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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Murderbot! I kept hearing about this book and decided to give it a try, even though I typically don't have the best experience with the super popular books. But I actually really enjoyed this one and even want to pick up the next one. Murderbot was extremely relatable with its dislike of human interactions and desire to escape from them and yet still ultimately caring about the humans that treat it well to some extent at least. I will say this book wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be and I wish it had been a bit longer, but I loved the character and want to know what it gets up to next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Murder
Minor: Medical content, Classism
dark
funny
tense
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:
Complicated
Well finishing this leaves me wanting to read the next in the series which is unexpected.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
funny
fast-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:
Yes
I understand why All Systems Red has such a devoted following. Murderbot is a great character concept, and there are definitely moments of charm and humour that really land. His social awkwardness and interactions with the crew are where the book shines, and when those moments work, they really work.
But I binged the TV adaptation right before the book’s final confrontation (during the covering of symbols), and that only highlighted the novella’s flaws. Everything the book does well, the adaptation simply does better. Reading the ending after seeing it on screen was like eating plain oats right after your favourite dessert.
Yes, I know the show pulls from later material, which gives it more space to flesh out the story and relationships. Even so, the book’s ending feels undeniably rushed. We get glimpses of the wider world and the supporting cast’s role in it, but everything is crammed into a dozen or so pages, leaving it flat and hollow.
That flatness isn’t down to Murderbot’s neurodivergent traits either. When we see more of its genuine personality, it is funny, awkward, and unexpectedly touching. But then you reach the ending, where pivotal events are conveyed with the same weight as a quick trip to buy milk. It undercuts the stakes and makes the story feel soulless at times.
I’ll keep trying the books, and I’ll definitely keep following the show, but my hope is that the later books grow into the potential this one only hints at.
Because right now, All Systems Red has flashes of brilliance but wastes too much of it in rushed, flat storytelling.
But I binged the TV adaptation right before the book’s final confrontation (during the covering of symbols), and that only highlighted the novella’s flaws. Everything the book does well, the adaptation simply does better. Reading the ending after seeing it on screen was like eating plain oats right after your favourite dessert.
Yes, I know the show pulls from later material, which gives it more space to flesh out the story and relationships. Even so, the book’s ending feels undeniably rushed. We get glimpses of the wider world and the supporting cast’s role in it, but everything is crammed into a dozen or so pages, leaving it flat and hollow.
That flatness isn’t down to Murderbot’s neurodivergent traits either. When we see more of its genuine personality, it is funny, awkward, and unexpectedly touching. But then you reach the ending, where pivotal events are conveyed with the same weight as a quick trip to buy milk. It undercuts the stakes and makes the story feel soulless at times.
I’ll keep trying the books, and I’ll definitely keep following the show, but my hope is that the later books grow into the potential this one only hints at.
Because right now, All Systems Red has flashes of brilliance but wastes too much of it in rushed, flat storytelling.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced