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bi_n_large's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
sealfeathers's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Slower paced in the beginning, but accelerates towards the end. Kinda like 'Transformers meets Beauty and the Beast' but taken more seriously and more grounded than that implies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
forthesanityof1's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This had me hooked from the first chapter all the way to the end. First contact is always interesting but this concept really had me personally invested in reading as much as I could in each sitting. While there are some flaws I'll talk about, it was so enjoyable and refreshing that it deserved 5 stars without a doubt.
I loved the MC, she was relatable without drifting too far away from the narrative. Additionally, there were times where she was so painfully human and reflected an experience I had also personally experienced that I literally had to set my book down and take a breath. I've never seen those parts of me in a book before and I loved how it was handled. Empathy and understanding in the narrative even if characters didn't understand her actions.
The plot was super interesting if a bit messy at some points (most of my gripes are about the plot) and difficult to follow. The actual family dynamics I felt were supposed to have a lot of impact and did at some points but got lost behind the plot-heavy focus. I have a feeling it will come up in the rest of the series and I'm interested to see how it plays out.
The actual aliens themselves were so freaking cool. I loved the development of them and how we learned their world along with the MC. They were unique and stood out among the few other alien based stories I've read. None can touch this one. I also adored seeing how both the MC and the alien got along with each other and how that relationship evolved into something so intriguing. The soft moments really got to me and I'm borderline desperate for the next book.
I loved the MC, she was relatable without drifting too far away from the narrative. Additionally, there were times where she was so painfully human and reflected an experience I had also personally experienced that I literally had to set my book down and take a breath. I've never seen those parts of me in a book before and I loved how it was handled. Empathy and understanding in the narrative even if characters didn't understand her actions.
The plot was super interesting if a bit messy at some points (most of my gripes are about the plot) and difficult to follow. The actual family dynamics I felt were supposed to have a lot of impact and did at some points but got lost behind the plot-heavy focus. I have a feeling it will come up in the rest of the series and I'm interested to see how it plays out.
The actual aliens themselves were so freaking cool. I loved the development of them and how we learned their world along with the MC. They were unique and stood out among the few other alien based stories I've read. None can touch this one. I also adored seeing how both the MC and the alien got along with each other and how that relationship evolved into something so intriguing. The soft moments really got to me and I'm borderline desperate for the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
stormywolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.0
Audiobook Read by Abigail Thorn & Stephanie Willis
Unabridged Length: 16 Hours
Listened at 2.25x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I thought this audio successfully juggled the best of both worlds: utilizing two readers added some uniqueness to things, while the one-reader structure of Cora's story maintained familiarity. As some names and terms were unfamiliar (a common trait in sci-fi), the audio pronunciations were definitely appreciated. Though it took a little time for me to find the cadence, even at more than double speed there's still plenty of Cora's attitude coming through the narration. Seeing that the next book is adding a third reader into the mix, I'm excited to see how things progress and change, and not just in the story!
Unabridged Length: 16 Hours
Listened at 2.25x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I thought this audio successfully juggled the best of both worlds: utilizing two readers added some uniqueness to things, while the one-reader structure of Cora's story maintained familiarity. As some names and terms were unfamiliar (a common trait in sci-fi), the audio pronunciations were definitely appreciated. Though it took a little time for me to find the cadence, even at more than double speed there's still plenty of Cora's attitude coming through the narration. Seeing that the next book is adding a third reader into the mix, I'm excited to see how things progress and change, and not just in the story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Car accident, Confinement, Suicide, Cursing, Genocide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Excrement and Vomit
prettyinpunk's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Death
Minor: Vomit and Genocide
arcaadepunk's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Medical content, and Suicide
Minor: Car accident, Confinement, Stalking, and War
A lot of people (especially on TikTok) label this book as a romance and/or a mnstrfkr novel; the "romance" is actually minimal and the main focus of the story is not on the human/alien relationship in regards to romantic attraction but rather on the barriers that would stand between an alien and a human trying to understand each others' cultures.strange's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book wasn’t as well paced as I would have liked and I think it had a really weak jumping off point, but I did enjoy the characters and themes, and thought the last 50-100 pages showed a lot of the author’s potential to grow. I’m not entirely sure if im going to continue this particular series, but I’d be interested in seeing how Ellis grows from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
pineapplesurvivor's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
bookgirl's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I liked it! Riveted the whole way through. Great worldbuilding. Very difficult to imagine the aliens. Not sure if I’m ready to read a sequel.
I really liked the existential questions that came up between the species. Loved the well fleshed out power dynamics and the way humans were described as pests fleeing the scene.
And I liked the constant questioning of who was lying and why. And I liked the tension between the main characters. I liked it A LOT. BUT
the ending was really abrupt???? tho?? right?? I’m super thrown off by the ending. also how are these kids ever gonna SMASH
I really liked the existential questions that came up between the species. Loved the well fleshed out power dynamics and the way humans were described as pests fleeing the scene.
And I liked the constant questioning of who was lying and why. And I liked the tension between the main characters. I liked it A LOT. BUT
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
meliroo's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Torture, and Kidnapping