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armeenix's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This was the first really diverse book I had read and it is also a book that I could re-read over, and over, and over again. Although the booked is short the author still gave us so much background and plot. I LOVEEEEEDDD all of the main characters, they were fun, emotional,complex and so much more, overall an amazing,inclusive, and diverse book!
verumsolum's review against another edition
4.75
This was a 5-star book, deprived of its rating by its final chapter. This was a wonderful group of people unexpectedly caught up in space and in a war they knew nothing about a short time earlier. But while the war gets significant attention, Anders also gives us young people finding themselves and their values and their goals in the midst of dealing with life throwing them quite a bit that is unexpected.
What's wrong with the final chapter? It reveals a significant new piece of information that seems designed to shape the next book in the series: in short, it felt cliffhangery to me. If it had ended with the penultimate chapter, I probably would have given it 5 (and I still find myself quibbling whether I hate cliffhangers enough to deprive this book of a 5 and, sadly, I think I do. Authors! Trust your books to hook readers without resorting to gimmickry!)
What's wrong with the final chapter? It reveals a significant new piece of information that seems designed to shape the next book in the series: in short, it felt cliffhangery to me. If it had ended with the penultimate chapter, I probably would have given it 5 (and I still find myself quibbling whether I hate cliffhangers enough to deprive this book of a 5 and, sadly, I think I do. Authors! Trust your books to hook readers without resorting to gimmickry!)
freesiaelect's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia and Genocide
sagethuja's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Not the target audience, but still enjoyed the read.
spookygirlev's review
Too childish for me personally, but I'm also not the target audience.
amerasuu's review
5.0
Absolutely loved this and cannot wait to see where the series goes. So glad I picked it up at the library.
amym84's review
4.0
Originally published at Vampire Book Club
Tina has known for years that she’s not just an average teenager, but she’s been waiting (im)patiently for the day when she will be called upon to complete her purpose. Tina holds the embodiment of a highly regarded alien space Captain within herself. She was cloned and sent to Earth for her safety, to be called upon when the time came to finally defeat the one who threatens the universe. When Tina’s day finally arrives, she’s got her best friend Rachael by her side and assembles a team of extraordinary humans. But when her destiny doesn’t run the course she’s set up for herself, Tina begins to question who it is she’s supposed to be, and how she can save anything.
As I’m reveling in the finishing of this book and working on getting my thoughts onto the page, I really have to give it to Charlie Jane Anders for creating such a popping sci-fi adventure. The story starts off with a bang and hooks you right away.
The problem is that eventually things have to slow down and we have to take a little time to breathe. Besides having rollicking action sequences, I understand the importance of slower moments to really take in this new outer space world, but it’s in those moments that I felt things dragged a tad bit and for me that initial momentum was difficult to regain.
Keeping with the story, however, I absolutely loved the commentary on destiny and identity. Tina has been so set on who she believes she’s supposed to be, that she’s never really taken time to figure it out for herself. Despite things not going to plan for Tina, I loved that readers get the opportunity to see her come into her own and have this well of opportunities place before her, on her own terms, not ones preset for her based on her DNA.
What’s more the bond between the “Earthlings,” especially that between Tina and Rachael, is a wonderful thing to behold. Having this group of unknowns from varying backgrounds, band together, work together, and lift each other up successfully was such a bright spot. To that end, however, there were times when I would stop and think about how we still only got a surface level insight into many of these characters. Charlie Jane Anders definitely doesn’t pull punches in going for emotional impact. Unfortunately, the gut-punch feeling didn’t always come through for me and I wanted more of that emotional connection.
I did appreciate that we don’t get a case of “us vs. them” in regards to humans vs. aliens, with aliens being the villains. That villainy of megalomania transcends species and even knowing that this person truly believes that what they want for the universe is right, doesn’t mean they aren’t a villain and sometimes the real test is being able to confront these truths within people that you would otherwise care about.
Charlie Jane Anders definitely leaves things in a position where I’m eager to find out what happens next. While there is a certain amount of resolution, there’s also a can of worms that’s undeniably just been opened as well. Hopefully, we’ll continue to see Tina becoming ever more comfortable in her own skin.
Tina has known for years that she’s not just an average teenager, but she’s been waiting (im)patiently for the day when she will be called upon to complete her purpose. Tina holds the embodiment of a highly regarded alien space Captain within herself. She was cloned and sent to Earth for her safety, to be called upon when the time came to finally defeat the one who threatens the universe. When Tina’s day finally arrives, she’s got her best friend Rachael by her side and assembles a team of extraordinary humans. But when her destiny doesn’t run the course she’s set up for herself, Tina begins to question who it is she’s supposed to be, and how she can save anything.
As I’m reveling in the finishing of this book and working on getting my thoughts onto the page, I really have to give it to Charlie Jane Anders for creating such a popping sci-fi adventure. The story starts off with a bang and hooks you right away.
The problem is that eventually things have to slow down and we have to take a little time to breathe. Besides having rollicking action sequences, I understand the importance of slower moments to really take in this new outer space world, but it’s in those moments that I felt things dragged a tad bit and for me that initial momentum was difficult to regain.
Keeping with the story, however, I absolutely loved the commentary on destiny and identity. Tina has been so set on who she believes she’s supposed to be, that she’s never really taken time to figure it out for herself. Despite things not going to plan for Tina, I loved that readers get the opportunity to see her come into her own and have this well of opportunities place before her, on her own terms, not ones preset for her based on her DNA.
What’s more the bond between the “Earthlings,” especially that between Tina and Rachael, is a wonderful thing to behold. Having this group of unknowns from varying backgrounds, band together, work together, and lift each other up successfully was such a bright spot. To that end, however, there were times when I would stop and think about how we still only got a surface level insight into many of these characters. Charlie Jane Anders definitely doesn’t pull punches in going for emotional impact. Unfortunately, the gut-punch feeling didn’t always come through for me and I wanted more of that emotional connection.
I did appreciate that we don’t get a case of “us vs. them” in regards to humans vs. aliens, with aliens being the villains. That villainy of megalomania transcends species and even knowing that this person truly believes that what they want for the universe is right, doesn’t mean they aren’t a villain and sometimes the real test is being able to confront these truths within people that you would otherwise care about.
Charlie Jane Anders definitely leaves things in a position where I’m eager to find out what happens next. While there is a certain amount of resolution, there’s also a can of worms that’s undeniably just been opened as well. Hopefully, we’ll continue to see Tina becoming ever more comfortable in her own skin.
rikerandom's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on RikeRandom - find the full review and others there.
Content notes for Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders: references to and descriptions of bullying, fatmisia, child abuse (all in the characters‘ pasts), violence and death, trauma, brain washing/distortion of memories
Detailed content notes:
Spoiler
The main character‘s best friend was bullied out of school and they talk about this several times throughout the novel – she is also self-conscious about being fat and socially anxiousOne of the side-characters makes references to his abusive, narcissistic father
The space people are at war, so there are some armed conflict scenes and a lot of character death, plus genocide is an important topic
One of super-powers of the BBEG is that he taints the memories of those he killed, so there are a few cases where the characters lose someone they were close to only to start thinking of them extremely negatively
Representation: queer main, a lot of queer side characters (main love interest is a bi/pan trans girl, there are gay and non-binary characters, many of the alien societies are queernorm), of the five humans in this two are Black (Black Brazilian & Black British) and two are Asian (Indian & Chinese), one of the characters is fat and has social anxiety or something along those lines
Ages ago I read Charlie Jane Anders‘ first novel and the only thing I remember about it now is that I did not like its prose. Still, when Victories Greater Than Death was recommended to me, I took a look at the reading sample and decided to give the novel a try. And I‘m really glad I did, because I enjoyed this SciFi adventure immensely!
The story is told from the point of view of Tina – the clone of an alien space captain whose heroic death in battle made her somewhat of a legend. Tina, however, got injected with some DNA, so she would pass as human, and dumped on Earth as a baby, so she would be out of harm’s way. She grows up knowing that she has a rescue beacon inside of her and dreams of the day the aliens will come to pick her up, so she can finally go on to fulfill the amazing destiny she was born to. But when the day comes and she – and accidentally also her best friend Rachael plus four other human teens – are whisked away from Earth by the Royal Fleet, it doesn‘t take long for Tina to realize that this whole adventure might not turn out quite as she had thought it would.
[…]
The one thing I really didn‘t like about Victories Greater Than Death? Tina‘s attitude to pretty much anyone. This includes the way the novel dealt with the trauma of anyone who isn‘t Tina. Each of the humans the Royal Fleet more or less abducts from Earth comes with a bunch of trauma – be it Rachael‘s experience with being bullied out of school or Keanzie who gladly fled into the unknown just to get away from his father or really any of them, because they just left behind everything they‘ve ever known and unlike Tina they hadn‘t been looking forward to a space adventure for years. And because the novel is told through Tina‘s POV, the fact that almost no time is spent on resolving or at the very least examining the other characters‘ trauma makes her seem like a very callous and aloof person at times.
However, as Victories Greater Than Death is only the first novel in a series of three (or something like that?), I am very much looking forward to seeing more of the Earthlings and really hope that we will see their relationships develop further. Luckily, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak will be out in April next year and seems to be told from the perspectives of not just Tina but also two of her friends – yay!
melonpaper's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
4.0