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jmoses's review
4.0
I liked this book a bunch. It's more about the characters and their relationships than about anything scifi/futuristic. It's not hard sci-fi by any means. I very much enjoyed that it wasn't all . I get tired of that.
Spoiler
"yay I'm the hero everything goes my way and I end up the happiest person ever even though I had a rough time"sarah984's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I thought the last 20% or so of this was pretty good, space action, catharsis without being too pat, but the rest of this was a slog. I'm assuming from how graphic it gets with sexual violence that the intended audience is adults but the main character is a child so it feels very YA in parts. The cyberpunk stuff feels goofy and pointless. The aliens are basically just cobbled together Japanese stereotypes which is kind of weird when there are theoretically Japanese people in this universe (the main character's home ship has a Japanese name!). Zero plot important female characters. Weird time skips. A whole chapter in second person for some reason.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, and Child abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Slavery, Homophobia, War, Confinement, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, Death, Physical abuse, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use
humanignorance's review
3.0
3.5 stars. The structure and writing styles of the book were a bit overambitious, but the story was fairly compelling, with a premise I’ve not seen before. The alien culture was interesting, though the language was inefficiently presented. The main character was deep and believable. The conclusion was particularly interesting: it tied the characters together in an unexpected way.
literaturesciencealliance's review
Was captured by part one but found it hard to connect in part two and only cared about this mentor mentee bond that kept being broken up and part three looked like we were isolating the MC again and nothing was gripping me outside of that unfortunately and other books I was reading at the time were more engaging.
hank's review
3.0
Some good, some bad. I liked the conflicting loyalties but the writing was choppy. The attempts at instrospective, poetical gestures were a bit too much. The end was a bit too pat and didn't really flow from prior actions/decisions. 2.5 stars rounded up because the world and conflict were good.
agbrewer's review
4.0
This was a tough one to rate. It didn't change the way I see the world, and it didn't change the way I look at writing as a craft, although maybe it should have. The writing was concise and adept, and the new striivic-na language actually felt very natural and interesting (which is saying something, since usually I find attempts to create new languages and teach them to the reader to be clumsy and hindering to the story). The characters were all very distinct and interesting, and I definitely cared about them. But...
But.
If this book describes where the future is going then I want no part of it. Maybe I watch a few hundred too many Star Trek The Next Generation episodes when I was little, but I still prefer a slightly more optimistic view of where things will go. By the end there was a glimmer of hope for something better, but not enough to change the universe as they knew it.
Plus, the main character just couldn't make any headway. Don't get me wrong, I love making my main characters suffer, and I'm not saying that I disagree with any way in how Jos' story played out. I just started to feel like the author was running out of new ways to describe his pain and grief. At the beginning her abstract descriptions were quite accurate, but then they just became sort of too abstract to make sense. You could argue that she wasn't making sense because Jos couldn't make sense of his life, but confusing the reader is not the way to convey that. Ignoring the weirdness of the descriptions though, I thought that the way everything muddled together in his life was very well done and realistic. Things never are black and white in life, and you just have to find your own path that stays true to yourself and the ones you love somehow. That's what Jos manages to do and in that way I am proud of him.
Not sure right now whether to look for the other books in this world or not. I think I need something brighter before I delve into the darkness again.
But.
If this book describes where the future is going then I want no part of it. Maybe I watch a few hundred too many Star Trek The Next Generation episodes when I was little, but I still prefer a slightly more optimistic view of where things will go. By the end there was a glimmer of hope for something better, but not enough to change the universe as they knew it.
Plus, the main character just couldn't make any headway. Don't get me wrong, I love making my main characters suffer, and I'm not saying that I disagree with any way in how Jos' story played out. I just started to feel like the author was running out of new ways to describe his pain and grief. At the beginning her abstract descriptions were quite accurate, but then they just became sort of too abstract to make sense. You could argue that she wasn't making sense because Jos couldn't make sense of his life, but confusing the reader is not the way to convey that. Ignoring the weirdness of the descriptions though, I thought that the way everything muddled together in his life was very well done and realistic. Things never are black and white in life, and you just have to find your own path that stays true to yourself and the ones you love somehow. That's what Jos manages to do and in that way I am proud of him.
Not sure right now whether to look for the other books in this world or not. I think I need something brighter before I delve into the darkness again.
cozywanderlust's review
5.0
This series is so good I'm at a loss for words (although I rambled enough on LJ).
Going straight to "favorites" and "to-reread ASAP" shelf.
Makes me want to reconsider my other 5-star ratings as well.
Going straight to "favorites" and "to-reread ASAP" shelf.
Makes me want to reconsider my other 5-star ratings as well.
donnyeatsbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Engrossing from end to end, Karin Lowachee’s WARCHILD is a certified slump-buster!
On its surface, it’s a military sci-fi epic, full of complicated politics and action-packed shoot-outs. But, more than that, it’s a compelling and surprisingly profound exploration of one young man’s coming to terms with his traumatic past, and his ultimate search for safety and community in a universe torn asunder by war.
It’s exciting, moving, and, in a genre full of macho men and toxic masculinity, refreshingly progressive! Karin Lowachee’s depiction of affection and camaraderie between men is tender and wholesome, and handled with tremendous care. I only wish I’d discovered this book as a kid, because Jos as a protagonist would’ve helped me understand and accept so much about myself so much sooner.
On its surface, it’s a military sci-fi epic, full of complicated politics and action-packed shoot-outs. But, more than that, it’s a compelling and surprisingly profound exploration of one young man’s coming to terms with his traumatic past, and his ultimate search for safety and community in a universe torn asunder by war.
It’s exciting, moving, and, in a genre full of macho men and toxic masculinity, refreshingly progressive! Karin Lowachee’s depiction of affection and camaraderie between men is tender and wholesome, and handled with tremendous care. I only wish I’d discovered this book as a kid, because Jos as a protagonist would’ve helped me understand and accept so much about myself so much sooner.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Slavery
elbow's review
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Torture, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Grief, War, Pedophilia, Murder, Child abuse, Sexism, Physical abuse, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Cursing, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Death of parent