You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Emilie & the Hollow World is a fun romp of an adventure in the proud Vernian tradition of of journeys to the center of the earth, with its own unique twists.
Our heroine is a semi-accidental stow-away who in some ways is along for the ride, yet she is clever and brave and becomes increasingly confident and competent as the book progresses, more than earning her keep.
The writing style and pacing make it straddle the line between Middle Grade and YA, making it a reasonable choice for advanced readers of Middle Grade, or an easy romp for YA or adult readers.
Despite the young audience, the book treats questions like encountering foreign cultures with welcome nuance, and the various peoples met in travel narrative have clearly been well thought through, with individuals acting out of their own complex motivations.
The book also explores ideas of gender expectations, friendship, and various moral quandaries without bogging down in any of them.
Lots of fun. I couldn't wait to rush off to Emilie's next adventure.
Our heroine is a semi-accidental stow-away who in some ways is along for the ride, yet she is clever and brave and becomes increasingly confident and competent as the book progresses, more than earning her keep.
The writing style and pacing make it straddle the line between Middle Grade and YA, making it a reasonable choice for advanced readers of Middle Grade, or an easy romp for YA or adult readers.
Despite the young audience, the book treats questions like encountering foreign cultures with welcome nuance, and the various peoples met in travel narrative have clearly been well thought through, with individuals acting out of their own complex motivations.
The book also explores ideas of gender expectations, friendship, and various moral quandaries without bogging down in any of them.
Lots of fun. I couldn't wait to rush off to Emilie's next adventure.
This was a fun little steampunk adventure story.
That said... a few thoughts.
- this is marketed as YA but doesn't feel like it. Younger kids would have no problem with it.
- the main character has no depth. She's a lens through which to experience the adventure, but doesn't feel like a fully fleshed person.
- low to no emotional stakes. It doesn't have the emotional resonance of the Murderbot series, nor does it challenge you to think or feel things. It's just a romp through a world in the center of the planet.
That said... a few thoughts.
- this is marketed as YA but doesn't feel like it. Younger kids would have no problem with it.
- the main character has no depth. She's a lens through which to experience the adventure, but doesn't feel like a fully fleshed person.
- low to no emotional stakes. It doesn't have the emotional resonance of the Murderbot series, nor does it challenge you to think or feel things. It's just a romp through a world in the center of the planet.
It was pleasant enough but I struggled to connect to the characters and wasn’t grabbed by the plot so decided to spend time on another read.
I came to Martha Wells via the Murderbot series and so it's interesting to see an example of her earlier work, particularly given this is written very differently to Murderbot: it's third-person (though does track the single named protagonist throughout), aimed at a younger audience, and fits more in the steampunk genre than sci-fi.
I found the plot engaging enough but did struggle to empathise with Emilie, who isn't as closed emotionally as Murderbot (nowhere near it!) but I think her experience isn't communicated quite as well here. The worldbuilding was okay, though the scienfification of magic didn't quite hold together for me, and the sexual dimorphism of the non-human species felt far too human to be believable. As with Murderbot, there are a lot of secondary characters, and I did struggle to remember quite who all of them were at any given point.
I would be curious to read the second book of the series, but I might give it a bit of time first; I don't think I'm eager enough for more here to dive straight into it.
I found the plot engaging enough but did struggle to empathise with Emilie, who isn't as closed emotionally as Murderbot (nowhere near it!) but I think her experience isn't communicated quite as well here. The worldbuilding was okay, though the scienfification of magic didn't quite hold together for me, and the sexual dimorphism of the non-human species felt far too human to be believable. As with Murderbot, there are a lot of secondary characters, and I did struggle to remember quite who all of them were at any given point.
I would be curious to read the second book of the series, but I might give it a bit of time first; I don't think I'm eager enough for more here to dive straight into it.
My full review is over here.
This book started out very promising, only to do lots of little things wrong along the way and disappoint with a predictable, lukewarm ending.
This book started out very promising, only to do lots of little things wrong along the way and disappoint with a predictable, lukewarm ending.
It was.... fine. I had to push to finish it, but I can't really remember what I found wrong with it now... I guess the style didn't really agree with me, and the plot didn't grab me much.
Just one more reason to be sad Strange Chemistry folded. What a great read!
I read this when it first came out and enjoyed it a lot.
This is a typical Martha Wells book: great world-building, plotting that moves at a strong clip, and strong female characters. With favorite authors, I'm afraid to read their latest book because I'm afraid I'll be disappointed, that they will finally write a clunker. But not Wells. I'll read anything she writes, because I know I can trust her to deliver an absorbing fast-paced story with characters I care about.
This is a typical Martha Wells book: great world-building, plotting that moves at a strong clip, and strong female characters. With favorite authors, I'm afraid to read their latest book because I'm afraid I'll be disappointed, that they will finally write a clunker. But not Wells. I'll read anything she writes, because I know I can trust her to deliver an absorbing fast-paced story with characters I care about.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous