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h3dakota's review
3.0
Three stars only because I love Ten. The story isn't entirely original in that there have been many such stories of 'smart homes' that seek to do whatever it takes to keep the humans safe inside. It was also challenging to mentally picture a tanning bed as a robot that could walk, talk & function more as a piece of AI than a tanning bed. I kept getting flashes of Disney's Beauty & the Beast cartoonish types of characters as I read. LOL
izumisano's review
2.0
They really dragged this story as long as they could. There wasn't enough plot to fill the book to the required pages, so you find yourself reading very similar scenes as Tiermann and Domovoi go back and forth in their codependent power struggle.
hidekisohma's review against another edition
3.0
So, I decided to read another 10th/Martha book, and honestly, this one wasn't too bad. I will say, that more than any other new who, Tennant's books are definitely the fastest to read. the wording is much easier than the other ones and reads like it's REALLY meant for the young adult/teen tennant fangirl crowd.
This childishness is also evident in the way that Tennant tackles problems. What i mean by that is that burping and singing "bohemian rhapsody" are involved. i'm sorry but i can't ever see Paul McGann or even Matt Smith belching to solve a problem.
The story itself is serviceable (a giant worm is coming to destroy this planet and tennant/martha are trying to save this family along with their sentient robots) and it does read very well.
The one thing i will say that i really liked about this story is that there's a sentient vending machine named Barbra who the doctor befriends and she is by far my favorite character in the book.
The main "villains" are very hardheaded to the point of frustration and the young boy of the family is equally as annoying, as well as not having much, if any, of a personality.
Overall though the story was fun enough that i wasn't annoyed by it and it was enjoyable, if not a bit childish. I will say, if you prefer classic doctors or even a more adult doctor, you won't like this book. Then again, that's kind of par for the course with Tennant's run as a whole.
Martha sadly didn't do a whole lot in this one. She kinda just twiddled her thumbs on the sidelines while the doctor did everything.
All in all, not a bad story, would try another one, although Tennant DOES tend to get on one's nerves. 3.5/5 rounded down to a 3.
This childishness is also evident in the way that Tennant tackles problems. What i mean by that is that burping and singing "bohemian rhapsody" are involved. i'm sorry but i can't ever see Paul McGann or even Matt Smith belching to solve a problem.
The story itself is serviceable (a giant worm is coming to destroy this planet and tennant/martha are trying to save this family along with their sentient robots) and it does read very well.
The one thing i will say that i really liked about this story is that there's a sentient vending machine named Barbra who the doctor befriends and she is by far my favorite character in the book.
The main "villains" are very hardheaded to the point of frustration and the young boy of the family is equally as annoying, as well as not having much, if any, of a personality.
Overall though the story was fun enough that i wasn't annoyed by it and it was enjoyable, if not a bit childish. I will say, if you prefer classic doctors or even a more adult doctor, you won't like this book. Then again, that's kind of par for the course with Tennant's run as a whole.
Martha sadly didn't do a whole lot in this one. She kinda just twiddled her thumbs on the sidelines while the doctor did everything.
All in all, not a bad story, would try another one, although Tennant DOES tend to get on one's nerves. 3.5/5 rounded down to a 3.
beth_books_123's review
3.0
Ranked #17 (out of 18) of my holiday reads
Martha drags this book down - 3*
There are many reasons why this book is not deemed interesting and exciting but one of the main reasons for me is Martha. I didn't like her relationship onscreen with the 10th Doctor so I don't know what I expect when I read the books. She is so dependent on him during this time (mid-season three of New Who) and pines for him like a dog. (I'm sorry Martha but it's true.) Her point of view relies too heavily on the 10th Doctor and so she doesn't progress the story much further but she 'drags' the plot down.
In addition to this, the plot really wasn't strong enough for a full book. A house, which has AI and starts to attack is SO unoriginal. I knew where this book was going from around about page 25 but I needed to finish the book because it's a Doctor Who book and I can't give up. The 'sick building' does not refer to a hospital (which sounds so much more exciting) but a building that has lost control... BORING.
The Voracious Claw is secondary in this novel. It is supposed to be the feared monster/creature but does not get the recognition it deserves. This is hugely disappointing because it is the main reason that Martha and the Doctor are there and it gets mostly forgotten about.
I loved the machines and they are the only reason this book is receiving 3*. The machines had their own personalities and my particular favourite was Barbara the Vending Machine. She still wasn't able to shine as she was overshadowed by silly crushes and crazy people.
I'm really disappointed with this story but it's a Martha story so really, what did I expect?
Martha drags this book down - 3*
There are many reasons why this book is not deemed interesting and exciting but one of the main reasons for me is Martha. I didn't like her relationship onscreen with the 10th Doctor so I don't know what I expect when I read the books. She is so dependent on him during this time (mid-season three of New Who) and pines for him like a dog. (I'm sorry Martha but it's true.) Her point of view relies too heavily on the 10th Doctor and so she doesn't progress the story much further but she 'drags' the plot down.
In addition to this, the plot really wasn't strong enough for a full book. A house, which has AI and starts to attack is SO unoriginal. I knew where this book was going from around about page 25 but I needed to finish the book because it's a Doctor Who book and I can't give up. The 'sick building' does not refer to a hospital (which sounds so much more exciting) but a building that has lost control... BORING.
The Voracious Claw is secondary in this novel. It is supposed to be the feared monster/creature but does not get the recognition it deserves. This is hugely disappointing because it is the main reason that Martha and the Doctor are there and it gets mostly forgotten about.
I loved the machines and they are the only reason this book is receiving 3*. The machines had their own personalities and my particular favourite was Barbara the Vending Machine. She still wasn't able to shine as she was overshadowed by silly crushes and crazy people.
I'm really disappointed with this story but it's a Martha story so really, what did I expect?
isabellarobinson7's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3 stars
How to save the day? Drink a whole bunch of fizzy and produce the greatest burp ever recorded. My juvenile sense of humour is giggling with glee.
How to save the day? Drink a whole bunch of fizzy and produce the greatest burp ever recorded. My juvenile sense of humour is giggling with glee.
zoeb2101's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
gingerreader99's review
4.0
This was....pretty ridiculous at times, brutal at others and undoubtedly a very Tenth Doctor story if there ever was one. I think the author does a great job characterizing Ten and Martha, while giving them an enticing cast of characters to engage with. Of those characters the obvious winners are Barbara the vending machine that dispenses soggy crisps and Toaster the broken suntan bed.
scampr's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
3.0
A bizarre read overall. This story is by no means bad, and there's actually a lot of great concepts, prose and character beats here. However, I found that many of the ideas clashed and it was quite confused tonally as well.
iamnotamerryman's review
3.0
Just okay. About the dreamhome and attendant robots conflicting with their owners on a hostile planet being threatened by the voracious craw.