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kmover's review
I chose this for our trip because we were going to be driving a lot. This is a YA book that is. "Divergent" copycat. I am not a young adult and I hated "Divergent". We got to the point where the story became so ludicrous that we couldn't go on.
booksthatburn's review
The early worldbuilding annoyed me a bit because things were constantly compared to their “old Earth” counterparts. It kept pulling me out of the story. The story seems fine, just a bit past my comfort zone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Ableism, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
yeagleyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
nightblood's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lisbet's review against another edition
3.0
Follows Dystopian YA trilogy formula closely, completely with female protagonist and a love triangle. Set on the Moon. Nothing here to make it anything other than a three star start to the trilogy. Will keep reading as the ebooks become available through the library.
matokah's review
3.0
N.B. I received an ARC through Penguin's First to Read program.
I had a difficult time deciding a rating for this book, so here's my breakdown:
Character development: 2 (needs work)
Plot: 3 (A-okay)
Writing style: 4 (better than okay)
It occurred to me after reading about 3/4 of the way through this book and being frustrated with what I felt were inadequate explanations for character actions and event progression that this book might end up being marketed more to a middle-grade or young YA crowd, rather than the late teens/early 20-something reading level I was evaluating the story under. Indeed, the former readership might find the book closer to a 4-5 star rating, assuming the sometimes quite technical details of the main character's surroundings aren't off-putting for them.
Phaet Theta is a 15 year old girl living on a futuristic settlement on the Moon in a lower middle class single parent family with two younger siblings. After her mother is arrested, Phaet abandons her dream of working in bioengineering and agriculture in favor of joining her base's Militia a handful of years earlier than she otherwise would've been required to so she can try to raise bail for her mother's release and keep her siblings together in their small home (as opposed to having to send them to Shelter, a vile place full of homelessness and disease). The higher one ranks in Militia training, the more money a trainee can earn.
Described as introverted and selectively mute with odd streaks of gray in her otherwise jet black hair, Phaet leaves behind her younger brother, sister, and best friend Umbriel (who has an unrequited love for our young heroine) and begins her training for the Militia, during which time she meets a cast of characters who come to respect her (Nash, Vinasa, Orion, Eri), a handful of enemies from a powerful upper class (Jupiter, Callisto), and -- naturally -- a mysterious boy who's at the top of his game, aiming for the top rank (who, purportedly due to being present during her mother's arrest, feels guilty and helps Phaet with training on the side and who kinda sorta maybe might like her, because every YA story nowadays seems to have some sort of love triangle in it).
I'll stop here to avoid spoilers, but if any of this description sounds familiar to you, don't be surprised. It's essentially a hybrid mix of Red Rising (which is admittedly more violent, told from the POV of an older teenage boy, and set on Mars), Divergent (girl has to train to achieve a high enough rank to stay in her militia-esque new faction), Harry Potter (rich kids are generally the enemies), and The Hunger Games (distant mother, helpless younger sister, teenage girl only a year older than Phaet sent off to a fight to the death with other teenagers, but spends time training and honing her skills beforehand).
It's commendable that the author chose a person of color as the main character, and even that she hinted at themes of racism briefly (Phaet and Yinha, both being of Asian decent, endure some verbal put-downs from one of the wealthier characters/enemies) but that really didn't get fleshed out. Nor did Phaet's selective-mutism really have the impact I was hoping for. The book seemed more about other peoples' comments about Phaet's mutism than Phaet actually being mute (since she speaks plenty throughout the story and doesn't seem to struggle to form words like selectively-mute people often seem to). I'm autistic, and the idea of reading about a character like myself was appealing. Ultimately, I don't get the sense that Phaet was meant to portray someone with autism though, and overall, the story seemed a little aimless. Once Phaet ends her Militia training, the story pinballs from one horrible situation to another very quickly without enough backstory or credibility to keep me from being surprised at its ultimate, underwhelming climax.
Maybe the author was just trying to put too much story in too few pages. It probably also didn't help that I had a hard time connecting with Phaet, a character who seems to just let things happen to her (some of which involve her being supremely lucky).
Characters who did interest me though: Wes and, through his descriptions, Murray. Heck, even Phaet's younger brother Cygnus was more interesting to me as a character. But Wes, definitely. I can't help but feel that reading this story from his point of view would have been far more interesting. This is a character who had a goal (yeah, Phaet's trying to free her mother, but even when she's saying she has no other choice but to do it, it's said with a sense of uninspired duty, rather than feeling like there's really much at stake at all for her personally), who was concerned about getting close to others for a justifiable reason. And Cygnus's hacker backstory also probably would've held my interest more.
Ultimately, I'm giving this a 3 star rating since I think the plot could've been tighter and made more sense, and Phaet could've been more realistic and interesting as a character. I think a lot of people (especially younger readers) will be able to see past these issues though and enjoy the story. For me, I'm about 50/50 as to whether I'd be willing to read book 2. For free, sure, but given what I've read so far, I wouldn't pay to read more (unless the second book is told from Wes' point of view or something).
I had a difficult time deciding a rating for this book, so here's my breakdown:
Character development: 2 (needs work)
Plot: 3 (A-okay)
Writing style: 4 (better than okay)
It occurred to me after reading about 3/4 of the way through this book and being frustrated with what I felt were inadequate explanations for character actions and event progression that this book might end up being marketed more to a middle-grade or young YA crowd, rather than the late teens/early 20-something reading level I was evaluating the story under. Indeed, the former readership might find the book closer to a 4-5 star rating, assuming the sometimes quite technical details of the main character's surroundings aren't off-putting for them.
Phaet Theta is a 15 year old girl living on a futuristic settlement on the Moon in a lower middle class single parent family with two younger siblings. After her mother is arrested, Phaet abandons her dream of working in bioengineering and agriculture in favor of joining her base's Militia a handful of years earlier than she otherwise would've been required to so she can try to raise bail for her mother's release and keep her siblings together in their small home (as opposed to having to send them to Shelter, a vile place full of homelessness and disease). The higher one ranks in Militia training, the more money a trainee can earn.
Described as introverted and selectively mute with odd streaks of gray in her otherwise jet black hair, Phaet leaves behind her younger brother, sister, and best friend Umbriel (who has an unrequited love for our young heroine) and begins her training for the Militia, during which time she meets a cast of characters who come to respect her (Nash, Vinasa, Orion, Eri), a handful of enemies from a powerful upper class (Jupiter, Callisto), and -- naturally -- a mysterious boy who's at the top of his game, aiming for the top rank (who, purportedly due to being present during her mother's arrest, feels guilty and helps Phaet with training on the side and who kinda sorta maybe might like her, because every YA story nowadays seems to have some sort of love triangle in it).
I'll stop here to avoid spoilers, but if any of this description sounds familiar to you, don't be surprised. It's essentially a hybrid mix of Red Rising (which is admittedly more violent, told from the POV of an older teenage boy, and set on Mars), Divergent (girl has to train to achieve a high enough rank to stay in her militia-esque new faction), Harry Potter (rich kids are generally the enemies), and The Hunger Games (distant mother, helpless younger sister, teenage girl only a year older than Phaet sent off to a fight to the death with other teenagers, but spends time training and honing her skills beforehand).
It's commendable that the author chose a person of color as the main character, and even that she hinted at themes of racism briefly (Phaet and Yinha, both being of Asian decent, endure some verbal put-downs from one of the wealthier characters/enemies) but that really didn't get fleshed out. Nor did Phaet's selective-mutism really have the impact I was hoping for. The book seemed more about other peoples' comments about Phaet's mutism than Phaet actually being mute (since she speaks plenty throughout the story and doesn't seem to struggle to form words like selectively-mute people often seem to). I'm autistic, and the idea of reading about a character like myself was appealing. Ultimately, I don't get the sense that Phaet was meant to portray someone with autism though, and overall, the story seemed a little aimless. Once Phaet ends her Militia training, the story pinballs from one horrible situation to another very quickly without enough backstory or credibility to keep me from being surprised at its ultimate, underwhelming climax.
Maybe the author was just trying to put too much story in too few pages. It probably also didn't help that I had a hard time connecting with Phaet, a character who seems to just let things happen to her (some of which involve her being supremely lucky).
Characters who did interest me though: Wes and, through his descriptions, Murray. Heck, even Phaet's younger brother Cygnus was more interesting to me as a character. But Wes, definitely. I can't help but feel that reading this story from his point of view would have been far more interesting. This is a character who had a goal (yeah, Phaet's trying to free her mother, but even when she's saying she has no other choice but to do it, it's said with a sense of uninspired duty, rather than feeling like there's really much at stake at all for her personally), who was concerned about getting close to others for a justifiable reason. And Cygnus's hacker backstory also probably would've held my interest more.
Ultimately, I'm giving this a 3 star rating since I think the plot could've been tighter and made more sense, and Phaet could've been more realistic and interesting as a character. I think a lot of people (especially younger readers) will be able to see past these issues though and enjoy the story. For me, I'm about 50/50 as to whether I'd be willing to read book 2. For free, sure, but given what I've read so far, I wouldn't pay to read more (unless the second book is told from Wes' point of view or something).
readingstewardess's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advanced reader's copy of this from Penguin's First to Read Program.
Karen Bao's new book, "Dove Arising", tells the story of Phaet Theta, a young girl who has grown up on the moon and has barely uttered a word to anyone, including her family members and closest friends, since her Father's death years before. When Phaet arrives home one day to discover that her Mom is being transported away to the infirmary due to a supposed high fever, Phaet takes it upon herself to enlist in the Militia in order to save her younger siblings from a life in the less than livable conditions of Shelter. Unbeknownst to Phaet at the time, her mother has actually been arrested and charged with flagrant and harmful propaganda against the government system in which they live.
As Phaet finds herself graduating from the Militia and placed in the highest military ranking position to have ever been bestowed upon a graduate, let alone one so young, Phaet must join forces with her classmate and number 2 in the class, a young boy she is not entirely sure she can completely trust.
Although "Dove Arising' started off a little slow for me, found that once Phaet had enlisted in the Militia and begun her training that things began to pick up and I became hooked. I loved the fact that I was never sure of where things were leading or what was going to happen next. The twists, turns and surprises continued and did not disappoint. I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, but this story really appealed to me and I look forward to reading the rest of the series as I highly anticipate it getting even better as the story and choices Phaet faces and must make continue to unfold.
Overall ranking 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Karen Bao's new book, "Dove Arising", tells the story of Phaet Theta, a young girl who has grown up on the moon and has barely uttered a word to anyone, including her family members and closest friends, since her Father's death years before. When Phaet arrives home one day to discover that her Mom is being transported away to the infirmary due to a supposed high fever, Phaet takes it upon herself to enlist in the Militia in order to save her younger siblings from a life in the less than livable conditions of Shelter. Unbeknownst to Phaet at the time, her mother has actually been arrested and charged with flagrant and harmful propaganda against the government system in which they live.
As Phaet finds herself graduating from the Militia and placed in the highest military ranking position to have ever been bestowed upon a graduate, let alone one so young, Phaet must join forces with her classmate and number 2 in the class, a young boy she is not entirely sure she can completely trust.
Although "Dove Arising' started off a little slow for me, found that once Phaet had enlisted in the Militia and begun her training that things began to pick up and I became hooked. I loved the fact that I was never sure of where things were leading or what was going to happen next. The twists, turns and surprises continued and did not disappoint. I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, but this story really appealed to me and I look forward to reading the rest of the series as I highly anticipate it getting even better as the story and choices Phaet faces and must make continue to unfold.
Overall ranking 3.5 out of 5 stars.
alicantspell's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
leahjanespeare's review against another edition
4.0
Great debut book! Some things I liked:
Phaet doesn’t talk much. She created more ways of communication to make up for her lack of dialogue; a type of sign language with her friend. About half of the book is Phaet in Militia training. In this way it's similar to Divergent, but yet with all the fight training, Phaet manages to stay her quiet and unassuming self, which is different than what happened to Tris.
There’s a lot of centering on family, Phaet joins the Militia to save her mom, her sister and brother are very close to her. They aren’t characters swept to the side. From the YA I’ve read, this is an unusual occurrence. They’re all very involved in the story/plot.
The romance (of which there is next to none) took a completely different direction than I anticipated. Phaet is on the younger side of YA, only 15, but her best friend, Umbriel, is at this point just that, even though I got a lot of Hunger-Games-Gale feeling from it. A necessary co-dependency that has come from their two families being so close. Wes on the other hand, seems like he is going to become the other point to a possible triangle, yet comes to call her something like his little sister...I'm really interested to see how things play out.
Halfway through, I thought I had figured things out in Dove Arising. But nope, at pretty much every turn, she kept surprising me. This was a breath of fresh air for the YA dystopian/sci-fi genre, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Phaet doesn’t talk much. She created more ways of communication to make up for her lack of dialogue; a type of sign language with her friend. About half of the book is Phaet in Militia training. In this way it's similar to Divergent, but yet with all the fight training, Phaet manages to stay her quiet and unassuming self, which is different than what happened to Tris.
There’s a lot of centering on family, Phaet joins the Militia to save her mom, her sister and brother are very close to her. They aren’t characters swept to the side. From the YA I’ve read, this is an unusual occurrence. They’re all very involved in the story/plot.
The romance (of which there is next to none) took a completely different direction than I anticipated. Phaet is on the younger side of YA, only 15, but her best friend, Umbriel, is at this point just that, even though I got a lot of Hunger-Games-Gale feeling from it. A necessary co-dependency that has come from their two families being so close. Wes on the other hand, seems like he is going to become the other point to a possible triangle, yet comes to call her something like his little sister...I'm really interested to see how things play out.
Halfway through, I thought I had figured things out in Dove Arising. But nope, at pretty much every turn, she kept surprising me. This was a breath of fresh air for the YA dystopian/sci-fi genre, and I can't wait to see what happens next!