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tien's review
3.0
Out of enjoyment of reading alone, I would have rated the book 4 stars.
But when I stopped to think about it, I found a number of holes that I'm not happy about so it's rounded down to 3 stars.
The premise of a piece of humanity in a spaceship seeking habitable planet because Earth is dying is not new. There are lots of books with such premise. However, the difference in this spaceship was that it was sponsored by Jews with a goal to preserve Jewish cultures but not particularly religious. So while names and some life aspects have Jewish references but the Torah was only briefly mentioned at one point in the story.
Terra Fineberg is a mostly likeable protagonist herself; strong, intelligent, but quite naïve. In a way, this is a coming-of-age story as Terra slowly finds her way through society while her family history unfolded before her. In the meantime, the people aren't happy with the Council and rebellion is brewing within months of reaching Orbit. Terra found herself immersed and conflicted in trying to sort out what she believes herself. Of course, an added complexity is the dreams she's been having of a boy...
I'm rather curious to find out about this dream boy of Terra's but not quite sure if I'm keen to read the rest...
But when I stopped to think about it, I found a number of holes that I'm not happy about so it's rounded down to 3 stars.
The premise of a piece of humanity in a spaceship seeking habitable planet because Earth is dying is not new. There are lots of books with such premise. However, the difference in this spaceship was that it was sponsored by Jews with a goal to preserve Jewish cultures but not particularly religious. So while names and some life aspects have Jewish references but the Torah was only briefly mentioned at one point in the story.
Terra Fineberg is a mostly likeable protagonist herself; strong, intelligent, but quite naïve. In a way, this is a coming-of-age story as Terra slowly finds her way through society while her family history unfolded before her. In the meantime, the people aren't happy with the Council and rebellion is brewing within months of reaching Orbit. Terra found herself immersed and conflicted in trying to sort out what she believes herself. Of course, an added complexity is the dreams she's been having of a boy...
I'm rather curious to find out about this dream boy of Terra's but not quite sure if I'm keen to read the rest...
nadinee24's review against another edition
4.0
"As I hurried down the path toward home, I felt, for the first time, like I was walking toward something. Toward my future. Toward Zehava."
Starglass follows what's left of humanity on a ship headed to a potential life supporting planet called Zehava. Life on the ship is carefully regulated with strict rules in place to insure the survival of the human race. The main character, Terra, at sixteen has just reached the age of maturity on the ship and has been assigned a job she doesn't like and is expected to find the person she intends to marry, but when she inadvertently witnesses a murder that was covered up she's quickly swept into a world of secrets, rebellions, and a fight for power.
Whenever I find a sci/fi book about the humane race in a ship heading towards a new planet I always read it because I absolutely love that kind of story. These kinds of stories are always filled with themes of power, authority, etc. and Starglass is no exception.
Terra, as a main character, is an interesting character simply because of her age and knowledge. When she's thrust into this secret world within the ship she's lived in her whole life she doesn't have a full grasp on the implications of joining this group. She's naive and blindly follows. As a reader I was immediately skeptical of all the information that was fed to her, so I was much more hesitant than Terra. Usually I would get annoyed with the main character for being naive, but having this different view from Terra enhanced my reading experience.
The reason I didn't give this book a 5 out of 5 stars is because the world building is shaky at times. It isn't entirely clear why the ship was needed in the first place. The history of the ship is incredibly interesting, however the reader only gets snippets of its past. The snippets are grounding and give enough information to understand, but I wish there was a little bit more. The rules that are set in place are interesting and I could assume why they're needed, however I wish there was a little bit more information on their formation or why they were needed.
Overall, Starglass is an exciting sci/fi read. It does stumble at times, but eventually finds its pace and will leave you desperately grabbing for the sequel.
Starglass follows what's left of humanity on a ship headed to a potential life supporting planet called Zehava. Life on the ship is carefully regulated with strict rules in place to insure the survival of the human race. The main character, Terra, at sixteen has just reached the age of maturity on the ship and has been assigned a job she doesn't like and is expected to find the person she intends to marry, but when she inadvertently witnesses a murder that was covered up she's quickly swept into a world of secrets, rebellions, and a fight for power.
Whenever I find a sci/fi book about the humane race in a ship heading towards a new planet I always read it because I absolutely love that kind of story. These kinds of stories are always filled with themes of power, authority, etc. and Starglass is no exception.
Terra, as a main character, is an interesting character simply because of her age and knowledge. When she's thrust into this secret world within the ship she's lived in her whole life she doesn't have a full grasp on the implications of joining this group. She's naive and blindly follows. As a reader I was immediately skeptical of all the information that was fed to her, so I was much more hesitant than Terra. Usually I would get annoyed with the main character for being naive, but having this different view from Terra enhanced my reading experience.
The reason I didn't give this book a 5 out of 5 stars is because the world building is shaky at times. It isn't entirely clear why the ship was needed in the first place. The history of the ship is incredibly interesting, however the reader only gets snippets of its past. The snippets are grounding and give enough information to understand, but I wish there was a little bit more. The rules that are set in place are interesting and I could assume why they're needed, however I wish there was a little bit more information on their formation or why they were needed.
Overall, Starglass is an exciting sci/fi read. It does stumble at times, but eventually finds its pace and will leave you desperately grabbing for the sequel.
janievalgunn's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very interesting take of the classic Sci-fi concept of the end of earth and the human race must travel to the ends of the universe to find a suitable new home. I found the story very intriguing in how they separated the humans by culture. Which I found very smart and also interesting to learn about the Jewish culture as I don't know much about its traditions besides the mainstream knowledge. I also love the world building in such a small community. I really enjoyed the book and I am on my way to purchase a physical copy for my library. I also found the main character to be quite relatable to me as I too at a young age no longer had parents and also the struggles of seeing where your really fit in in your society and friends. I'm excited to read the next book in the series and see how this all concludes.
ksparks's review
3.0
This is an enjoyable read, and the sequel promises to be even more interesting. It's science fiction, about a community of Jewish people (either in faith or by ancestry) who have had to leave their dying planet and have been living on a spaceship for the past 500 years. They are finally coming close to another planet, one they are sure is a promised land, just for them. Terra is botanist in training who is pulled into a rebellion aboard the ship. I found it interesting enough, and I thought it covered a lot of family/personal/cultural issues sensitively, but I'm more interested in what is going to happen when this group of people reaches the surface of the new planet.
happentobeshort's review
4.0
SECULAR JEWS IN SPACE!!! WHY DIDN'T THIS BOOK EXIST WHEN I WAS 13!??!??
[Also: I kept thinking about this skit from Mel Brooks'History of the World Part 1 film, JEWS IN SPACE]
This was SUCH an entertaining read! Everyone is suspicious! Trust no-one!! BELIEVE NOTHING! I was pulled in from the very first page, where it's a letter from a mother, who was part of the group of colonists to join the Asherah to leave Earth, and her reasons for joining the ship. I wanted to know more! What compelled her to write this letter? Why did it feel like the story just didn't end there? What happened????
I loved all the Yiddish and Hebrew words thrown in and how everyone on the ship was Jewish but not in a religious way. They were Jewish because it was their culture, it was their way of life and ideals and morals that made them Jews. Which is really the core of being Jewish, in my opinion.
It was quite interesting for me as well because halfway through reading this, I went to the Bat Mitzvah of 2 girls that I remember playing with as toddlers at my Reform Jewish community here in Singapore. I kept thinking about this book and how I wish I read it when I was about their age. The book made me feel like my way of being Jewish wasn't wrong and that I can be an Atheist and still identify as a Jew, I don't have to pretend I'm Agnostic or even "Full Jew" in the slightest.
That being said, the characters in this story are all very grey. Like there is no black and white. Everyone is good and also bad. It's really fascinating and what good SciFi should be like. There are a lot of moments when you side 100% with Terra and then where you flip completely and think she's being childish or not seeing things properly, but it's good because it makes you stop and think for a moment. Which to be honest, I don't often do when I'm reading Fiction!! I just get so lost in the book that I only stop to think about my own perception of the story after I've read it!
My reason for not going with a 5 and a 4 instead is because I felt the book at times was a bit rushed. Like the pacing was off and there was a lot going on. It wasn't bad, I just felt it could have either been spaced out a bit more or even slimmed down a bit. Also the ending felt super abrupt!! She just kinda said something to herself and then everything faded to black and that was it. Maybe it's just me but I wish there was something a bit more concrete at the end to give me some closure. Then again, I found out recently that there is a sequel and despite how I feel about how Starglass ended, I don't think I want to read it!! I'm content with the book as it is and would rather acknowledge it as a stand alone.
I do want to read more of Phoebe North's work though! So I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for more of her work in the future.
https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com
[Also: I kept thinking about this skit from Mel Brooks'History of the World Part 1 film, JEWS IN SPACE]
This was SUCH an entertaining read! Everyone is suspicious! Trust no-one!! BELIEVE NOTHING! I was pulled in from the very first page, where it's a letter from a mother, who was part of the group of colonists to join the Asherah to leave Earth, and her reasons for joining the ship. I wanted to know more! What compelled her to write this letter? Why did it feel like the story just didn't end there? What happened????
I loved all the Yiddish and Hebrew words thrown in and how everyone on the ship was Jewish but not in a religious way. They were Jewish because it was their culture, it was their way of life and ideals and morals that made them Jews. Which is really the core of being Jewish, in my opinion.
It was quite interesting for me as well because halfway through reading this, I went to the Bat Mitzvah of 2 girls that I remember playing with as toddlers at my Reform Jewish community here in Singapore. I kept thinking about this book and how I wish I read it when I was about their age. The book made me feel like my way of being Jewish wasn't wrong and that I can be an Atheist and still identify as a Jew, I don't have to pretend I'm Agnostic or even "Full Jew" in the slightest.
That being said, the characters in this story are all very grey. Like there is no black and white. Everyone is good and also bad. It's really fascinating and what good SciFi should be like. There are a lot of moments when you side 100% with Terra and then where you flip completely and think she's being childish or not seeing things properly, but it's good because it makes you stop and think for a moment. Which to be honest, I don't often do when I'm reading Fiction!! I just get so lost in the book that I only stop to think about my own perception of the story after I've read it!
My reason for not going with a 5 and a 4 instead is because I felt the book at times was a bit rushed. Like the pacing was off and there was a lot going on. It wasn't bad, I just felt it could have either been spaced out a bit more or even slimmed down a bit. Also the ending felt super abrupt!! She just kinda said something to herself and then everything faded to black and that was it. Maybe it's just me but I wish there was something a bit more concrete at the end to give me some closure. Then again, I found out recently that there is a sequel and despite how I feel about how Starglass ended, I don't think I want to read it!! I'm content with the book as it is and would rather acknowledge it as a stand alone.
I do want to read more of Phoebe North's work though! So I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for more of her work in the future.
https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com
jessthebesst's review
5.0
Brilliant, surprising, beautiful
This was unlike anything I've ever read. Just stunning work. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say I did not see the ending coming at all. Can't wait to read the sequel! Highly recommend
This was unlike anything I've ever read. Just stunning work. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say I did not see the ending coming at all. Can't wait to read the sequel! Highly recommend
lisseut's review
lost interest about a quarter of the way through, skipped to the end, and was disappointed it had typical YA love interest/triangle in it.
missprint's review
4.0
Young girl must navigate getting a new job, a fiancee, and testing the waters of a rebel group on a spaceship filled with secular Jews.
For 500 years, the spaceship that Terra calls home has been on its way from Earth to a new planet; generations have lived their lives under its dome with artificial light, recycled water - they've even got cornfields. Now, as Terra is turning sixteen - the age of adulthood - they are only months away from finally reaching Zehava. What Terra doesn't yet realize is that not everything is what it seems - and even that isn't necessarily what it seems either.
The world/community North creates on the ship is fascinating and fairly original. Okay, spaceship with strict regime rules, a Council, assigned jobs (and sometimes marriages) - not that original. But the Judaism which even reflects how it's shifted through time, and been adapted to circumstances. (A boy's bat mitzvah is, in fact, his sterilization so there will be no unplanned children.) It's sort of always quietly in the background, coloring everything, as something like that should.
The Koen surprise was fun, but I definitely saw the reveals about Terra's mother coming a million miles away. I'm also pretty skeptical of these psychic, bashert love dreams.
Terra wants to be part of something and we watch her on that path, and as she learns to differentiate between working for someone, working for herself, or even working against someone (or herself). The characters around her are (mostly) interesting and three-dimensional. I would have loved to see her best friend Rachel more involved. Terra's father ripped my heart into bits.
All in all, a good story that... felt like a YA, but not too much so.
In fact, but for a few drawn-out sexual moments (nothing explicit but lots of, "oh the hot hands!") I'd recommend it as Upper Middle. There's something about it that reminded me of The Giver.
For 500 years, the spaceship that Terra calls home has been on its way from Earth to a new planet; generations have lived their lives under its dome with artificial light, recycled water - they've even got cornfields. Now, as Terra is turning sixteen - the age of adulthood - they are only months away from finally reaching Zehava. What Terra doesn't yet realize is that not everything is what it seems - and even that isn't necessarily what it seems either.
The world/community North creates on the ship is fascinating and fairly original. Okay, spaceship with strict regime rules, a Council, assigned jobs (and sometimes marriages) - not that original. But the Judaism which even reflects how it's shifted through time, and been adapted to circumstances. (A boy's bat mitzvah is, in fact, his sterilization so there will be no unplanned children.) It's sort of always quietly in the background, coloring everything, as something like that should.
The Koen surprise was fun, but I definitely saw the reveals about Terra's mother coming a million miles away. I'm also pretty skeptical of these psychic, bashert love dreams.
Terra wants to be part of something and we watch her on that path, and as she learns to differentiate between working for someone, working for herself, or even working against someone (or herself). The characters around her are (mostly) interesting and three-dimensional. I would have loved to see her best friend Rachel more involved. Terra's father ripped my heart into bits.
All in all, a good story that... felt like a YA, but not too much so.
In fact, but for a few drawn-out sexual moments (nothing explicit but lots of, "oh the hot hands!") I'd recommend it as Upper Middle. There's something about it that reminded me of The Giver.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
4.0
The diversity in this book blew my mind. I loved the setting of the ship and the politics of the Council. I cried at the appropriate times, and was pleased with the ending. I had to give it four stars instead of five because I found the main character's role in the political drama to be a stretch. She just wasn't intimidated enough to make it believable.