Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Apprendre, si par bonheur

To be taught, if fortunate is my favourite sci-fi book ever. Beautifully written, perfectly paced, with ethnic and sexual diversity throughout it’s family of characters, this book is an absolute triumph for Becky Chambers.

I would recommend this to everyone, it is easy to read and filled with joy. Each time I read it I find another passage to love.

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switchywitchsitch's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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? No

5.0

Freaking excellent. Visionary and creative. The ending (no spoilers) is one that has really stuck with me. I need other people to read it and talk to me about it, because I'm still not done processing six months later.

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arantzazureads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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? No

5.0

Holy shit what did I just read. This was an achingly beautiful, strangely eerie and horrifying gem, something unique I’ve never quite encountered before. It reminded me of Annihilation and The Wanderers at times. Intellectual and reflective without being presumptuous. Fun and funny and sweet without being fluffy or cozy. There were hints of this side of Chambers in the isolation and sadness of the second Wayfarers book but this little jewell is something new entirely. I loved it as an *experience* and I think I’ll be thinking about it for quite some time. Highly recommend the audiobook narration too! As a long-time space exploration lover, this was just perfect.

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ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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beccaand's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

Becky Chamber's writing is always such a treat. And 100% would've wanted to grow up to be Ariadne when I was a kid.

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librarymouse's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I am filled with existential anxiety, but I adore the crew of the Merian. Ariadne is a fun narrator, Elena and Jack add necessary tension, and Chikondi is easy to love. The amorous dynamics of the crew are really neat, and I love how they differ from humanity as it is now. Collectivism and honoring the goals, sacrifices, and ethos of the organization they've loved and believe in overall is a fantastic way to tie up a thought provoking story.
This concept could have easily sent me down a panic spiral, but the groundedness of the crew and their tender and sincere humanity makes this story as comfortable as it can be, given the circumstances.

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