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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book. Is. Something. I guess. It’s giving off very problematic vibes and I don’t want to read further to see if I’m right. Plus I can’t keep track of the characters very well (but that’s probably just a me reading an audiobook thing).
Edit: dear god I just read some other reviews and I was so so right. This concept feels very weird and I’m glad I stopped reading.
Edit: dear god I just read some other reviews and I was so so right. This concept feels very weird and I’m glad I stopped reading.
Great world building but very weird concept. Not sure how this is for YA audiences, honestly. Even though the book tries to fight the gender binary, I don’t feel the book accomplishes it’s goal. Also, the protagonist having a type of relationship with both brothers was very odd.
I don’t know how I feel about this book. I didn’t dislike it but also, some bits were very squicky.
I don’t know how I feel about this book. I didn’t dislike it but also, some bits were very squicky.
Definitely YA, and the content warning at the start about calorie counting isn't joking. The premise is good, but as others have mentioned, it's light on character development.
Well, that was unexpected. I've always been a fan of E.K. Johnson's Star Wars books, and was glad to get my hands on this book. Its something new and wonderful, full of surprises around every turn.
In this new world, people have special abilities that can help them navigate space ships or help out in other ways. Some are more special than others. On the Pendt's family ship, things are hard and our main character grows up thinking that she is nothing special. When she see a chance to escape, she takes it and starts her own life on a space station. When she realizes she has the most rare ability of them all, one that was of the utmost value to her family, she knows they will come looking for her, but that's not the only secret they've been keeping from her. As family goes, they are not the outstanding citizens she had believed her whole life. They are knee deep in human tracking, and this crime was also at the expense of her twin sister.
Love and honor come into play when Pendt realizes what her abelites are capable of and of course all hell breaks lose when the family cruiser comes looking for her.
A wonderful story within a unique world. Loved it from start to finish. Five stars.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Sara | Book Confessions of an ExBallerina
In this new world, people have special abilities that can help them navigate space ships or help out in other ways. Some are more special than others. On the Pendt's family ship, things are hard and our main character grows up thinking that she is nothing special. When she see a chance to escape, she takes it and starts her own life on a space station. When she realizes she has the most rare ability of them all, one that was of the utmost value to her family, she knows they will come looking for her, but that's not the only secret they've been keeping from her. As family goes, they are not the outstanding citizens she had believed her whole life. They are knee deep in human tracking, and this crime was also at the expense of her twin sister.
Love and honor come into play when Pendt realizes what her abelites are capable of and of course all hell breaks lose when the family cruiser comes looking for her.
A wonderful story within a unique world. Loved it from start to finish. Five stars.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Sara | Book Confessions of an ExBallerina
medium-paced
This book is very interesting, not just because you're thrown head-first into a world that, initially, doesn't make sense, but because throughout the whole book - it almost feels like there are no stakes.
Simply put, the story doesn't have a great deal of urgency in it. Sure, it has a few moments, but those arise, are dealt with swiftly, and everything goes back to the less urgent nature of before. Part of this is the style of writing - the tone is so calm, it's going to take the urgency away from most things.
But it's still fascinating. It's like watching someone's life unfold before you, and its the sort of life that's both mundane and impossible. It's an interesting take on science fiction (or science fantasy, more accurately) and on humanity.
Simply put, the story doesn't have a great deal of urgency in it. Sure, it has a few moments, but those arise, are dealt with swiftly, and everything goes back to the less urgent nature of before. Part of this is the style of writing - the tone is so calm, it's going to take the urgency away from most things.
But it's still fascinating. It's like watching someone's life unfold before you, and its the sort of life that's both mundane and impossible. It's an interesting take on science fiction (or science fantasy, more accurately) and on humanity.
Sooooo... this was my 7th E.K. Johnston book, and sadly I think it was my least favorite. I didn't dislike it, but reading it didn't seem to bring any real emotional investment even though I didn't *dislike* the characters. The worldbuilding was pretty interesting, and I appreciated that this is a standalone, but it could easily lend itself to a sequel as they take the next step into the wider world of the rebellion. It all worked out pretty easily considering the obstacles they were up against.
Also, yes, I'm one of the people who completely did not cop on to Fisher being trans. I mean.... seriously - I spent the entire book thinking "wow, it's really unusual/weird that E.K. Johnston wrote a book where none of the main characters are LGBTQ+." I remember Pendt's line about "you're not a girl, you never were" but it just. Did. Not. Click. Somehow I just thought that somehow the aether differences or something else were responsible for why Ned could use the gate and Fisher couldn't. I guess it's good Ned and Pendt worked out their arrangement when they met because Fisher wouldn't have been able to fulfill that. But yeah, sooooooooooo did not get this. *makes whooshing motion over top of head*
Having said all this, if she does write a sequel, I would read it.
Also, yes, I'm one of the people who completely did not cop on to Fisher being trans. I mean.... seriously - I spent the entire book thinking "wow, it's really unusual/weird that E.K. Johnston wrote a book where none of the main characters are LGBTQ+." I remember Pendt's line about "you're not a girl, you never were" but it just. Did. Not. Click. Somehow I just thought that somehow the aether differences or something else were responsible for why Ned could use the gate and Fisher couldn't. I guess it's good Ned and Pendt worked out their arrangement when they met because Fisher wouldn't have been able to fulfill that. But yeah, sooooooooooo did not get this. *makes whooshing motion over top of head*
Having said all this, if she does write a sequel, I would read it.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-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:
No