Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - A longa viagem a um pequeno planeta hostil

I read this with someone while we lived 2000km away from each other. We send each other voice memos with the latest chapter as well as reading to each other over the phone. And we finally finished it in the first days of being in the same space again. This book was perfect for this little 2-people-bookclub and I am very happy to have done this.

Overall, I am astounded that this is Becky Chambers' debut. The way in which she crafts the world with its advanced technology, complex social and political structures and numerous distinct species is so complex and well done. The plot is simultaneously wholesome and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride and I am a little sad to continue the second book away from the Wayfarer (if I understood correctly what the second book is about).

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delvainy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I am a fool for space queers. It felt very slice of life in a way I found comforting, but it was still interesting enough to keep me intrigued. I loved the moments when the entire human race got razzed, for some reason (inter-species relationships for the win ig), and was made to find a reptilian woman hot. Go figure. I want to wrap them all up in my arms and tote them around with me. I want to live in this world. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, and this helped pull me right out!

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thaliareads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. I don't remember where I read it, but trying to describe this book to a friend, I ran across a review that said that this is more of a people book than a science fiction book. I adored this book and while it had a cool science fiction setting, it was ultimately about the people on the journey, their interactions with each other, and their interactions with other species and crews.

I can't express enough appreciation for how cool it was just seeing all of the described species and all of their different cultures and the depth to which they are explored. It's absolutely wild.

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I am a sucker for the found family trope and this book does it PERFECTLY. I loved all the characters on the Wayfarer and while I’m normally more of a plot girlie I wasn’t mad about the fact that most of this book is focused on exploring the relationships between the crew on this long journey. This is a masterclass in character creation, as every crew member gets their moment in the spotlight to uncover their demons and by the end you feel attached to every one of them (even Corbin, who is objectively an asshole). I loved the diversity in appearance, language, ideologies and family dynamics amongst all the alien species, it felt realistic in terms of how different life that evolved outside of Earth would be to humanity, and I really like the sentiment of accepting people regardless of their differences, even if you don’t fully understand them. This book embodies cozy sci-fi, but that’s certainly not to say that it doesn’t have its tense moments - there were parts of this book that had me on the edge of my seat, gaping! - and there’s a good balance between the cozy bits and the action bits. I loved it!

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julieyael's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was a lovely comfort read.
The plot is quite light and you should not expect too many twists, but the main focus of the book are the characters and the general atmosphere.

I would definitely pick it up again to be amongst this crew. The sci-fi aspect is very interesting too, with good reflections on life and humanity.
Becky Chambers was already an author I liked, as I read and loved To be Taught if Fortunate, but now she is definitely one of my favorites.

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gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I though that this was a great fun sci-fi read. It was funny, poignant and endearing. I think that it showcased how imaginative the author is at creating complex worlds and peoples, and having huge amounts of respect for all of them.

If this had a bit more plot, and less lesson-of-the-week 90s sitcom feeling, I would have rated it higher. Felt a bit disconnected plot wise, but overall it was charming.

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kassidyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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mxawprince's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

1.5

I know this book was written in 3014, and that it's a first novel, but (amongst many other similar things) there's an autistic-coded character that in the end gets "cured". Blegh.
I'll probably read something more recent from this author to see if it gets better.

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