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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Picked this for #14 (strong woman character) of the around the year in 52 books challenge, mostly because I've been wanting to read it forever and I love Charlie Jane Anders's work from the web. It exceeded my already high expectations with a clever fusion of science fiction and fantasy in a pending apocalypse scenario that felt perhaps too timely with the political state of the moment. I was particularly impressed with how a Hogwarts and Discworld-esque fantasy premise could comfortably co-exist with near-future post-cyberpunk dystopia, with two characters symbolizing each of those worlds and their different strengths and appeals. Highly recommended to fans of either genre.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
All the magic YA books that I truly love met all the not sexist, "girls are smart too and some boys actually are into that" sci fi books I truly love and they had a baby and the baby is this book and I loved it. Reading it brought me joy.
All the magic YA books that I truly love met all the not sexist, "girls are smart too and some boys actually are into that" sci fi books I truly love and they had a baby and the baby is this book and I loved it. Reading it brought me joy.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars. Really enjoyed this one! A great blend of fantasy and science fiction set in a world on the edge of apocalypse. Also, the big sell for me at the moment (as I've been in a bit of a reading slump this last week)- I read it quickly because I was drawn in quickly and remained engaged consistently.
This was just excellent! It's a love story, but not the one you think, and the ending took me entirely by surprise. So! Good!
A delightful read! Anders is able to make a fantasy and sci-fi novel in one fell swoop. Moving pace, interesting characters, with the rush of a doomsday scenario can still be a summer read. Don't worry, it is full of humor too.
I'm pretty sure Charlie Jane Anders has a number of superpowers, but her most super superpower is, in my opinion ... her imagination. You just wouldn't believe the stories that come out of her. Read "Six Months, Three Days," for example, a love story about two clairvoyants that will leave you profoundly grateful you can't see the future.
Her new novel, All the Birds in the Sky, is about the friendship/romance/enmity -- let's call it the frenemy-ship -- between a girl with magical powers and a boy who can time travel (though only two seconds at a time and only in one direction). They might be the cause of the end of the world -- and/or they might rescue all of humanity from destruction.
There's a character in the book, Dorothea, who works magic by telling long, involved stories. On page 242, she tells a story that enables a car to travel 300 miles per hour. Dare I suggest that Dorothea is a stand-in for Charlie Jane Anders, and the reader gets to ride in that car?
If you liked The Magicians by Lev Grossman, I can almost guarantee you'll like this. If you like science fiction or fantasy, try it.
Her new novel, All the Birds in the Sky, is about the friendship/romance/enmity -- let's call it the frenemy-ship -- between a girl with magical powers and a boy who can time travel (though only two seconds at a time and only in one direction). They might be the cause of the end of the world -- and/or they might rescue all of humanity from destruction.
There's a character in the book, Dorothea, who works magic by telling long, involved stories. On page 242, she tells a story that enables a car to travel 300 miles per hour. Dare I suggest that Dorothea is a stand-in for Charlie Jane Anders, and the reader gets to ride in that car?
If you liked The Magicians by Lev Grossman, I can almost guarantee you'll like this. If you like science fiction or fantasy, try it.
I thought this was okay, if somewhat squicky-- I think I thought it was SF when I picked it up, but it's much more in the realm of urban fantasy, which is a genre that I have a mild allergy to, because I am a little sensitive to things that are precious. And this book is definitely precious in spots.
The big idea is that our two protagonists represent the forces of science and magic, and their conflict will drive earth to ruin. And well, as much as the mafic side had its flaws, it felt like the science side never got a fair shake. So you can see that coming to this looking for SF might have made this a strange read.
There are some good elements-- in the end, the love story felt genuine and interesting and well treated. Some of the earlier moments, when the protags were kids at a Rutherford B Hayes themed high school with an assassin for a guidance counselor, were too much for me. It's a mixed bag, but I suspect that if you like Neil Gaiman, you'll like this pretty well.
The big idea is that our two protagonists represent the forces of science and magic, and their conflict will drive earth to ruin. And well, as much as the mafic side had its flaws, it felt like the science side never got a fair shake. So you can see that coming to this looking for SF might have made this a strange read.
There are some good elements-- in the end, the love story felt genuine and interesting and well treated. Some of the earlier moments, when the protags were kids at a Rutherford B Hayes themed high school with an assassin for a guidance counselor, were too much for me. It's a mixed bag, but I suspect that if you like Neil Gaiman, you'll like this pretty well.
Three stars and a waffle.
Highly enjoyable, loved the blend of magic/tech and almost fairy tale. It was a bit predictable, but when the world is ending, that's not always a bad thing (this refers to both the story and uh...present circumstances). Will I remember this forever? No. Was I entertained? Yes.
Highly enjoyable, loved the blend of magic/tech and almost fairy tale. It was a bit predictable, but when the world is ending, that's not always a bad thing (this refers to both the story and uh...present circumstances). Will I remember this forever? No. Was I entertained? Yes.