Reviews with content warning for Slavery - All Systems Red

I loved this book/series so much I'm reading it again just weeks after finishing. I was at first disappointed by how short it was, but once I discovered I can borrow them from the library, that was a non-issue. I love Murderbot!

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lilifane's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

Murderbot is maybe the most relatable protagonist I've ever read about.
It's a half human, half robot construct that is originally programmed to act as security system. It's assigned to a group of scientists to protect them while they do research on an uninhabited planet.
But Murderbot doesn't really like the job or people... in general. It just wants to be left alone and watch TV shows. Unfortunately, someone or something is trying to kill the scientists and sabotage their mission.
It's a short novella (you can read it in one setting, it only took me 3 days because I got distracted) which means you don't get that much details about the world or the other characters. But I thought it was enough. Also, loved the humour.... and it was actually surprisingly wholesome.

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keen's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

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wardenred's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

I hate having emotions about reality; I’d much rather have them about Sanctuary Moon.

This book has been on my TBR for a while, and I really, really should have read it sooner. The reason I kept postponing is that it was initially recommended to me along with another book, as kind of a package deal: "Here, you'll probably love both of these." I read that other book first, and while in theory it had all the makings of a five-star read for me, in practice many things about it made me angry and frustrated. So I avoided The Murderbot Diaries, fearing it would be frustrate or anger me, too.

Boy, was I wrong. I loved this novella, and I can't wait to embark on more adventures with the Murderbot! The snarky, soap opera-loving, socially anxious SecUnit completely stole my heart. I honestly didn't expect to relate this much to an android built for murder, and yet here I am. But it's not only about the main character; there's a lot of goodness packed in this short book. The setting is painted in pretty broad strokes, and yet there are enough details to hook me and want me to explore it more (I hear there's a full-length novel down the line? YAY!). The plot is fun, tropey in the best way, and full of mystery and adventure. The secondary characters are all interesting and surprisingly fully realized for these word count constraints. I really hope to meet them again in the subsequent installments. Something about this entire story also reminded me a bit of Becky Chambers' books; call it a similar vibe? (I really should re-read Wayfarers, by the way).

Also, that ending? I loved the ending! For the entirety of the last chapter, I thought I had already guessed exactly where it was going. I painted what I expected to be the basic plot of the second book in my head. I sat back to enjoy how exactly this sequence of familiar and beloved tropes was going to play out this time. And then the last page happened, and oh, I really shouldn't have guessed that far ahead.

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thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense fast-paced

4.0

At long last, I started the Murderbot Diaries! These were recommended to me by several friends and they weren't wrong: I love these! This first novella sets up Murderbot for us and introduces some recurring characters. I loved the action and especially Murderbot's internal dialogue. It's so snarky and reminds me of my headspace too, lol. My main complaint is the novella ended before I was ready for it to!

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guiltyoftsundoku's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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