Scan barcode
marleah_a's review against another edition
5.0
Reading Blackout and then immediately reading All Clear was the way to go. I'm not sure if it just comes down to reading it at this point of my life, but I thought this story was beautiful. Yes, there is some filler that could be edited down. Yes, there's a lot of running around in circles. However - and this speaks to quotes found near the end, as well as the dedication at the beginning - this book is all about those tiny actions that make a difference. And hope, and love.
spinstah's review against another edition
5.0
This was just wonderful, though I do wish I'd read it sooner after finishing Blackout, which is the first of the pair. This is part of her Oxford time travel series (it's 2060 and time travel is used to send historians back in time to conduct on the spot research) and takes place during WWII. It does jump back and forth in time through the war, and I was also wishing I paid closer attention to the dates given at the start of each chapter - I have a tendency to gloss over that. The characters are wonderful, and it's a thrilling story with great plot twists. Definitely one of those where I was reading faster at points to see what happened. Despite the premise it is really not a sci fi book at all, so don't let that deter you. I would say it might be helpful to begin at the beginning with this series overall - though you can read them independently, I think the knowledge of how the world works that's built up over time (including some recurring characters) is useful context and background that gives you a richer experience by the time you get here. So, go get The Doomsday Book and start enjoying this series.
smallness's review against another edition
5.0
The ending made me cry. What a great book. Like all of Willis's stuff, a large part of the plot is a hot mess, but in the end it's worth it. Blackout / All Clear may end up paralleling The Sparrow / Children of God for my favorite book pairs.
mikimeiko's review against another edition
3.0
I finally finished reading this book and while it wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience I truly believe that if Connie Willis managed to write this story in only one book instead of two it would have been better for the story. Repetition and cycles of despair-hope-guilt-relief are definitely one of Connie Willis trademarks but it could have worked thematically even trimming a bit (or a lot) here and there. (Also I was a bit annoyed by people whose day job was time travel being so confused by time travel logic so often ._.)
My major problem with it, though, is the fact that by focusing once again so hard on the continuum "doing things" to select a course of history made it very difficult for me to continue to believe that it's not a sentient force. The book actually calls attention to this at one point but the way it deals with still left me unconvinced.
My major problem with it, though, is the fact that by focusing once again so hard on the continuum "doing things" to select a course of history made it very difficult for me to continue to believe that it's not a sentient force. The book actually calls attention to this at one point but the way it deals with still left me unconvinced.
tandemjon's review against another edition
Connie Willis says this sequel to Blackout started as a single novel and morphed into 2 books. I found the first book very slow and dull. The second instalment was much better and overall I quite enjoyed it but felt a bit cheated by making one fast paced good book into two. My dad always says word processors have made books too long, and I think he's right on this occasion. I also got really fed up with the constant worry of the characters and their inability to do almost anything without a disaster happening - they couldn't make a cup of tea without running out of water, the milk being off and the kettle blowing up and one of them dying... oh no they didn't actually die. This was another area of the book that left me a bit irritated. characters died, but came back to life too often. you just knew they weren't really dead. Most of the book is so predictable it felt a bit like a poor US scifi series, but the last few chapters had some good twists and meant I actually didn't feel completely frustrated by the book. I'd not buy another in the series, nor sadly Andy more Connie Willis books after this.
brandypainter's review against another edition
5.0
My full review of both Blackout and All Clear can be found here.
matthewbrand's review against another edition
3.0
Such an anticlimatic ending. I don't know what I was expecting for an ending but it felt very "meh".
blairconrad's review against another edition
2.0
I tried. I wanted to like the book. I even had hopes. I figured after the nothingburger that [b:Blackout|6506307|Blackout (All Clear, #1)|Connie Willis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433715206l/6506307._SY75_.jpg|6697901] was (to be fair, I know it's not really a book; just half of the book that All Clear is the second half of), we'd get some improvements. Maybe things would happen. Characters would develop. There'd be less needless rehashing of concepts that the characters should've known coming in and that the reader picked up long ago.
And things were slightly better. There was a little action. One of the women developed, just before the book ended.
It just wasn't enough. I ended up reading "to be done", and to "see if it became worthwhile", not even to find out what happened (since it became painfully obvious well before the book ended what was going to happen).
I know I'm in the minority here, and there are people out there who love the books. I'm glad. Go you! But these books were desperately in need of an editor. I mean, I assume there was one. I just don't know why they didn't at the very least tighten things up. The duology could've been one book. And still too long if it was the size of either component. This wouldn't've fixed everything, but at least I'd have half the regret.
And things were slightly better. There was a little action. One of the women developed, just before the book ended.
It just wasn't enough. I ended up reading "to be done", and to "see if it became worthwhile", not even to find out what happened (since it became painfully obvious well before the book ended what was going to happen).
I know I'm in the minority here, and there are people out there who love the books. I'm glad. Go you! But these books were desperately in need of an editor. I mean, I assume there was one. I just don't know why they didn't at the very least tighten things up. The duology could've been one book. And still too long if it was the size of either component. This wouldn't've fixed everything, but at least I'd have half the regret.
aleffert's review against another edition
4.0
Willis's band of good hearted historian time travelers from future Oxford travel back to London in the blitz and learn some lessons about heroism while trying to avoid getting hit by bombs or destroy the fabric of reality.
This is nominally the sequel to Blackout, but they are basically one book in two volumes. This covers both of them.
These were pretty good. They hit kind of in the middle in tone between The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog (both books have the same frame setting and some minor character overlap). Which is to say there were some funny bits, but it wasn't a romp and there were some sad bits, but it wasn't about the frickin' black plague. They were also waaaaay too long. I get that our characters are stuck in World War II, but that doesn't mean I have to feel like I'm stuck somewhere too. There are so many near misses where the plot could be resolved, and while there are structural reasons why it doesn't, the author kind of rubs your face in it to the point of aggravation.
Still, Willis is a good writer and I quite enjoyed reading these. Her characters sound like people. They're worth it just for two delightful rascal children, named Alf and Binnie, who cause no end of trouble. And I appreciated the celebration of every day heroism that was the book's main theme.
This is nominally the sequel to Blackout, but they are basically one book in two volumes. This covers both of them.
These were pretty good. They hit kind of in the middle in tone between The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog (both books have the same frame setting and some minor character overlap). Which is to say there were some funny bits, but it wasn't a romp and there were some sad bits, but it wasn't about the frickin' black plague. They were also waaaaay too long. I get that our characters are stuck in World War II, but that doesn't mean I have to feel like I'm stuck somewhere too. There are so many near misses where the plot could be resolved, and while there are structural reasons why it doesn't, the author kind of rubs your face in it to the point of aggravation.
Still, Willis is a good writer and I quite enjoyed reading these. Her characters sound like people. They're worth it just for two delightful rascal children, named Alf and Binnie, who cause no end of trouble. And I appreciated the celebration of every day heroism that was the book's main theme.
halefa's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25