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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!
thebrokebookblog's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastically funny and adventurous book, THE GOOD FOR NOTHINGS is a great story about not-so-good thiefs trying to find one of the most coveted items in the known universe - an immortality serum. The characters' voices are so individualized and I thoroughly enjoyed every twist and turn. Please pick it up if you enjoy "Guardians of the Galaxy", "Ocean's Eleven", or other heist/action movies.
krys_and_books's review against another edition
4.0
The Good for Nothings by Danielle Banas is a fun space romp.
Cora, the daughter of well known crime lord family, struggles to fit into her family. During a job gone wrong she and her glitchy robot companion, Elio, get caught and placed in prison with two others. Wren is a human thief and Anders is a disgraced Andilly warrior.
There the warden makes a deal with Cora, if she can find the three keys, and the treasure he is searching for he’ll let her go. With not much time left for Elio, Cora agrees to hunt the fabled treasure with her strange cell mates. Along the way Cora learns that family is what you make of it and it doesn’t necessarily have to be blood, and goes in some pretty terrifying adventures, (that one planet was a giant death trap, no thanks).
***
This is a fun book full of hijinks, adventure, secrets, and finding yourself. Cora has only has one way to see the world, her crime family, and her new companions get her to start seeing things a new way, even if it starts based on a lie. Anders is a delight, and I need more of him.
This book could easily spin off into more, and if it does I will happily read them, but if not I will enjoy what I got which is a rag tag group of misfits and my favorite trope of all time, Found Family.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars out of 5)
Cora, the daughter of well known crime lord family, struggles to fit into her family. During a job gone wrong she and her glitchy robot companion, Elio, get caught and placed in prison with two others. Wren is a human thief and Anders is a disgraced Andilly warrior.
There the warden makes a deal with Cora, if she can find the three keys, and the treasure he is searching for he’ll let her go. With not much time left for Elio, Cora agrees to hunt the fabled treasure with her strange cell mates. Along the way Cora learns that family is what you make of it and it doesn’t necessarily have to be blood, and goes in some pretty terrifying adventures, (that one planet was a giant death trap, no thanks).
***
This is a fun book full of hijinks, adventure, secrets, and finding yourself. Cora has only has one way to see the world, her crime family, and her new companions get her to start seeing things a new way, even if it starts based on a lie. Anders is a delight, and I need more of him.
This book could easily spin off into more, and if it does I will happily read them, but if not I will enjoy what I got which is a rag tag group of misfits and my favorite trope of all time, Found Family.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars out of 5)
jcriddle3's review against another edition
4.0
**Won an ARC of this book in a giveaway. Thanks to Goodreads, the publisher, and the author for giving me the chance to get my hands on this book***
"An Earthan, two aliens, and a robot board a ship and take on the universe..."
A ragtag group of misfits, a treasure hunt, family drama, and space hijinks galore...what's not to love about this book. A quick and easy read.
I really enjoyed these characters, especially Elio. I am such a sucker for snarky, sarcastic robots and Elio fit this to a T. Many of his comments or interactions with the various characters we met throughout the book had me laughing. I think it almost got to the point where anytime his name was mentioned I started smiling because I knew he was bound to do/say something funny.
This book really showcases the idea of a found family. It isn't the family you are born into but instead the one you build/find for yourself. Several of our main characters have difficult home/family dynamics but through the family they form for themselves they learn what they are truly worth. They can embrace their faults and finally feel accepted.
"We are the best idiots for this job."
This is the 1st book I have read by this author but I find myself wanting to check out more of her work.
"An Earthan, two aliens, and a robot board a ship and take on the universe..."
A ragtag group of misfits, a treasure hunt, family drama, and space hijinks galore...what's not to love about this book. A quick and easy read.
I really enjoyed these characters, especially Elio. I am such a sucker for snarky, sarcastic robots and Elio fit this to a T. Many of his comments or interactions with the various characters we met throughout the book had me laughing. I think it almost got to the point where anytime his name was mentioned I started smiling because I knew he was bound to do/say something funny.
This book really showcases the idea of a found family. It isn't the family you are born into but instead the one you build/find for yourself. Several of our main characters have difficult home/family dynamics but through the family they form for themselves they learn what they are truly worth. They can embrace their faults and finally feel accepted.
"We are the best idiots for this job."
This is the 1st book I have read by this author but I find myself wanting to check out more of her work.
ania_star's review against another edition
5.0
That was so good!! I couldn't stop reading. :)
Cora is the daughter of a crime family, but she didn't exactly inherit the family's talents. She is the best at reading auras, and her inventions mostly work, but when her mother puts her in charge of distracting the guards at the huge job, she makes a complete mess out of it. To make up for it, and get back into the family's grace (mostly for the paycheck she desperately needs) she and her BF robot try to rob the family's next job a day before. Unfortunately, it goes horribly wrong and they end up in prison.
At failed escape plan, she bargains with the warden for their and their cellmates' release, in exchange for going on a treasure hunt.
Onboard of an ancient ship, Cora, Elio the robot, kleptomaniac Wren and disgraced soldier they call Anders, embark on an intergalactic treasure hunt.
It's such a fun story to read, it has a little bit of Lunar Chronicles vibe - which I love. :) All of the characters are very different, with secrets and secret agendas.
I was instantly pulled in to the story, it's gripping, fun, and very intense. One hard it's a trainwreck waiting to happen, on the other, it's a charming story of reluctant teamwork for a semi-common goal. :)
Highly recommend it!
received from Xpresso Book Tours
Cora is the daughter of a crime family, but she didn't exactly inherit the family's talents. She is the best at reading auras, and her inventions mostly work, but when her mother puts her in charge of distracting the guards at the huge job, she makes a complete mess out of it. To make up for it, and get back into the family's grace (mostly for the paycheck she desperately needs) she and her BF robot try to rob the family's next job a day before. Unfortunately, it goes horribly wrong and they end up in prison.
At failed escape plan, she bargains with the warden for their and their cellmates' release, in exchange for going on a treasure hunt.
Onboard of an ancient ship, Cora, Elio the robot, kleptomaniac Wren and disgraced soldier they call Anders, embark on an intergalactic treasure hunt.
It's such a fun story to read, it has a little bit of Lunar Chronicles vibe - which I love. :) All of the characters are very different, with secrets and secret agendas.
I was instantly pulled in to the story, it's gripping, fun, and very intense. One hard it's a trainwreck waiting to happen, on the other, it's a charming story of reluctant teamwork for a semi-common goal. :)
Highly recommend it!
received from Xpresso Book Tours
alexandra_92's review against another edition
4.0
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review will also be available on *Milky Way of Books*
This was a very entertaining read! A group of ragtag thieves, a warrior, a human, an elf-like thief, and a bot that likes baking but can't eat join together in a space adventure in search of a lost artifact. I loved the premise and I couldn't stop laughing. It was enjoyable and very cute. The plot was easy to follow with action scenes and a hint of romance too.
But in the end, the story was more about who your actual "family" is rather the one you have been born into. It was a book I enjoyed reading very much.
This was a very entertaining read! A group of ragtag thieves, a warrior, a human, an elf-like thief, and a bot that likes baking but can't eat join together in a space adventure in search of a lost artifact. I loved the premise and I couldn't stop laughing. It was enjoyable and very cute. The plot was easy to follow with action scenes and a hint of romance too.
But in the end, the story was more about who your actual "family" is rather the one you have been born into. It was a book I enjoyed reading very much.
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
Three misfits end up in the same intergalactic jail cell. They form an uneasy alliance as they plot their jailbreak and it becomes something stronger as time passes and things go terribly wrong. However, there are ulterior motives in play and trust is a real issue. Oh and there is also a very awesome android; he's my favorite character.
Star Wars violence, a tiny bit of kissing.
Star Wars violence, a tiny bit of kissing.
its_justine's review against another edition
4.0
The Good for Nothings is a rollicking sci-fi adventure by author Danielle Banas, and is a dazzling tale of finding your true family. It showcases the idea that although the road of friendship and camaraderie may be bumpy at times, change is achievable through the strongest of bonds. Readers are swept along a treasure hunt that spans galaxies, led by a ragtag group of sassy thieves with hearts of gold hidden behind hard shells developed by hard lives lived. With danger nipping at our heels every step of the way, we fly through the vast expanse of space and find ourselves on strange planets inhabited by a colorful range of people, flora and fauna. The tribulations faced inevitably crack those aforementioned shells, creating a touching narrative that leaves it mark, and one I’ll not soon forget.
The characters Banas has crafted and their dynamics are some of the finest I’ve encountered in a young adult novel; their trait differences so diverse to the naked eye, but there’s a collective togetherness the deeper you dive. Initially it seems the rift between them is too wide to traverse, but as the story continues, bonds strengthen and bloom into something truly beautiful. Their tale is a true testament to the power of found family, where all are willing to step forward to pull another away from the edge of despair. There’s also hints of a tender and heartwarming romance, so subtle it feels so real.
Cora is a conflicted and outlying member of a crime family, taught to disassociate herself from emotions and care for nothing but the job at hand. She’s driven by her need to prove herself to those who refuse to believe in her, and her efforts land her in one of the most infamous prisons known in all the galaxies. She’s joined by her sidekick Elio, a vintage AI that expresses human emotions to the fullest, and has a penchant for baking and operating in the exact opposite way than that he was intended for. Our duo meet Wren, a skilled thief that wears her heart on her sleeve (sometimes), and Anders/Andy/Andykins, the brooding male counterpart, feared and protected by his tough exterior shell, but pained beyond belief by sins of the past within. With this cast it’s all about balance, and Banas executes this skillfully.
In addition to wonderful characterization, the action and adventure, ripe with danger and secrets and puzzles, is non-stop throughout the entire novel. As readers are towed along on a hunt for the remaining keys to a treasure of immeasurable wealth, we’re transported to various planets across galaxies, and met with wondrous landscapes and creatures as diverse as our main cast. Only an incredible imagination can conjure up what peppers these pages. A recurring theme throughout is the stark contrast between beauty and underlying peril, and this is portrayed perfectly. Lurking menace and uncertainty is a catalyst for betrayal, and the many finely constructed trials faced is the driving force for not only the advancement of the plot, but for the evolution of the characters, as well.
This book’s uniquely original cover illustration is what initially caught my attention, but the story itself and how it is told is so wonderfully consuming. A simply conveyed tale told in first-person narration gives readers an insight into the ongoings in Cora’s mind – her intentions, most cherished hopes and dreams, the internal conflict she constantly battles. It’s a refreshing story that doesn’t take itself too seriously until it absolutely needs to, and when it does, it’s done so exceedingly well. I found myself laughing out loud at its healthy amount of sarcasm and banter, evocative of Guardians of the Galaxy, and it’s fast pace led by nail-biting action completely saturated with tension made this a sure page-turner. Banas has created something fantastic here, and I can only hope to see more in the future.
The Good for Nothings is a story I went in to with high hopes, and I was pleasantly surprised with what I was presented. This is a perfect example of a feel-good tale that packs a serious emotional punch when read the way I believe it’s intended to be read. Sure, there’s enough sass in here to keep this a light-hearted read, but the level of poignancy that builds this book’s foundation is something special. If you’re looking for a strange and alluring space opera-esque adventure, this is one that can definitely be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. I highly recommend.
Note: A huge thank you to the author, Swoon Reads, and Xpresso Tours for providing me a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
pixiejazz's review
4.0
The Good for Nothings is a fun, adventurous read with a lot of heart. It definitely did remind me a bit of Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a plus. I enjoyed the story, and I'd be game to see more hijinks in space with Cora and her crew.
The story follows Cora, part of a well-known crime family on her home planet. Unfortunately, Cora and her robot companion, Elio, are considered the weak link in the family. And when a heist goes wrong, Cora goes down.
It's on the prison planet she ends up on where the adventure really starts. Locked in a cell with an Earth girl and an alien lizard, Cora and Elio must team up with the pair if they have any hope of escape. But when the warden offers to wipe away their crimes in exchange for a lost treasure, the group eagerly agrees. Too bad they get a lot more than they ever could have bargained for.
The Good for Nothings has a lot going on. Weird planets. Strange people. And don't forget the bounty on their heads. It's a race against time (and through space) to try and collect the treasure for someone collects their heads.
As I stated above, I really enjoyed the story. It's silly at times, but it also packs an emotional punch on occasion. It's a quick, easy read that fans of YA sci-fi novels will appreciate.
4 stars from me!
The story follows Cora, part of a well-known crime family on her home planet. Unfortunately, Cora and her robot companion, Elio, are considered the weak link in the family. And when a heist goes wrong, Cora goes down.
It's on the prison planet she ends up on where the adventure really starts. Locked in a cell with an Earth girl and an alien lizard, Cora and Elio must team up with the pair if they have any hope of escape. But when the warden offers to wipe away their crimes in exchange for a lost treasure, the group eagerly agrees. Too bad they get a lot more than they ever could have bargained for.
The Good for Nothings has a lot going on. Weird planets. Strange people. And don't forget the bounty on their heads. It's a race against time (and through space) to try and collect the treasure for someone collects their heads.
As I stated above, I really enjoyed the story. It's silly at times, but it also packs an emotional punch on occasion. It's a quick, easy read that fans of YA sci-fi novels will appreciate.
4 stars from me!
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