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anni_swanilda's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Confinement, Animal death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, and Child death
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Vomit, and Blood
cornfusedsnow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, and Slavery
Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Infertility, and War
myceliamorel's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Confinement, and Slavery
Minor: Child death
ngrace's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, and Child abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Abandonment, and Child death
the_reading_wren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.75
Wow, what a story! Far darker than the first book in the series, but with the same themes of found family, healing and growth that made it worthwhile reading for me. This book also focuses on the theme of feeling at home (whether in a space, with others or within your own body). Of course the world building is fantastic too, as I’ve come to expect from Chambers, and the political, social and economic systems are interwoven through the narrative to provide plenty of moments to reflect on our own world. Overall a really satisfying answer to many of the unresolved questions left by book 1.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Slavery
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Abandonment, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Chronic illness, War, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Violence
another_avid_bookreader's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this kind-of-sequel. While there are some recurring characters, most are new or only met briefly. While I was a bit disheartened not to see some of the previous crew again, the new characters are interesting, develop well, and well-rounded.
The threads of plot join together well to the conclusion, and the themes were beautifully explored and well built upon from the first.
Oh, and love that the exploration of gender continue in this one.
All around, a very good follow up to the first book.
The threads of plot join together well to the conclusion, and the themes were beautifully explored and well built upon from the first.
Oh, and love that the exploration of gender continue in this one.
All around, a very good follow up to the first book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, and Death
Minor: Abandonment
weareinheritors's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.25
Really great story about found-family and figuring out exactly who you are when you were sort of born into an expected role.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Child abuse, Abandonment, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual content
moonknitter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Before I read this I was disappointed that the same characters of the first book would not really be in the second one but Becky Chambers has done it again. Even tho I was sad to not hear more about sissix & rosemary and even tho the whole Jenks & Lovelace storyline didn’t really appeal to me in the first book, the way this explored AI rights and genetic modification and both the utopian and dystopian aspects of both was just incredible, wholesome in some ways, and very inspiring! I’ve sometimes really hated books that go back n forth between 2. Characters or time periods but this one did it so incredibly well and I think the book would have not been as good if they’d been separate or only 1 together. When I got tired of sidra complaining about being in a body, the chapter ended and I got a glimpse of Jane working hard to survive. When I got tired of hearing the horrible parts of janes story, the chapter ended and I could learn about sidra experience something new for the first time. I’ve also been really terrified about the future of AI over the next few years just based on our society, and this book gave me a different perspective to all that. The Owl and Jane storyline was a big part of that for me. However, the ending was sort of confusing for me. I didn’t totally understand exactly what happened it was like tech jargon and it went over my head. On a basic level I kind of get it but it wasn’t super clear. I also think one thing this book did similar to the last one was that it was much more character based than plot based. The climax/ ending came fast and in the last 60 pages or so. Which was fine with me because I liked getting to understand these different worlds and seeing things for the first time through an AI perspective as well as Jane’s. Becky chambers also does a really great job of writing different voices. Janes voice as a 10 year old made it very easy to put yourself in her shoes, as did janes narration voice as a teenager (as she learned how to cuss and starts to be annoyed with Owl, as all teens do). This is a small thing but also the voice of Blue with his speech impediment is just a small thing that many authors wouldn’t think to do. Each character truly had a voice through her writing. The other thing I noticed as soon as janes story began is that it is very much Plato’s allegory of a cave and I think that allegory speaks to the parallels between both Sidra and Janes story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Confinement
Moderate: Cursing
isabyrne's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.75
This is the second book to the Wayfarers world. After having read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, you can read the other Wayfarers books in any order, but I would read this one next. It is a standalone that takes place during the final moments of the first book, and features characters who make a small appearance in the first book.
This book is quite different from The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. At first I felt disappointed that it didn't keep following the characters from The Long Way, but I got over that very quickly — it's really special in it's own way. It still has that Becky Chambers touch that is about taking care of yourself and others.
This book is much more intimate in scope. You closely follow two characters over two timelines. This book is all about those characters' development over a long period of time. It is about the struggles of discovering oneself and finding your place in the world. It is also about finding your people in difficult circumstances. Some parts of it were sad and heartbreaking to read, but left me with an optimistic feeling. You get to know the characters really deeply and feel very protective of them and their happiness.
I really loved the parts of this book that were "on the ground" as one other reviewer put it, where you get a taste of everyday life in Becky Chambers' universe through the eyes of a character experiencing it for the first time: mingling with other species, ordering food, going to parties, reading text chats. It feels very grounded and was one of my favourite features of the book. It made a world I was already in love with feel so real and relatable.
This book is much more intimate in scope. You closely follow two characters over two timelines. This book is all about those characters' development over a long period of time. It is about the struggles of discovering oneself and finding your place in the world. It is also about finding your people in difficult circumstances. Some parts of it were sad and heartbreaking to read, but left me with an optimistic feeling. You get to know the characters really deeply and feel very protective of them and their happiness.
I really loved the parts of this book that were "on the ground" as one other reviewer put it, where you get a taste of everyday life in Becky Chambers' universe through the eyes of a character experiencing it for the first time: mingling with other species, ordering food, going to parties, reading text chats. It feels very grounded and was one of my favourite features of the book. It made a world I was already in love with feel so real and relatable.
Overall, it is a great book. It didn’t have the same impact that The Long Way did for me, because I really enjoyed the multiple-character, plot-driven nature of the first book, but it was nonetheless touching, affective, and hopeful in this author’s unique way. Becky Chambers just has this way of writing that is deeply sentimental and impactful. Her books just have so much damn HEART. At this point I will read anything in this universe that Becky Chambers puts out and can't wait to continue on with the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery
daniella_lo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Death