Scan barcode
millennialbookreview's review
3.0
You Sexy Thing is a fun space adventure. It introduces some compelling and fun characters, with great dynamics. The plot has some issues, especially involving pacing, but the overall story is a fun ride. The world-building is fascinating and complex. The writing overall is good, but there is a tone problem. All in all, this was a book that I enjoyed, but it doesn’t really stand out to me for any deep message it sends. It’s a fun story, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for an amusing distraction.
drkappitan's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was an absolutely delightful space opera.
donaldinho's review
4.0
Fun little space opera. Not terribly original, but an entertaining page turner nonetheless.
jdhobbes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
abrittlebee's review
3.0
While not exactly my particular cup of tea, I can’t deny that You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo was a fun ride. Aliens, prophecies, spaceships, and a crew just trying not to die—this was a story made to welcome the wary into the fold of science fiction.
This is not high scifi. That is to say you wouldn’t classify this alongside works like Neuromancer or Brave New World, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As amazing as high science fiction can be, it’s not exactly accessible for many readers. You Sexy Thing, however, is. In practical terms, it is character focussed as opposed to environmentally focussed. So, you don’t end up reading long lines of dry text laying out political structures or theology. Instead, you learn about the world as the characters experience and explain it to the best of their knowledge. For some readers, this makes the extensive world building of science fiction and fantasy narratives a lot easier to swallow.
With all that being said, it would be all for naught if the characters themselves weren’t likable. Don’t worry, they are. I was really happy to see an older protagonist in Niko. It was refreshing and her sarcasm fueled ex-pat personality was the cherry on top of the sundae. She was fun, and made me want to read on just to see where she’d end up next and what she’d have to say about it.
For me, the only real downside to this novel is the language. It is very plain and simplistic, making the scifi elements seem superficial at times. Beyond a few complicated names and the fact there was space outside, this didn’t necessarily feel as “science fiction” as I would have liked it to. The cultures of the alien races and the descriptions of things were a little too close to contemporary for me, but that is a matter of personal preference.
This is not high scifi. That is to say you wouldn’t classify this alongside works like Neuromancer or Brave New World, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As amazing as high science fiction can be, it’s not exactly accessible for many readers. You Sexy Thing, however, is. In practical terms, it is character focussed as opposed to environmentally focussed. So, you don’t end up reading long lines of dry text laying out political structures or theology. Instead, you learn about the world as the characters experience and explain it to the best of their knowledge. For some readers, this makes the extensive world building of science fiction and fantasy narratives a lot easier to swallow.
With all that being said, it would be all for naught if the characters themselves weren’t likable. Don’t worry, they are. I was really happy to see an older protagonist in Niko. It was refreshing and her sarcasm fueled ex-pat personality was the cherry on top of the sundae. She was fun, and made me want to read on just to see where she’d end up next and what she’d have to say about it.
For me, the only real downside to this novel is the language. It is very plain and simplistic, making the scifi elements seem superficial at times. Beyond a few complicated names and the fact there was space outside, this didn’t necessarily feel as “science fiction” as I would have liked it to. The cultures of the alien races and the descriptions of things were a little too close to contemporary for me, but that is a matter of personal preference.
doceon's review
4.0
Zippy and enjoyable. Weirdly feels like the fourth book in a series, but I can't find any evidence of any other books with these characters. Liked the stuff about the ship.
sweeettea's review against another edition
1.0
I feel like this book had the potential to be an all time favorite with the vaguely introspective tone and found family elements, but the extremely random pacing, the POV shifts mid paragraph, and the fact that each character seemed to be an OC from a wildly different sci fi franchise, just made this book a bit of a mess. Plus I could never figure out why everyone seemed to hate the oracle so much? He didn’t really do much and 90% of the time seemed the be completely forgotten about, there’s a point where it’s described how each character leaves a place (no spoilers) and he’s completely left out of the explanation, only to show up randomly to have characters say yet again how much they hate him. Dude is honestly just chilling??
twistedblonde's review
3.0
This book feels like a broken promise. It promised to be one thing (a collection of retired soldiers who are trying to run a restaurant on an out of the way space station,) and it ended up being a - I'm not sure - adventure/escape thriller?
It was still a good read, although it seemed to have some trouble settling on a singular story theme and genre beyond science fiction.
If I had gone in without that initial expectation, I may have enjoyed it more. In the end, to use a restaurant metaphor, it feels like I ordered a dish of pasta, and ended up with a plate sushi.
It was still delicious, but unsatisfying because it was not what I ordered.
It was still a good read, although it seemed to have some trouble settling on a singular story theme and genre beyond science fiction.
If I had gone in without that initial expectation, I may have enjoyed it more. In the end, to use a restaurant metaphor, it feels like I ordered a dish of pasta, and ended up with a plate sushi.
It was still delicious, but unsatisfying because it was not what I ordered.
essgeearr's review
3.0
It's fine.
Entertaining space opera that has a couple of my favorite space opera tropes: a ragtag crew that is a found family and a ship controlled by a friendly A.I.
A pleasant, easy going read if a little predictable.
Entertaining space opera that has a couple of my favorite space opera tropes: a ragtag crew that is a found family and a ship controlled by a friendly A.I.
A pleasant, easy going read if a little predictable.
daria_nedelcu19's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Enjoyment 8/10
Concept 8/10
Execution 7/10
Writing 7/10
Plot & Logic 5/10
Pacing & Structure 7/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Characters 8/10
Intrigue 8/10
World Building 8/10
Rating: 3.75/5
Concept 8/10
Execution 7/10
Writing 7/10
Plot & Logic 5/10
Pacing & Structure 7/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Characters 8/10
Intrigue 8/10
World Building 8/10
Rating: 3.75/5