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crimsoncor's review against another edition
5.0
I can't tell if I liked this more or less than After Atlas. They are both so similar and yet so different; both are incredible. Here we have a supremely unreliable narrator, a narrator who doesn't even trust they can trust even themselves. And yet, again, the broken parts of the main character are also some of what propels them to the end. As Newman points out in the afterwards, we almost never get the people in books for whom being a parent is a struggle not a joy. Sure, lots of books about people who struggle to provide for their families but not people for whom the desire for the child is a struggle. Nice to see that done so well here. Reminded me a bit of [b:Six Wakes|28962996|Six Wakes|Mur Lafferty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1483175828l/28962996._SY75_.jpg|46869174] as well.
frasersimons's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
A bit less interesting than the other setups, but mostly because the mystery revolving around a woman either experiencing psychosis or a conspiracy feels like it is well and truly drawn out, as are her musings on motherhood, atypical as they are. The character work and themes all feel thread upon and the cliffhanger from the previous book isn’t answered, nor is the macro plot line much at all.
Aside from pacing and what feels like filler, it was still compelling enough to get through because the mystery was done well.
Aside from pacing and what feels like filler, it was still compelling enough to get through because the mystery was done well.
chlcrc617's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
booksmacked's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars really. I rated this a little less than the other two books in the series. Newman's prose is amazing. I have a really hard time putting her books down, once I have started. It seemed to get bogged down in the middle, but I really liked the ending.
shadyeglenn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mabs's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
librarian_of_trantor's review against another edition
4.0
Like [b:After Atlas|28361265|After Atlas (Planetfall, #2)|Emma Newman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456689269s/28361265.jpg|48430277] this is a tightly plotted story where all the pieces fit nicely together at the end. The characters are well drawn and the world well built. Newman does a good job of describing the struggle with mental health issues. But there are a couple sections of the book where the first person narrator's inner turmoil needed to be balanced more with some action.
crimsonsparrow's review against another edition
4.0
Mesmerizing... and a tad disappointing.
Newman is a unique and compelling writer. This story is intense and difficult in places simply because it is so vivid in its portrayal of real human emotion. Regardless, I was captivated from the beginning by a classic mystery set in the perfect moment in the history of her series - a moment in which we already have a clue as to the events of the future and can anticipate the way she will weave it all together for the reveal.
But the end felt ... rushed and anticlimactic, maybe even a little disorienting ... because it wasn't really a reveal at all. It had the feel of an installment story, lackluster by itself, needing something more and depending a little too much on its predecessors - and its successor. This was particularly disappointing because it was so rich with potential and depth! I'm left feeling like the narrative was clipped in the midst of its bloom and then discarded, and now it feels a little pointless in the grand scheme.
Bummer.
Newman is a unique and compelling writer. This story is intense and difficult in places simply because it is so vivid in its portrayal of real human emotion. Regardless, I was captivated from the beginning by a classic mystery set in the perfect moment in the history of her series - a moment in which we already have a clue as to the events of the future and can anticipate the way she will weave it all together for the reveal.
But the end felt ... rushed and anticlimactic, maybe even a little disorienting ... because it wasn't really a reveal at all. It had the feel of an installment story, lackluster by itself, needing something more and depending a little too much on its predecessors - and its successor. This was particularly disappointing because it was so rich with potential and depth! I'm left feeling like the narrative was clipped in the midst of its bloom and then discarded, and now it feels a little pointless in the grand scheme.
Bummer.
sevskywalker's review against another edition
4.0
Emma Newman is fast becoming one of my favorite female as well as science fiction author. Her Planetfall novels are some of the best SF has to offer today, but still I don't think they are getting the attention they deserve from the community. Let's hope that will change in the future.
This book is the third one in a series of novels that take places in the same universe or in the same far future, and everything about it is so fascinating. From the leaps in technology to the way the people of Earth are living at that time are very interesting and this shows how well and convincing the author can build a world and weave stories around it.
I still think the second book is the best one. And since expectations are bound to be sky high, I shall have to say Before Mars just falls short of those expectations. It is not a big book, hardly more than 300 pages, but still the first half of the book is a very slow burn. Even though there are some very thrilling scenes in this part, it takes about 65% of the story for the book to completely turn into avalanche mode and the ending itself is very satisfying and heartbreaking for both the characters and the reader.
This book has a few firsts for me. This is the first book from Emma Newman in which I didn't like the main character. Dr.Anna Kubrin is a very fascinating character, but some of the thoughts she has are not exactly what you call pleasant, especially the way she feels about motherhood and being a mother herself. As I said, not very pleasant to read but I think that was the intention of the author, so I don't know how I feel about it. To talk about other firsts will be delving into spoilers, so I will refrain from doing that.
Other than that, the story itself is very good, starting off normal and slow and gradually increasing in tension and ending in a bunch of twists and fucked up resolutions where it feels like everything is gone to shit and world just ended. But the pacing isn't slick in the first half of the book or not enough slick for a thriller, but it is the complete opposite for the second half. To put it in perspective, it took me more than 6 days to get through the first half, but for the second half I breezed through it and finished it in a mere hour and a half.
So, I don't know if there will be another book set in this series, I would love for several other books to be written, but we still haven't any info at this point. Emma Newman has other books available, but I am not a big fan of Urban Fantasy, so I don't know if I will ever pick them up. But who knows, if I was drained of her stories long enough I may end up doing just that.
This book is the third one in a series of novels that take places in the same universe or in the same far future, and everything about it is so fascinating. From the leaps in technology to the way the people of Earth are living at that time are very interesting and this shows how well and convincing the author can build a world and weave stories around it.
I still think the second book is the best one. And since expectations are bound to be sky high, I shall have to say Before Mars just falls short of those expectations. It is not a big book, hardly more than 300 pages, but still the first half of the book is a very slow burn. Even though there are some very thrilling scenes in this part, it takes about 65% of the story for the book to completely turn into avalanche mode and the ending itself is very satisfying and heartbreaking for both the characters and the reader.
This book has a few firsts for me. This is the first book from Emma Newman in which I didn't like the main character. Dr.Anna Kubrin is a very fascinating character, but some of the thoughts she has are not exactly what you call pleasant, especially the way she feels about motherhood and being a mother herself. As I said, not very pleasant to read but I think that was the intention of the author, so I don't know how I feel about it. To talk about other firsts will be delving into spoilers, so I will refrain from doing that.
Other than that, the story itself is very good, starting off normal and slow and gradually increasing in tension and ending in a bunch of twists and fucked up resolutions where it feels like everything is gone to shit and world just ended. But the pacing isn't slick in the first half of the book or not enough slick for a thriller, but it is the complete opposite for the second half. To put it in perspective, it took me more than 6 days to get through the first half, but for the second half I breezed through it and finished it in a mere hour and a half.
So, I don't know if there will be another book set in this series, I would love for several other books to be written, but we still haven't any info at this point. Emma Newman has other books available, but I am not a big fan of Urban Fantasy, so I don't know if I will ever pick them up. But who knows, if I was drained of her stories long enough I may end up doing just that.