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augustar14's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While at times I struggled a bit to follow the book, I think that had more to do with my current difficulty focusing than the book itself. I found it just the right balance of silly and whimsical and heartfelt and genuine. It does give Hitchhiker's Guide vibes, but in a queer, musical rock band way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Racism, Drug use, Deportation, Classism, Drug abuse, Car accident, Death, War, Mental illness, Colonisation, Violence, Vomit, and Islamophobia
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
I really liked this! Reminded me of hitchhikers guide with the level of absurdity, and it had some really nice heartfelt moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Cursing, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Racism, Car accident, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Self harm, and War
tiredcreature's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
I expected silly space music fun - and while this book is that; the Absolute Zeroes and all the rest of the universe in all their ridiculous glory - it also has Danesh, Mira, and Omar, a messy, charming trio struggling with being perpetual foreigners in xenophobic Britain
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Car accident, Deportation, and Police brutality
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you're looking for a fun, ridiculous space adventure, you will have definitely found it in this book. It definitely gave me Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy vibes, if you threw a little musical competition into it. Really enjoyed listening to the audiobook because the different voices that the narrator used were fantastic. Maybe not something I would typically pick up on my own, but definitely something I had a lot of fun reading!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Drug use, Genocide, and Xenophobia
breadwitchery's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, War, Alcohol, Sexual content, Cursing, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Vomit
trickphoenix's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Genocide, War, Car accident, Xenophobia, and Grief
Minor: Racism and Drug use
urs's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Xenophobia and Genocide
sherbertwells's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book made me smile for two days, which is about as much as I expected from it. After reading the thoroughly-melancholy Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke, I needed something to remind me of the fun side of humanity. In that regard, Catherynne M. Valente succeeds.
The crazed, chaotic tale of a washed-up British popstar forced to defend humanity in an intergalactic Eurovision is enough to crack a smile on the face of even the most cynical reviewers. Valente’s champagne-discotheque prose is deceptively intoxicating, and the plot gallops along cheerfully. The diverse array of aliens are nothing new in the realm of sci-fi, but they provide adequate background to examine the human characters. Most of all, the premise “Eurovision in Space” infects the whole story with a giddy commentary on art. If you like music, especially international pop, you’ll probably love this book.
With that said, Space Opera could disappear from the sci-fi world entirely and no advancements could be lost. It’s written in the spirit of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, but it’s much more traditionally-structured than those books. It’s heroes, broken-down rockstar Decibel Jones and his mild-mannered former “boyfrack” Oort St. Ultraviolet, are sweet but not heartbreaking, and the malicious talking cat is sorely underutilized. While I can personally identify with the late-2010s aesthetic Valente projects, I’m not sure whether Space Opera will immortalize an era or disappear into the void of outdated cheese.
If you, like me, need to smile for a few days, Space Opera is a brilliant recommendation. But there’s not much value on the replay.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Xenophobia, Racism, Vomit, Sexual content, and Genocide
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