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readingpicnic's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Vomit
nickoliver's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I truly don't know what to think of this. Some of the plot twists were really good, but there were many things it just didn't do well. For example, the romance was barely developed, especially in the latter half of the book. I never quite understood why the characters fell in love with each other; it seemed to me that they mostly just did that because they were the only two people on that ship, not because there was genuinely something between them. The chemistry was a bit lacking.
Plus, there were a lot of plot holes that drove me insane, and some things were left in the open until almost the end. And I also didn't like the way it described the two countries involved in this, Fédération and Dimokratía, because it was basically "utopia where everyone accepts everyone" vs. "homophobic country where children get trained for war from the time they're four". It left a sour taste in my mind, especially because it was never really addressed?
Moreover, the main character Ambrose, who came from Fédération, made fun of Dimokratía for still using labels ("gay", "bisexual", but even labels such as "top" and "bottom"), and the way it was portrayed like that was part of why Dimokratía was still so backwards was hurtful. I like labels. I like that there are words to describe exactly how I'm feeling. It's completely fine if you don't like labels, I'd never push them onto someone else, but just because someone likes using them doesn't mean there's something wrong with them? And again, this was barely discussed by the characters, which is what made it so frustrating.
The story was also way darker than I expected; it was very emotionally taxing and left me practically physically exhausted at the end. (Hello, existential crisis.) The end itself was also way less hopeful than I think the author intended it to be? Overall, this was definitely more a miss for me, which makes me sad, because I had such high expectations!
Plus, there were a lot of plot holes that drove me insane, and some things were left in the open until almost the end. And I also didn't like the way it described the two countries involved in this, Fédération and Dimokratía, because it was basically "utopia where everyone accepts everyone" vs. "homophobic country where children get trained for war from the time they're four". It left a sour taste in my mind, especially because it was never really addressed?
Moreover, the main character Ambrose, who came from Fédération, made fun of Dimokratía for still using labels ("gay", "bisexual", but even labels such as "top" and "bottom"), and the way it was portrayed like that was part of why Dimokratía was still so backwards was hurtful. I like labels. I like that there are words to describe exactly how I'm feeling. It's completely fine if you don't like labels, I'd never push them onto someone else, but just because someone likes using them doesn't mean there's something wrong with them? And again, this was barely discussed by the characters, which is what made it so frustrating.
The story was also way darker than I expected; it was very emotionally taxing and left me practically physically exhausted at the end. (Hello, existential crisis.) The end itself was also way less hopeful than I think the author intended it to be? Overall, this was definitely more a miss for me, which makes me sad, because I had such high expectations!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, War, and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, and Vomit
ktrecs's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, and Grief
curiositys's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Confinement
Minor: Cancer
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
Wow. You might think you know what to expect in this book, but I promise that your expectations will totally be turned on their head. The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because there were times that the pacing felt a bit weird. But other than that, I didn't want to put this down! The characters hook you and the twists make every section new and exciting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide
readundancies's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
For someone that was not about the major plot twist of this one I'm just not a fan of reading about clones, sorry I still really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.
The first part spends a lot of the time building the relationship between Ambrose and Kodiak, and we get all the cozy vibes from their burgeoning friendship in that slow burn kinda way that indicates we are in for some of that sweet, sweet escalation. It was delightful. Then Part 2 roles around with a major plot twist/reveal that was both enlightening but also not for me, purely based on my own preferences within the sci-fi genre.
From a characterization standpoint, Kodiak is pretty standard in his stoic and somewhat bullheaded nature whereas Ambrose is a bit more emotionally interesting, especially since we read strictly from his perspective. There’s a high level of EQ in him but also a very strong sense of frivolity as well, and it’s a strikingly odd dichotomy that I found was very satisfying to explore. Their romance was such a treat to get to experience, because the romance itself was not a priority, it was product of their relationship and a testament to them realizing they had better chances of surviving together versus apart.
Plot-wise, once the major reveal occurs, everything else just falls neatly into place. There's a great deal of resentment and tension between the pair and their ship's OS that I really enjoyed. The ending was not as strong as the rest of the story in that it feels very inevitable if not predictable, but even though I didn't feel completely fulfilled by the end, I think this was just so very well constructed as a whole. The writing quality is there. The characters are so easy to invest in. And my word, what a gripping intensity it has, that you just never want to put it down.
And I have to respect it, even though the overall plot went in a direction that I would not have preferred. I will also state that I think this could've even been a 5 star read for me if it was catered towards an adult audience instead even though I'm not entirely sure it can be considered strictly YA even now.
As many have said before me, this definitely was not marketed appropriately, so in the interest of giving it more due, I recommend this for anyone whose interested in the sci-fi genre, who are looking for a tale of two individuals whose survival is entirely dependent on one another as they venture across the uncharted vastness of the cosmos. They are unaware of their importance, both to their species and to each other, and we as the readers get the privilege of watching them grow together (even when they obstinately desire to be apart) as they explore what it means to be human, how love is both their saving grace and cross to bear in the face of isolation, and how one can still choose how their destiny will unfold even if their ultimate fate may be unchanged.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Violence
mothie_girlie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Sexual content, and Cancer
Moderate: Colonisation and Gaslighting
Minor: Body horror, Homophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
okays1331's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't know what I was expecting with this book, but I did not expect this! I cannot recommend this book highly enough for sci-fi fans, humanity fans, deep personal connections fans, space exploration fans and just everyone else too.
The book opens in a not so distant future easily recognizable as something we might imagine for ourselves. The two characters are immediately people I cared. They are both operating from entirely different ideologies and backgrounds. We learn about them slowly throughout the course of the entire book as they learn each other and make their way through the challenges of a long space voyage and the stressors of a small space, limited privacy, and extreme conditions. The book is rounded out by a third character: a sentient AI who takes care of most of the normal wear and tear and provides information to the two crew members. I would have been thrilled with that, but there is so much more!
I was unprepared for how emotionally raw this book would become in places and equally as unprepared to laugh! Kodiak and Ambrose are so real with all their flaws and triumphs. They react like human beings sometimes breaking and sometimes overcoming in the beautiful way that people can. Their relationship grows so naturally into something deep, tender, and lasting. Because of this relationship, parts of this hurt so deeply I had to stop and process before moving on.
I also did not expect to be unable to put this book down. I read it straight through. Not a moment felt slow or unimportant. A steady hum of mystery and danger lurked in the background of every scene. There were moments when it felt like life or death, moments where the next clue seemed just around the corner, and moments where their relationship deepened by inches or leagues. Because of the nature of the book, there are multiple times where the reader knows more than the main characters, but still, I could not put down this book.
Slight spoilers ahead:
A little less than halfway through the story just as I was falling into the rhythm of the story and happily unraveling the mysteries alongside Ambrose and Kodiak and enjoying the tentative closeness between the two of them, everything abruptly changed. The author did an excellent job sending me reeling right alongside Ambrose and Kodiak. I heard something from the creators of the Good Place about the value of putting the "big reveal" before everyone expects to find it, and this was excellent! I literally had to get up and walk around screaming and then explain to my husband why I was screaming before sitting back down to start the next chapter.
The book opens in a not so distant future easily recognizable as something we might imagine for ourselves. The two characters are immediately people I cared. They are both operating from entirely different ideologies and backgrounds. We learn about them slowly throughout the course of the entire book as they learn each other and make their way through the challenges of a long space voyage and the stressors of a small space, limited privacy, and extreme conditions. The book is rounded out by a third character: a sentient AI who takes care of most of the normal wear and tear and provides information to the two crew members. I would have been thrilled with that, but there is so much more!
I was unprepared for how emotionally raw this book would become in places and equally as unprepared to laugh! Kodiak and Ambrose are so real with all their flaws and triumphs. They react like human beings sometimes breaking and sometimes overcoming in the beautiful way that people can. Their relationship grows so naturally into something deep, tender, and lasting. Because of this relationship, parts of this hurt so deeply I had to stop and process before moving on.
I also did not expect to be unable to put this book down. I read it straight through. Not a moment felt slow or unimportant. A steady hum of mystery and danger lurked in the background of every scene. There were moments when it felt like life or death, moments where the next clue seemed just around the corner, and moments where their relationship deepened by inches or leagues. Because of the nature of the book, there are multiple times where the reader knows more than the main characters, but still, I could not put down this book.
Slight spoilers ahead:
A little less than halfway through the story just as I was falling into the rhythm of the story and happily unraveling the mysteries alongside Ambrose and Kodiak and enjoying the tentative closeness between the two of them, everything abruptly changed. The author did an excellent job sending me reeling right alongside Ambrose and Kodiak. I heard something from the creators of the Good Place about the value of putting the "big reveal" before everyone expects to find it, and this was excellent! I literally had to get up and walk around screaming and then explain to my husband why I was screaming before sitting back down to start the next chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
irisheyz77's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content and Cancer
zucchinispades's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, and Confinement