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jasmine_elizabeth's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this wonderful short story. I liked the friendship between Dorian and Hugo; that was quite instantaneous even though they are different classes. The biologicals are the upper-class privileged people, and they can all be of different species. The androids are the lower class, the servants and the homeless, which are replaced whenever and abandoned whenever.
I appreciated the amount of world-building that went into this short story and the fact that we had a build-up of suspense in all of 119 pages; it was very well done.
I appreciated the amount of world-building that went into this short story and the fact that we had a build-up of suspense in all of 119 pages; it was very well done.
alongreader's review against another edition
4.0
An abandoned android scrapes a living as a watchmaker on an intergalactic campus. He's lonely but content until the day a fast paced duke comes to his door, demanding help. Everything will change if they succeed in their mission.
I've read several Lauren James novels, but I think I'm most impressed by this one. The others were all amazing reads, but this is so imaginative; butterflies riding bicycles, living (but mini) planets and underwater species living on algae are just a few of the delights here. Lauren has been on my instabuy list since [b:The Loneliest Girl in the Universe|32601841|The Loneliest Girl in the Universe|Lauren James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481825805l/32601841._SY75_.jpg|53182746] but she is now firmly ensconced there. The characters are fantastic and the whole story rattles along at a wonderful speed; not so fast we're lost, not so slow we're bored. This is going to be a great one to add to her portfolio.
I received a proof copy and chose to write an honest review.
I've read several Lauren James novels, but I think I'm most impressed by this one. The others were all amazing reads, but this is so imaginative; butterflies riding bicycles, living (but mini) planets and underwater species living on algae are just a few of the delights here. Lauren has been on my instabuy list since [b:The Loneliest Girl in the Universe|32601841|The Loneliest Girl in the Universe|Lauren James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481825805l/32601841._SY75_.jpg|53182746] but she is now firmly ensconced there. The characters are fantastic and the whole story rattles along at a wonderful speed; not so fast we're lost, not so slow we're bored. This is going to be a great one to add to her portfolio.
I received a proof copy and chose to write an honest review.
ren's review against another edition
4.0
what a stunning little book. lovely themes and delightful world building.
simple to read, so great for younger readers or those who prefer something more straightforward.
simple to read, so great for younger readers or those who prefer something more straightforward.
efuaesaba's review against another edition
5.0
How dare this be so freaking adorable?! Tea dragon society vibes - wholesome and lovely and super short. Gonna inhale the next one as soon as it becomes available.
ineffablebooks's review against another edition
4.0
So cute!! The short sentences kinda bugged me but the big take away here is WHOLESOME
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
4.0
I somehow missed that this was a novella, so was a little sad it was so short! But that’s only because I was enjoying it so much!
This is a super cute little sci fi mystery and touches on themes of inclusivity that I really loved. The friendship that develops between Hugo and Dorien was just adorable. And I loved Ada! She’s going to grow up to be a planet! That’s just so cool.
I really hope we get more in this world, because it’s so fun.
This is a super cute little sci fi mystery and touches on themes of inclusivity that I really loved. The friendship that develops between Hugo and Dorien was just adorable. And I loved Ada! She’s going to grow up to be a planet! That’s just so cool.
I really hope we get more in this world, because it’s so fun.
aelynreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Starlight Watchmaker is a delightful middle grade sci-fi short story. The book is set at an academy on it's own planet, where wealthy families from planets across the star system send their children to learn diplomacy, languages and other skills vital for running their planet. The paths of our two main characters, Hugo and Dorian, cross when Dorian, a student at the academy, visits Hugo, an android watchmaker, to fix his broken time travel watch. However, Hugo and Dorian quickly uncover that several students have had their watches tampered with and they set out to find the cause.
This sci-fi adventure immerses the reader in a rich and diverse world. It really is surprising how much world building there is in such a short plot-focused book. I truly admire the imagination of Lauren James to create such a wonderful world. From Ada, a student who is a living rock and will one day grow into a planet, to the library where books are literally grown on trees, this book has such vivid and imaginative descriptions of species and inventions and I'd love to explore this world further through other stories.
Usually in plot-focused stories, the characters take a back seat to the action and are not particularly interesting or important to the story. That's the not the case with The Starlight Watchmaker, where the reader really feels connected to the main character, Hugo. I found myself really invested in his story, feeling saddened by his history of being abandoned and feeling lonely, and then feeling so happy at his budding friendship with Dorian. I also loved how the story touches on social justice issues, as androids are considered lesser than biological species. It was well integrated into the world building and the plot, and added a thoughtful and meaningful tone to the story.
I feel like it was hinted that
I have seen some readers describe this book as young adult, and I would say that this book better fits the genre of middle grade. The writing is very simplistic and the plot and characters are lacking in the depth and complexity that you might expect from a young adult novel. I think readers will get more enjoyment out of the story if they go into it knowing that it is a middle grade book, rather than young adult. Having said that, it's still a fantastic middle grade story and it really packs in a lot of plot, world building and character development for such a short and sweet book.
I must say, I absolutely adore the Barrington Stoke novels and I love how accessible they are for people with dyslexia, reluctant readers or anyone who just wants to pick up a short story. The Starlight Watchmaker is a brilliant addition to the already fantastic collection of stories published by Barrington Stoke and I would highly recommend it for middle graders and young teens.
This sci-fi adventure immerses the reader in a rich and diverse world. It really is surprising how much world building there is in such a short plot-focused book. I truly admire the imagination of Lauren James to create such a wonderful world. From Ada, a student who is a living rock and will one day grow into a planet, to the library where books are literally grown on trees, this book has such vivid and imaginative descriptions of species and inventions and I'd love to explore this world further through other stories.
Usually in plot-focused stories, the characters take a back seat to the action and are not particularly interesting or important to the story. That's the not the case with The Starlight Watchmaker, where the reader really feels connected to the main character, Hugo. I found myself really invested in his story, feeling saddened by his history of being abandoned and feeling lonely, and then feeling so happy at his budding friendship with Dorian. I also loved how the story touches on social justice issues, as androids are considered lesser than biological species. It was well integrated into the world building and the plot, and added a thoughtful and meaningful tone to the story.
I feel like it was hinted that
Spoiler
Hugo and Dorian kinda fancied each other and might enter into a romantic relationship, and I wish that the book had been more clear on their relationship. Either be gay or be friends, you know? I got to the end of the book and felt I needed something more to understand the direction their relationship was headed in.I have seen some readers describe this book as young adult, and I would say that this book better fits the genre of middle grade. The writing is very simplistic and the plot and characters are lacking in the depth and complexity that you might expect from a young adult novel. I think readers will get more enjoyment out of the story if they go into it knowing that it is a middle grade book, rather than young adult. Having said that, it's still a fantastic middle grade story and it really packs in a lot of plot, world building and character development for such a short and sweet book.
I must say, I absolutely adore the Barrington Stoke novels and I love how accessible they are for people with dyslexia, reluctant readers or anyone who just wants to pick up a short story. The Starlight Watchmaker is a brilliant addition to the already fantastic collection of stories published by Barrington Stoke and I would highly recommend it for middle graders and young teens.
planetbeth91's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent read with a neat story that aptly explores a variety of themes whilst being wonderfully accessible to teens who find reading difficult!
skylarkblue1's review against another edition
4.0
Content warnings: bigotry and mistreatment of minorities, terrorism threat
What an absolutely delightful and spellbinding steampunk story! Super accessible, very adorable and my word, that universe! What I'd do to spend just a day at this academy.
Hugo, an abandoned android, finds work as a lonely watchmaker for students at the academy, living life mostly alone until one day a boisterous Dorian, a human student, comes barging through his door requesting his watch be fixed. What neither of them knew at that point was this one watch would bring them down a path of mystery, love and justice.
Androids get treated worse than second class in this world, planets that treat androids as equals are shunned and mocked by the rest of the galaxy. Obviously this can be a direct parallel to segregation, slavery and general racism in the real world. Unfortunately due to the length of the book, this is kinda just 95% of the story and doesn't leave room for much else (especially the romance, or more wider world building). Talking about the injustice that androids face constantly, the pain and changes they've had to go through just to live somewhat of a life.
I would have loved to see more world building outside of the human/android dynamic, every time a new race/species/etc was mentioned, I just wanted to know more about this wonderful universe filled with so many colourful characters. I would have loved for more from the lead romance as well, as it felt like that was… Maybe not written the best? It was written like a romance, but (and I guess this is spoilers but because this book is tagged a lot with lgbt I think it should be made clear) they just call each other friends, even through everything and the other more explicitly romance-y things that were said. It honestly made the ending feel like a bit of a let down.
I get why it was short, this is a highly accessible book (great dyslexic friendly font, good font sizes and spacing) but I think it's shortness was a huge detriment to it. Everything felt incredibly rushed and underexplained (except the android/human dynamic) and I'd have just liked to sit more with the characters. I do know this is a series and there is a book 2 (I don't know if it's just a duology or not though), I will most likely read #2 soon enough however.
I'm kinda really conflicted on what score to give. The bad lgbtq+ representation (in my opinion ofc) left a bad taste, but the world was so wonderfully crafted with all the different and really unique species explained. I think I'll settle with 3.5/5, but since goodreads can't do half's I'll mark it as a 4/5.
What an absolutely delightful and spellbinding steampunk story! Super accessible, very adorable and my word, that universe! What I'd do to spend just a day at this academy.
Hugo, an abandoned android, finds work as a lonely watchmaker for students at the academy, living life mostly alone until one day a boisterous Dorian, a human student, comes barging through his door requesting his watch be fixed. What neither of them knew at that point was this one watch would bring them down a path of mystery, love and justice.
Androids get treated worse than second class in this world, planets that treat androids as equals are shunned and mocked by the rest of the galaxy. Obviously this can be a direct parallel to segregation, slavery and general racism in the real world. Unfortunately due to the length of the book, this is kinda just 95% of the story and doesn't leave room for much else (especially the romance, or more wider world building). Talking about the injustice that androids face constantly, the pain and changes they've had to go through just to live somewhat of a life.
I would have loved to see more world building outside of the human/android dynamic, every time a new race/species/etc was mentioned, I just wanted to know more about this wonderful universe filled with so many colourful characters. I would have loved for more from the lead romance as well, as it felt like that was… Maybe not written the best? It was written like a romance, but (and I guess this is spoilers but because this book is tagged a lot with lgbt I think it should be made clear) they just call each other friends, even through everything and the other more explicitly romance-y things that were said. It honestly made the ending feel like a bit of a let down.
I get why it was short, this is a highly accessible book (great dyslexic friendly font, good font sizes and spacing) but I think it's shortness was a huge detriment to it. Everything felt incredibly rushed and underexplained (except the android/human dynamic) and I'd have just liked to sit more with the characters. I do know this is a series and there is a book 2 (I don't know if it's just a duology or not though), I will most likely read #2 soon enough however.
I'm kinda really conflicted on what score to give. The bad lgbtq+ representation (in my opinion ofc) left a bad taste, but the world was so wonderfully crafted with all the different and really unique species explained. I think I'll settle with 3.5/5, but since goodreads can't do half's I'll mark it as a 4/5.