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catm9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
baldwinme40's review against another edition
4.0
when will forced romances with 17-year-old girls stop ruining my YA adventures >:( I don't care if it was normal for the time period!! we're in space! anything is possible! I liked Captain Singh better as a mentor figure for her, though I didn't mind her having a crush on him because honestly that is highly realistic for a teenage girl... I just had, let us say, better endings in mind than
This was good tho, never really boring with tension throughout and changing stakes. There's a cross-dressing girl but we still pass the Bechdel test. They're from 19th century Europe but there are still PoC and some basic explorations of racism, colonialism, and more on Arabella's experience with gender roles and sexism, and how things are different on earth/Mars. The "science" and ship details are delightful!! I love spaceships with sails! I love space storms and space winds and automatons! We get a hint about space pirates and space whales - do we get any in the sequel pleasepleasepleasE???
Arabella is a fun character - smart, resourceful, responsible, open-minded, and outspoken - also, shows weakness sometimes, cries, and has a big ole crush, like any respectable teenage girl. I like her and I want her to Escape the Patriarchy and have her own ship and kick ass.
Spoiler
marriage of convenience, such as he hires her as the navigator and she's able to continue her work and adventures while being open about her gender, and is able to be a space traveler because she wants to, not because of a man.This was good tho, never really boring with tension throughout and changing stakes. There's a cross-dressing girl but we still pass the Bechdel test. They're from 19th century Europe but there are still PoC and some basic explorations of racism, colonialism, and more on Arabella's experience with gender roles and sexism, and how things are different on earth/Mars. The "science" and ship details are delightful!! I love spaceships with sails! I love space storms and space winds and automatons! We get a hint about space pirates and space whales - do we get any in the sequel pleasepleasepleasE???
Arabella is a fun character - smart, resourceful, responsible, open-minded, and outspoken - also, shows weakness sometimes, cries, and has a big ole crush, like any respectable teenage girl. I like her and I want her to Escape the Patriarchy and have her own ship and kick ass.
ofliterarynature's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
4.5
Y’all, we are SLEEPING on this book, I had so much fun! Here’s to girls dressing as boys, sailing ships, and steampunk space travel with vibes straight from early sci-fi adventure. I hope the rest of the series is just as good.
wishfulfillment's review against another edition
2.0
DNFing at 25%. While the setting is exciting, the author piqued my interest in some of the conflicts, and the writing style was fast and concise, I could not get myself interested in the plot. I want to say that this is an "it's not you, it's me" issue, but I felt like there was something missing from this. Maybe it wasn't emotionally engaging?
kaldak33's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
purringlion's review against another edition
2.0
It's a fun romp, ticks many of my boxes (sci-fi ships, 19th century England, nerdy heroine). It doesn't revolutionize the genre but it doesn't have to. It can be just a fun adventure piece.
callmecat's review against another edition
5.0
You know how you read a book and love it so much you look for the same experience again and again? Well this took me right back to 7th grade when I read The True Confessions of Charlottes Doyle. It has many surprising similarities that gave me the feeling of reading that favorite for the first time, and many differences that I enjoyed too. Of all the dress like a boy and become a sailor stories I've read over the years, this is now my fav! Gah, it was so good all the way through!!!
emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic! John Carter of Mars meet's L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack. Arabella of Mars is a fun meeting of vintage Jules Vern-esque Sci-Fi and Regency romance. I'm eager to read more.