Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

42 reviews

pandemonicbaby's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

4.75

Really enjoyed this book!! Reading it felt like watching a space-themed slice-of-life anime. I really liked getting to know all of the characters and their quirks, and the lore was surprisingly expansive and very interesting. Will read more books from this series in the future!!
The fact that I really enjoyed this book just goes to show how I should pay attention to all the lesbian space operas my high school english teacher recommends. She never misses I fear

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Body horror, Xenophobia, War, Gore, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

Minor: Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Vomit, Colonisation, Medical content, and Alcohol

there is a scene where a character is beaten up while being incarcerated, but it is short. Another character has a chronic illness, caused by a virus with which they are infected. There is also a scene where the main characters' ship is seized by pirates, and they threaten the ship's crew with guns and knock out the captain.

_david_'s review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

For the first time in a long while I cried while reading. Not only that, but I cried twice withing half an hour. First in a sad way, then in a happy way.

I cannot remember any book who had this many rounded characters written in such an excellent way. The whole crew of the Wayfarer was made up out of characters who each had their own unique stories and personalities. Each character was put in the spotlight multiple times without it feeling jarring.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Grief, Confinement, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Death

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Incest, War, Xenophobia, Dementia, Drug use, Gun violence, and Medical content

There is a main characters with a big focus on their clan being led by a religion/cult. The present main belief is quite similar to anti-vaccination/medicine mindsets. Character's name

Ohan/Sianat pair

How the arch goes

the main cast meets people who questioned the religion and now went against its beliefs and feel free. Ohan sticks with their belief, this leads to them almost dying. When they're about to die, somebody gives them a medicine and forces Ohan to give up their religion. Ohan is happy about it afterwards.

sitic's review

hopeful reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I think this book struggles with some people due to it's marketing. This is very.. cozy. This is not really exciting, or adventurous. This is a story about a group of people who travel together. It's focus is on shifting Points of View- seeing how humans see aliens, and each other, and how aliens see humans. If you want a story where conflict is generally wrapped up relatively fast, this is for you. If you want a novel were people think about how others love differently- this is for you. There's probably 4x as much content about love and families as their is violence or disquiet. IT's about found family, and people who have learned to make their way in a sometimes uncaring environment. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Colonisation, and Drug use

Minor: War, Vomit, Violence, and Xenophobia

bruhbruh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, War, Gun violence, Body shaming, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Sexual content and Child death

bergha1998's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

Like everything I’ve read so far by Becky Chambers this book will make you feel more understood and also expand your mind. It’s delightfully funny and lighthearted at times and then so breathtakingly deep and emotional. I didn’t know Sci-fi or any book that wasn’t self-help would make me feel so understood. Perfection. 

Found Family, Romance Subplots

“We cannot blame ourselves for the wars our parents start. Sometimes the very best thing we can do is walk away.”

“You found something dark within your own house, and you are wondering how much of it has rubbed off on you.”

“The truth is, Rosemary, that you are capable of anything. Good or bad. You always have been, and you always will be. Given the right push, you, too, could do horrible things. That darkness exists within all of us.”

“All any of us can do—is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”

“How much of me is actually you?”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Drug use, Colonisation, Confinement, Racial slurs, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Police brutality, and War

mobymaize's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-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

5.0

Damn this shit is so good. I really like a sci-fi universe that is built around the people in it, and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet provides. :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Religious bigotry, War, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol, Gun violence, Outing, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Torture

Moderate: Blood and Child death

arinheck's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Violence, Racial slurs, and Medical content

Minor: Ableism, Colonisation, Drug use, and Alcohol

puckeverlasting's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Was obsessed with "A Psalm for the Wild Built," and came to this one after. It took me a bit longer to get into, but once I did I was hooked. So many warm and cozy feelings, but it doesn't shy away from complex topics and conversations. First time for quite a while that I've cried multiple times while reading. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, War, Colonisation, Racism, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Classism

abookwormspov's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical content, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, and Chronic illness

ekcd_'s review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

The characters are lovable but only because they designed to be lovable. As a result they come off as unrealistic and one dimensional. Even the cantankerous foil to the other sickly sweet personas on board is given a tragic backstory designed to inspire the reader to love him. 

It’s an incredibly slow book, plot wise, and the few plot events we do see dont make sense. The characters have odd reactions - socially and culturally. And god knows Becky Chambers lives to talk about how different all her aliens are. There is a weird fixation on sex and sexual differences in the book which could have been a fun exploration in sexuality if it was done well but instead it felt like she was patting herself on the back for coming up with such sexually diverse races/species. Several times in the book she says outright “yeah XYZ is so different from humans” and like that’s it. 

I feel like I read a different book than all the critics (formal and informal) who have such high praise. This read like a YA novel or children’s cartoon that feeds the reader emotions with a spoon. I’m fact, most of the world building in general is fed to the reader with a spoon- it’s explicit and heavy handed OR it’s nonsense words that are never explained or expanded on. It’s clear the author uses letters and characters who are librarians to shoehorn in world building she wasn’t creative enough to build into the narrative. No nuance, no complexity. Just a feel good mill, which I personally do not like. I want moral ambiguity and conflict in my space opera. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Deadnaming, Police brutality, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, War, Death, Genocide, and Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Blood