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silvani's review against another edition
4.0
The concepts are great - super interesting and original. The execution is okay. The pacing is good, the descriptions can be a little clunky, and there are some parts that I don't think aged well.
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For a book written 24 years ago, it is frightening how it seemed to predict a few things that actually came to pass. Thankfully, not every event portrayed took place but somehow I still feel like we are close to where the book finds us in 2019. After a series of natural disasters, tensions between white Americans and POC have intensified and a majority of the country is living in poverty. Into this a small band of people are called to help a woman they don't know. I liked the concept, though the writing is a bit amateur and I cringed when I read "he screamed like a woman." So while the story and writing could use a bit of polish, it is an interesting story and worth the read.
nimrodiel's review against another edition
5.0
Levar Burton's books have been the source of much book angst over the years every time we see them in the bookstore. I've picked this off the shelves and put it back so many times rather than be disappointed like some of the other sci-fi books written by Star Trek stars *coughWilliamShattnercough*
I'm glad that I finally got a chance to read this one. It is very reminiscent to the directions that our world has been leaning. The recent economic crisis, on top of the vote next week to see if the country will have its first African-American President, and even the earthquake that happened this spring on the Madrid Fault here in the Mid-West (while not at the scale in this story it was a wake up call that bad things could happen) all popped into my mind while reading through the intro to the story. However, I have faith that discord such as this won't happen in the here and now for the same reasons.
It was a very dark look at the way the world could change just like *snaps* that. While I didn't find it as strong of a story as Octavia Butler's Parable of a Sower it was a very good book. I finished it in two bus trips to and from school and work.
I'm glad to say that this was a good famous author experience and I'm really glad to have read this. Now to see what else he has written *grin*
I'm glad that I finally got a chance to read this one. It is very reminiscent to the directions that our world has been leaning. The recent economic crisis, on top of the vote next week to see if the country will have its first African-American President, and even the earthquake that happened this spring on the Madrid Fault here in the Mid-West (while not at the scale in this story it was a wake up call that bad things could happen) all popped into my mind while reading through the intro to the story. However, I have faith that discord such as this won't happen in the here and now for the same reasons.
It was a very dark look at the way the world could change just like *snaps* that. While I didn't find it as strong of a story as Octavia Butler's Parable of a Sower it was a very good book. I finished it in two bus trips to and from school and work.
I'm glad to say that this was a good famous author experience and I'm really glad to have read this. Now to see what else he has written *grin*
readlovelisten's review against another edition
3.0
This was one of the most confusing books that I have ever read. It had an overall good back story but most of the time I was lost. I enjoyed it but this is definitely an out there book. It could make an interesting show or tv movie.
brittlaux's review against another edition
3.0
This was a DNF and a huge disappointment. The premise was exciting, and who doesn’t love LeVar Burton?! But... way too many issues (mishandled triggering content) and a lot of shock and awe going on.
artk_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very interesting book with some great concepts... I love the characters and their diversity. I would love to read more by Mr. Burton, please and thank you! What's scary about this book is to see how easily our world could be plunged into another race war. This book could come true, we must be careful.
vapblack's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book that I pick up every couple years. I'm so happy that Levar Burton was able to get this book out of his mind.
It has everything that I love in Scifi.
Powerful Black women
Future tech
Realist depictions of racism and race futurism
There were no moments of boredum. I can't wait to forget major aspects of the plot so I can read it again.
Check out my video review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pubD6ZGqO4Y
It has everything that I love in Scifi.
Powerful Black women
Future tech
Realist depictions of racism and race futurism
There were no moments of boredum. I can't wait to forget major aspects of the plot so I can read it again.
Check out my video review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pubD6ZGqO4Y
apostrophen's review against another edition
3.0
Basically, a scientist has found a way to direct the neural energies of the brain, thorugh a device, to make the body learn to heal itself. A small side effect in a few rare cases is psychic ability, and very rarely telepathy, but she keeps that to herself. This is in the future, and set on a terribly ravaged earth where racial lines were drawn and crossed and basically the US of A went belly-up and people are poor, homeless and terrible in most places. The ozone depletion has caused a significant rise in skin-cancer among caucasians especially, which leads to skin grafting from african american folk (and skin-thieves who run around basically skinning people to death and collecting the skin for grafts... ew).
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