Reviews

I think 2024 is the year I fully realize that I’m deeply fond of speculative, character-driven science fiction. I loved how the vanished birds gives off a distinct feeling of negative space and technological minimalism that doesn’t distract from the characters’ interactions. it’s frankly impossible not to immediately buy into every relationship nia has ever formed. simon jimenez writes natural dialogue so easily it feels like reading a transcript of *real people* conversing, arguing, courting, etc. but not at the cost of world building—he can easily evoke beautifully sparse images of futuristic cities, natural environments, and different planets within the universe he’s imagined.

I do think the third act could’ve been a bit tidier and had a less abrupt transition, but it’s a small nitpick in the grand scheme of a heartwrenching story. at its core this is a found family, coming of age cosmic drama that reflects on the figurative and literal power of human connections and what ordinary, but conflicted, people are willing to do to preserve them.

Content Warnings

emedaydreams's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

booksandabev's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

librarycard87's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

Read for a book club, that's the only reason why this wasn't a dnf. How was it so many pages and nothing really happened??

pilardo's review

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2.75

This dragged for me - very character focused but I didn’t really like the characters enough to care. I kept hoping something would happen and while big, universe-scale things happened, I wasn’t invested.

mareru's review against another edition

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adventurous sad medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

mementomorivv's review against another edition

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5.0

What a beautifully heartbreaking story. This brought me so close to tears and that rarely happens to me with books.

girish0731's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense 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

4.75

Due to recommendation of book-tuber picking up this book was a brilliant choice. The story with backdrop of music present in it is incredibly poetic simultaneously. The themes and story goes dark places suddenly but it is also extremely melancholic. The characters go through the wringer and then also its extremely beautifully written with the prose being one of the best. The book might be around 400 pages but it develops and builds each of the characters and plot perfectly on point. Must read for anyone interested to pick a standalone science fiction book for the year.

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