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taylormorgantm's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
joisaddler's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
misssophiereads's review against another edition
2.0
I started reading this book a year ago, couldn't get into it, and gave it another go by listening to the first couple of hours as an audiobook. This book is weird like it's predecessors, but sadly without much of the fun sciency shenanigans. As many others have remarked before, this book is bible fanfiction, set in the time of Noah and the Arc.
While it is a quick read (if you keep at it), I am left a bit unsure what this story was actually about. Not that every story needs some kind of deeper meaning, I am perfectly happy with a story just being about adventure and fun etc. However, a book that so explicitly deals with themes of trusting in God to the point of accepting to be drowned by Him, not messing up some pre-ordained Great Plan, having the right intentions, leading a Good Life and so on, it probably does transport some kind of message. I'm just not sure I know which one. Or at least, I'm not happy with the one I did understand.
Which brings me to my main point of criticism: the female characters, specifically Yalith and Tiglah. I am incredibly disappointed about the way these characters were written and used within the narrative, as parts of the story try to incorporate feminist criticism of patriarchal bible stories that only record male names or make a point to show women excelling at science. Yalith and Tiglah are written as foils, one the virtuous, selfless, modest, pure woman who is the "correct" love interest of the main characters, and the other a foul-smelling seductress who is explicitly called a "slut" (unchallenged by the text). Tiglah has several bad characteristics that make her one of the villains of the story, but one of the main devices used to mark her as the "bad" woman is her sensuality, her attractiveness and her conviction that physical pleasure for pleasure's sake is not a bad thing. Of course, it is not surprising that Bible fanfiction would also apply Christian values around sex (after all, the "good, married" kind of sex produces babies that will be saved on the Arc, the "bad, not correctly married" kind of sex leads to an incredibly painful birth that nearly kills the mother and leaves her and her baby to drown, though the drowning part is not shown explicitly). However, it feels inconsistent with other parts of the story that try to criticise partriarchal structures to use patriarchal ideas about "virtuous" and "sinful" female sexuality to construct the heroin and the villain.
While it is a quick read (if you keep at it), I am left a bit unsure what this story was actually about. Not that every story needs some kind of deeper meaning, I am perfectly happy with a story just being about adventure and fun etc. However, a book that so explicitly deals with themes of trusting in God to the point of accepting to be drowned by Him, not messing up some pre-ordained Great Plan, having the right intentions, leading a Good Life and so on, it probably does transport some kind of message. I'm just not sure I know which one. Or at least, I'm not happy with the one I did understand.
Which brings me to my main point of criticism: the female characters, specifically Yalith and Tiglah. I am incredibly disappointed about the way these characters were written and used within the narrative, as parts of the story try to incorporate feminist criticism of patriarchal bible stories that only record male names or make a point to show women excelling at science. Yalith and Tiglah are written as foils, one the virtuous, selfless, modest, pure woman who is the "correct" love interest of the main characters, and the other a foul-smelling seductress who is explicitly called a "slut" (unchallenged by the text). Tiglah has several bad characteristics that make her one of the villains of the story, but one of the main devices used to mark her as the "bad" woman is her sensuality, her attractiveness and her conviction that physical pleasure for pleasure's sake is not a bad thing. Of course, it is not surprising that Bible fanfiction would also apply Christian values around sex (after all, the "good, married" kind of sex produces babies that will be saved on the Arc, the "bad, not correctly married" kind of sex leads to an incredibly painful birth that nearly kills the mother and leaves her and her baby to drown, though the drowning part is not shown explicitly). However, it feels inconsistent with other parts of the story that try to criticise partriarchal structures to use patriarchal ideas about "virtuous" and "sinful" female sexuality to construct the heroin and the villain.
pelargonia's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
authorannafaundez's review against another edition
I didn't really enjoy the previous book, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, but I figured I'd give this one a shot before calling it quits.
Really it's more of the same. No real connection to the other books and no real character arcs. So I'm stopping now.
Really it's more of the same. No real connection to the other books and no real character arcs. So I'm stopping now.
clothbound_world's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The weirdest of the books in the series by far; i never knew where Madeleine was going to go.next. Delightful.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
kcrouth's review against another edition
2.0
This young adult story is a combination of the Jewish flood myth and the theory of relativity, with some ethics, politics, sexuality, social science, and ecology mixed in. Some interesting thoughts, as well as some pretty weird ones. Not sure what the author was smoking. The merging of the story of Noah with modern physics felt forced. Oh, and i forgot to mention the angels and fallen angels that are behind much of the weird goings on, when they are not masquerading as animals. Strange.
robbynjreeve's review against another edition
I thought it was really interesting that this book entered the time of Noah. It was interesting to compare what I was reading to the story in the Bible and more about the beliefs at that time surrounding God(s). I liked that this book followed Sandy and Dennys instead of Meg and Charles Wallace.
That being said, while it was "interesting" it wasn't very "exciting"-especially for the audience it's geared towards. I think if I had tried to read this book while I was younger I would not have finished it.
That being said, while it was "interesting" it wasn't very "exciting"-especially for the audience it's geared towards. I think if I had tried to read this book while I was younger I would not have finished it.
b0hemian_graham's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy this one more every time I read it, but it is still super weird. It's almost like a subversive fan fiction about Noah