been occupied by an advanced, and largely benevolent alien race. But the world is not without conflict -- there is still a large portion of humanity that does not like being under alien rule, and is working to undermine and gain control back by any means necessary.
The novel follows Donovan, an alien technology enhanced human "exo" -- kind of a police officer, as he finds himself kidnapped by the anti-alien group. Things get complicated very quickly, especially when they discover Donovan is the son of the highest-ranking Earth official.
What I loved most about EXO was the way it balanced character, action, and themes of occupation, freedom, and personal responsibility. It's a fast, engaging read, and well worth reading.
Highly recommended for middle school and high school classrooms and libraries, but really a good read for anyone!
The novel follows Donovan, an alien technology enhanced human "exo" -- kind of a police officer, as he finds himself kidnapped by the anti-alien group. Things get complicated very quickly, especially when they discover Donovan is the son of the highest-ranking Earth official.
What I loved most about EXO was the way it balanced character, action, and themes of occupation, freedom, and personal responsibility. It's a fast, engaging read, and well worth reading.
Highly recommended for middle school and high school classrooms and libraries, but really a good read for anyone!
minkattmossy's review against another edition
Just didnt feel like it was going to be my cup of tea sadly.
elee2013's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hatchback's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
This was in all honesty a pretty horrible book. The main character is so stupid that it boggles the mind how he has the position he does, he's blind to the bigger picture so much so that it seems intentional. You will root for his demise and he deserves to face the consequences of his idiot actions. The author fails to sway you to care about the main character and the humans.
cynicalidealist's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Had more to say about colonization and the complexities of realizing you might be on the wrong side than I expected from something so concept heavy. Also unexpectedly dark in places. More mentions of Christianity than you usually see in scifi but presented neutrally. Grateful that the romance was not excessively shoehorned in as YA is wont to do. Looking forward to the second book, although it seems to be setting up for a more political plot, which admittedly isn't as much my jam.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
I don't read a lot of "alien" books, but I was pretty impressed with how unique a concept this book was. Earth has been settled for a century, with aliens as the governors of the planet. It's been a century of peace but some humans don't like that they aren't "free," and keep trying to incite violence and upheaval. Donovan is an exo soldier, which means that at 6 years old he was given alien cells that help him live longer, protect himself, and better serve the aliens. He's able to armor himself just like the aliens and it definitely comes in handy when he's kidnapped by human terrorists. Donovan isn't sure what they are fighting for. Isn't earth better with the alien overlords? Unique and inventive; this is storytelling at its finest. Perfect for fans of young adult fantasy.
gwhg's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
3.0
This book is a little dated, and by dated I mean it includes some casual workplace sexual harassment. Like blink and you miss it but I didn’t blink so…
I wanted this to fill the void that Emily Tesh’s Some Desperate Glory tore into me last year. It didn’t. I can’t blame it for falling short of my expectations but it was a generally lukewarm read for me.
I wanted this to fill the void that Emily Tesh’s Some Desperate Glory tore into me last year. It didn’t. I can’t blame it for falling short of my expectations but it was a generally lukewarm read for me.
plantebarn's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
perilous1's review against another edition
4.0
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/19976-exo
Suit up, sci-fi fans—this isn’t your standard fare alien invasion plot.
Several generations after being overtaken by a vastly different and technologically superior alien race called the zhree, humanity is divided on their perception of the occupation. Those who’ve strived for a peaceful and mutually beneficent co-existence live close to the zhree and enjoy their technological benefits. Those who’ve proven problematic or of no particular use live in early 21st century conditions. And those who openly continue to resist have formed an underground terrorist network called “Sapience.”
“In a war, you wield every weapon you have, including words. Especially words."
The story is told in third-person past-tense, entirely from the viewpoint of Donovan Reyes, the 17-year-old son of the Prime Liaison (essentially the most influential human on Earth, given his rapport with the zhree.) Donovan is also an Exo—physiologically augmented at a young age with alien technology that provides him with a reflexive armor skin. Ever striving to please his distant, unpleasable father, he works as a somewhat gung-ho officer for the Global Security and Pacification Forces (SecPac.) Donovan’s eagerness to prove himself lands him in tremendous danger when he is captured by Sapience and held for collateral. But the terrorists are a bit more complicated than the mindless hate group they appear to be… and to some of them, Donovan may prove to be more inconveniently human than they would prefer to believe.
Fonda Lee’s fresh voice for the futuristic comes through with unique strength and solid worldbuilding. This book bears some execution similarity to her debut stand-alone, Zeroboxer, in that it is told from the lone POV of a young, standout male. But from there it diverges tremendously. Having read her first book, this reader found EXO more notably memorable and compelling. A large part of this is owed to the complexity of the issues being covered, and the author’s multi-dimensional handling of them: parental neglect/abandonment; politics; nebulous ethics; prejudice; hatred; propaganda; group loyalty; fear-mongering; sentience; terrorism, supremacy, and extremist mindsets… all received different angles of examination, and little by way of black-and-white conclusions. There are no easy answers.
The Trope Twist
Speaking of “no easy answers,” extra kudos for premise originality.
The aliens featured in this book aren’t genocidal, resource-greedy, or evil—but they are ALIEN in nearly every sense of the word. Lee does a remarkable job of making theirs a flawed-yet-sympathetic race. The zhree are at a severe relatability disadvantage--having no reference for understanding humanity’s drive for “freedom” from perceived oppression, and no comprehension of their familial units (as they are egg-laying hermaphrodites.) The cultural and technological differences between their civilization and humanity is immense, and much of the tragedy of their initial arrival is owed to misunderstandings and miscommunications on both sides. In the eyes of the zhree, they are benevolent overseers. By their logic, Earth needed to be made into an outlying colony to protect it from the very real threat of their enemies, the Rii—who DO operate on a planet-raping genocidal level.
In some ways, this book almost feels like two different works welded together. The first half of the book moves along at a steady, rapid clip—fraught with compelling character exploration and tense plot development. There is a fascinating element of Stockholm syndrome, as well as its opposite (which, this reader discovered through research inspired by this book, is referred to as Lima syndrome.) But at the halfway point, the paradigm shifts—and with it the pacing and drive of the story. Some readers may find it more of an effort to get through the second portion. Those reading for the romantic angle may ultimately be disappointed with the way that thread resolves—however open-ended. (This reader could have done without it altogether. There just wasn’t enough substance for me to feel invested in Donovan’s love interest.)
Overall, this is a rare kind of read—one that begs difficult questions and opens up potential talking points on a myriad of speculative (and not-so speculative) topics.
Suit up, sci-fi fans—this isn’t your standard fare alien invasion plot.
Several generations after being overtaken by a vastly different and technologically superior alien race called the zhree, humanity is divided on their perception of the occupation. Those who’ve strived for a peaceful and mutually beneficent co-existence live close to the zhree and enjoy their technological benefits. Those who’ve proven problematic or of no particular use live in early 21st century conditions. And those who openly continue to resist have formed an underground terrorist network called “Sapience.”
“In a war, you wield every weapon you have, including words. Especially words."
The story is told in third-person past-tense, entirely from the viewpoint of Donovan Reyes, the 17-year-old son of the Prime Liaison (essentially the most influential human on Earth, given his rapport with the zhree.) Donovan is also an Exo—physiologically augmented at a young age with alien technology that provides him with a reflexive armor skin. Ever striving to please his distant, unpleasable father, he works as a somewhat gung-ho officer for the Global Security and Pacification Forces (SecPac.) Donovan’s eagerness to prove himself lands him in tremendous danger when he is captured by Sapience and held for collateral. But the terrorists are a bit more complicated than the mindless hate group they appear to be… and to some of them, Donovan may prove to be more inconveniently human than they would prefer to believe.
Fonda Lee’s fresh voice for the futuristic comes through with unique strength and solid worldbuilding. This book bears some execution similarity to her debut stand-alone, Zeroboxer, in that it is told from the lone POV of a young, standout male. But from there it diverges tremendously. Having read her first book, this reader found EXO more notably memorable and compelling. A large part of this is owed to the complexity of the issues being covered, and the author’s multi-dimensional handling of them: parental neglect/abandonment; politics; nebulous ethics; prejudice; hatred; propaganda; group loyalty; fear-mongering; sentience; terrorism, supremacy, and extremist mindsets… all received different angles of examination, and little by way of black-and-white conclusions. There are no easy answers.
The Trope Twist
Speaking of “no easy answers,” extra kudos for premise originality.
The aliens featured in this book aren’t genocidal, resource-greedy, or evil—but they are ALIEN in nearly every sense of the word. Lee does a remarkable job of making theirs a flawed-yet-sympathetic race. The zhree are at a severe relatability disadvantage--having no reference for understanding humanity’s drive for “freedom” from perceived oppression, and no comprehension of their familial units (as they are egg-laying hermaphrodites.) The cultural and technological differences between their civilization and humanity is immense, and much of the tragedy of their initial arrival is owed to misunderstandings and miscommunications on both sides. In the eyes of the zhree, they are benevolent overseers. By their logic, Earth needed to be made into an outlying colony to protect it from the very real threat of their enemies, the Rii—who DO operate on a planet-raping genocidal level.
In some ways, this book almost feels like two different works welded together. The first half of the book moves along at a steady, rapid clip—fraught with compelling character exploration and tense plot development. There is a fascinating element of Stockholm syndrome, as well as its opposite (which, this reader discovered through research inspired by this book, is referred to as Lima syndrome.) But at the halfway point, the paradigm shifts—and with it the pacing and drive of the story. Some readers may find it more of an effort to get through the second portion. Those reading for the romantic angle may ultimately be disappointed with the way that thread resolves—however open-ended. (This reader could have done without it altogether. There just wasn’t enough substance for me to feel invested in Donovan’s love interest.)
Overall, this is a rare kind of read—one that begs difficult questions and opens up potential talking points on a myriad of speculative (and not-so speculative) topics.