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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I did not finish this book after reading a little less than half.
I couldn't make myself connect with the narrator, and more importantly, I didn't feel that her language, mannerisms, or worldview were consistent with the 1950s. That's pretty much where it lost me, and I couldn't convince myself to finish.
I couldn't make myself connect with the narrator, and more importantly, I didn't feel that her language, mannerisms, or worldview were consistent with the 1950s. That's pretty much where it lost me, and I couldn't convince myself to finish.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Hidden Figures meets From The Earth To The Moon, but fictionalized, so you get all the feels.
The author did her research and was able to incorporate so much of her subjects’ experiences that I really feel like I lived the main character’s adventures.
So pleased. I wanted to like this book and it did not disappoint. For a history-and-ecology-and-space-and-sci-fi junkie who appreciates great writing, this was a delight.
Really looking forward to the second book, now.
Hidden Figures meets From The Earth To The Moon, but fictionalized, so you get all the feels.
The author did her research and was able to incorporate so much of her subjects’ experiences that I really feel like I lived the main character’s adventures.
So pleased. I wanted to like this book and it did not disappoint. For a history-and-ecology-and-space-and-sci-fi junkie who appreciates great writing, this was a delight.
Really looking forward to the second book, now.
So, I realize that reviewing my own work is weird and also... I just read this for the first time since I narrated the audiobook in 2018. Right now, I'm working on the fourth book in the series, [b:The Martian Contingency|211332081|The Martian Contingency (Lady Astronaut Universe, #4)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1717985076l/211332081._SY75_.jpg|65396110], and rereading seemed like a good idea to get back into Elma's voice.
But I realized that this is actually the first time I've read it read it, like the way I would read a normal book. The other times I read it were when I was proofing it or editing it.
The fashionable thing would be for me to pooh-pooh my own work and list all the flaws in it. They're there, sure but I was kinda shocked to discover that I really like this book. It made me cry. I remember these scenes, but I'd forgotten the words that I used to create them.
The reason that I decided to go ahead and do a review is that we model "Oh I hate my writing" all the time and I think that's damaging. It makes you doubt your own taste when you're writing. In hindsight, it's obvious that this book would appeal to me since I wrote it for me. I was just surprised and I think it's because I rarely see people who feel comfortable admitting that they like their own work.
Anyway, I'm very glad I took the time to do the reread and I'm find myself looking forward to reading [b:The Fated Sky|33081262|The Fated Sky (Lady Astronaut Universe, #2)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850563l/33081262._SY75_.jpg|53736197]
But I realized that this is actually the first time I've read it read it, like the way I would read a normal book. The other times I read it were when I was proofing it or editing it.
The fashionable thing would be for me to pooh-pooh my own work and list all the flaws in it. They're there, sure but I was kinda shocked to discover that I really like this book. It made me cry. I remember these scenes, but I'd forgotten the words that I used to create them.
The reason that I decided to go ahead and do a review is that we model "Oh I hate my writing" all the time and I think that's damaging. It makes you doubt your own taste when you're writing. In hindsight, it's obvious that this book would appeal to me since I wrote it for me. I was just surprised and I think it's because I rarely see people who feel comfortable admitting that they like their own work.
Anyway, I'm very glad I took the time to do the reread and I'm find myself looking forward to reading [b:The Fated Sky|33081262|The Fated Sky (Lady Astronaut Universe, #2)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850563l/33081262._SY75_.jpg|53736197]
Content note: misogyny, mental health stigma, depictions of panic attacks, racism, antisemitism
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Alt-history plus science - focused on women? Sign me up!
But it did let me down a little. I felt the protagonist was, in parts, equally relatable and unrelatable, and I generally just found her whiny. Sure, she’s a Jewish woman pilot trying to prove herself - I totally get that. Things were very difficult in that era. But she felt whiny to me.
Regardless of that - very looking forward to reading the next!
But it did let me down a little. I felt the protagonist was, in parts, equally relatable and unrelatable, and I generally just found her whiny. Sure, she’s a Jewish woman pilot trying to prove herself - I totally get that. Things were very difficult in that era. But she felt whiny to me.
Regardless of that - very looking forward to reading the next!
this was super fun! I read it because I loved (almost) everything else nominated for a 2018 hugo and this won, and I see why it did. the plot jumped around a lot but not at super important parts, and I think it worked. i think the author clearly knows a LOT about both like, 1950s american history and also orbital mechanics and you the reader really know that. i thought the characters were well realized and engaging. also I finished this book in 2 days and found it highly chuggable
That was such a satisfying read. I've found the human computers of the early space years to be insanely interesting, and this book starts with those folks and then just runs with it. I had a great time with this.
This is an alternative history story that follows Dr. Elma York, a pilot, physicist and mathematician who works at the International Aerospace Coalition. One night in 1952, a meteorite falls to the earth, wiping out most of the east coast of the United States, including the capital. Elma soon figures out that the meteorite collision will result in a climate cataclysm, causing such high temperatures that the oceans will boil and the earth will be inhospitable for humans.
This threat accelerates the space program and the need to colonize space sooner rather than later if the human race is to survive. This also creates a need for many more astronauts. Soon, Elma begins to wonder, with so many skilled female pilots, scientists, and mathematicians why women cannot become astronauts and go into space.
In so doing, Elma strives to become the first Lady Astronaut even though the societal conventions of the 1950s are against her goals. Additionally, the author did an excellent job of illustrating how sexism and racism prevented leaders of the space program from taking advantage of all of the highly skilled and exceptionally talented people who could definitely be an asset to the program.
What's interesting about this book is that it didn't examine only the issue of sexism but also of racism, both of which were pretty much the norm in the 1950s. Elma was mostly unaware of racism issues in society, or at the very least it wasn't something she thought about until people closer to her were affected by it. Initially, she was kind of self-centered and mostly unaware of the oppression of those around her.
In this way, the book illustrated nicely how even well-meaning, supposedly open-minded people can be utterly ignorant of other people's struggles until those struggles are really brought to the forefront of their attention. I enjoyed the book's exploration of discrimination across gender, race and even mental health and appreciated how these topics were the main themes of the story. The book also did an excellent job of showing how challenging life in the 1950s was for anyone who wasn't a white male.
As for Elma, she's a wonderfully inspiring character. She's determined, brilliant, brave and competent. But it was also interesting to learn how she suffers from crippling social anxiety which was a major thing in this book, especially once she became thrust into the spotlight.
I thought it was especially empowering that Elma eventually comes to terms with her anxiety, understanding that it is a medical condition and does not mean she is weak. In this way, it was an extremely accurate portrayal of what anxiety looks like so an excellent representation here of anxiety disorder I thought.
My only niggle with this novel were the sex scenes with her husband, Nathaniel. Now Elma and her husband had a wonderfully sweet relationship (perhaps even a tad too sweet), and a lot of the book focused on their romance. But the sex scenes felt awkward to me and like they didn't really belong in this story. There were a lot of sexual innuendos, and rocket double entendres such as "launch is a go," that caused me to roll my eyes a time or two. To me, the sex scenes just felt out of place and a bit forced in this story, and they may have been better left out.
But apart from that, I loved this engrossing and riveting story. There are so many important subjects that this book addresses including discrimination against women, racial inequality, climate change, space travel, and mental health, just to name a few. But what I especially like about the book's treatment of these topics was that it wasn't done in a preach or heavy-handed way but rather with sensitivity and fitness.
I can't begin to imagine the amount of research that went into this story. The author clearly did her homework here with the result being a fully immersive and realistic novel with a diverse cast of characters. Ultimately, this book hooked me and wormed into my heart and mind
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone as everything was nicely wrapped up at the end. I do plan on picking up the sequel entitled "The Fated Sky" as I am looking forward to continuing on with this series.
This threat accelerates the space program and the need to colonize space sooner rather than later if the human race is to survive. This also creates a need for many more astronauts. Soon, Elma begins to wonder, with so many skilled female pilots, scientists, and mathematicians why women cannot become astronauts and go into space.
In so doing, Elma strives to become the first Lady Astronaut even though the societal conventions of the 1950s are against her goals. Additionally, the author did an excellent job of illustrating how sexism and racism prevented leaders of the space program from taking advantage of all of the highly skilled and exceptionally talented people who could definitely be an asset to the program.
What's interesting about this book is that it didn't examine only the issue of sexism but also of racism, both of which were pretty much the norm in the 1950s. Elma was mostly unaware of racism issues in society, or at the very least it wasn't something she thought about until people closer to her were affected by it. Initially, she was kind of self-centered and mostly unaware of the oppression of those around her.
In this way, the book illustrated nicely how even well-meaning, supposedly open-minded people can be utterly ignorant of other people's struggles until those struggles are really brought to the forefront of their attention. I enjoyed the book's exploration of discrimination across gender, race and even mental health and appreciated how these topics were the main themes of the story. The book also did an excellent job of showing how challenging life in the 1950s was for anyone who wasn't a white male.
As for Elma, she's a wonderfully inspiring character. She's determined, brilliant, brave and competent. But it was also interesting to learn how she suffers from crippling social anxiety which was a major thing in this book, especially once she became thrust into the spotlight.
I thought it was especially empowering that Elma eventually comes to terms with her anxiety, understanding that it is a medical condition and does not mean she is weak. In this way, it was an extremely accurate portrayal of what anxiety looks like so an excellent representation here of anxiety disorder I thought.
My only niggle with this novel were the sex scenes with her husband, Nathaniel. Now Elma and her husband had a wonderfully sweet relationship (perhaps even a tad too sweet), and a lot of the book focused on their romance. But the sex scenes felt awkward to me and like they didn't really belong in this story. There were a lot of sexual innuendos, and rocket double entendres such as "launch is a go," that caused me to roll my eyes a time or two. To me, the sex scenes just felt out of place and a bit forced in this story, and they may have been better left out.
But apart from that, I loved this engrossing and riveting story. There are so many important subjects that this book addresses including discrimination against women, racial inequality, climate change, space travel, and mental health, just to name a few. But what I especially like about the book's treatment of these topics was that it wasn't done in a preach or heavy-handed way but rather with sensitivity and fitness.
I can't begin to imagine the amount of research that went into this story. The author clearly did her homework here with the result being a fully immersive and realistic novel with a diverse cast of characters. Ultimately, this book hooked me and wormed into my heart and mind
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone as everything was nicely wrapped up at the end. I do plan on picking up the sequel entitled "The Fated Sky" as I am looking forward to continuing on with this series.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like the premise. I have never read this author before, but I saw a Brandon Sanderson masterclass where they presented the story structure that this author uses to write her shott stories. I was always interested and drawn to see how that format would work in a long novel format. The author gives us an amazing hook and ending and a super slow middle. This couple is on their honeymoon, away from the city, and a meteorite strikes Earth, causing irreparable damage. Many people die, cities disappear, and the world is going to be inhabitable soon. The war pilot women step forward to become astronauts. I enjoy the idea, but the author's way of delivering is not my favorite. I still went ahead and got the whole series because I loved Nicole (a secondary character), and I hope all the characters will grow and participate more in action. This first volume was a good start.
The main character is a math genius and a pilot. Sometimes, they all come across caricatures of an era, but I don't mind that because I like Fallout.
The characters serve the plot. I prefer a character-focused book, though. The beginning and end are exciting and amazing while the middle seems to be a depart from the character because we get the other side of her life: a weak wife's daily life, who in the 50s serves her husband, deals with misogynistic men in power, and is some general's daughter. I have expectations that she will be herself soon. She suffers severe anxiety but gets motivated to do more for black women and become a role model to empower young girls.
Jumping into book 2.
The main character is a math genius and a pilot. Sometimes, they all come across caricatures of an era, but I don't mind that because I like Fallout.
The characters serve the plot. I prefer a character-focused book, though. The beginning and end are exciting and amazing while the middle seems to be a depart from the character because we get the other side of her life: a weak wife's daily life, who in the 50s serves her husband, deals with misogynistic men in power, and is some general's daughter. I have expectations that she will be herself soon. She suffers severe anxiety but gets motivated to do more for black women and become a role model to empower young girls.
Jumping into book 2.