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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Not knowing was a weakness, and no weakness could be tolerated in space.”
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is based on an unfinished copy of the book & any quotes included are subject to change.
Content Warnings: calorie counting (rations), forced insemination & pregnancy, human trafficking, medical violence, confinement, familial emotional abuse
Overall rating: 2 / 5
Characters: 2.5 / 5
Writing: 2 / 5
Plot: 1.5 / 5
Setting: 3 / 5
Aetherbound follows Pendt Harland, a girl born to a family who runs a space cruiser. In space, everything is centered around survival, and everyone aboard the Harland is only seen as valuable as what they contribute.
The worldbuilding was unique, but the info-dumping made it un-enjoyable. While the setting was interesting, there wasn’t enough time to sink into the world or story.The first third of the book felt like background information to set up the main story. From there, everything felt rushed. In some parts, conversations felt forced. The balance of plot and dialogue felt awkward, as did the narrative.
Pendt and I share a love of cheese, but I found it hard to relate to her beyond that. That said, Pendt underwent a lot of character development in the story, and I enjoyed watching her growth. I also enjoyed Fisher’s character, and I found Pendt’s idea of survival and how it changes over the course of the book interesting.
I appreciated that there was a content warning at the beginning of this book, but it only included medical violence and calorie obsession.
Rep: Transgender MC (Fisher)
Loved reading this book so much, I just love E.K. Johnston's writing and story-telling, it was so good!
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is some of the flimsiest sci-fi I have ever experienced. The setting wasn’t that relevant, more like dressing and ambiance, like when people write an AU fanfic but the AU part is just a backdrop. The characters are two-dimensional, as is the plot. I didn’t care about any of the people, and therefore didn’t care what happened to them. You can see just about everything in the plot coming a mile away. Also the climax was super lackluster.
Stick to Johnston’s Star Wars books instead.
Stick to Johnston’s Star Wars books instead.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
After accidentally reading the second book I went to the library and ordered this one. Not disappointed at all! I loved seeing Pendt’s back story, and gosh, it was even more horrific than I’d first thought. Wish they could save her older cousin.
I still think the different mage types is a brilliant idea, and Pendt’s is definitely a fun one.
I still think the different mage types is a brilliant idea, and Pendt’s is definitely a fun one.
This sort of felt like "I can't get this idea out of my head but I don't want to write a 10,000 page epic about it so have a small novel" but I greatly enjoyed this world and these characters. The hard choices of deep space combined with a little magic for flavor. I LOVED how practical but kind by choice Pendt is. I loved the twins. After the abuse of Pendt's childhood, the cuteness and the savor of the little things in life is so sweet. And the emotional triumph is great too. It's short and I read it pretty much in one sitting
There are some content warnings: calorie counting (in a "there's only so much available in space so we control rations" way), pregnancies as transactions, unwanted pregnancies, murder, human trafficking.
There are some content warnings: calorie counting (in a "there's only so much available in space so we control rations" way), pregnancies as transactions, unwanted pregnancies, murder, human trafficking.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not LGBT+
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I appreciate that E.K. Johnston tries different things and tells different tales. Somewhere around the calorie counting and the forced pregnancy storylines, I realized this wasn't really for me.
Aetherbound uses both sci-fi and fantasy to explore survival, both in an unforgiving environment and growing up in an abusive family.
Pendt’s personality - pragmatic and matter-of-fact - represents her trauma and reality of her upbringing on a ship that spends years at a time away from civilization. It works well against the twins, who have grown up in the same universe, but in radically different circumstances. The three play off each other well, each dealing with responsibilities far beyond what teenagers should have. I wish we got more from other side characters on Brannick Station.
With the themes this book explores (abuse, survival, eugenics), there are times where the plot wanders to more “cozy vibes”. Within only a couple weeks of escaping, Pendt has settled into life without her family, and experiences very few post-traumatic effects. The excess of downtime causes some emotional whiplash once the plot is plotting again, dumping several points within a short period of time. It could have used some side plots to explore Pendt learning how to let her guard down and developing relationships.
The pacing issues continue in-universe as most of the plot happens over the course of a month. For everything that happens, including events that should be big milestones or twists with big payoff, it ends up feeling rushed. It is broken into four parts, which was unnecessary, in order to exposit history and stories that mostly end up being explained in the story anyway.
Nitpicks: Each part comes with random modern song lyrics. I got jumpscared by High Hopes by P!ATD. Similarly, some contemporary humor leaks in. The role that (consensual) pregnancy and marriage play within the plot feels weird. It makes sense in-universe, but I’m not sure what the takeaway is when the reasons behind them are similar in different contexts.
Content warnings: Emotional abuse from family members, counting calories, bioessentialism, ableism, eugenics, graphic medical trauma involving hands, teen pregnancy, teen marriage, human trafficking (mentioned)