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skylar2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
ielerol's review against another edition
4.0
It's been a long time since I was so eager to read a book as dark as this one. And it get real dark. Aliens have taken over the city where Bo and Violet live, implanting the children with parasites and hooking all the adults into a VR simulation of happy lives while they slowly starve to death. The aliens themselves are strange, scary, and also real gross. Just what I like in an alien. Bo and Violet are great protagonists too, flawed and immature in realistic ways, but also sympathetic and compelling.
The pace in the first part of the novel is relatively slow, introducing the band of children who have escaped alien control and the way their world has changed so drastically. The aliens themselves are not the only dark part of this story. Parts of the first half were difficult for me because I'm a lot more sensitive now to stories of children being bullied than I was as a child myself. The action picks up fast in the second part after a major plot development, and from there I pretty much couldn't put the book down. Hints were dropped about how the conflict might widen in future installments, and I'm eager to find out if I'm right about how it will go.
The mechanism allowing the happy reunion at the very end was not particularly convincing for me, but at the same time it was so emotionally satisfying, and I was so in need of some happy after the horrors earlier in the book, that I don't care.
The pace in the first part of the novel is relatively slow, introducing the band of children who have escaped alien control and the way their world has changed so drastically. The aliens themselves are not the only dark part of this story. Parts of the first half were difficult for me because I'm a lot more sensitive now to stories of children being bullied than I was as a child myself. The action picks up fast in the second part after a major plot development, and from there I pretty much couldn't put the book down. Hints were dropped about how the conflict might widen in future installments, and I'm eager to find out if I'm right about how it will go.
The mechanism allowing the happy reunion at the very end was not particularly convincing for me, but at the same time it was so emotionally satisfying, and I was so in need of some happy after the horrors earlier in the book, that I don't care.
lastcabtonowhere's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.25
rosexgold's review against another edition
4.0
I only found out about this book because of the preview that came at the end of "Into The Drowning Deep." I usually don't read those previews because they are almost always from another book by the same author of the book I've just finished. And if it's an author I like I'm most likely going to read their other books anyway, so I don't like to read the beginning in a preview and then forget it all and have to reread it again when I go to read the actual book.
The way we are kind of thrown into the story with the aliens already being present is what grabbed me and made me want to find the full book and continue with it. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed this story. I'm not the biggest fan of books that start somewhere in the middle of the action and give you a lot of new world information that doesn't make any sense yet. This book did it the right way.
One thing I couldn't stand was the way the characters would talk sometimes. They'd fragment their sentences weirdly and it would just infuriate me. It would be one thing if it was a unique characteristic of a single character, but it was so irritating and unrealistic to have everyone do it.
I (unromantically) LOVED Gloom for some reason. I just liked how he was strange enough to stand out as an alien but still so pure and nice. I loved the way he would phrase things.
Also, it probably wasn't supposed to be a good thing, but I really liked how the bad aliens (we don't get a name for them) would say things like "We can make you happy. Your version of happy." I don't know why but it just really stood out to me.
The reviews on here saying they didn't enjoy it because they couldn't believe these young kids could do all of this... they obviously way underestimate children. Also, it *is* fiction haha but really, it wasn't so crazy for me to imagine these young children could get things done in these circumstances when they really didn't have any other choice. Fighting for survival makes you resourceful. And young children all over the world are able to deal with very strong hardships. Children are amazing.
As for the reviews about the mistreatment of the transgender character...did these people read the book? (Of course this is coming from a cis point of view so...) The only dead-naming was first done in flashbacks of Violet's life... so of course their old name is going to be used. That is how the story explained to us about Violet's transition and her struggles with it. The only other time was when the aliens were trying to trick her so they could grab her. The dead-naming was used to show that the othermothers were sloppy and the aliens weren't as smart as they all thought and half-assing or just not good at getting their research. There was an instance of a character purposely misgendering Violet but that was to show the evilness of that character. Not to say that makes any of these things "ok" but they weren't just gratuitous trans-bashing scenes like some reviews make it out to be. All of these instances were important to character and background building. If a character is trans, it isn't a crime to realistically portray how the outside world will react. (Even if realistic reactions are horrible)
Anyway, I am definitely now waiting for the next book.
The way we are kind of thrown into the story with the aliens already being present is what grabbed me and made me want to find the full book and continue with it. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed this story. I'm not the biggest fan of books that start somewhere in the middle of the action and give you a lot of new world information that doesn't make any sense yet. This book did it the right way.
One thing I couldn't stand was the way the characters would talk sometimes. They'd fragment their sentences weirdly and it would just infuriate me. It would be one thing if it was a unique characteristic of a single character, but it was so irritating and unrealistic to have everyone do it.
I (unromantically) LOVED Gloom for some reason. I just liked how he was strange enough to stand out as an alien but still so pure and nice. I loved the way he would phrase things.
Also, it probably wasn't supposed to be a good thing, but I really liked how the bad aliens (we don't get a name for them) would say things like "We can make you happy. Your version of happy." I don't know why but it just really stood out to me.
The reviews on here saying they didn't enjoy it because they couldn't believe these young kids could do all of this... they obviously way underestimate children. Also, it *is* fiction haha but really, it wasn't so crazy for me to imagine these young children could get things done in these circumstances when they really didn't have any other choice. Fighting for survival makes you resourceful. And young children all over the world are able to deal with very strong hardships. Children are amazing.
As for the reviews about the mistreatment of the transgender character...did these people read the book? (Of course this is coming from a cis point of view so...) The only dead-naming was first done in flashbacks of Violet's life... so of course their old name is going to be used. That is how the story explained to us about Violet's transition and her struggles with it. The only other time was when the aliens were trying to trick her so they could grab her. The dead-naming was used to show that the othermothers were sloppy and the aliens weren't as smart as they all thought and half-assing or just not good at getting their research. There was an instance of a character purposely misgendering Violet but that was to show the evilness of that character. Not to say that makes any of these things "ok" but they weren't just gratuitous trans-bashing scenes like some reviews make it out to be. All of these instances were important to character and background building. If a character is trans, it isn't a crime to realistically portray how the outside world will react. (Even if realistic reactions are horrible)
Anyway, I am definitely now waiting for the next book.
liacooper's review against another edition
4.0
3.5* rounded up
solid YA scifi featuring a trans girl and a nigerian immigrant boy fighting to survive an apocalyptic post alien first contact wasteland. would have rated this higher if Violet had h ad most pages, i think she was the stronger pov but because of Plot reasons she had less book. im really surprised i hadnt seen anyone read this on booktube just amongst channels i watch because this is a very engaging interesting book tackling lots of varied issues. the one thing thats probably not handled the best is mental health and none of the identities in this are own voices but it's a pretty solid book. competantly written and engaging.
solid YA scifi featuring a trans girl and a nigerian immigrant boy fighting to survive an apocalyptic post alien first contact wasteland. would have rated this higher if Violet had h ad most pages, i think she was the stronger pov but because of Plot reasons she had less book. im really surprised i hadnt seen anyone read this on booktube just amongst channels i watch because this is a very engaging interesting book tackling lots of varied issues. the one thing thats probably not handled the best is mental health and none of the identities in this are own voices but it's a pretty solid book. competantly written and engaging.
micareads123's review against another edition
5.0
Though I’m not typically inclined towards action-oriented literature, Rich Larson has a way of pulling me into his writing anyhow. He introduces human emotion into his stories with a depth that pulls me in despite all the craziness happening at the forefront. But above that, he crafts unusual and intricate worlds that fascinate me and keep me hooked.
Annex: The Violet Wars starts out with a lot of information to take in. In the first few chapters, we are immediately met with an abundance of new concepts and characters. That said, it took me some time to really dive in. But as the characters developed and the plot thickened, my curiosity and interest grew larger.
Following a group of misfit kids who managed to escape the grip of an alien invasion, the novel sheds a very real but endearing light on what it is to be an outsider. It also touches on how it can be to feel alone within a society that doesn’t fully accept a person who deviates even slightly from the norm. Metaphorically, it follows the classic theme of the outsider breaking away from the other societal sheep (or “wasters”) and proving their value, by way of heroism, to themself and to those who matter.
To my surprise, the character I felt most emotionally attached to was the least human. Fitting somewhere between a swarm of flies and increasingly sentient AI, Gloom is pure charm. He is everything you have ever needed in a friend and more, and I sincerely hope we see more of him in the future. His entire concept breaks away from anything concrete and from everything we know, yet he is lovable.
Larson develops for his concepts new terminology that by the end of the book feels completely normal and natural. He normalizes the abstract in a way that sets his work apart.
Annex: The Violet Wars, like the rest of Larson’s work, is extremely imaginative. I am always left in admiration of the way Larson continually comes up with new and interesting worlds and ideas. I have no guesses as to what new angles and concepts he will introduce next, but I am eager to find out.
Annex: The Violet Wars starts out with a lot of information to take in. In the first few chapters, we are immediately met with an abundance of new concepts and characters. That said, it took me some time to really dive in. But as the characters developed and the plot thickened, my curiosity and interest grew larger.
Following a group of misfit kids who managed to escape the grip of an alien invasion, the novel sheds a very real but endearing light on what it is to be an outsider. It also touches on how it can be to feel alone within a society that doesn’t fully accept a person who deviates even slightly from the norm. Metaphorically, it follows the classic theme of the outsider breaking away from the other societal sheep (or “wasters”) and proving their value, by way of heroism, to themself and to those who matter.
To my surprise, the character I felt most emotionally attached to was the least human. Fitting somewhere between a swarm of flies and increasingly sentient AI, Gloom is pure charm. He is everything you have ever needed in a friend and more, and I sincerely hope we see more of him in the future. His entire concept breaks away from anything concrete and from everything we know, yet he is lovable.
Larson develops for his concepts new terminology that by the end of the book feels completely normal and natural. He normalizes the abstract in a way that sets his work apart.
Annex: The Violet Wars, like the rest of Larson’s work, is extremely imaginative. I am always left in admiration of the way Larson continually comes up with new and interesting worlds and ideas. I have no guesses as to what new angles and concepts he will introduce next, but I am eager to find out.
bookaneer's review against another edition
4.0
I rarely read YA speculative fiction due to various reasons. I am glad I took a chance for this one. The author is mostly known for his short fiction and I did enjoy one of his works.
The sympathetic main characters, one a trans teenager and the other a small Nigerian boy, really drew me in, as well as their individual struggles. Violet, especially, I loved her a lot. I read a review by someone (trans) in GR who said this book had it right. (Let me know if that's accurate). Nevertheless, the book expanded my view, gave me a new perspective and made me empathize with it, which is the trait of a good SF.
While this was set in a post-apocalyptic world following an alien invasion, there were undercurrent themes that make the book really endearing. No, I'm not talking about the [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] feel. It is deeper than that, it's the sense of belonging (in this case, a family, in a broader sense). If you ever feel like an outsider, or ever had the struggle to feel like you belong in any particular place, this book is for you. Or, if you're an Animorphs fan. The author is also one of us, and I believe this is an homage.
The pacing is really good, quite action-packed, the dialogue flows naturally and some even genuinely funny despite the stark situation. I was also intrigued by one of the aliens, a shape-shifting man with a bowler hat and his super useful motes.
Definitely will continue with the series. Rich Larson, welcome to my watch list.
The sympathetic main characters, one a trans teenager and the other a small Nigerian boy, really drew me in, as well as their individual struggles. Violet, especially, I loved her a lot. I read a review by someone (trans) in GR who said this book had it right. (Let me know if that's accurate). Nevertheless, the book expanded my view, gave me a new perspective and made me empathize with it, which is the trait of a good SF.
While this was set in a post-apocalyptic world following an alien invasion, there were undercurrent themes that make the book really endearing. No, I'm not talking about the [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] feel. It is deeper than that, it's the sense of belonging (in this case, a family, in a broader sense). If you ever feel like an outsider, or ever had the struggle to feel like you belong in any particular place, this book is for you. Or, if you're an Animorphs fan. The author is also one of us, and I believe this is an homage.
The pacing is really good, quite action-packed, the dialogue flows naturally and some even genuinely funny despite the stark situation. I was also intrigued by one of the aliens, a shape-shifting man with a bowler hat and his super useful motes.
Definitely will continue with the series. Rich Larson, welcome to my watch list.
isobelthewizard's review against another edition
2.0
“You should not be able to do that.” Her not-mom was standing in front of her, disapproving. “There is a flaw in the simulation.”
Violet gave her a withering look. “Call the IT people,” she said, then picked a direction at random and started walking off into the void.
CW: transphobia, deadnaming
My main critique of this is that it feels oddly misplaced in the current SFF market. This absolutely falls in line with the 2010's-era YA dystopian that I read so much of as a teen. I probably would have liked it better if I hadn't burned out on this flavor of story a long time ago.
I think Violet sparks as a protagonist. I've never encountered an apocalyptic/dystopian story that features a trans teen hero, and now that I've read one, I'm keen to read others. Violet really gets to revel in the freedom unlocked by the sudden removal of her abusive and transphobic parents . . . for a while. Hers is certainly an interesting perspective on the world's end, but I found it limited by the narrative. For a story that seems (based on the description) to be a light sci-fi romp through an alien apocalypse that cancels out all adult influence, featuring a rag tag band of pre-teens, this really seems to revel in torturing Violet with her transness.
I wish this book had been cheesier. If done well, it still could have found its footing in the darker, heavier moments. Larson could have really leaned into the genre of mid-two thousands Teen End of World Adventure with his plucky bat-wielding heroine and her sociopathic crush, but I can't quite parse out what the influences here even were. It doesn't feel derived, it feels contrived. And I guess that's all I have to say? Not bad, but bland.
For fun, cheesy YA dystopia: Monument 14 by Emma Laybourne, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, No Safety In Numbers by Danya Lorentz, or Gone by Michael Grant.
For truly INSPIRED YA zombies: the Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry.
For an interesting take on trans identity in the wake of alien invasion: The Seep by Chana Porter.
Violet gave her a withering look. “Call the IT people,” she said, then picked a direction at random and started walking off into the void.
CW: transphobia, deadnaming
My main critique of this is that it feels oddly misplaced in the current SFF market. This absolutely falls in line with the 2010's-era YA dystopian that I read so much of as a teen. I probably would have liked it better if I hadn't burned out on this flavor of story a long time ago.
I think Violet sparks as a protagonist. I've never encountered an apocalyptic/dystopian story that features a trans teen hero, and now that I've read one, I'm keen to read others. Violet really gets to revel in the freedom unlocked by the sudden removal of her abusive and transphobic parents . . . for a while. Hers is certainly an interesting perspective on the world's end, but I found it limited by the narrative. For a story that seems (based on the description) to be a light sci-fi romp through an alien apocalypse that cancels out all adult influence, featuring a rag tag band of pre-teens, this really seems to revel in torturing Violet with her transness.
I wish this book had been cheesier. If done well, it still could have found its footing in the darker, heavier moments. Larson could have really leaned into the genre of mid-two thousands Teen End of World Adventure with his plucky bat-wielding heroine and her sociopathic crush, but I can't quite parse out what the influences here even were. It doesn't feel derived, it feels contrived. And I guess that's all I have to say? Not bad, but bland.
For fun, cheesy YA dystopia: Monument 14 by Emma Laybourne, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, No Safety In Numbers by Danya Lorentz, or Gone by Michael Grant.
For truly INSPIRED YA zombies: the Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry.
For an interesting take on trans identity in the wake of alien invasion: The Seep by Chana Porter.
colossal's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent YA SF set in the aftermath of an alien invasion that has isolated the city where the action is set and changed the inhabitants.
The action picks up with 11-year old Bo escaping from a warehouse where the aliens are keeping children, all of who are implanted with a strange parasite. He's found by 16-year old Violet who's a member of a group of other escapee children calling themselves the Lost Boys. The Lost Boys are led by the charismatic Wyatt who has trained them in resisting the various disturbing alien forces occupying the city and surviving there when all the adults are sort-of benign zombies. As it turns out though, Bo is different from the other kids, and his difference signifies a new chapter of the alien invasion and the kids struggle for survival.
If I had to give an elevator pitch for this one I'd describe it as [b:Exo|26532931|Exo (Exo #1)|Fonda Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464719345s/26532931.jpg|46532697] by way of Falling Skies and [b:Peter Pan|34268|Peter Pan|J.M. Barrie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337714526s/34268.jpg|1358908]. The protagonists are Bo, the son of immigrants from Niger, and Violet, a transgender girl who's found her own way now that her non-supportive family are mainly out of the picture. Things get really interesting when they begin to interact with the aliens more, including the revelation of an unexpected and suspicious ally.
While clearly part of a series, this does come to a satisfactory conclusion which is refreshing considering the cliffhanger-prone YA genre.
The action picks up with 11-year old Bo escaping from a warehouse where the aliens are keeping children, all of who are implanted with a strange parasite. He's found by 16-year old Violet who's a member of a group of other escapee children calling themselves the Lost Boys. The Lost Boys are led by the charismatic Wyatt who has trained them in resisting the various disturbing alien forces occupying the city and surviving there when all the adults are sort-of benign zombies. As it turns out though, Bo is different from the other kids, and his difference signifies a new chapter of the alien invasion and the kids struggle for survival.
If I had to give an elevator pitch for this one I'd describe it as [b:Exo|26532931|Exo (Exo #1)|Fonda Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464719345s/26532931.jpg|46532697] by way of Falling Skies and [b:Peter Pan|34268|Peter Pan|J.M. Barrie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337714526s/34268.jpg|1358908]. The protagonists are Bo, the son of immigrants from Niger, and Violet, a transgender girl who's found her own way now that her non-supportive family are mainly out of the picture. Things get really interesting when they begin to interact with the aliens more, including the revelation of an unexpected and suspicious ally.
While clearly part of a series, this does come to a satisfactory conclusion which is refreshing considering the cliffhanger-prone YA genre.