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adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book felt like taking a deep breath, then pushing out all of your air and holding yourself there.
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers is a standalone novella told from the perspective of an astronaut sent on a voyage with three other people to assess the lifeforms on distant planets. This book, like most sci-fi, is set in the future at a time where those on Earth are dealing with the ramifications of global warming, and the crew we follow is part of a small group of people who are doing space travel purely for the sake of science. I can’t say too much about the plot because there isn’t much, but despite that, the author does a great job of making you feel for characters who represent such a small proportion of humans. Despite being a book about astronauts, this book isn’t really an adventure. It reflects on humanity, questions what it means to serve humanity, and emphasizes how much unknown there is. The ending is inconclusive, but in a way that makes you speculate on what could happen, not in a way that is annoying. I finished this book a few days ago, and I am still thinking about the ending. There is also good, casual representation of the LGBTQ+ community (asexual, transgender, bisexual, and lesbian characters) as well which is a plus. If you want to read something as a short break from a series or like to read sci-fi for the possibility of what could be rather than the technology, I would recommend picking this story up.
4.5 out of 5 stars
"we exist where we begin, yet to remain there is death"
Interesting premise - character driven sci-fi. I liked how the crew of the Meridian sought to explore life on unchartered worlds without trying to establish dominance.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.25⭐️ It was just ok. Though I do really appreciate the immense research Becky did for the book, however the plot was slow and the ending was fine..it was a fine read.
I do know this book is very beloved, but maybe because it was so science-heavy and less character-based: I wasn’t really interested in the scope/questions the book had to offer. If you prefer a more character-focused book that’s similar, Orbital is a good rec…(imo at least😅)
I do know this book is very beloved, but maybe because it was so science-heavy and less character-based: I wasn’t really interested in the scope/questions the book had to offer. If you prefer a more character-focused book that’s similar, Orbital is a good rec…(imo at least😅)