Scan barcode
lisloves2reid's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is a fun, heart-warming, coming of age story. I listened to the audiobook; the narrator, Suzy Jackson, did a great job. I really liked the character development. Spensa (Spin) was hard to like in the beginning of the story, as she was so headstrong and over-the-top. As the story progresses and Spensa bonds with the other recruits, you start to care for the characters. This is an easy book to listen to and I definitely recommend it.
amyavenues's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
redhead_witch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? No
5.0
yve_ma's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
drakken's review against another edition
3.5
My first Sanderson read. Was a solid 3 for the first half or so - adequately fun and compelling enough to keep going, but nothing remarkable or all that unique-feeling. Worked its way up to a... let's say 3.5/3.75 thanks to some intriguing late lore mysteries/revelations and exciting dogfights, both of which had me eagerly turning pages as I approached the end.
I'll admit I could've done without some of the annoying dialogue from the main character (though I understand it was part of her arc and dissipated as the book went on) and M-Bot - talkative AI / 'bots in sci-fi can easily induce groans if their dialogue isn't actually clever/funny yet they frequently crack jokes, as was the case here. (But perhaps some of my reaction to the humor and writing overall is due to me not being part of the target YA market.)
Anyway - I was a bit underwhelmed given the *stellar* reviews here on GR, but I certainly enjoyed my time with this (again, especially towards the end) and am curious to see where the rest of the series goes.
I'll admit I could've done without some of the annoying dialogue from the main character (though I understand it was part of her arc and dissipated as the book went on) and M-Bot - talkative AI / 'bots in sci-fi can easily induce groans if their dialogue isn't actually clever/funny yet they frequently crack jokes, as was the case here. (But perhaps some of my reaction to the humor and writing overall is due to me not being part of the target YA market.)
Anyway - I was a bit underwhelmed given the *stellar* reviews here on GR, but I certainly enjoyed my time with this (again, especially towards the end) and am curious to see where the rest of the series goes.
alex_shesallbookedpodcast's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
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? Yes
5.0
jorberna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
catbag's review against another edition
5.0
Skyward ✵ Brandon Sanderson
Just a head’s up: this book is a favorite but definitely not a five-star read. I simply had to rate it five stars because the people must read it. (If you’re looking for honesty, you’ve got it. It’s a four-star book. But I love it. Also this review is a mess. Skyward is so good.)
“We can't know everything - and some of what we think we know is going to turn out to be false.”
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND I DESPERATELY NEED THE SEQUEL THIS MOMENT.
Skyward was by far my fastest and most enjoyable read of the year. It isn’t objectively the best book, which I’ll get to later, but goddamn if it isn’t some fine, fine stuff.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the flying and everything related. From flight lessons to strategy to the fights themselves, it was all simply fantastic. The nights after I read this book and for the subsequent week following, I dreamt of flying. It was constantly on my mind. Every time I stepped outside, I looked at the sky and daydreamed about being up there in a ship of my own. Daydreamed about what it would be like to fly like these characters and experience the love Spensa felt for the sky in real life. Sanderson’s descriptions of the dynamics of flying were vivid and constantly evolving as Spensa gained skill over the course of the novel. Her love for flying was so well-written it was contagious. And somehow? Sanderson managed to combine the magic of flying with fantastic writing and unbelievably high stakes.
THIS MAN IS NOT AFRAID TO CUT A BITCH. He killed so many damn people it was shocking. The reality of the situation was clear: Spensa and her squadmates were kids learning to kill and be killed by enemies they didn’t fully understand on a planet whose history they didn’t know. They died for pride, valor, or sheer bad luck. And Spensa felt every one of their deaths. So did I. These kids were dying for something no one, not even those in charge, seemed to fully understand. There were so many questions introduced throughout Skyward and only some of them were resolved. The others? Well…
“Sometimes, the answers we need don’t match the questions we’re asking.”
I was 100% convinced throughout this entire book that the Krell invaders were one thing but booooooooyyy oh boy did that ending take me out. Mind you, I didn’t love the execution of how Spensa attained the knowledge she did or how she shared it, but the buildup of questions about the Krell throughout the book combined with the payoff was perfectly in sync with the above-mentioned quote. A key theme in the book is to question everything, including your questions. It’s to always search for more, even if you think you know the answers. Why? Because there will always be something you don’t know. This theme was beautifully done and is yet another thing bumping this book up into my favorites shelf.
As for those unimportant things of what Skyward didn’t do well… I suppose I’ll divulge them as well. I didn’t particularly care for the plot-line and character arc that dealt with Spensa’s bravado, as it felt very childish from the start. Sanderson did bring meaning and depth to her stand-off-ish behavior in that it masked the cowardice she constantly fought against, but since I wasn’t a fan of it to begin with, I wasn’t interested in where he went with it. The whole cowardice vs. bravery and smarts thing wasn’t super interesting to me, so I mostly ignored it, but for another reader, it had the potential to resonate deeply. Of course it did. It’s Skyward. It has infinite potential.
I’m telling you, when I say this series could go anywhere, I mean it could go anywhere. With the amount of unknowns, who’s to even say what could happen next? I’M SO EXCITED TO FIND OUT. Anyway, back to another dislike:
M-Bot as a character also wasn’t great, but I appreciated most of what his character was made out to be. I particularly enjoyed the whole ‘I’m a robot that’s clearly in denial about the fact that I’m a war machine and I’m hell-bent on collecting fungi samples’ bit, and some of the AI jokes were funny. However, I don’t think the character totally worked and I'm kind of stumped as to why. Perhaps it’s because for the majority of the book, M-Bot’s previous owner was an important piece of backstory we were missing, and was resolved by simply moving on and not asking any more questions about it. Or maybe not. Who knows.
The other characters, though? They were GREAT. I loved watching Spensa slowly learn about her flight leader (whose name I forgot, sorry reader.) and become closer with him through their shared love of flying and losses because of it. I loved her teacher, Cobb, who, from the very first few pages, I needed to know more about. He was your typical old angry wise guy with a secret past that haunts him. He was great. I also loved Spensa’s relationships with her flightmates and then later, seeing their (mostly?) unified squad interact with actual adults (and kicking their asses with pure skill, of course). I’m seriously looking forward to the next book, if not for more flying and more questions answered, then for these damn amazing side characters. I must read more in-flight banter. I MUST.
Honestly I could write a Skyward-length book just overanalyzing every aspect of it, but I think here is where I finish this review. Skyward had an at-times immature protagonist and some aspects that weren’t super great, but Sanderson more than made up for it with his side characters, themes, and most importantly, flying. It was easy to look past the not-so-great to see the excellent. If you like fast-paced sci-fi adventures, ballsy protagonists, and dream of flying, this is 100% the book for you. IT’S. JUST. SO. FUN.
Just a head’s up: this book is a favorite but definitely not a five-star read. I simply had to rate it five stars because the people must read it. (If you’re looking for honesty, you’ve got it. It’s a four-star book. But I love it. Also this review is a mess. Skyward is so good.)
“We can't know everything - and some of what we think we know is going to turn out to be false.”
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND I DESPERATELY NEED THE SEQUEL THIS MOMENT.
Skyward was by far my fastest and most enjoyable read of the year. It isn’t objectively the best book, which I’ll get to later, but goddamn if it isn’t some fine, fine stuff.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the flying and everything related. From flight lessons to strategy to the fights themselves, it was all simply fantastic. The nights after I read this book and for the subsequent week following, I dreamt of flying. It was constantly on my mind. Every time I stepped outside, I looked at the sky and daydreamed about being up there in a ship of my own. Daydreamed about what it would be like to fly like these characters and experience the love Spensa felt for the sky in real life. Sanderson’s descriptions of the dynamics of flying were vivid and constantly evolving as Spensa gained skill over the course of the novel. Her love for flying was so well-written it was contagious. And somehow? Sanderson managed to combine the magic of flying with fantastic writing and unbelievably high stakes.
THIS MAN IS NOT AFRAID TO CUT A BITCH. He killed so many damn people it was shocking. The reality of the situation was clear: Spensa and her squadmates were kids learning to kill and be killed by enemies they didn’t fully understand on a planet whose history they didn’t know. They died for pride, valor, or sheer bad luck. And Spensa felt every one of their deaths. So did I. These kids were dying for something no one, not even those in charge, seemed to fully understand. There were so many questions introduced throughout Skyward and only some of them were resolved. The others? Well…
“Sometimes, the answers we need don’t match the questions we’re asking.”
I was 100% convinced throughout this entire book that the Krell invaders were one thing but booooooooyyy oh boy did that ending take me out. Mind you, I didn’t love the execution of how Spensa attained the knowledge she did or how she shared it, but the buildup of questions about the Krell throughout the book combined with the payoff was perfectly in sync with the above-mentioned quote. A key theme in the book is to question everything, including your questions. It’s to always search for more, even if you think you know the answers. Why? Because there will always be something you don’t know. This theme was beautifully done and is yet another thing bumping this book up into my favorites shelf.
As for those unimportant things of what Skyward didn’t do well… I suppose I’ll divulge them as well. I didn’t particularly care for the plot-line and character arc that dealt with Spensa’s bravado, as it felt very childish from the start. Sanderson did bring meaning and depth to her stand-off-ish behavior in that it masked the cowardice she constantly fought against, but since I wasn’t a fan of it to begin with, I wasn’t interested in where he went with it. The whole cowardice vs. bravery and smarts thing wasn’t super interesting to me, so I mostly ignored it, but for another reader, it had the potential to resonate deeply. Of course it did. It’s Skyward. It has infinite potential.
I’m telling you, when I say this series could go anywhere, I mean it could go anywhere. With the amount of unknowns, who’s to even say what could happen next? I’M SO EXCITED TO FIND OUT. Anyway, back to another dislike:
M-Bot as a character also wasn’t great, but I appreciated most of what his character was made out to be. I particularly enjoyed the whole ‘I’m a robot that’s clearly in denial about the fact that I’m a war machine and I’m hell-bent on collecting fungi samples’ bit, and some of the AI jokes were funny. However, I don’t think the character totally worked and I'm kind of stumped as to why. Perhaps it’s because for the majority of the book, M-Bot’s previous owner was an important piece of backstory we were missing, and was resolved by simply moving on and not asking any more questions about it. Or maybe not. Who knows.
The other characters, though? They were GREAT. I loved watching Spensa slowly learn about her flight leader (whose name I forgot, sorry reader.) and become closer with him through their shared love of flying and losses because of it. I loved her teacher, Cobb, who, from the very first few pages, I needed to know more about. He was your typical old angry wise guy with a secret past that haunts him. He was great. I also loved Spensa’s relationships with her flightmates and then later, seeing their (mostly?) unified squad interact with actual adults (and kicking their asses with pure skill, of course). I’m seriously looking forward to the next book, if not for more flying and more questions answered, then for these damn amazing side characters. I must read more in-flight banter. I MUST.
Honestly I could write a Skyward-length book just overanalyzing every aspect of it, but I think here is where I finish this review. Skyward had an at-times immature protagonist and some aspects that weren’t super great, but Sanderson more than made up for it with his side characters, themes, and most importantly, flying. It was easy to look past the not-so-great to see the excellent. If you like fast-paced sci-fi adventures, ballsy protagonists, and dream of flying, this is 100% the book for you. IT’S. JUST. SO. FUN.