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immortalstoryteller's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kirstenmeek's review against another edition
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
4.5
flutterby's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
3.75
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
This is a very complex world peopled by a wide range of creatures, from gene-engineered humans to space-traveling independent constructs. The author has provided so many details of touch, taste, and smell, in addition to vision and hearing, that I pictured the characters and their environments as I was reading.
The theme of humans being controlled by their benign dictators, the alloys, is present throughout, and is beautifully summed up in a speech at the end. Until we get there, though, there are many instances of humans being treated like errant children who still aren’t mature enough for autonomy despite several centuries of subjugation. The not-always-subtle discrimination is present throughout.
Because the alloys are prejudiced against humans and vice-versa, there’s a lot of distrust. The characters, both alloy and human, grow and change in satisfying ways, coming to understand one another till mutual suspicion is banished.
Their flaws - ambition and hubris, bigotry, crippling insecurity - are what ultimately make these people realistic. We have all felt proud and ambitious, and anxious and unsure of ourselves. It’s easy to not only understand these characters but to love them.
The theme of humans being controlled by their benign dictators, the alloys, is present throughout, and is beautifully summed up in a speech at the end. Until we get there, though, there are many instances of humans being treated like errant children who still aren’t mature enough for autonomy despite several centuries of subjugation. The not-always-subtle discrimination is present throughout.
Because the alloys are prejudiced against humans and vice-versa, there’s a lot of distrust. The characters, both alloy and human, grow and change in satisfying ways, coming to understand one another till mutual suspicion is banished.
Their flaws - ambition and hubris, bigotry, crippling insecurity - are what ultimately make these people realistic. We have all felt proud and ambitious, and anxious and unsure of ourselves. It’s easy to not only understand these characters but to love them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
sashaknits's review against another edition
3.0
Popsugar 2024 Reading Challenge: A book set in space.
A positive 3.5 stars, rounded down.
I got this book from an Amazon First Reads free promotion. Sometimes nothing interests me enough from the monthly list to bother taking any titles, but Meru sounded intriguing enough to take a punt on.
The world-building was probably my favourite thing about the whole book. It was interesting, believable and compelling. The fact that humanity had so wrecked both earth and Mars that they now have to be treated like toddlers and parented by androids to ensure they didn't ruin any further planets or solar systems was all-too realistic.
The alloys, constructs and mega-constructs were a unique take on the kind of mechanical "beings" humanity might create. I found their different physiologies and personalities quite interesting.
On the other hand, the plot was a little hit and miss; sometimes feeling urgent and perilous and other times not at all. Some things did seem to resolve themselves too easily which was a bit disappointing.
Turning Jayanthi's sickle cell disease into a potential benefit for colonising other planets was a unique touch which I felt gave the book an extra dimension and was quite unique in my experience. The afterword added further insight after reading about the author's own struggles with long Covid.
Despite some of the plot weaknesses, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book overall and will definitely read more in the series.
A positive 3.5 stars, rounded down.
I got this book from an Amazon First Reads free promotion. Sometimes nothing interests me enough from the monthly list to bother taking any titles, but Meru sounded intriguing enough to take a punt on.
The world-building was probably my favourite thing about the whole book. It was interesting, believable and compelling. The fact that humanity had so wrecked both earth and Mars that they now have to be treated like toddlers and parented by androids to ensure they didn't ruin any further planets or solar systems was all-too realistic.
The alloys, constructs and mega-constructs were a unique take on the kind of mechanical "beings" humanity might create. I found their different physiologies and personalities quite interesting.
On the other hand, the plot was a little hit and miss; sometimes feeling urgent and perilous and other times not at all. Some things did seem to resolve themselves too easily which was a bit disappointing.
Turning Jayanthi's sickle cell disease into a potential benefit for colonising other planets was a unique touch which I felt gave the book an extra dimension and was quite unique in my experience. The afterword added further insight after reading about the author's own struggles with long Covid.
Despite some of the plot weaknesses, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book overall and will definitely read more in the series.
thebookishmutant's review against another edition
4.0
TW/CW: ableism, xenophobia (fictional), sexual content/pregnancy, descriptions of injury, sci-fi violence
I got carsick while reading this book, but I don’t hold it against it at all. That was on me and my hubris of thinking that I wouldn’t get nauseous on a long car trip just this once. Whoops.
Reading some of the lower-rated reviews of Meru is kind of cracking me up…listen. I get that zie/zir pronouns (and neopronouns in general) are somewhat obscure, but of all the absolutely wild, dense, and out-there concepts that this book throws at you, that’s what makes you jump ship? Not the exceedingly complicated…well, everything else?
That being said, Meru lived up to the hype I’ve seen it getting for the past few months! It hit a sweet spot for me that a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books rarely do—creating a complex and multilayered universe, but very delicately balancing when and where to deliver all of this information. Divya came very close to going over the edge, but she navigated the worldbuilding delivery with aplomb.
So, about said worldbuilding. I’d say that Meru isn’t for the faint of heart, even for longtime sci-fi fans—as I mentioned in the beginning of the review, there’s a lot to take in, from the post-human history of the Alloys to all of the machinations surrounding new genetic modification laws in the future. But even though we do get some of this information in larger chunks, Divya excels at navigating which information is actually relevant to the scene it’s informing, and not sledgehammering you with extra information that only becomes relevant elsewhere in the book. It also helps that every inch of said worldbuilding is truly fascinating—it’s clear to see how much care was put into the creation of this universe.
If you’re talking about disability in sci-fi, you’re generally bound to open a particularly dicey can of worms. There’s quite a lot of eugenics narratives that a lot of readers have let slide for years, and the narrative of curing all disabilities is seen as positive, when a lot of the disabilities being described never needed curing in the first place. For the sake of this review, I’ll keep it short, but the bottom line is that it’s gross. But Meru takes a refreshing perspective on disability in sci-fi—not only was Jayanthi, the protagonist, specifically engineered to have sickle-cell anemia (now THAT’S a subversion I like), her disability is depicted in a far more advantageous and positive light. Anyone who’s ever touched a high school biology textbook probably remembers this example: despite its drawbacks, those with sickle-cell also have increased resistance to many tropical diseases. That’s exactly the case for Jayanthi, whose sickle-cell anemia makes her more suited to the environment of the planet Meru than those without it. Positive disability rep is good enough, but having it specifically depicted as something that gives the character the edge is something special. That, along with the wonderful discussions around disability and bodily autonomy (both allegorical and literal), made Meru a wonderful experience for me as a disabled reader.
In addition, Divya has created such a vibrant cast of characters in Meru! Jayanthi was such an endearing and powerful protagonist, and her relationship with the equally endearing Vaha was full of tenderness, despite its ups and downs. Almost all of the cast added to the book’s masterful suspense and tension, making you feel deeply for all of the relevant characters before things got (very) hairy. Plus, the integration of Sanskrit, several Indian-coded (and other POC characters), and loads of casual queerness was a breath of fresh air from all of the white, male, cishet sci-fi that still dominates the market. We need more books like Meru.
All in all, an intricately-crafted sci-fi novel that dazzled with its detailed worldbuilding, diversity, and refreshing discussions around disability. 4 stars!
I got carsick while reading this book, but I don’t hold it against it at all. That was on me and my hubris of thinking that I wouldn’t get nauseous on a long car trip just this once. Whoops.
Reading some of the lower-rated reviews of Meru is kind of cracking me up…listen. I get that zie/zir pronouns (and neopronouns in general) are somewhat obscure, but of all the absolutely wild, dense, and out-there concepts that this book throws at you, that’s what makes you jump ship? Not the exceedingly complicated…well, everything else?
That being said, Meru lived up to the hype I’ve seen it getting for the past few months! It hit a sweet spot for me that a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books rarely do—creating a complex and multilayered universe, but very delicately balancing when and where to deliver all of this information. Divya came very close to going over the edge, but she navigated the worldbuilding delivery with aplomb.
So, about said worldbuilding. I’d say that Meru isn’t for the faint of heart, even for longtime sci-fi fans—as I mentioned in the beginning of the review, there’s a lot to take in, from the post-human history of the Alloys to all of the machinations surrounding new genetic modification laws in the future. But even though we do get some of this information in larger chunks, Divya excels at navigating which information is actually relevant to the scene it’s informing, and not sledgehammering you with extra information that only becomes relevant elsewhere in the book. It also helps that every inch of said worldbuilding is truly fascinating—it’s clear to see how much care was put into the creation of this universe.
If you’re talking about disability in sci-fi, you’re generally bound to open a particularly dicey can of worms. There’s quite a lot of eugenics narratives that a lot of readers have let slide for years, and the narrative of curing all disabilities is seen as positive, when a lot of the disabilities being described never needed curing in the first place. For the sake of this review, I’ll keep it short, but the bottom line is that it’s gross. But Meru takes a refreshing perspective on disability in sci-fi—not only was Jayanthi, the protagonist, specifically engineered to have sickle-cell anemia (now THAT’S a subversion I like), her disability is depicted in a far more advantageous and positive light. Anyone who’s ever touched a high school biology textbook probably remembers this example: despite its drawbacks, those with sickle-cell also have increased resistance to many tropical diseases. That’s exactly the case for Jayanthi, whose sickle-cell anemia makes her more suited to the environment of the planet Meru than those without it. Positive disability rep is good enough, but having it specifically depicted as something that gives the character the edge is something special. That, along with the wonderful discussions around disability and bodily autonomy (both allegorical and literal), made Meru a wonderful experience for me as a disabled reader.
In addition, Divya has created such a vibrant cast of characters in Meru! Jayanthi was such an endearing and powerful protagonist, and her relationship with the equally endearing Vaha was full of tenderness, despite its ups and downs. Almost all of the cast added to the book’s masterful suspense and tension, making you feel deeply for all of the relevant characters before things got (very) hairy. Plus, the integration of Sanskrit, several Indian-coded (and other POC characters), and loads of casual queerness was a breath of fresh air from all of the white, male, cishet sci-fi that still dominates the market. We need more books like Meru.
All in all, an intricately-crafted sci-fi novel that dazzled with its detailed worldbuilding, diversity, and refreshing discussions around disability. 4 stars!
shrimpwhiskers's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.5
The main problem i have with this book is there's no imminent danger/struggle, it sets up to show how things are dangerous and the next minute the story itself pulls the rug under from the setup and makes it look easy. The premise itself begins at a scientific wonderland and the main character and her friends are fighting for the last smallest things that are said to be off limits to them. They are already at 99% blissful heaven. And they are fighting to make it 100%. They break rules with no severe consequences. Anytime theres even a little bit of danger suddenly a friendly random character saves them and moves them with every comfort ever possible to the next safe space. Some characters dont have a well explained reason or a basis to why they are fighting to do what they are.... Its just all flowery and positivity from the beginning to the end with some corny romance thrown in between. There's very small to zero shade of dark/negative characters. With the amount of leniency the laws are providing for breaking them the system should be filled with criminals.
But that being said i loved the world building and the depth to it. Even some of the world building felt slightly elementary but how it managed to build on top of it to make the said world/universe complete and how it operates was really great. My whole 2.5 stars is for the said world building. I didnt exactly enjoy the full journey but it was atleast a good world to imagine.
But that being said i loved the world building and the depth to it. Even some of the world building felt slightly elementary but how it managed to build on top of it to make the said world/universe complete and how it operates was really great. My whole 2.5 stars is for the said world building. I didnt exactly enjoy the full journey but it was atleast a good world to imagine.
kturnbull's review against another edition
Too much new vocab. I can handle alternate pronouns and new words, but it just got to be a lot.
ljenkins09's review against another edition
3.0
It was ok. I stayed engaged (rare for me these days) but I think I’d find it hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t a super nerd.
catherine_77's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
relaxing
slow-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