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Reviews tagging 'Death'

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

219 reviews

totallyshelfaware's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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? It's complicated

4.5

I'm going to start by saying I read novellas very differently from full-length books, especially if they're in a series. I'm not going to comment on the plot resolution because I always operate under the assumption that book #1 in a novella series is more often than not a set-up: of the world, the characters, the stakes, the powers in play.

So, for what it was, I absolutely loved it. 🥰

Murberbot as a character was endearing and interesting and I loved the lens through which we got a look at how this world operates. I thought the subtle commentary on capitalism was spot on, and am intrigued by the sprinkled hints of space exploration in future books.

I found the mechanics of how Murderbot operated, the contrast between being a bot and clearly being sapient as well, absolutely fascinating. I also love how subtly queer this book is without it being a big deal.

All Systems Red was smart, nuanced, funny, and gets a 4.5 ⭐️ from me.

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frantic_vampire's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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

I wasn’t expecting to fall head over heels for this goddamned book 😭. Just ignore me and my crying over that ending, okay? I loved Muderbot so freaking much! Honestly, if you haven’t read this yet, what are you doing?

Okay. So. Murderbot is probably one of my new favorite narrators ever. They have such an interesting view of the world. I love that they just wanted to watch their soap operas and junk tv and be left alone. I also loved that they didn’t want to get attached to the humans on the survey crew but they did anyway. And that the humans basically adopted Murderbot as soon as they figured out it was awkwardly trying to care for them. It was so adorable and I want more! I just...Murderbot needs so many hugs, even if they would be awkward about it.

I also really appreciated the science behind this book. It felt so real and thought out. And I loved the tech and just...everything about this was so good! All Systems Red is definitely a new favorite and is getting a solid five stars! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and get my hands on the rest of the books. 😊

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madlads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful informative mysterious 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? Yes

3.0


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tascaraudo's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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

Wonderfully funny look into the life of Murderbot, who just wants to watch TV and not be bothered, but eventually
begrudgingly accepts that it may care a little bit about the humans it is working for

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bramlee's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

This was a delightful quick read! I was a little skeptical at first because the science fiction genre seemed out of my league, but this book is very approachable. There's a dry sense of humor, loveable character moments, mystery, suspense, and more. I read this book in a little under three hours. It was hard to put down after the first few pages. 

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hanz's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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wear_sun_screen's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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podanotherjessi's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is one of those cases where I think this is a good book, but I didn't really like it. It's well written, the plot is interesting, and the social commentary it's making on the role of corporations is well done. But I just really struggled to care, and I think that mostly comes down to my lack of attachment to the characters.
This isn't because the characters are poorly written, mind you. Or, not entirely. Murderbot is a fascinating and deep character, but I found absolutely nothing in it to connect to, and it's really hard for me to enjoy a story if I can't root for the protagonist. Even an unlikable character often has something I'm rooting for, and I just couldn't find that with Murderbot. And the other characters in the book seemed rather flat.
I'm intrigued enough to keep going, and I have hopes the growth of Murderbot will make me more interested. In the end, I still recommend giving this a shot!

Characters: 8
Plot: 8
Setting: 6
General appeal: 7
Writing style: 8
Originality: 7
Ending: 6

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bexi'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

4.0


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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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