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grayjay's review against another edition
1.0
For the first half I was thinking, okay, our protagonist is a 13 year old xenophobes. It's going to be about her learning that people are valuable and heirs to the same destiny as a species. Colonialism is bad. Unity is good. Then it all fell apart, and she kept being a jerk.
It felt like, as in a lot of good science fiction, the author was trying to teach us something of value, but he fumbled it.
It felt like, as in a lot of good science fiction, the author was trying to teach us something of value, but he fumbled it.
spikeanderson1's review against another edition
1.0
starts good- weak plot and ending. Also, the author does too much explaining (ie- the rules of soccer)- its annoying
keelys's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rocketiza's review against another edition
2.0
Too young adulty to be interesting in exploring the themes it had.
heyfreddyjay's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While reading I thought it could do with more tension, but the epilogue comes along and explains why that isn't done and clarifies the purpose of the story. Still I would say the book could use a bit more time on the trial than ship life
crasscasualty's review against another edition
4.0
Young adult fiction before young adult fiction was a thing.
Mia grows up on a technologically advanced generation ship, mostly devoid of contact from the primitive colonies those ships helped establish centuries ago. As the titular rite of passage, children from the ship must undergo a survival challenge on one of the backwards colonies before being accepted into their community as adults. In addition to the plot, there is a lot of interesting discussion about ethical systems, specifically the ethics of technology and community.
Engaging plot + interesting subtext = fun times
Mia grows up on a technologically advanced generation ship, mostly devoid of contact from the primitive colonies those ships helped establish centuries ago. As the titular rite of passage, children from the ship must undergo a survival challenge on one of the backwards colonies before being accepted into their community as adults. In addition to the plot, there is a lot of interesting discussion about ethical systems, specifically the ethics of technology and community.
Engaging plot + interesting subtext = fun times
itabar's review against another edition
4.0
Moved at a good clip, reasonably likable characters. The ending was surprising. It wasn't a feel-good ending, but it fit.
duenorth's review against another edition
5.0
Truly timeless.
Rite of Passage is right up there with Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang for a story so perfectly written that the passage of time (to-date; it was written in the 1960s) has not tarnished its believability and relevance.
Extra marks for a 1960s book with an intelligent, multi-faceted adolescent female protagonist and for bravely exploring racism and, more subtly, genocide, at their roots.
It was so enjoyable I was crushed to realize Alexei Panshin has written only a few books. I will hunt them all down and devour them.
Rite of Passage is right up there with Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang for a story so perfectly written that the passage of time (to-date; it was written in the 1960s) has not tarnished its believability and relevance.
Extra marks for a 1960s book with an intelligent, multi-faceted adolescent female protagonist and for bravely exploring racism and, more subtly, genocide, at their roots.
It was so enjoyable I was crushed to realize Alexei Panshin has written only a few books. I will hunt them all down and devour them.
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
Thought provoking and deeply moving
One hundred and fifty years after the wars that destroyed an over-populated earth, mankind is now living on over one hundred colony worlds and a handful of giant roaming ships that once ferried men to the stars. Mia Havero is a young girl living on one of those ships whose residents are abundantly aware of the perils of the "lack of moral discipline" of "Free-Birthers" who embrace complete freedom of reproduction, an uncontrolled birth rate and the resulting exponential growth in population. They've adopted the harsh but entirely effective social policy of subjecting their young people to the "Trial". Every young person is dropped and summarily abandoned into a thirty day survive-or-die test in the harsh and cruel environment of a frequently hostile colony planet. Those who survive return to the fold of the ship and are called "adults". Those who don't - well, they just don't!
RITE OF PASSAGE is written from Mia's first person perspective as she grows through childhood, enters training for her time of Trial and is dropped onto the planet Tintera with her childhood friend, Jimmy Dentremont. At only 225 pages, RITE OF PASSAGE is a very short novel and for over 200 of those pages seems to be a rather typical coming of age story. It's reasonably well written with any number of heart-warming passages and some seriously thought-provoking essays and interludes on philosophy, education and ethics. In fact, the story concentrates so exclusively on Mia's education, evolution and the development of her character as she comes of age from self-centred girl child to mature young adult that any reader would be forgiven for forgetting that RITE OF PASSAGE won a Nebula Award as a science fiction novel!!
It's Panshin's epilogue that pulls RITE OF PASSAGE from mere novel into the realm of "classic", an eye-opening, jaw-dropping dissertation on the results of the irresponsible or reckless exercise of power. In a manner that will remind you of the subtle, quiet, yet compelling style of Simak's best novels, Panshin touches on issues of killing, prejudice, hatred, power and responsibility. When Panshin seamlessly returns our thoughts to the context of a science fiction novel by discussing the destruction of an entire planet, he brutally reminds us that these issues are timeless and are likely to remain with humanity forever unless we make a conscious decision to grow beyond cruelty.
RITE OF PASSAGE is a deeply moving novel likely to remain in your thoughts long after the final page is turned!
Paul Weiss
One hundred and fifty years after the wars that destroyed an over-populated earth, mankind is now living on over one hundred colony worlds and a handful of giant roaming ships that once ferried men to the stars. Mia Havero is a young girl living on one of those ships whose residents are abundantly aware of the perils of the "lack of moral discipline" of "Free-Birthers" who embrace complete freedom of reproduction, an uncontrolled birth rate and the resulting exponential growth in population. They've adopted the harsh but entirely effective social policy of subjecting their young people to the "Trial". Every young person is dropped and summarily abandoned into a thirty day survive-or-die test in the harsh and cruel environment of a frequently hostile colony planet. Those who survive return to the fold of the ship and are called "adults". Those who don't - well, they just don't!
RITE OF PASSAGE is written from Mia's first person perspective as she grows through childhood, enters training for her time of Trial and is dropped onto the planet Tintera with her childhood friend, Jimmy Dentremont. At only 225 pages, RITE OF PASSAGE is a very short novel and for over 200 of those pages seems to be a rather typical coming of age story. It's reasonably well written with any number of heart-warming passages and some seriously thought-provoking essays and interludes on philosophy, education and ethics. In fact, the story concentrates so exclusively on Mia's education, evolution and the development of her character as she comes of age from self-centred girl child to mature young adult that any reader would be forgiven for forgetting that RITE OF PASSAGE won a Nebula Award as a science fiction novel!!
It's Panshin's epilogue that pulls RITE OF PASSAGE from mere novel into the realm of "classic", an eye-opening, jaw-dropping dissertation on the results of the irresponsible or reckless exercise of power. In a manner that will remind you of the subtle, quiet, yet compelling style of Simak's best novels, Panshin touches on issues of killing, prejudice, hatred, power and responsibility. When Panshin seamlessly returns our thoughts to the context of a science fiction novel by discussing the destruction of an entire planet, he brutally reminds us that these issues are timeless and are likely to remain with humanity forever unless we make a conscious decision to grow beyond cruelty.
RITE OF PASSAGE is a deeply moving novel likely to remain in your thoughts long after the final page is turned!
Paul Weiss