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kappafrog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a tough book to get through. It was way more violent and dark than most of what I read. I wanted to see it through because I was really interested in seeing a sci-fi story told from the perspective of Virgin Islanders. And there was a lot of good stuff in here - Turnbull had some really moving character moments and managed to convincingly portray a range of perspectives about the Ynaa. It was an approach to first contact that was unlike any I'd read before.
My main issue though, besides the compatibility issues mentioned above, is that there was too much left unclear about the aliens by the end of the book.How did Mera escape punishment from the other Ynaa? What was she trying to do to Derrick's body in the "dreams" Patrice saw? But on a much bigger level - what was the everlasting life (Yn Altaa), why could it be condensed in a blue pearl, why did it take hundreds of years of research for Mera to develop, and why was Earth the only planet where it could be found out of countless others the Ynaa searched? Those last questions also make it hard for me to see this as a great analogy for colonialism, since they don't seem applicable at all in human colonialism, slavery, etc.
I had a nagging issue with the worldbuilding - fair enough that the aliens decide to stay in the Virgin Islands, but why were other world governments completely absent from the story? It's really hard to imagine that the rest of the world wouldn't be crowding into the islands to get better access to the aliens. On the flip side, the worldbuilding around Mera's history on the island was really interesting. Although I never felt satisfied in finding out the reasons she was doing what she was doing, it was interesting piecing things together alongside characters like Jackson and Henrietta.
I appreciated reading a book from a perspective totally different from most of what I read. Seeing the Caribbean from the eyes of local people instead of tourists is really interesting. There were a lot of great ideas in this book, but for me, they didn't all form a cohesive whole. I'm interested to see what more this author writes, though this was way too violent for me so I hope his future work is less so!
My main issue though, besides the compatibility issues mentioned above, is that there was too much left unclear about the aliens by the end of the book.
I had a nagging issue with the worldbuilding - fair enough that the aliens decide to stay in the Virgin Islands, but why were other world governments completely absent from the story? It's really hard to imagine that the rest of the world wouldn't be crowding into the islands to get better access to the aliens. On the flip side, the worldbuilding around Mera's history on the island was really interesting. Although I never felt satisfied in finding out the reasons she was doing what she was doing, it was interesting piecing things together alongside characters like Jackson and Henrietta.
I appreciated reading a book from a perspective totally different from most of what I read. Seeing the Caribbean from the eyes of local people instead of tourists is really interesting. There were a lot of great ideas in this book, but for me, they didn't all form a cohesive whole. I'm interested to see what more this author writes, though this was way too violent for me so I hope his future work is less so!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Animal death, Genocide, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Murder, Slavery, Torture, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Classism, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Police brutality
catapocalypse's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was an enjoyable read about alien first contact, invasions, power dynamics, and balancing individual wants with those of others around you, all set in the US Virgin Islands. I found the alien Ynaa race and their tech compelling, felt invested in most of the characters, and enjoyed the unique setting. I think most mainland Americans know little to nothing about the US Virgin Islands, myself included, which is shameful.
I felt a few things could have been further fleshed out, including a few of the POV characters' stories, but this is still a strong all around read, for me! Though it is standalone at this time, I honestly would read a sequel about what happens to a few of the characters in the aftermath, and what a few decide to do going forward!
I felt a few things could have been further fleshed out, including a few of the POV characters' stories, but this is still a strong all around read, for me! Though it is standalone at this time, I honestly would read a sequel about what happens to a few of the characters in the aftermath, and what a few decide to do going forward!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Animal death
jojo_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
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