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spiderkitten's review against another edition
3.0
I actually kind of enjoyed this, but found several plot points problematic.
One such problem was at one point just after the escape when the main character observed that there might be satellites in orbit and that the colonists could probably be "seen" by The Colony though the holes in the canopy. A fair point, but then it was completely ignored when the colonists broke through the canopy and were walking out in the open above it where anyone with satellite technology could see them!
Another was that the main character was supposed to be training as a psychologist and we saw that mentioned a lot, and he did reflect inwardly about these things, but there seemed to be a general lack of him helping anyone else. I suppose we could credit that to his training not being finished, but even so...
Then at the end when they decided to launch the rocket with the story, and they were all being mysterious about their location etc. I kept wondering why, because surely The Colony knew where they were? And why would they need to hide from anyone else? Why would it matter?
All told I think Half Way Home had great potential. I loved the writing, and there were elements of the story I thought were really good. But parts of it felt rushed or glossed over, and I feel like it lacked the depth that other Hugh Howey novels have.
One such problem was at one point just after the escape when the main character observed that there might be satellites in orbit and that the colonists could probably be "seen" by The Colony though the holes in the canopy. A fair point, but then it was completely ignored when the colonists broke through the canopy and were walking out in the open above it where anyone with satellite technology could see them!
Another was that the main character was supposed to be training as a psychologist and we saw that mentioned a lot, and he did reflect inwardly about these things, but there seemed to be a general lack of him helping anyone else. I suppose we could credit that to his training not being finished, but even so...
Then at the end when they decided to launch the rocket with the story, and they were all being mysterious about their location etc. I kept wondering why, because surely The Colony knew where they were? And why would they need to hide from anyone else? Why would it matter?
All told I think Half Way Home had great potential. I loved the writing, and there were elements of the story I thought were really good. But parts of it felt rushed or glossed over, and I feel like it lacked the depth that other Hugh Howey novels have.
brooke_review's review against another edition
2.0
I chose to read the re-release of Half Way Home solely based on the fact that it is written by Hugh Howey, author of the Wool series, which I loved. Science fiction is generally not my genre with the except of dystopia-type books, so Half Way Home is one of the first of its kind for me as a reader. Unfortunately, this story was not what I expected, although I tried to keep an open mind. Although I am not a typical reader of the genre, I feel like I could fall in love with the right science fiction story, but Half Way Home was unfortunately not it.
I felt lost for much of this tale about teenagers born into a space colony that was deemed unsuitable for life, and tasked with not only trying to survive the elements but also survive each other. Surprisingly, there was a significant lack of world-building in this novel, which is something that Howey excelled at with Wool. Relying more on telling than showing, Howey packs Half Way Home with action, not giving readers enough time to absorb, much less understand, this foreign world he is trying to create.
This book also suffers from too large of a cast, with characters being introduced without any significant defining characteristics, making them just another person readers have to struggle to remember, much less care about. The interactions between characters are shallow, and readers never really get to know them, which is disappointing in a book about survival. When characters are killed off and you feel nothing, it is often because the writer did not do enough to make you care.
Read Half Way Home if science fiction is a genre you enjoy and action-packed novels that focus more on the plot instead of the characters is your cup of tea.
I felt lost for much of this tale about teenagers born into a space colony that was deemed unsuitable for life, and tasked with not only trying to survive the elements but also survive each other. Surprisingly, there was a significant lack of world-building in this novel, which is something that Howey excelled at with Wool. Relying more on telling than showing, Howey packs Half Way Home with action, not giving readers enough time to absorb, much less understand, this foreign world he is trying to create.
This book also suffers from too large of a cast, with characters being introduced without any significant defining characteristics, making them just another person readers have to struggle to remember, much less care about. The interactions between characters are shallow, and readers never really get to know them, which is disappointing in a book about survival. When characters are killed off and you feel nothing, it is often because the writer did not do enough to make you care.
Read Half Way Home if science fiction is a genre you enjoy and action-packed novels that focus more on the plot instead of the characters is your cup of tea.
yatosuz's review against another edition
3.0
Intriguing premise. Started off and ended well, but didn't completely hold my interest "in the middle!" I appreciate the ideas explored, but didn't have a strong connection to the characters. Perhaps that's why I lost interest. However, as I've come to expect from Howey, great writing - clear, fluid.
madi_the_alien's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lizmorr's review against another edition
Just can’t get into it. Have zero desire to pick it up again.
awitham4077's review against another edition
3.0
Although the end felt a little bit rushed, it was a nice find-your-way-home story. It had the feel of an epic while still feeling isolated. Good bad guys and inventive critters & environments.
kevjbyrne's review
2.0
Quasi-entertaining. Not really an interesting story to hold your attention, but short!
ebodi8pg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
constant_reader_19's review against another edition
4.0
A very unique story...I enjoyed it very much.
keross72's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0