Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This installment in the series was just "ok" for me. It STRONGLY relies on your memory of the previous book, which, if you haven't read it in a while can be a real problem and really take you out of the book.
I read this right after The Last Colony and was a little worried about it being repetitive, but Scalzi does a good job of not repeating everything you just heard from the adults from the point of view of a teenager. And Zoe is the kind of teenager I love - smart, snarky (see a pattern?), but goodhearted and willing to do the right thing. This book was just fun.
This book was fantastic. It’s essentially a young adult story, as it is from the voice of a teenager. That said, almost everything I disliked in The Last Colony was rectified in this one. It was such a good transition, and the voice of John Scalzi that I enjoyed in Old Man’s War and the Kaiju Preservation Society was back here. I can see some people not liking it for being a bit of a departure from the last two books in terms of style. But it needed it, and I’m so happy to have read this immediately after.
interesting change in perspective
it’s a retelling to some extent, but also a new story. I was pretty impressed at the character voice. she very much resembles my daughter & her friends at that age. nice to see a little of the
Paul Harvey from The Last Colony.
it’s a retelling to some extent, but also a new story. I was pretty impressed at the character voice. she very much resembles my daughter & her friends at that age. nice to see a little of the
Paul Harvey from The Last Colony.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I probably shouldn't have read this right after Last Colony. I liked it and how it added to that story, and really liked how he fleshed out the indigenous intelligent life on the planet. But I probably needed a breather from that story, and I didn't like how it felt like YA.
If I had read this book (book 4) instead of The Last Colony (book 3 in the series), it would garner a higher rating. It’s well-written. But being that it’s basically book 3 from another character’s perspective, it was less enjoyable for me. It does offer new insight into events that John (MC in books 1 & 3) couldn’t provide. It’s a neat writing experiment, and I love the characters.
On principle, I don't like the fact that the book is a retelling of a previous story from a different character's POV. The problem is that it's done so well in this story. Zoe's story is markedly different than the one we get from her father's perspective and, in all honesty, evoked more emotion because it's so much more personally focused.
I can't justify giving it more than four stars because it's essentially a remake, but I can't give it less than four because I thought it was so well executed.
I can't justify giving it more than four stars because it's essentially a remake, but I can't give it less than four because I thought it was so well executed.
Honestly, I didn't love the tone. It wasn't bad and there was a lot to be liked but it just wasn't what I liked about the first three books. I just wasn't feeling the whole teenage girl thing. Maybe this is just more YA? I dunno. Still, I do love the Old Man's War series. I just wasn't over the moon about this particular one.
medium-paced