Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

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

39 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.

bzliz's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

I had a hard time connecting with this, not through any fault of its own. Becky Chambers’ writing was enjoyable enough but science fiction has always been a genre I don’t gravitate towards. I felt a little guilty taking as long as I did to finish the audiobook since others are waiting for it on Libby but I needed to see it through to the end. 

I liked the connection between the crew of the ship and the way they grew together. The way they coexist and learn how to relate to other species was interesting and I think it worked out in a positive way that made me feel like most of the characters had a satisfying arc. I didn’t mind the episodic feeling either. Each section of the book felt like it had a plot arc to complete while they completed their overall mission which finished with a bang. 

Where I got bogged down was trying to keep straight all the other species and planets that factored in. That’s always been a challenge for me with this genre and I’ve been trying to expand my reading pool but I’m certain if I’d been reading a physical copy, I would have DNF’d early on. If you’re at all like me, go with the audiobook for this one. 

I do think this is palatable enough for most people but anyone who goes in looking for big action sequences or the captain to be the big hero who saves the day will be disappointed. This book was much more a story of interpersonal relationships and a look at how our own prejudices can creep up on us. And although I did end up enjoying it, I won’t be continuing with the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Violence

Moderate: War, Drug use, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Medical content, and Vomit

caitythekitten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol

refrejarator's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

No joke, this is now my favourite book. I've never had one before, so this means a lot to me. 

The Long Way was refreshing, healing, humorous, and reflective in ways that made my heart hurt and my chest light. This is exactly what I needed in my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Hate crime, Medical content, Racial slurs, War, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

Racism and xenophobia is applied to extra terrestrial creatures, does not relate to POCs. There are neo pronouns and they/them pronouns as plural (significant to plot and not derogatory).

_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.

foxwish's review against another edition

How very underwhelming. I expected deep character analysis and I guess I don't understand what "cozy" is, because I don't consider the tackling of

terminal illness, being held up at gunpoint and being beaten by your captors

to be particularly comforting. I should've checked the content warnings for this book more closely.

The characters mostly had only one or two character traits, and anytime a minor communication issue occurred it was solved mostly off screen. The main thing I liked about this book was the budding romance between the alien and human, and basically anytime there was a focus on Sissix. 

I just got too bored to finish it, really disappointed. I guess Wayfarers isn't for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Terminal illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Xenophobia

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

dev921's review

adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, War, Genocide, Grief, and Gun violence

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

maddie_can_read's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

I started off really enjoying this book. I liked the writing and the characterization and thought the set-up was interesting. I was intrigued by what Rosemary did to end up with the crew. I liked the worldbuilding descriptions. I was curious what would happen on their space journey. 

But then it just started to slog in the middle. I thought there would be more of a plot, more tension.. I just felt bored. I thought we'd get to know the characters better but they were all just super nice and very 2 dimensional. The vibe was very like overly happy/ juvenile? But then there was lots of sex talk/ alcohol talk/ mild drug use talk which I didn't think meshed very well. 

Kizzy was a little too manic-pixi dream girl for me. Rosemary was very non-descript. Ashby was too nice-guy, like to the extent he didn't want to get weapons even after they were space mugged? Why is Corbin an asshole? Just to balance everyone else being super nice? I thought the romance between Jenks and the ai Lovey was very intriguing but then the book never went into how they got together or why they liked each other or what attraction looks like to an AI? I liked the non-human characters Dr. Chef and Sissix. The sexual relationship between Sissix and Rosemary could have been interesting but it just seemed like Rosemary was being nice because Sissix's species likes being intimate with everyone? It seems like Rosemary just offers to have sex with Sissix because Rosemary feels bad which is a weird dynamic. Lovey the AI being reset didn't really have the emotional impact it could have because we didn't really get to know her outside of her relationship with Jenks which was barely developed. The ethical implications of Ashby healing Ohan without permission wasn't examined

.

I kept going because I thought the Rosemary reveal would lead to something. I was so disappointed by it. It was so boring and had no repercussions or consequences. It also felt like the author tricked us a bit because

she hadnt even done anything! It was her dad being a war criminal and she didn't know? And then that's not examined??

I liked the diversity of the characters and the inclusion of LGBTQ references

but I thought using neo-pronouns to refer to the space pirates that mug them in one scene was a little much in that it felt like it didn't really add anything to the book but it was just the author reminding the reader that neo-pronouns exist in real life

.

The rest of the book just felt really disconnected, just a series of unrelated scenes one after another. Felt kind of like I was just reading a bunch of vignettes with no stakes.

This book felt too cheesy and corny for me for how long it was and the lack of a tight plot. 

Like everyone on the ship is best friends, whatever tension there is, is extremely brief and resolved immediately. To the extent that any tension doesn't even feel like tension because you know everything will be ok because it's a book where the main characters have plot armor. 

The space bandits, the bombs in the ship, when Corbin is arrested and horribly abused, Jenks and Lovey deciding not to put Lovey in a body

 

Characters are just pouring their hearts out to one another, even characters that just met! 

The worst part about this book for me is that it took me a long time to realize what type of book this was. 

I almost did not finish at about 60% but I was listening to an audiobook while sick so I just put it on fast playback.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Deportation, Infertility, Racism, War, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Drug use, Slavery, Colonisation, Trafficking, Sexual content, and Racial slurs

plantdonut's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Police brutality

Moderate: Animal death and Cursing

Minor: Alcohol, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, War, Medical trauma, Genocide, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Racism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief