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_david_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book had some great moments and I do recommend reading it if you liked the rest of the series! I think the author nailed the use of multiple characters to tell the story about a whole culture. It created beautiful dialogue and told an interesting story about the value of tradition. I adored the characters, especially Isabel and Tamsin since they remind me of my own relationship.
I have two reasons why I've rated it lower than the other Wayfarer books so far. A small downside of especially the beginning of the book is that there are a lot of similar names for characters and a lot of characters without a very clear identifying feature at first. I can imagine that it's very hard to go through this book slowly since you might forget which character did what. The other, bigger downside is how some characters' stories ended. I didn't mind the endings themselves, but for a few of them they were told about it by others. The book expressed its morals by a very much "tell don't show" way. I think it's a shame, it made the book feel very biased, I think the same story could've been told without the very explicit dialogue. The moments I mean are:Isabel talking to Kip and 'Pop' talking to Tessa. I think the museum scene for Kip and the talk with George for Tessa would've sufficed.
Having said that, I still really enjoyed the book! It's just the weakest in the series so far to me and I wanted to reflect that in my rating. As I've expressed in the beginning of this review, it contains some beautiful moments.
I have two reasons why I've rated it lower than the other Wayfarer books so far. A small downside of especially the beginning of the book is that there are a lot of similar names for characters and a lot of characters without a very clear identifying feature at first. I can imagine that it's very hard to go through this book slowly since you might forget which character did what. The other, bigger downside is how some characters' stories ended. I didn't mind the endings themselves, but for a few of them they were told about it by others. The book expressed its morals by a very much "tell don't show" way. I think it's a shame, it made the book feel very biased, I think the same story could've been told without the very explicit dialogue. The moments I mean are:
Having said that, I still really enjoyed the book! It's just the weakest in the series so far to me and I wanted to reflect that in my rating. As I've expressed in the beginning of this review, it contains some beautiful moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Bullying, Grief, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcohol, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Classism, War, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Violence, and Drug use
In the first chapterarinheck's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
This has been my least favourite Wayfarer book thus far. And yet, it made me laugh out loud and cry just as much as the others have. Although it was a bit slow to get going, Becky Chambers has yet to truly disappoint.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual content, Colonisation, and War
tallulahlucy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I don’t understand this being marked medium paced - it’s slow. Don’t go in expecting anything else and you won’t be disappointed. Think of it as a documentary about the fictional Fleet rather than a single story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Grief, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Classism and Colonisation
Minor: Confinement and Bullying
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
4.0
Through the grief, this book is still wonderfully hopeful. It was really hard for me at first to keep all the narratives straight, but it got easier as I got to know the characters better. It was beautiful how they all intersected with each other and with the first book in the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Medical content, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Grief, and Xenophobia
strange_little_ranger's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Colonisation, Grief, Medical content, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
eleanora's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Minor: Colonisation, Alcohol, Cursing, and Bullying
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Becky Chambers does it again, folks.
Record of a Spaceborn Few is the third book in her Wayfarers series, and her writing style is filled with compassion and enthusiasm for the intricate world - or in this case, galaxy - she has created.
These books are not for those who like their plots fast-paced. Indeed, for the first two-thirds of Record, there is hardly any plot at all.
I would normally count myself among those who prefer a fast pace, but for Becky Chambers I've learned to make an exception. Her books are slow, for sure, but for me, I find the worldbuilding to be incredibly detailed and endlessly fascinating, so I don't get too bored.
Such was the case - yet again - for Record. It took time for me to readjust to the pace, the terminology used in this series, but once I did, I found myself intrigued and absorbed.
Chambers uses Record to explore the concept of something with which we are all familiar: what makes us human. And here's the genius thing: she does this from the point of view of the descendants of the original humans who abandoned earth when it became uninhabitable, and built giant space ships to live in. The characters here are largely human, with a few notable exceptions which I won't spoil here.
I've read criticism that the vision of society depicted in Record is too idealistic to be believable, and I agree that argument has some merit. But for me personally, I'm willing to accept this idealised view, mostly because in the world we live in now, I like to be able to imagine a society where people work and live in harmony with one another. It's a fantasy, sure, but in my opinion we all need a little escapism from time to time.
To sum up, this book shows us Becky Chambers in peak form, and I look forward to reading the final book in the Wayfarers series, The Galaxy and the Ground Within.
Record of a Spaceborn Few is the third book in her Wayfarers series, and her writing style is filled with compassion and enthusiasm for the intricate world - or in this case, galaxy - she has created.
These books are not for those who like their plots fast-paced. Indeed, for the first two-thirds of Record, there is hardly any plot at all.
I would normally count myself among those who prefer a fast pace, but for Becky Chambers I've learned to make an exception. Her books are slow, for sure, but for me, I find the worldbuilding to be incredibly detailed and endlessly fascinating, so I don't get too bored.
Such was the case - yet again - for Record. It took time for me to readjust to the pace, the terminology used in this series, but once I did, I found myself intrigued and absorbed.
Chambers uses Record to explore the concept of something with which we are all familiar: what makes us human. And here's the genius thing: she does this from the point of view of the descendants of the original humans who abandoned earth when it became uninhabitable, and built giant space ships to live in. The characters here are largely human, with a few notable exceptions which I won't spoil here.
I've read criticism that the vision of society depicted in Record is too idealistic to be believable, and I agree that argument has some merit. But for me personally, I'm willing to accept this idealised view, mostly because in the world we live in now, I like to be able to imagine a society where people work and live in harmony with one another. It's a fantasy, sure, but in my opinion we all need a little escapism from time to time.
To sum up, this book shows us Becky Chambers in peak form, and I look forward to reading the final book in the Wayfarers series, The Galaxy and the Ground Within.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation, Racism, Death of parent, Medical content, and War
There are detailed descriptions of the ritual Exodan practice ofok7a's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Xenophobia, and Death
Minor: Colonisation and Grief
librarymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? No
5.0
This book is a wish for a kinder future. It's optimistic while still being firmly rooted in realism. Sawyer's story arc and death, while upsetting, was realistic. It was a great catalyst for the changes made to the way that the fleet treats the returning descendants of former residents. I'm glad that we got to see more of Sunny and Eyas as friends beyond their work. Tessa being able to create a home in which her family feels safe and Isabel training Kip to continue the living memory of the fleet feel like a perfect way to round off the book. one of the things that I love the most about these books is that our heroes aren't fighting to save the universe. They're not struggling against a catastrophic war. And in the rare cases they're escaping apocalypse/catastrophe, what we see isn't statistical odds and the military. We see people surviving and thriving.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Death, Colonisation, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
novella42's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
In some ways, the darkest of the Wayfarer series, but also the most beautiful. The most human. The central themes of this book remind me of Alice Walker's short story, Everyday Use. What do we preserve? What do we carry with us, and why, and how? What matters most when we're grappling with our own mortality and purpose and connection to other people who live like we do, in frail, mortal bodies in fragile, finite spaces?
I agree with some reviews that this book is slower than the others, and that the teenage character can be hard to empathize with because he's struggling with boredom and purpose. But the payoff. For me, the payoff is everything. I cry throughout this book and feel so peaceful at the end. Like I'm a little bit closer to finding my own purpose.
I agree with some reviews that this book is slower than the others, and that the teenage character can be hard to empathize with because he's struggling with boredom and purpose. But the payoff. For me, the payoff is everything. I cry throughout this book and feel so peaceful at the end. Like I'm a little bit closer to finding my own purpose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Vomit, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, and Chronic illness
Minor: Death of parent, Deportation, Colonisation, Racism, Sexual content, Genocide, and War
There's a prominent scene in the book that needs a tag but isn't among those content warnings listed. Car accident is technically the closest, and I think it could be triggering for someone who had experienced that. But it's more specific, so I'm putting a slightly more detailed one behind a spoiler.