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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a wonderful surprise. Listen!! I was feeling mid on this book 105 pages in. I was not connecting to the FMC and I did not feel fully invested. I will say, I personally think we got a lot of space stuff for the first third of the book (I don't hate that)! I switched to the audio because I had a lot to do in preparation for a trip and in 5 minutes, I was fully invested. Maybe it was Julia Whalen or maybe it was where the book took a turn, who knows!? But, WOW. I ended up absolutely loving this book -- way more than expected. The way things are addressed, the quotes and descriptions, the relationship dynamics, the life lessons. I just adored it. There were characters I loved and a few (one in particular) that I could NOT stand. I wanted to go into the book and smack them silly. A feeling that visceral only comes from good writing. I am so glad I switched to the audiobook because the inflection, tone, and emotion behind the voices really made me feel things. I cried harder in this book then I have in a book in decades. That being said, I did not cry hard, but I had full on tears, and I rarely cry reading books. The view Joan had on a male dominated field hit the nail on the head for me.
There is one scene where a conversation is being had about how to be successful as a female astronaut when it's always been a male dominated field. Two characters had very good points but when Joan talked about how she did not want to be like "them" but still seen as an equal and appreciated for her differences- I was ALL IN. "I don’t want to tell jokes at other people’s expense, and pretend I’m never afraid, and refuse to ask for help. I don’t want to hold in how I feel, or hide it if I’ve been hurt, or try to prove to anyone that I don’t cry. Because I do cry sometimes.”
Mild spoilers: I ended up loving Joan as a character and while in the beginning, I found Vanessa a bit tough to love, I ended up loving her. Griff... stop it right now - he is a gem! The kind of man you want in your corner! Also, Lydia was an interesting character and even though I did not love her, I really felt like she was an important character and added some humor in some tough scenes. Frances!!! What a sweetie. The relationship between Joan and Frances was my favorite thing about the book.
There is one scene where a conversation is being had about how to be successful as a female astronaut when it's always been a male dominated field. Two characters had very good points but when Joan talked about how she did not want to be like "them" but still seen as an equal and appreciated for her differences- I was ALL IN. "I don’t want to tell jokes at other people’s expense, and pretend I’m never afraid, and refuse to ask for help. I don’t want to hold in how I feel, or hide it if I’ve been hurt, or try to prove to anyone that I don’t cry. Because I do cry sometimes.”
Mild spoilers: I ended up loving Joan as a character and while in the beginning, I found Vanessa a bit tough to love, I ended up loving her. Griff... stop it right now - he is a gem! The kind of man you want in your corner! Also, Lydia was an interesting character and even though I did not love her, I really felt like she was an important character and added some humor in some tough scenes. Frances!!! What a sweetie. The relationship between Joan and Frances was my favorite thing about the book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book sets you up from the beginning to know you're going to have your heart broken. And then it proceeds to make it even more brutal than you were expecting. And yet I think I loved it? Was a slow read for me because too painful. Recommended!
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No