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pagesofash's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
coleycole's review against another edition
4.0
Super enjoyable YA queer and cool af space epic. Haven't read much YA lately and I'll definitely come back for the sequel. I really enjoy Charlie Jane Anders work.
gizmoto16's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
hneite's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.25
melissaalgood's review against another edition
3.0
I think my hopes were too high, because her book all the birds in the sky is one of my favorites of all time…I’m reread that one instead of finishing the series.
tricapra's review against another edition
3.0
OK, so let me start by saying that this was adorable. YA is definitely not my thing and I have a ton of criticism ready to go after this paragraph, but first and foremost, if I was a young teen reading Scifi, I would be so happy to have this. I love Charlie Jane Anders and I think she's set up something lovely here.
Unfortunately, Anders has dumbed down her charming prose in favor of something that feels at times like a parody of tumblrspeak. Maybe this tested well and it's what teens like! However, I was hoping for something more akin to The City In the Middle of the Night, which could've been accessible to teens as it was, without any compromise. I don't know who is failing her here, but I felt that she made her world/prose/book lesser in pursuit of a younger audience, when that didn't need to happen. That aside, there were some issues with pacing and exposition dumps that weren't my favorite.
The cast is super inclusive and I loved that our heroes had relatable mental health issues, and that they spent an appropriate amount of time grappling with adjusting to suddenly being humans in space. The world building was fun and I liked the repeated interrogation of the Royal Army's motives and behaviors.
I'll continue to check out everything that Anders writes, I'll pick up a copy of this for my niece when its released for sure.
Unfortunately, Anders has dumbed down her charming prose in favor of something that feels at times like a parody of tumblrspeak. Maybe this tested well and it's what teens like! However, I was hoping for something more akin to The City In the Middle of the Night, which could've been accessible to teens as it was, without any compromise. I don't know who is failing her here, but I felt that she made her world/prose/book lesser in pursuit of a younger audience, when that didn't need to happen. That aside, there were some issues with pacing and exposition dumps that weren't my favorite.
The cast is super inclusive and I loved that our heroes had relatable mental health issues, and that they spent an appropriate amount of time grappling with adjusting to suddenly being humans in space. The world building was fun and I liked the repeated interrogation of the Royal Army's motives and behaviors.
I'll continue to check out everything that Anders writes, I'll pick up a copy of this for my niece when its released for sure.
amlibera's review against another edition
3.0
Probably more like 3.5 stars.
There's a lot to like here, interesting and complex world-building, character diversity of all kinds (and the central teenage characters are genuinely complex in this way), there's a kindness here that is a bit reminiscent of Becky Chambers books. It reads much longer than it is, I read it on Kindle and I was surprised to see that it was only 288 pages.
There's a lot to like here, interesting and complex world-building, character diversity of all kinds (and the central teenage characters are genuinely complex in this way), there's a kindness here that is a bit reminiscent of Becky Chambers books. It reads much longer than it is, I read it on Kindle and I was surprised to see that it was only 288 pages.
books4susie's review against another edition
3.0
A little disappointed in this book but I didn't quit. Unfortunately it didn't hold my attention and I would get confused about what was happening. Took me forever to get through the audio version
armeenix's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This was the first really diverse book I had read and it is also a book that I could re-read over, and over, and over again. Although the booked is short the author still gave us so much background and plot. I LOVEEEEEDDD all of the main characters, they were fun, emotional,complex and so much more, overall an amazing,inclusive, and diverse book!