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ebook_em's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I honestly could have rated this anywhere between 3 and 5 stars, but I landed on 4.5 because the story was so engrossing and I’ll probably think about this book for a long time.
Set in the 1960s, Singer Distance is a genre-bending novel about the disappearance of Crystal Singer following her successful communication with Martians using a mathematical proof etched into the desert. There is some hard sci-fi in the book, but it’s mostly about relationships among very flawed humans and the distance (real and figurative) between them.
The premise was a bit confusing at times and I suspected some scientific accuracy might have been sacrificed for the sake of poetry. The dialogue and character depictions felt more contemporary than mid-20th century, and the two main characters were incredibly frustrating. That said, I loved the writing style, the road trip motif, and the reflective mood. It reminded me of Station Eleven mashed together with Interstellar. Overall, I highly recommend this for people looking for a really unique & meandering story with a sci-fi twist.
My spotify playlist based on Singer Distance: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LM7vRZIpZqDhORmXih1zq?si=77a0f059b43e4456
Set in the 1960s, Singer Distance is a genre-bending novel about the disappearance of Crystal Singer following her successful communication with Martians using a mathematical proof etched into the desert. There is some hard sci-fi in the book, but it’s mostly about relationships among very flawed humans and the distance (real and figurative) between them.
The premise was a bit confusing at times and I suspected some scientific accuracy might have been sacrificed for the sake of poetry. The dialogue and character depictions felt more contemporary than mid-20th century, and the two main characters were incredibly frustrating. That said, I loved the writing style, the road trip motif, and the reflective mood. It reminded me of Station Eleven mashed together with Interstellar. Overall, I highly recommend this for people looking for a really unique & meandering story with a sci-fi twist.
My spotify playlist based on Singer Distance: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LM7vRZIpZqDhORmXih1zq?si=77a0f059b43e4456
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent
jazhandz's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A compelling scifi story about math and love and human nature that inexplicably got smashed together with pretty meh literary fiction about family. A really strong first act and a decent second act but the third act really let the book down for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism
funkylitchick's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide attempt
Minor: Mental illness
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