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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
This book is... weird. It doesn't seem to have a cohesive story until about halfway through, and the ending is just... too fast, more than anything. I felt like at times I was *close* to getting it, but I never quite got there, and I don't know if getting it would make the story any better
Freaking superb!! I loved every moment. I felt utterly compelled to finish this in one day. It's so addictive and mesmerising. Oh, I loved it so much!!!!
For some reason, I thought I would not like this book. To an extent, having low expectations just made the whole experience more enjoyable and thrilling.
The book opens on a fairly whimsical note. A young girl gets lost in the woods trying to save a bird she can talk to and ends up at the Parliament of Birds. A young boy uses a two-second time machine to try and avoid attacks from bullies.
The parallels between magic and science are in full force throughout the entire plot of the book. Are they so distinct from one another, or are they better when combined? Is prolonging a tired dichotomy the downfall of humanity?
I did not expect this book to be apocalyptic. To be totally honest, I have no desire to read apocalyptic fiction while the COVID-19 crisis continues. Oddly, the apocalyptic setting in the last third made the magic and futuristic science feel more realistic and possible.
Nature vs science or nature and science. Neither alone can one be the saviour for ourselves.
The philosophical themes entangled in this novel are truly thought-provoking. There is a musing on how self-actualisation cannot be achieved without someone other than ourselves. This idea is played out on a larger playing field in that the world cannot be saved by the actions of a like-minded group, whether they are witches or scientists. It is the combination and the mingling of different people and alternate actualisations that make the future possible. It is further carried out on a minute level with Patricia and Laurence; neither one can do what is necessary without the other. They are not truly themselves when separate.
I felt that this book was written for me. I love fantasy and science fiction that plays with our grasps on philosophy. The plot was a perfect vehicle to explore these themes and Anders did an amazing job playing this out and managing to make it whimsical and fun. Also, I'm a total sucker for sentient AIs.
I read this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. I needed all of it at once because it was just too good. Truly a fantastic novel and a wonderful thought piece on modern philosophy.
For some reason, I thought I would not like this book. To an extent, having low expectations just made the whole experience more enjoyable and thrilling.
The book opens on a fairly whimsical note. A young girl gets lost in the woods trying to save a bird she can talk to and ends up at the Parliament of Birds. A young boy uses a two-second time machine to try and avoid attacks from bullies.
The parallels between magic and science are in full force throughout the entire plot of the book. Are they so distinct from one another, or are they better when combined? Is prolonging a tired dichotomy the downfall of humanity?
I did not expect this book to be apocalyptic. To be totally honest, I have no desire to read apocalyptic fiction while the COVID-19 crisis continues. Oddly, the apocalyptic setting in the last third made the magic and futuristic science feel more realistic and possible.
Nature vs science or nature and science. Neither alone can one be the saviour for ourselves.
The philosophical themes entangled in this novel are truly thought-provoking. There is a musing on how self-actualisation cannot be achieved without someone other than ourselves. This idea is played out on a larger playing field in that the world cannot be saved by the actions of a like-minded group, whether they are witches or scientists. It is the combination and the mingling of different people and alternate actualisations that make the future possible. It is further carried out on a minute level with Patricia and Laurence; neither one can do what is necessary without the other. They are not truly themselves when separate.
I felt that this book was written for me. I love fantasy and science fiction that plays with our grasps on philosophy. The plot was a perfect vehicle to explore these themes and Anders did an amazing job playing this out and managing to make it whimsical and fun. Also, I'm a total sucker for sentient AIs.
I read this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. I needed all of it at once because it was just too good. Truly a fantastic novel and a wonderful thought piece on modern philosophy.
Two worlds (magic and science) collide in this novel of friendships, betrayals, and difficult choices.
This was charming, but had technical difficulties with worldbuilding (great ideas, but didn't get the reader on board fully before making changes) and some time jumps toward the end that both disrupted the world and the characters, skipping forward before the current time's issues were addressed, let alone resolved, then moving forward without fully explaining what was going on in the new time's scenes.
So a bit confusing toward the end, but fun characters, fairy-tale elements, a lot of yelling about "don't do the stupid thing!" followed by "ach, well, they did it and yet I can't blame them."
Nevertheless, this was as charming and twisted as Lev Grossman's The Magicians series, and if you liked one, you'll probably like the other, too.
This was charming, but had technical difficulties with worldbuilding (great ideas, but didn't get the reader on board fully before making changes) and some time jumps toward the end that both disrupted the world and the characters, skipping forward before the current time's issues were addressed, let alone resolved, then moving forward without fully explaining what was going on in the new time's scenes.
So a bit confusing toward the end, but fun characters, fairy-tale elements, a lot of yelling about "don't do the stupid thing!" followed by "ach, well, they did it and yet I can't blame them."
Nevertheless, this was as charming and twisted as Lev Grossman's The Magicians series, and if you liked one, you'll probably like the other, too.
Really didn't care for this book. I wasn't interested in the characters or the story, and I have to confess, I thought it was very poorly written. The dialogue was awkward and it all felt like a first draft. I'm confused by the author's decision to have so much time spent while the protagonists were kids.
One thing that really stuck out to me was how terrible Roberta is and why was that? It's heavily implied (well, flat-out stated) that she is abusive to animals. It's never really brought up again or resolved. In fact, she's sort of redeemed a little bit? Stuff like that bothered me because it seemed to serve no purpose other than to demonstrate how isolated Patricia felt, but her whole family felt too over-the-top terrible in a one-dimensional way. Ditto for Laurence's family. Honestly, Laurence was kind of a huge dick all throughout.
There was a lot of name-dropping of brands or social media platforms, which already feel pretty dated now. Then there were descriptions of places that were hella generic, literally just described as 'hipster'.
I'm glad others enjoyed this book. It just really wasn't for me, and I'm coming to terms with the fact that most of Book Riot's recommendations haven't really landed for me.
One thing that really stuck out to me was how terrible Roberta is and why was that? It's heavily implied (well, flat-out stated) that she is abusive to animals. It's never really brought up again or resolved. In fact, she's sort of redeemed a little bit? Stuff like that bothered me because it seemed to serve no purpose other than to demonstrate how isolated Patricia felt, but her whole family felt too over-the-top terrible in a one-dimensional way. Ditto for Laurence's family. Honestly, Laurence was kind of a huge dick all throughout.
There was a lot of name-dropping of brands or social media platforms, which already feel pretty dated now. Then there were descriptions of places that were hella generic, literally just described as 'hipster'.
I'm glad others enjoyed this book. It just really wasn't for me, and I'm coming to terms with the fact that most of Book Riot's recommendations haven't really landed for me.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
I must say, the depiction of bullying and dysfunctional families in the beginning was painfully accurate. What a cheekily humourous surrealistic future sci-fantasy world! This story is about the choices we make when there is so much that is outside of our control, and the relationships we choose to make, and what we hold on to. It is also about climate change in the face of capitalism, and the idea that groups and ideas can be both right and wrong at the same time; you can be well-meaning while still doing harm. The magic is interesting and the tech is fantastical. Definitely worth the read.
When you read the summary of Charlie Jane Anders’ All the Birds in the Sky, the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s genre-bending. It is rare to find a book that successfully mixes two popular genres into one—but that’s what Anders manages to accomplish in her engaging first novel. Science fiction and fantasy blend together to create a page-turning book that keeps its readers hooked right until the end.
The tale begins with a friendship between a budding witch and a science inventor during their formative years in a cruel school that punishes people who are different. When Patricia Delfine and Laurence Armstead first meet as kids, they are both already bearing the heavy burden of families who fail to understand their gifted children.
Patricia is a witch who can talk to birds while Laurence has already invented his own time machine by a young age (albeit it only jumps two seconds into the future). Despite their core differences, they become each other’s close confidantes and saviours, even as forces outside their control attempt to pry them apart. It is this indestructible friendship that endures throughout the book’s time jumps.
The friends meet again later on in life. And although their reconnection is shaky at first, they eventually rediscover their childhood bond. A love story inevitably forms between the witch and the science genius.
But All the Birds in the Sky is more than just a love story. The novel raises complex moral questions about the ways in which each protagonist can use their power to save the world—a world that is on the verge of an apocalypse (not really that far-fetched with what is happening now). Their conflicting decisions and clashing differences pull them apart. Laurence is knee-deep in a science experiment that, in his group’s view, will save humanity from itself. Patricia, on the other hand, is influenced by her coven who believe that the activities of Laurence’s group are abominable and must be stopped.
Both sides are convinced of their own righteousness and they end up locked in a battle to save the world. Patricia and Laurence are pushed into their own corners on two opposing sides that are trying to destroy each other. Can they find each other again through all the turmoil and hate?
All the Birds in the Sky is a beautiful fusion of fantasy and science fiction that transcends the constraints of literary genre. This novel is fluid, fresh and vastly enjoyable.
I didn’t finish. I just couldn’t get into this book and there are too many really good books on my shelf that I want to read to get through this one.
This book was okay. The audio version was nice - the narrator was one I had heard before, who had done the book Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. I enjoyed her voice. The book itself, though, I'm not too keen on. The idea of nature vs magic is really cool, but I honestly couldn't tell if this book was trying to be serious or satire half the time. You would have something serious occur then something like "Assassin School" be mentioned and I honestly couldn't take it seriously.