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getreadson's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Fast-paced, every chapter is from a different character’s perspective. An off-beat, entertaining take on space colonization.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence
There is a graphic rape incident from the perspective of the victim.himbojimbo's review against another edition
Graphic, on page SA
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
albernikolauras's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Semiosis is an eerie story of a group of individuals escaping Earth and creating a colony on a foreign planet. The story skips through generations as the descendants of colonists learn how to survive on a planet that already has their own sentient beings.
I started this book with certain expectations and Sue Burke subverted all of my expectations. The way the author plays with plant and human interactions and how technology evolves (or devolves) based on access to resources. The way the author made each character perspective distinct was skillfully done.
I look forward to the sequel.
I started this book with certain expectations and Sue Burke subverted all of my expectations. The way the author plays with plant and human interactions and how technology evolves (or devolves) based on access to resources. The way the author made each character perspective distinct was skillfully done.
I look forward to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Murder, Xenophobia, War, and Violence
steph_is_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Sexual assault, and Infertility
sayevet's review against another edition
5.0
"If we could have done more, if there was a way to protect babies from coughs and rashes, from hunger and injury, from mistakes and delusion, we would have done it. I decided to write a song about that someday soon, a serious song... Something to reflect the aches of a soul that had lived a day too long and knew failure, the worst kind of failure, the kind you couldn't prevent, a song that would make people cry when they heard it, that would make me cry when I sang it, about the grief that remained green in every season, and that I had to sing about because it hurt more to keep quiet."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
desdemonarose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I truly enjoyed this book. It surprised me to see that the average rating wasn't higher, but I can see why it wouldn't be a book for everyone.
If you want creative world-building, a unique dynamic where plants are sentient, and a diverse cast of personalities, then this is a good book. The book moves through a few generations of humans as they try to figure out how to survive on an alien planet.
I found it fascinating to see how Burke planned their culture, morality, how they dealt with danger, and how they planned on doing better than those who live on the planet they (or the previous generations) fled.
If you like audiobooks then I definitely recommend listening to this one. The narrators are fantastic. There is a chapter near the end that (spoiler): I particularly enjoyed since one of the MCs decides to learn the language of an alien species that also shows up on the planet. They don't use words, they use sounds. The narrator really put effort into playing the character making the different alien sounds and I loved it.
If you want creative world-building, a unique dynamic where plants are sentient, and a diverse cast of personalities, then this is a good book. The book moves through a few generations of humans as they try to figure out how to survive on an alien planet.
I found it fascinating to see how Burke planned their culture, morality, how they dealt with danger, and how they planned on doing better than those who live on the planet they (or the previous generations) fled.
If you like audiobooks then I definitely recommend listening to this one. The narrators are fantastic. There is a chapter near the end that (spoiler):
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual assault, Child death, and Body horror
Burke was very good at describing a horrible thing, letting you feel how horrible, but not making it overtly graphic or sensationalistagigeroff's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
bugthebard's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Infertility, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Genocide and War
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