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ladydamonayde's review against another edition
5.0
This book was an ARC I received as a Goodreads giveaway
Honestly it was an amazing book. The tagline of it being like Guardians of the Galaxy and Firefly had my sold early on, and from page one the story took off. I loved Cora and Elio right off the bat, Wren was awesome and Anders stole my heart. Fast paced adventure of high stakes cons, double cross, redemption and love. I hope she writes a dozen more about this crew.
Honestly it was an amazing book. The tagline of it being like Guardians of the Galaxy and Firefly had my sold early on, and from page one the story took off. I loved Cora and Elio right off the bat, Wren was awesome and Anders stole my heart. Fast paced adventure of high stakes cons, double cross, redemption and love. I hope she writes a dozen more about this crew.
piratenami's review
4.0
More of a 3.5 - the plot was a little predictable, but I liked the characters and would like to see the author do more with them.
xsparky126x's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.75
bookish_penguin's review against another edition
3.0
I have conflicted feelings about The Good For Nothings.
On the one hand, I think this book contains some incredibly complex and interesting characters. I especially loved Wren, who is a good twist on the common cocky boy trope. In the few books that do have confident female characters, they unfortunately tend to come across more pretentious, but Danielle Banas managed to pull Wren off perfectly.
Elio was also a fun character, his odd mannerisms really adding to the story.
The relationships in this book were also fantastic, especially Cora's desperate need to please her parents, no matter the way they treat her, something I'm sure resonates with many readers.
But on the other hand I felt the plot was lacking. The sci-fi genre is tricky to write, because almost all share the same basic plot of an object that can't fall into the hands of the wrong person, and this book was the same.
Though there were many exhilarating fight scenes, everything came too easy for a crew who are meant to only be good at being bad. There were too many coincidences that helped the characters along the way.
I also thought that for a comedy, this book was lacking in humour. Then, in the few cases it was funny, it was trying too hard. Entire pages were dedicated to the lead up of a single joke.
Overall this was a mediocre book that was made slightly better by the interesting and different characters.
On the one hand, I think this book contains some incredibly complex and interesting characters. I especially loved Wren, who is a good twist on the common cocky boy trope. In the few books that do have confident female characters, they unfortunately tend to come across more pretentious, but Danielle Banas managed to pull Wren off perfectly.
Elio was also a fun character, his odd mannerisms really adding to the story.
The relationships in this book were also fantastic, especially Cora's desperate need to please her parents, no matter the way they treat her, something I'm sure resonates with many readers.
But on the other hand I felt the plot was lacking. The sci-fi genre is tricky to write, because almost all share the same basic plot of an object that can't fall into the hands of the wrong person, and this book was the same.
Though there were many exhilarating fight scenes, everything came too easy for a crew who are meant to only be good at being bad. There were too many coincidences that helped the characters along the way.
I also thought that for a comedy, this book was lacking in humour. Then, in the few cases it was funny, it was trying too hard. Entire pages were dedicated to the lead up of a single joke.
Overall this was a mediocre book that was made slightly better by the interesting and different characters.
nerdynatreads's review against another edition
tbh, I'm so ready for vacation and my june tbr that I'm kind of bordering on a slump and just not that interested.
hannahsophialin's review against another edition
4.0
The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.This is such a delightful and fun read set in space.
The Good for Nothings is packed with snark and sass set in space that I ended up enjoying way more than I thought I would. When Cora lands herself in prison after a heist with good intentions (and to prove to her family she can fit in) goes wrong, she's given a chance at freedom and a clean record if she, along with her new cell companions, find a legendary treasure giving immortality that is only rumored to exist.
But Cora accepts the chance to be free, and especially at a chance to give her robot best friend Elio, a body that won't glitch. (And if you want my opinion, I'd do the same in Cora's shoes, because Elio is charming as hell.)
The characters are lovable and adorable.
You might not like them at first, but by the end of reading Banas' book, you'll probably want to be friends with all of them. Here's a run-down of our group of criminals in The Good for Nothings:
~ Anders - supposedly violent, but secretly warm and fuzzy who likes lollipops and meat
~ Cora - just trying her best and wanting to fit in her family to no avail (according to her mother, with the silent agreement from her father)
~ Elio - the cutest robot who glitches and beeps but also wants to be as human as possible like smelling milkshakes and food (good choice, not gonna lie)
~ Wren - overly chatty and probably rambles if you're in the same room, which can be annoying, but secretly she's a nice softie who's good at stealing things when no one can notice
They all have good intentions and hearts, and it was fun seeing them develop a friendship and bond with each other as they uncover the clues to find the pieces that would lead them to the treasure. Personally, Anders was hard to warm up to at first because he's just there when Cora first lands in Ironside prison on the planet of Andilly, but he grew on me quickly as the group set off on their adventure across multiple galaxies.
The Good for Nothings is, overall, a charming book perfect for who want a heist set in space with the found family trope among characters who probably wouldn't be friends in other circumstances.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.
The Good for Nothings is packed with snark and sass set in space that I ended up enjoying way more than I thought I would. When Cora lands herself in prison after a heist with good intentions (and to prove to her family she can fit in) goes wrong, she's given a chance at freedom and a clean record if she, along with her new cell companions, find a legendary treasure giving immortality that is only rumored to exist.
But Cora accepts the chance to be free, and especially at a chance to give her robot best friend Elio, a body that won't glitch. (And if you want my opinion, I'd do the same in Cora's shoes, because Elio is charming as hell.)
The characters are lovable and adorable.
You might not like them at first, but by the end of reading Banas' book, you'll probably want to be friends with all of them. Here's a run-down of our group of criminals in The Good for Nothings:
~ Anders - supposedly violent, but secretly warm and fuzzy who likes lollipops and meat
~ Cora - just trying her best and wanting to fit in her family to no avail (according to her mother, with the silent agreement from her father)
~ Elio - the cutest robot who glitches and beeps but also wants to be as human as possible like smelling milkshakes and food (good choice, not gonna lie)
~ Wren - overly chatty and probably rambles if you're in the same room, which can be annoying, but secretly she's a nice softie who's good at stealing things when no one can notice
They all have good intentions and hearts, and it was fun seeing them develop a friendship and bond with each other as they uncover the clues to find the pieces that would lead them to the treasure. Personally, Anders was hard to warm up to at first because he's just there when Cora first lands in Ironside prison on the planet of Andilly, but he grew on me quickly as the group set off on their adventure across multiple galaxies.
The Good for Nothings is, overall, a charming book perfect for who want a heist set in space with the found family trope among characters who probably wouldn't be friends in other circumstances.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.
gg_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I have conflicted feelings about The Good For Nothings.
On the one hand, I think this book contains some incredibly complex and interesting characters. I especially loved Wren, who is a good twist on the common cocky boy trope. In the few books that do have confident female characters, they unfortunately tend to come across more pretentious, but Danielle Banas managed to pull Wren off perfectly.
Elio was also a fun character, his odd mannerisms really adding to the story.
The relationships in this book were also fantastic, especially Cora's desperate need to please her parents, no matter the way they treat her, something I'm sure resonates with many readers.
But on the other hand I felt the plot was lacking. The sci-fi genre is tricky to write, because almost all share the same basic plot of an object that can't fall into the hands of the wrong person, and this book was the same.
Though there were many exhilarating fight scenes, everything came too easy for a crew who are meant to only be good at being bad. There were too many coincidences that helped the characters along the way.
I also thought that for a comedy, this book was lacking in humour. Then, in the few cases it was funny, it was trying too hard. Entire pages were dedicated to the lead up of a single joke.
Overall this was a mediocre book that was made slightly better by the interesting and different characters.
On the one hand, I think this book contains some incredibly complex and interesting characters. I especially loved Wren, who is a good twist on the common cocky boy trope. In the few books that do have confident female characters, they unfortunately tend to come across more pretentious, but Danielle Banas managed to pull Wren off perfectly.
Elio was also a fun character, his odd mannerisms really adding to the story.
The relationships in this book were also fantastic, especially Cora's desperate need to please her parents, no matter the way they treat her, something I'm sure resonates with many readers.
But on the other hand I felt the plot was lacking. The sci-fi genre is tricky to write, because almost all share the same basic plot of an object that can't fall into the hands of the wrong person, and this book was the same.
Though there were many exhilarating fight scenes, everything came too easy for a crew who are meant to only be good at being bad. There were too many coincidences that helped the characters along the way.
I also thought that for a comedy, this book was lacking in humour. Then, in the few cases it was funny, it was trying too hard. Entire pages were dedicated to the lead up of a single joke.
Overall this was a mediocre book that was made slightly better by the interesting and different characters.
saviorcomplexdiehard's review against another edition
4.0
One whole star is entirely attributed to Anders
nataliesboooks's review against another edition
3.0
Not as funny as I was expecting, and I didn’t really care for the main character Cora. She is constantly thinking about betraying Wren and Anders, and while I understood that she came from a horrible family where backstabbing was common, it made her hard to like. Elio gave me vibes of Iko from the Lunar Chronicles and Anders reminded me of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy.
However, the plot relied heavily on the group stumbling into the right place at the right time, and I wasn’t invested in the story as I could have been.
However, the plot relied heavily on the group stumbling into the right place at the right time, and I wasn’t invested in the story as I could have been.
cordiallybarbara's review against another edition
5.0
On a scale of cotton candy to Brussels sprouts, The Good for Nothings is a jelly-filled donut. The powdered sugar is delicious but messy, and the jelly brings that tangy, sweet flavor to action.
Cora Saros has always felt like an outsider in her family, especially trying to keep up with their intergalactic burglary and smuggling; Elio, her bot, is the only one who gets her. Her expertise lends itself more to the technical side of things, and when her devious mother Evelina tasks her and Elio with the diversion for a heist, everything explodes in Cora's face. Elio's glitching more than ever, and Cora doesn't have the funds to purchase the necessary items to fix him.
I found out about Pittsburgh author Danielle Banas when she held the @peopleoftheburgh Instagram handle, and when I saw that she wrote YA sci-fi, my interest was immediately piqued. A few clicks later, and I had an order confirmation for The Good for Nothings.
I loved The Good for Nothings. Danielle Banas created relatable characters with believable patterns for how they related to each other. As the character who started out not trusting each other or caring about each other journeyed together for the treasure, their interactions changed gradually and believably. Despite traversing the universe, I felt grounded as a reader and never lost where we were geographically. Danielle Banas crafted a universe with scary bad guys, lovable misfits, and white knuckle adventure.
If you love YA and sci-fi with lots of friendship and a tiny bit of romance, The Good for Nothings is for you!
Cora Saros has always felt like an outsider in her family, especially trying to keep up with their intergalactic burglary and smuggling; Elio, her bot, is the only one who gets her. Her expertise lends itself more to the technical side of things, and when her devious mother Evelina tasks her and Elio with the diversion for a heist, everything explodes in Cora's face. Elio's glitching more than ever, and Cora doesn't have the funds to purchase the necessary items to fix him.
I found out about Pittsburgh author Danielle Banas when she held the @peopleoftheburgh Instagram handle, and when I saw that she wrote YA sci-fi, my interest was immediately piqued. A few clicks later, and I had an order confirmation for The Good for Nothings.
I loved The Good for Nothings. Danielle Banas created relatable characters with believable patterns for how they related to each other. As the character who started out not trusting each other or caring about each other journeyed together for the treasure, their interactions changed gradually and believably. Despite traversing the universe, I felt grounded as a reader and never lost where we were geographically. Danielle Banas crafted a universe with scary bad guys, lovable misfits, and white knuckle adventure.
If you love YA and sci-fi with lots of friendship and a tiny bit of romance, The Good for Nothings is for you!