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lenamjohnson's review
3.0
I nearly stopped reading it because the main character just had things happen to him and didn't propel anything forward. Glancing at other people's reviews, however, indicated that was actually part of the plot and there was some character growth. It didn't seem clear that was the point, but it helped once the character realized he was like that. It's not an amazing book, but it was interesting enough to finish. The romance felt contrived. Not a bad book, but I doubt I'll read it again.
edwindownward's review
4.0
I have to say the very title gets it right. Both on the big action picture and in the heart of one man.
errantdreams's review
4.0
One of the high points in the story is, oddly, also one of the low points. Art’s character arc is all about him learning to act in his life, to do things rather than simply exist. It’s a very good and believable character arc. But in the first half of the book he has so little agency–he gets kidnapped multiple times, and takes almost no direct actions–it gets a bit frustrating to read. Other than that one quasi-problem, Art is a great main character. He grows without changing unrealistically (in my opinion). There are good reasons why he changes.
The mild romance isn’t handled very well. There’s little chemistry between the characters, and it isn’t built up much at all. It’s something of a distraction, honestly. Some of the other characters also lack the depth that was put into Art.
The worldbuilding is interesting. The colony ship basically has a caste system, where the Crew are seen as better than the Passengers and have near-total control over them. Peregrine, the planet, has its own tightly-controlled government, plus a super-zealous cult. Both planets have a few rebels who are willing to give Art a hand as he comes to the realization that he has to do something.
This book didn’t wow me, but it was a solidly good read.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/review-right-to-know-edward-willett/
The mild romance isn’t handled very well. There’s little chemistry between the characters, and it isn’t built up much at all. It’s something of a distraction, honestly. Some of the other characters also lack the depth that was put into Art.
The worldbuilding is interesting. The colony ship basically has a caste system, where the Crew are seen as better than the Passengers and have near-total control over them. Peregrine, the planet, has its own tightly-controlled government, plus a super-zealous cult. Both planets have a few rebels who are willing to give Art a hand as he comes to the realization that he has to do something.
This book didn’t wow me, but it was a solidly good read.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/review-right-to-know-edward-willett/
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