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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
2 stars. I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing really did
Was hoping it would be something *more*. More shocking, more thought-provoking, more heartfelt? I dunno... First time I've been disappointed by Mr. Towles.
I am abandoning this book for now.
This is a well-written, thoughtful, and enjoyable concept, but the line about "the new defense" made this a book I will not finish right now.
I have questions, and want to see the ending, but just cannot complete this, in this season.
This is a well-written, thoughtful, and enjoyable concept, but the line about "the new defense" made this a book I will not finish right now.
I have questions, and want to see the ending, but just cannot complete this, in this season.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a 3-star execution for a 5-star idea. I think something like this would make for a great full-length book, but given what it was I just didn't feel enough time was given to the character development to really drive this story home. In other words, it was very promising but fell pretty flat in the last half. I would have given this a solid 3 stars instead of 3.5... but the last half of this story was saved by only being about 20 pages to get through.
If someone reads this and knows a full-length novel along similar lines, I would love a book recommendation of it.
Out of Amazon's Forward series with 1st being the best and 6th being the worst, this ranks 5th of 6.
If someone reads this and knows a full-length novel along similar lines, I would love a book recommendation of it.
Out of Amazon's Forward series with 1st being the best and 6th being the worst, this ranks 5th of 6.
mysterious
medium-paced
The Forward Collection was something I found to be extremely fascinating because it showcases so many different visions for the world and technology. It was exciting to see what the next author's take was going to be and how chilling or repulsive the outcome might be. However, that does not mean that I connected with or even felt drawn to each type.
4.5 ★★★★⋆
You Have Arrived at Your Destination was my favorite of the entire collection. I found myself being completed captivated by the storyline as well as the technology advances portrayed in the text. As someone who finds fertility and genetics fascinating, this story was right up my alley. Towles throws you into the life of Sam and Annie who are planning to have their first child. Vitek are there to make this process the "best experience" by allowing the parents to look at possible projections of what their child's life could be. From the outside, this sounds amazing. A look into the future? Sign me up. But when does this become too much and go too far?
Towles asks you to look at nature vs. nurture and decide what role we should be allowed to have in deciding the fates of our offspring. It allows for interesting conversation about genetics and testing, as well as how these chances are often only an option for the rich and favorable. I felt drawn to Sam as the main character because he was going through all of the emotions I was feeling at the same time and it allowed me to feel like I understood what was going on inside of his head.
The only reason I did not give it a full five stars was the ending was a bit meh for me. It seemed to have a certain trajectory and then it felt like Towles needed to wrap it up and took a different turn. That was the only point of loss for me. Otherwise, this is what I will recommend to start with for anyone I suggest the collection to and I also cannot wait to add this into my teaching repertoire!
4.5 ★★★★⋆
You Have Arrived at Your Destination was my favorite of the entire collection. I found myself being completed captivated by the storyline as well as the technology advances portrayed in the text. As someone who finds fertility and genetics fascinating, this story was right up my alley. Towles throws you into the life of Sam and Annie who are planning to have their first child. Vitek are there to make this process the "best experience" by allowing the parents to look at possible projections of what their child's life could be. From the outside, this sounds amazing. A look into the future? Sign me up. But when does this become too much and go too far?
Towles asks you to look at nature vs. nurture and decide what role we should be allowed to have in deciding the fates of our offspring. It allows for interesting conversation about genetics and testing, as well as how these chances are often only an option for the rich and favorable. I felt drawn to Sam as the main character because he was going through all of the emotions I was feeling at the same time and it allowed me to feel like I understood what was going on inside of his head.
The only reason I did not give it a full five stars was the ending was a bit meh for me. It seemed to have a certain trajectory and then it felt like Towles needed to wrap it up and took a different turn. That was the only point of loss for me. Otherwise, this is what I will recommend to start with for anyone I suggest the collection to and I also cannot wait to add this into my teaching repertoire!
There was quite a bit packed into this tiny little book. The ending was unexpected. An interesting read, especially noting how the main character evolved through his whole experience. I am now curious about the other books in this Forward Collection.
This was my first Amor Towles. I've been wanting to read his books but they haven't yet made it off my tbr. But this short story definitely makes me want to pick up more of his work.
I listened to the audio read by David Harbour and it was very well done. The story was interesting and it approached genetic engineering from a unique perspective.
It got three stars because I thought the end kind of fell apart.
I listened to the audio read by David Harbour and it was very well done. The story was interesting and it approached genetic engineering from a unique perspective.
It got three stars because I thought the end kind of fell apart.