Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Semiosis by Sue Burke

4 reviews

mordshunger's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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

3.5

This one is tough to rate. There's some pretty graphic violence and a completely unnecessary rape scene, which really prevented me from enjoying this take on a civilization story. I've never read something with these ideas before, although I'm sure it has been done. In the end, the author didn't take the more daring aspects far enough. I was surprised by the ending
because it didn't all turn to shit. They stick to their values, more or less. I've read another review on here that was OUTRAGED about the consideration of slavery and I expected much worse. This was obviously not a pacifist ending, but I was prepared for a much more Orvellian twist. I was pleasantly surprised by Stevland considering himself as a citizen and identifying strongly with society.
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bethmalena's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I thought skipping generations (and narrators) almost every chapter was a bold move! You don’t get really attached to any one character, but you start to treat the whole colony as a changing character. I liked the author’s attention to ensure  generations that hadn’t seen Earth didn’t use metaphors or language connected only to Earth. And Stevland… such a unique approach with that character. The author really messed with my expectations - of Stevland, of the Glassmakers - in a really good way. As seems to happen so often lately, I just wasn’t satisfied with the ending. The resolution after the big climax felt too long and ended abruptly - just strangely paced. But I’ll definitely check out the sequel!
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albernikolauras's review against another edition

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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.
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absinthe's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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