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bergha1998's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Found Family, Romance Subplots
“We cannot blame ourselves for the wars our parents start. Sometimes the very best thing we can do is walk away.”
“You found something dark within your own house, and you are wondering how much of it has rubbed off on you.”
“The truth is, Rosemary, that you are capable of anything. Good or bad. You always have been, and you always will be. Given the right push, you, too, could do horrible things. That darkness exists within all of us.”
“All any of us can do—is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”
“How much of me is actually you?”
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
maddie_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
foxclcves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Animal death and Cursing
Minor: Drug use, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mobymaize's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death and Blood
the_reading_wren's review against another edition
- 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 wasn’t expecting it but I liked the episodic style of storytelling because it made every chapter satisfying. I could tell this was Chambers’ debut novel due to pacing and some lack of clarity in the messages (which in her more recent books are more honed), but the fact I still gave it 5 stars shows just how much I love her world building, and the wisdom she shares through her characters.
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, and War
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
yikeslou's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
tsukk's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Classism
arinheck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism, Drug use, Alcohol, and Colonisation
thaliareads's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Graphic: Gun violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Alcohol
I'm behind on reviews, so it's been a couple moths since I read this, and I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a content warning or two.ekcd_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
It’s an incredibly slow book, plot wise, and the few plot events we do see dont make sense. The characters have odd reactions - socially and culturally. And god knows Becky Chambers lives to talk about how different all her aliens are. There is a weird fixation on sex and sexual differences in the book which could have been a fun exploration in sexuality if it was done well but instead it felt like she was patting herself on the back for coming up with such sexually diverse races/species. Several times in the book she says outright “yeah XYZ is so different from humans” and like that’s it.
I feel like I read a different book than all the critics (formal and informal) who have such high praise. This read like a YA novel or children’s cartoon that feeds the reader emotions with a spoon. I’m fact, most of the world building in general is fed to the reader with a spoon- it’s explicit and heavy handed OR it’s nonsense words that are never explained or expanded on. It’s clear the author uses letters and characters who are librarians to shoehorn in world building she wasn’t creative enough to build into the narrative. No nuance, no complexity. Just a feel good mill, which I personally do not like. I want moral ambiguity and conflict in my space opera.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail